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The natural skin care trend
A hot topic right now in “clean eating” or “Paleo” circles is the concept of using natural or non-toxic makeup, beauty products, and household products. Taking proper care of our skin is not something that I really focused on for a long time. Let’s face it: my face has a youthful appearance. (Sometimes TOO youthful, according to the age some people think I am!) So why should I be concerned about using good skin care right now? You may be asking yourself the same question.
It’s because that skin care is more than what it makes us look like. It’s more than just keeping away or reducing wrinkles (though that is nice). It’s even more than keeping our faces acne-free. On a deeper level, it’s about making sure that we are beautiful inside and out. Okay, I know that’s cliche. But think about it: our skin is incredibly absorptive. If a molecule is small enough, it will be absorbed into our skin and thereby our body via the bloodstream.
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I’m not eating my skin care!
Okay, you might be thinking, so what? It’s not like I’m eating my skin care! But you know what? Dermal absorption (through the skin) is actually a quicker way to affect one’s body than eating! In nursing school, we are taught the most effective routes of medication absorption. Putting a medication on the skin will cause results more quickly than a pill that is swallowed. (That’s putting it incredibly simply, but I say this to make a point.) When you ingest something, whether it’s food or medicine, your GI system has to process it and then your liver has to metabolize it before it makes it to your bloodstream. With dermal application, it bypasses the liver and goes right to work!
This is a long-winded way of saying that what you put ON your skin ends up IN your body, for the most part. Now, I don’t go so far as to say that if you can’t eat your skin care then you shouldn’t be putting it on your skin. There are substances that we wouldn’t eat but that are safe for dermal application. Don’t take this the wrong way!
Essential oils as a safe skin care option
So the question is: if what you’re putting on your skin ends up in your body, then why aren’t we scrutinizing our body products like we scrutinize our food? I think it’s because it’s just not as obvious. Our skin doesn’t have tongues that are licking up our lotion. (Doesn’t that make for a great visual?) But if our skin is eating our skin care in its own way, and then delivering it to our bloodstream, then shouldn’t we make sure that what we apply is safe? Especially if we may be dealing with other health issues or are pregnant (or of child-bearing age)?
Enter essential oils. There are so many great reasons to use essential oils, and skin care is one of them. They are more than just a nice fragrance; they actually have therapeutic effects that can make them a great skin care ingredient. Not every essential oil makes for good skin care, but there are certain ones that do. I will outline them today! Please note: all links below are linked to my personal website as a doTERRA Wellness Advocate. If you choose to purchase through these links, I will make a commission from the sales. I truly appreciate your business! If you are already working with a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, please purchase through them.
Frankincense
The first essential oil that comes to mind when thinking about skin care is frankincense. In doTERRA, we call this “the king of oils” because it is helpful for so many issues. Our frankincense is a mixture of four types: Boswellia carterii, sacra, papyrifera, frereana. It’s restorative to the body’s cells so it can help with skin imperfections and make the skin seem brighter and younger. It can also help make the skin feel more elastic. Below are some ways in which to use frankincense:
- Add a drop to your facial moisturizer.
- Add 1-2 drops to plain body lotion.
- Use 1 drop (or swipe the edge of the bottle) to blot onto dark spots or old skin blemishes.
- Use as an ingredient in homemade skin serum or under-eye serum.
One word of caution: it is not recommended to use undiluted frankincense on rashes. Always heavily dilute essential oils for skin that is “active.” If certain essential oils bother that irritated area, stick to essential oil-free products on that area until it goes away.
To learn more about frankincense and see references, click HERE.
Lavender & Melaleuca
I put lavender and melaleuca under the same header, as they are complementary and are often used together for skin care. Lavender is known as a calming oil, and it can definitely help calm the skin. This is an oil that can be very comforting for skin that is irritated. This can work in the case of internal causes (like eating an inflammatory food) or external (like being attacked by mosquitos). Melaleuca is both a cleansing and a calming oil, and can be used for cleansing the skin as well as in the same ways as lavender. It’s also very powerful against skin blemishes. Below are some ways in which to use lavender and melaleuca:
- Use 1 drop diluted on specific areas of skin irritation or blemishes.
