The oils are usually used in aromatherapy and are considered alternative medicines made from plant extracts. Yes, this is exactly what essential oils are all about. If you want to know more about what essential oils are and how they are beneficial for our hair and skin, look no more as you are precisely at the right place.
What are Essential Oils?
These oils are liquid extracts of different beneficial plants, and specific manufacturing processes are carried out to extract these oils. The essential oils contain significant levels of active ingredients and have a much more pungent smell as compared to the plants they come from. There are two ways through which essential oils are extracted.
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- The process of cold pressing involves mechanically squeezing or pressing the plant matter to release the essential oils.
- The water or steam distillation process involves passing water or hot steam through the plants and pulling essential compounds away from the plants.
How are essential oils beneficial for the skin?
Here are various skin conditions where different essential oils can prove to be beneficial that are given below:
- Dry skin can show up during certain times of the year, or some people have dry skin throughout. Although there are various creams and lotions available to treat dry skin, some essential oils also do the job quite well. Essential oils like Chamomile, Lavender, Sandalwood are suitable for dry skin.
- Hormones, humidity and heat can make oily skin produce more oils and can make it look worse. Certain essential oils help in alleviating oily skin issues. The oils that are suitable for oily skin include rosemary oil, clary sage, geranium essential oil, etc.
- Using chemical containing products for sensitive skin can turn out to be risky. Therefore, using 100% naturally made essential oils for sensitive skin is a better option. Various essential oils like frankincense, lavender and sandalwood are suitable for sensitive skin types.
- If you have acne, the excess oils and bacteria must be removed from the skin. Therefore, using essential oils that can treat acne by reducing microbial can turn out to be a great option to use. Essential oils like frankincense, lemongrass, tea tree and rosemary are known for treating acne-prone skin.
- Certain essential oils, when used as a serum, can prove to be great for treating pigmentation. These oils include carrot seed oil, pomegranate essential oil, tangerine, geranium, lemon, etc.
- As you age, your skin starts losing collagen and elasticity, which can lead to wrinkles and fine lines. To avoid this from happening, certain essential oils like jojoba, rose, carrot seed, lavender, etc., can prove to be good.
Essential Oils for Hair
Here are various skin conditions where different essential oils can prove to be beneficial that are given below:
- The lavender essential oil possesses various properties that are known for growing cells and reducing stress. This makes lavender oil great for speeding up hair growth.
- Peppermint essential oils are also known for improving hair growth because the area where this oil is applied increases circulation and thus speeds up the hair growth process.
- The rosemary essential oil has the ability to improve cellular generation. This quality makes it great to be used for both hair thickness and hair growth.
- Having a flake-free and healthy scalp is a part of hair health, and dandruff can prove to be quite a stoppage to achieve that. Therefore, lemongrass essential oil is one of the most effective treatments to overcome dandruff.
How to use Essential Oils?
Essential oils are not safe to be taken orally, and they are only inhaled or used directly on the body. It is always recommended to have a patch test before using any essential oil. Here are specific ways that you can use essential oils:
Massage and direct application
When you want to treat any kind of skin condition, the essential oil is best to be used topically. This requires using a few drops of essential oils on the skin and massage into the skin until it is completely absorbed.
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Diffuser
Diffusers have now gained much popularity for the practice of aromatherapy. They are used for helping in dispersing the essential oil in a room so that you can breathe. Inhaling them can prove to be beneficial; however, this doesn’t treat any skin condition.
Bath in essential oils
If you are trying to treat skin conditions on problematic reaching areas like your back, taking a bath in essential oils can prove to be very much helpful. You just have to add around ten drops of essential oil into the running bath and enjoy your me-time.
Precautions and Side Effects of using Essential Oils
Here are certain precautions and side effects that you should take care of before using any essential oils:
- If you don’t dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil and use the concentrated version of it topically, it can end up causing skin rashes and irritation. Therefore, it is always recommended to dilute the essential oil before topical use.
- Before using the oils on your skin, make sure that you place a small amount of its diluted version on any of your body parts. Wait for 24 hours to check if there is any kind of reaction that happens. If yes, stop using the essential oil right away and if no, you are good to go.
- There is no denying the fact that essential oils are natural. However, it is never recommended to take them by mouth because they are as powerful as traditional medications. Additionally, you should never treat any underlying medical condition without any doctor’s advice.
- Ask your gynaecologist before using any essential oil, even topically if you are pregnant or are breastfeeding your child.