Make Your Own High-End Skin Care Formula

by Joan Kelly

It’s no surprise several of the world’s finest formulas for beautifying mature skin contain natural essential oils. Therapeutic grade essential oils used in aromatherapy are each selected for their distinctive healing action; many oils are specifically indicated for skin healing and healthy skin maintenance. Of greatest interest here are the oils known for their tissue regenerative effects and support of the skin’s metabolic functions. An effective personal blend using premium therapeutic grade oils is easily made by choosing a few oils corresponding to the needs of your skin type, and blending with easy-to-follow formulas.

The Chemistry of Therapeutic Skin Care

What makes essential oils and their accompanying carrier oils so effective for natural skin care? It happens that their chemical structures are highly-compatible with that of our skin cells. Essential oils are easily absorbed through the dermal layers and even through the skin’s individual cell walls. This makes them extremely simple to create and use your own formulas. Just mix each chosen essential oil into one or more carrier oils (which have their own therapeutic effects as well) at the recommended concentrations, then apply regularly for best results. The carrier oils will do just as the name implies – ‘carry’ the essential oils more deeply into the skin, and prevent them from being quickly evaporated into the air (as a perfume might be).

Carrier Oils: The Base of Your Formula

Essential oils for topical application in nearly every instance will be blended with what are known as carrier oils or ‘base’ oils. These cold-pressed seed or nut oils make up the foundation of most natural skin care formulas. There are a many lovely carrier oils from which to choose – a few favorites for nourishing and healing mature skin include: Avocado is known to be both hydrating, and nutritive; it has a medium consistency and is generally included at about 20% of the total base oil mixture. Apricot Kernel is fantastic for dry skin and is used for healing damaged or irritated skin. Apricot oil can be used in combination or with other carriers or as 100% of the base oil. Borage oil is used as a small (perhaps 10%) portion of the carrier blend; it helps to calm inflammation and supplies important essential fatty acid nutrients. Borage and Evening Primrose oil may be interchanged though the Evening Primrose should be used in slightly larger concentrations of up to one-quarter of the base formula. Hazelnut oil is a very common carrier in skin care blends. It has a thinner consistency and is best used by those with oily skin conditions. With its astringent properties Hazelnut should not exacerbate oily-skin conditions. Lastly, and likely most importantly, we have Rosehip Seed. Rosehip seed oil combines a plethora of therapeutic properties including the ability to speed turnover of skin cells without drying or flaking (as can be a common side effect of synthetic preparations with the same purpose). An excellent base oil mix for mature skin might include 70% Apricot Kernel, 15% Rosehip and 15% Evening Primrose. For those with dry skin, add Avocado oil at 20% and reduce the Apricot Kernel to 50%. For oily skin, replace Apricot Kernel with Hazelnut.

Therapeutic and Aromatic Magic: The Essential Oils

Then of course there are the ‘active’ ingredients – the essential oils. We will look at eight incredible oils that are all beneficial to mature skin: Considered one of the most potent revitalizing oils for the derma, Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot. Carrot seed is chosen principally as a tonic for skin that has become dull and lifeless through any sort of stress. Next is Rosemary Verbenone, which contains a high amount of regenerative ketones and is highly effective for regeneration. This specialty skin care essential oil is noted by professionals for its wonderful ability to improve the metabolism of skin cells – in essence, increasing both the removal of waste products and the intake of nutrients. And perhaps the most revered essential oil of all for women’s skin is Rose. This really belongs in every women’s skin care recipe — despite its high cost, its value cannot be underestimated. Only the tiniest amounts of steam distilled Rose (also called Rose Otto) is needed; even just four drops per ounce of your complete recipe will have an excellent therapeutic AND aromatic results.

Estrogen Balancing at the Cellular Level

Clary Sage is renowned as being particularly suited to natural skin and beauty care. A component of the essential oil mimics the effects of estrogen, which may enhance the vibrancy of aging skin. Clary Sage is also celebrated for its regulation of the skin’s secretions, naturally bringing balance to both over-oily as well as under-oily skin. It’s aroma is considered relaxing and mildly euphoric which may also contribute to its positive effects. Sweet Fennel is another oil with estrogen-like action, listed by herbalist and author Valerie Worwood in blends for wrinkle prevention at every stage in life.