- Add a drop lavender to your facial moisturizer for overall calming benefit.
- Add a drop melaleuca to your facial moisturizer to promote clear skin.
- Add 1-2 drops each to your body lotion and apply to legs after shaving.
- Use as ingredients in homemade facial toner (just add to pure witch hazel in a spritzer bottle!).
To learn more about lavender and melaleuca and see references, click HERE and HERE.
Geranium
Personally, the smell of geranium is not my favorite and many people feel the same. However, I think we need to distance ourselves from the idea that essential oils need to smell good to us in order to use them. They are not a fragrance product – they are a therapeutic health product! So with that being said, geranium is an essential oil that is not to be missed. As mentioned above in the photo, geranium can help your skin balance out its production of oil. So if you tend to have oily skin, this is the EO for you! At the same time, don’t worry about it drying out your skin, as it is also hydrating. It also promotes clear, healthy-looking skin. Below are some ways in which to use geranium:
- Use as an ingredient in homemade facial toner, especially if you have oily skin.
- Add 1 drop to your facial moisturizer for proper oil balance.
To learn more about geranium and see references, click HERE.
Juniper Berry
I mention juniper berry because 1) it’s kind of a “forgotten oil,” and 2) it’s in some of our proprietary skin care products (which I will address in the next section). Juniper berry can naturally tone the skin, reduce the appearance of blemishes, and help us have overall healthier complexions. Below are some ways in which to use juniper berry:
- Use as an ingredient in homemade facial toner, especially if you’re aiming for a clearer complexion.
- Add 1 drop along with or in lieu of melaleuca to your facial moisturizer to combat blemishes.
- Use 1 drop diluted to specific areas of skin irritation or blemishes.
To learn more about juniper berry and see references, click HERE.
doTERRA facial skin care products
Perhaps you’re not the DIY type or maybe you want skin care that is expertly formulated. I get you! I love DIY but there’s something luxurious about popping open safe, naturally-based skin care from a trusted company. Below are some suggestions on skin care from doTERRA, with my personal favorites in bold:
- doTERRA Verage Collection: This is doTERRA’s most naturally-based skin care system. It’s also great if you want a natural anti-aging skin care system. You can pick and choose individual products from the collection, or buy it as a kit. My favorite from this line is the cleanser. Also check out this ingredient safety list that is just top-notch!
- doTERRA Essential Skin Care Kit: This is doTERRA’s comprehensive line of facial skin care products. They were recently reformulated so they can be up-to-date with the latest science! This kit contains: cream facial cleanser, gentle exfoliating cleanser, toner, tightening serum, skin brightening gel, under-eye cream, anti-aging moisturizer, and a thicker, more hydrating facial cream. These products do NOT have to purchased as a kit as linked above. Any of the products can be purchased separately, or in a customizable kit. Ask me how you can get these products at a discount below wholesale.
- doTERRA HD Clear Facial Kit: These products specifically address blemishes and problematic skin. It’s not just for teens, as many adults have these issues as well. It contains a foaming cleanser, moisturizer, and essential oil blend rollerball. Each product can be purchased separately as well.
Other doTERRA skin care products
- Spa Products: Don’t forget about the rest of your body! doTERRA carries other body products that are not all for specific facial care. They include two different types of bar soap, unscented body lotion, scented body butter, scented hand lotion, sugar scrub, three flavors of lip balm, body wash gel, and a tube of mud mask. These products can also be purchased separately or as a “spa luxury kit” (containing the mud mask, body butter, and sugar scrub).
- Other skin care necessities: A few random products that don’t really fall into any of the above categories are doTERRA Correct-X (a naturally-based ointment), aluminum-free deodorant, and fractionated coconut oil (my dilution oil of choice).
Continuing education on natural, non-toxic skin care
doTERRA has an excellent page dedicated to integumentary (skin) health. It can be accessed HERE, along with educational videos. The doTERRA Blog is also an excellent, easy-to-read resource for all things related to essential oils and DIY recipes. And of course, stay tuned to Warrior Life Wellness for more posts about safe and natural skin care and other topics related to essential oils! Let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this post and would like to see others like it. 🙂
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Music credit in video: http://audionautix.com – “Acoustic Guitar 1”, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.