Anyone with zits and pimples knows that skincare is key, but the ingredients in prescription treatments are often toxic. If you’re ready to take the plunge into natural acne treatments, this article may have just the information you’re looking for. Let’s learn how to use essential oils for acne.
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A prominent component of natural skincare is eliminating harmful products and toxic ingredients. In the beginning, most of us find ourselves getting rid of dozens of products as we find item after item with toxic ingredients we never knew were problematic. But what if you struggle with a specific skin condition – like acne?
Can Essential Oils Clear Skin?
Remember that choosing natural products doesn’t mean simply replacing your current products. This is about a way of life – Abundant Life! So take a step back and see if you can pinpoint what’s causing your acne.
If you’re out of the teenage years, when hormonal changes are rampant and acne is expected, you have to really look at what might cause acne. For many, diet is a major culprit. Greasy foods, something you’re allergic to, and carbs are all potential causes of breakouts. In 2014, the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology suggested that doctors should advise patients with acne to limit their refined carb intake. (1) Check out MamaZ’s Recipe Makeover Guide for ideas on simple swaps that can help improve your diet.
Other researchers suggest a more complicated set of causes to be attuned to – with the article in question simply referring to it as “modern life”! (2) Simply leading a stressful life could be triggering signals in your body that erupt on your skin.
What’s the common denominator? It could simply be the gut. (3)
The way that the gut interacts with signals of stress from the brain is affected by what we eat, which, in turn, affects hormone signals and other functions – this isn’t a big surprise. Start with a healthy gut, and the rest of the body will soon follow!
5 Essential Oils for Acne Relief
Once you’ve got a handle on preventive strategies and are moving toward a healthier lifestyle, you should start to see some acne relief. When you really need to make some changes in the products you use on your skin, though, check out these essential oils for acne relief.
1. Tea Tree
Hailing as the key oil used for acne, tea tree oil (Melaleuca) is used for its antiseptic and antimicrobial abilities that help to cleanse the skin. It’s also an incredibly gentle oil that can be used easily on acne breakouts.
To test the claims about tea tree and acne, a full clinical trial was conducted using tea tree gel and a placebo. After ten days, then forty-five days, the results were in: “…tea tree oil gel was 3.55 times and 5.75 times more effective than placebo respectively.” (4) Confirmed!
Application: The study in question used tea tree oil in a 5% dilution. Use tea tree oil in your DIY cleansing soaps or dilute into a carrier to spot-treat breakouts. (Note at this dilution level, use as a spot treatment only.)
2. Lavender
A soothing and healing essential oil, lavender essential oil is a good choice for acne formulations. It is also gentle for skin that is already on alert.
One of the best actions that lavender has when it comes to acne and skin irritation is that it’s an anti-inflammatory substance. Joining a list of anti-inflammatory herbs and oils, lavender can help to soothe skin that’s inflamed during or after an acne attack. (5)
Application: Use lavender essential oil as part of a soothing spot treatment or in a moisturizing carrier oil as a daily healing application.
3. Orange
Orange, as well as all of the citrus essential oils in general, are useful for treating acne with essential oils. They are loaded with cleansing, antimicrobial, and antiseptic actions, which are vital when tackling acne as a bacterial issue.
Sweet orange oil, in particular, is a good choice because it’s not quite as harsh as some of the other citrus oils. Perhaps this is why a clinical trial chose it to test alongside basil oil and some other treatment methods. Orange oil held its own, helping to significantly reduce acne breakouts with minimal side effects or irritation. (6)
Application: Orange oil is an excellent choice for cleansing formulations.
4. Rosemary
Known for its skin and hair health applications, rosemary essential oil is another great oil to have on hand for DIY acne skincare preparations. While its studies aren’t as detailed as the other clinical tests and randomized comparisons, rosemary has its own supporting evidence to bring to the table.
As part of a lab test, rosemary essential oil was observed as easily overpowering bacteria that are at the heart of acne woes. (7) This gives it an edge over generalized antibacterial oils since we know that they are directly effective against that nasty strain.
Application: Rosemary essential oil is a good addition to toning spritzes and other regular prevention products..
5. Sandalwood
Sandalwood essential oil is another powerful tool in the fight against acne. According to a study published on PubMed, sandalwood oil has been found to have significant antimicrobial properties against the bacteria that cause acne.
The study showed that sandalwood oil can inhibit the growth of Propionibacterium acnes, the bacteria responsible for inflammation and infection in acne lesions. In addition, sandalwood oil has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, which can help reduce redness and swelling associated with acne breakouts.
Application: Add sandalwood to our natural foaming facial cleanser to replicate what the participants of the study did.
Why Essential Oils for Pimples Work
From tea tree oil to lesser-known options, the antibacterial properties of these essential oils for zits are a common denominator.
Making your own skincare applications is exciting and rewarding. Something that YOU made, with natural, God-given ingredients, that actually brings results just can’t be beaten! Whatever your acne severity, or skin sensitivity, here are some things to consider:
- Give it time. When a skin condition comes into play, though, you should give yourself some time to work out the best ingredients and ratios for your skin. Give the anti-inflammatory effects of natural skincare time to work.
- Don’t fear using aromatherapy oils for acne! Something that may be difficult to get used to is the way natural products rely on carrier oils. If you have oily skin, this can be scary! Many people find that using oils actually helps to balance the skin’s oil production, nourish irritated skin, and reduce breakouts.
- Take it holistically. This isn’t just about what you put on your skin – what goes into your body and how you live your life play a role in acne trouble, too!
Essential Oils for Acne Applications
You’ll want to test your own skin’s response to discover the best essential oils for you, but here are a couple of aromatherapy recipes for acne to get you started.
Sensitive Skin Acne Prevention Cleanser
Many people like to clean their faces with coconut or olive carrier oils. Add a drop of tea tree oil and a drop of orange in 1 tablespoon of base oil to enhance the cleansing benefits. If you’re prone to dry skin, try blending with jojoba oil.
Essential Oils for Acne Toner
Some call toner the most important part of a skincare routine. Make a quick but effective DIY option with antibacterial properties as a gentle skin toner.
Start by diluting 6 drops of rosemary essential oil and 6 drops of lavender essential oil in half an ounce of 190-proof alcohol, and then slowly add half an ounce of witch hazel and 1 ounce of distilled water.
Spritz onto clean skin daily and keep in cold storage when not in use. Keep no longer than a month and check frequently for spoilage.
Healing Skin Serum for Acne Scars
The healing skin serum Mama Z developed for her own skin problems can be adapted. Try using tea tree, sandalwood, and other essential oils for skincare to create supple skin without blemishes or acne scars. Vitamin E will be a crucial component. See the video and how-to recipe for making your healing skin salve here.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24719062
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24952024
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23886975
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314442
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15173991
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23235794
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17893831
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23377508/