Skin Care Specialty Oils

A couple of lesser known yet highly effective skin care specialty oils are Cistus and Sea Buckthorn. Cistus is distilled from the Rock Rose flower, with astringent qualities used for firming the skin. Some Cistus varieties tend to have a rather medicinal aroma, but truly fine ones are sweet and alluring. Sea Buckthorn is pleasingly sweet, and should be considered for blends for all skin types. Found as a CO2 distillation (not to be confused with the cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn carrier oil) the essential oil is a deep red color, indicating the high concentration of carotenes, vitamin A precursors so important to skin health. The virtues of Sea Buckthorn have been hailed by users with a wide variety of skin conditions and types at every age – it is useful in very small amounts, and need only make up 1% of your recipe to enjoy its benefits.

Bringing Balance

And what review of therapeutic skin oils could ignore the vast healing properties of Lavender? Well-known for its relaxing effects, true lavender can be included in aromatherapy blends for skin of any age. With regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and balancing effects, lavender is especially supportive of aging skin. Lavender’s support for stress reduction alone can result in improving the appearance of your skin. It may be added in whatever concentration one chooses in alignment with one’s personal taste. For those wanting even stronger anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects, try Helichrysum essential oil. Helichrysum is known widely as a profoundly healing essential oil for damaged skin, and is often called for in blends for healing wounds or reducing the appearance of scars. Note that if you are combining aromatherapy with other treatments such as chemical peels or microdermabasion, this essential oil would be a valuable ingredient in your personal formula.

Mixing Your Own Perfect Formula

Creating your own blend is a simple and enjoyable process. Simple, as you only need select the essential oils you wish to include, and can add them in equal amounts – 10 drops of each essential oil per ounce of base oil is a perfect start. Enjoyable as the essential oils smell so wonderful! One can’t help to keep inhaling their aroma while preparing a formula. The essential oils ARE potent; it’s best to limit your total essential oil concentration to less than five percent of the overall mixture. This works out to 30 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier. If using more than three essential oils (i.e. more than 10 drops each of three varieties) limit the amount of each essential oil so that the final volume per ounce is less than 30 drops. So for example, if using five essential oils, use a maximum of six drops of each per ounce of carrier oil. Almost all essential oils work best at these seemingly low concentrations – more is not better. You can, however, adjust the essential oil ratios to suit the needs of your skin and/or your aromatic preferences.

And for the Man in the House?

Many of the oils mentioned here are found in blends for women, but there is no rule that prevents men from using them as well. For an aroma that a man may appreciate, deeper, earthier essential oils can be used – Sandalwood, Frankincense and Myrrh are all essential oils noted for their benefits to mature skin. Also, for any gender, including essential oils for their fragrance and not just their therapeutic properties is certainly an option. With one’s emotional health often clearly reflected in the condition of their skin, there’s more than likely to be a benefit beyond simply smelling nice! Just be aware that there are a few oils that should not be applied to the face; these are some of the spicier oils – Cinnamon, Oregano, Clove and Thyme varieties; cold-pressed citrus oils like lime, lemon, orange and bergamot should also be avoided for facial care, as these oils can cause the skin to be extra-sensitive to UV light. If you have any uncertainty about a particular oil, there are many quality resources regarding essential oil safety available both on the internet and in print.

Experiment and Have Fun!

Creating your own personal therapeutic skin care blend is a wonderful aromatherapy project for beginning and advanced practitioners alike. You’ll have an effective mixture made just for your skin type, and that you can adjust according to your needs in the future. Plus it’s fun to do, and easier on the pocket book than high-end commercial formulations. As always when starting out with these medicines from nature, be aware of you’re body’s responses to the oils, respect their potency, and most of all, have fun!

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