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Essential Oils For Skincare
I am a huge fan of essential oils! I have been using them for mind, body and spirit for over ten years so, depending on how I am feeling and what I need at the time, there is usually an essential oil in my collection which will help me.
Essential oils can be used both topically (always dilute in a carrier oil – more on this later!) or in a diffuser. I use both, as each has their own benefits depending on what you need. I also make my own soy wax candles and fragrance them using pure essential oils, organic wherever possible. I will be sharing with you how I make my candles soon, so please keep an eye out for my tutorial.
Over a year ago I switched from harmful, chemical-laden skincare and started making my own face cream, lip balm, hand cream (cocoa butter and vanilla – yum!), beard oil for my husband and handmade soap. So many of the products we use on a daily basis are packed full of harmful chemicals such as sulphates and parabens which are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals disrupt our endocrine system and hormones causing all sorts of health issues. When I make my own skincare products I know exactly what is going into them and where it has come from and I use essential oils in all of my homemade products. Essential oils should always be diluted in a carrier oil or cream when going on the skin and two of my favourites are Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil. These are light enough to be used everyday on the face. Occasionally I use fractionated coconut oil,but prefer this on my body rather than my face as it can cause breakouts and oily/dry patches.
Apart from the joy I get from making my own skincare, I love the fact that I am also getting huge benefits from the healing powers of essential oils. I will be sharing some of my favourite skincare recipes with you soon – I promise you will love them.
Essential Oils For Sleep
Four of my favourite essential oils for Sleep are:
- Atlas Cedarwood
- Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
Many people opt for Lavender Essential Oil for sleep. I find Lavender wonderful and it does work very well but sometimes if I have over-used it, it can smell a little sickly for me. My go-to oils for sleep are usually some or a combination of the above. They can be used either diluted in a massage oil (such as Sweet Almond Oil or Fractionated Coconut Oil) or diffused either in the room you are sitting in an hour before bed or in the bedroom itself.
Atlas Cedarwood and Sandalwood are, in particular very “Yang” Oils. They have a woody, masculine smell that is just amazing. Vetiver is also very Yang but when you add in Ylang Ylang or a floral such as Geranium, both of which are typically “Yin” essential oils, the smell is more evenly balanced and honestly, it is just divine.
Some other oils that blend really well with Cedarwood and Sandalwood are oils from the Citrus family – Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange all work beautifully with woody essential oils.
Atlas Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Vetiver are all slightly more expensive essential oils, particularly if you buy organic but they are so worth it. You won’t need to use as much of these as they are woody and can overpower if too much is used.
Here are some combinations you might like to try!
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