Essential Oils and your Skin

Essential Oils are highly concentrated so care must be taken to handle them correctly. 

Using certain essential oils on your skin through massage or a bath can cause irritation if it is applied undiluted.   However, there are exceptions like Tea Tree Oil and Lavender which can be used undiluted. But to avoid irritation (a very itchy red rash), it is important to follow the recipe carefully and dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil.  If a rash occurs, wash the affected area immediately and apply a base cream or oil (Sweet Almond Oil) to the area.  Then apply a cold wet cloth until the redness and itching stops.

There is also the risk of skin sensitization caused by an allergic reaction to the oil.  If you have allergy prone skin, it is best to avoid essentials oils that can cause sensitization altogether.  There is also the possibility if an allergic reaction even if you don’t have sensitive skin so be aware of your skin.

The best way to find out how your skin will react to an essential oil is to massage a small amount on your skin on the inside of your arm and cover with a band-aid overnight.  In the morning remove the band-aid and if your skin is normal, then the essential oil is safe for you to use.

Certain essentials oils such as citrus oils can be phototoxic and this can cause skin discolouration if you are exposing your skin to the sun.  It is best to avoid these oils in sunny weather.

Clearly Essentials Limited lists the aromatherapy uses and safety data of each essential oil and carrier oil we sell.  Please take the time to read carefully and if you have any questions or concerns please to not hesitate to contact us.

Suncare & Essential Oils

Suncream at the shoulder (shallow dof)As February comes to an end and March approaches, most of us are thinking of warm, sunny weather again.  If you have kids, that March break deadline is coming up fast and so most of us hop on a plane and go down south.  It’s a time to enjoy the hot sun, play in the sand and just relax with your family and friends.

But it is extremely important to protect yourself and your family from the harmful rays that can cause skin cancer.  Moderate exposure to the sun can be achieved by monitoring the time you spend in the sun, choosing a sunscreen with an SPF that’s appropriate to your complexion, avoiding the sun between noon and 3 p.m., drinking lots of water and wearing a hat.

It is also important to prepare your skin before you go with exfoliating body scrubs and daily moisturizing lotion.  You can add a few drops of essential oils like lavender, patchouli and palmrosa to your lotion to help nourish and protect your skin.  After sunbathing it is important to cool down and apply a rich, thick moisturizer to your body.  You can add a few drops of essential oils like chamomile, lavender and rosewood to your lotion to help with the cooling and regenerating of your skin.

Sunburns can be extremely painful but here is a blend that can help to soothe; 6 drops of lavender, 2 drops of roman chamomile, 2 drops of spearmint in a carrier oil.

Visit us at our Clearly Essentials’ website to see our list of essential oils and carrier oils we supply.

Have fun!

Essential Oils for Beauty Products

h1By enhancing your lotions, creams and other products with the right blend of our essential oils, you can naturally support a younger, fresher appearance, stronger hair, refreshed eyes, amplified lips, a smooth neck and jawline, fewer age spots, and less cellulite.

Having beautiful skin and hair takes a lot of work inside and out.  What you eat and drink, overall health, and how you take care of your skin is reflected in your appearance. So finding the right combination of essential oils in your skin and hair care regime can help you to refresh and beautify your hair, face and body.

Whether you have normal, dry, combination, oily, sensitive or mature skin – a good skin care regime along with the use of creams, lotions, toners, cleansers, massage, deep cleansing facial steamer, body scrubs, or soaps for the bath are just some of the ways you can incorporate essential oils into your skincare products.  Finding the right combination of essential oils will differ depending on your skin type but here are a few suggestions;

Normal Skinchamomile, geranium, lavenderrosewood, sandalwood, ylang ylang

Dry Skinchamomilelavendersandalwood, orange, ylang ylang

Oily Skin bergamot, lavender, rosemary, geranium, juniper

Combination Skinchamomile, lavender, geranium, cedarwood, tea tree, ylang ylang

Sensitive Skin (use oils in low concentration)chamomile, lavender 

Mature Skinclary sagegeranium, lavender, sandalwood, chamomile

And what about your hair – there are many ways such as a shampoo, conditioner, rinse or a treatment to incorporate essential oils into your haircare products depending on your hair type (normal, dry or oily).  Here are a few suggestions;

Normal Hairchamomile, lavender, rosemary, cedarwood, geranium, thyme

Dry Hairlavender, ginger, sandalwood

Oily Hair lavender, lemon, lime, rosemary, ylang ylang

Do you need help finding the right essential oils or need help finding a recipe to make a product for your skin & haircare regime, Clearly Essentials can help you.  Check out our website of give us a call at (416) 751-0105.