Essential oils are potent beauty ingredients that are available to us, yet not everyone is aware of the true power they possess. These oils are widely used in formulations of OTC beauty products because they have tons of medicinal properties and benefits for both skin and hair. Spas use them in almost every treatment they offer too, and it’s all because essential oils promote a state of relaxation and well being either through aromatherapy or muscle-relaxing massages. Now, there are many ways to use essential oils, but you need to be careful about not misusing them as they are super potent and volatile. Once you understand what these oils really are and the right precautions are set in place, essential oils will transform your beauty routine and it will never be the same again. Here’s a simple guide to essential oils and safe ways to use them in your beauty routine.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated liquids that are extracted from natural sources such as herbs, leaves, fruits, flowers, and stems of plants. These oils have the essence, fragrance, and medicinal properties of the natural sources they are derived from minus the source’s original physical properties. Essential oils are popularly derived through steam distillation or cold-pressed methods and they are supposed to be used carefully as they are very potent and volatile. Essential oils can be used in skincare, haircare, body care, aromatherapy, and for healing ailments. Although when topically using them on the skin and hair, they should always be diluted with water or other natural ingredients.
The Uses Of Essential Oils For Beauty & Wellness
Here are some amazing ways to reap the benefits of essential oils by safely adding them to your beauty routine.
Aroma Mantra
The easiest way to use essential oils is to use them in an aroma diffuser. The scent of different essential oils has many healing abilities such as reducing stress and anxiety, promoting quality sleep, invigorating the senses and more. Since it is aromatherapy through diffusers, you aren’t even applying the essential oils on your skin and therefore don’t have to worry about it being too harsh. If you wish to transform your living space into a tranquil environment, opt for a manual aroma diffuser that needs to be activated with a candle or invest in a portable battery-run diffuser that is even easier to use. Once you have your diffuser, all you need are a few drops of the essential oils of choice.
Signature Scent
Essential oils are used in fragrance making in both high end and drugstore brands. All scents contain essential oils as they are truly great aromatics. Since we’ve established that aromatherapy with essential oils is highly beneficial for your wellbeing, creating your own signature scent with them is another way to use these potent natural ingredients. Mix equal parts of water, carrier oil of choice, and isopropyl alcohol in a recycled scent bottle and then add in 20 to 30 drops of your essential oil fragrance of choice. Shake the bottle well to combine all ingredients and use it on the warm spots on your body like the armpits, wrists, and neck. You can customise the fragrance by using different essential oils according to your liking.
Magic Elixir
Some essential oils are real haircare heroes. They can stop hair concerns like hair fall, dandruff, oily or dry scalp, breakage, and more. To use essential oils in hair care, mix 5 to 6 drops of the essential oil with 3 tablespoons of carrier oil like coconut oil or castor oil and massage it into your scalp. Let it work its magic for about an hour before you wash the oil out with shampoo and conditioner.
Face Mist
Create a skincare face mist with essential oils to attain your skincare goals. Mix equal parts of water and rose water and add it to a spray bottle. Choose essential oils that will help treat your skin concerns and add 10 to 15 drops of them to the water and rose water mixture. For example, you could add 5 drops of tea tree essential oil and 10 drops of neroli essential to the rosewater mix. Shake the bottle well to combine all ingredients and then spritz it on your skin to tone or freshen up anywhere, anytime.
Pack It Up
We are all somewhat of DIY beauty geeks thanks to our South Asian upbringing because homemade face packs have long been used in our culture for beautifying the skin. Essential oils can easily be incorporated into these face packs to boost their efficacy and provide additional skincare benefits. All you need is to make your face mask as usual and then stir on 1 to 2 drops of the essential oil of your choice. An easy DIY face pack with essential oils could be mixing 1 tablespoon of fuller’s earth, a pinch of turmeric, and a dash of milk to form a paste and then mixing in 2 drops of orange essential oil for a boost of vitamin C action.
Spot On
Owing to their amazing healing abilities, essential oils can be used to treat breakouts and heal acne wounds and scars immediately for instant relief. Choose a soothing, acne-fighting essential oil and mix it with a hydrating ingredient like aloe vera. Take a teaspoon of aloe vera gel and mix in a drop or two of chamomile essential oil. Apply this mixture on cleansed skin and only on the affected areas. This will instantly reduce itchiness and inflammation.
Dandruff Killer
If you are tired of enduring a dandruff issue, turn to essential oils for help. You can easily mix an essential oil that fights dandruff-causing bacteria into your shampoo or scalp scrub and rinse your hair with it. Take your regular amount of shampoo in a bowl and stir in 2 to 3 drops of tea tree essential oil. Massage this enhanced shampoo mix on your wet hair and rinse as usual. Repeat this for every hair wash until you see that your dandruff has vanished.
Now that you know how to safely add essential oils to your beauty routine, don’t waste any time. Stock up on a selection of essential oils as they are sure to make your beauty routine more effective.
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