Acne can feel like the world has just come to an end for a teenager. While it’s certainly not that bad, it is quite distressing for most people regardless of age. No one likes walking around with a pimple on their nose, or itchy and patchy skin. In this article, I’m going to take you through the best essential oils for sensitive acne prone skin.
Acne does get a lot less likely the older we are. But that information isn’t much use to someone suffering with it right now. There are what seems like endless products on TV adverts and in chemists that promise to help, but rarely do much. Some do help, I will say that. But a lot don’t.
The main problem is that the products the manufacturers are pushing are packed with chemicals. The skin is sensitive to chemicals, and even if these products lessen the acne there is a concern over side effects. This is why a lot of people seek a natural approach to clearing up acne.
Natural remedies don’t come much more natural that essential oils, and in this article I will look at which oils are effective in clearing up acne.
Contents
What Exactly Is Acne?
First, let’s take a look at what acne is and why some people are affected by it more than others. The technical explanation behind why someone has acne is due to having excess oil or sebum on their skin. This causes pimples, blackheads, and other skin blemishes as debris and bacteria gets stuck in the skin.
Acne most commonly affects the face, neck, and across the shoulders and back. This is because these areas, especially the face, have the highest concentration of glands producing oil. These glands produce sebum, which is a necessary function of the body. Sebum keeps skin moisturized and protects us from harmful bacteria.
When these glands become overactive it stops the dead skin cells and dirt being flushed off the skin. This causes a build-up of dead skin and gives bacteria something to cultivate on. It sounds a lot more horrible than it actually is, but the end result is acne appearing.
Check out the best essential oils to treat eczema in this post.
How Can Essential Oils Help to Clear up Acne?
Essential oils offer a wide range of health benefits, and treating acne is one of them. There are a lot of oils that have antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and skin nourishing properties. All compounds that are active in fighting bacteria and reducing acne.
Essential oils are natural, easy-to-use, and fun to blend and experiment with. By smelling the oils your brain reacts and sends signals to the rest of your body. You can stimulate all kinds of physical, mental and spiritual reactions.
Best Essential Oils for Sensitive Acne Prone Skin
Magnolia Oil
Magnolia essential oil is a great anti-inflammatory and skin nourishing oil. The plant has been celebrated and used in home remedies in Asia for hundreds of years. It has a nice cooling effect on the skin too, helpful for particularly bad acne.
Rosemary Oil
Rosemary essential oil has compounds that are active in fighting bacteria. It’s been used in a number of skin related products and is great at fighting acne. Its antioxidant properties are also helpful for most skin conditions.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil is one of my favourite oils. I love the smell and how it opens up the sinuses. It’s strong in antibacterial properties and has some compounds that fight off bacteria. It’s believed to reduce the sebum glands and production too.
Thyme Oil
Thyme essential oil is another oil with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. It’s known to combat bacteria when traditional medicines are not doing the job. It smells great too so it’s a nice oil to work with and have around the home.
Basil Oil
Basil essential oil reduces the appearance of acne scarring and other skin blemishes. It nourishes and moisturizes skin and is often used as a skin lotion. It’s one of the best to mix with a carrier oil and apply topically to the skin.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree essential oil has grown in popularity in recent years as more and more is discovered about this oil. It has strong antibacterial properties and can help skin heal up quicker and stimulates your body to heal. It also has a cooling and soothing feel when applied to skin and can calm down inflamed areas.
Lavender Oil
Lavender essential oil makes it onto most lists as it’s possibly the most popular and widely used essential oil. It has good sedative and antiseptic properties and can not only calm down an acne breakout but slow down the growth of the problem.
Chamomile Oil
Chamomile essential oil is a strong pain reducing oil and great at reducing swelling. It has all the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties found in oils effective at treating acne. It’s a calming oil to breathe in and has a wonderful aroma.
How to Use Essential Oils to Help Treat Acne and Skin Issues
There are a few different ways to use essential oils to treat acne and other skin conditions. It’s going to come down to personal preference and the severity of the acne. But the following ideas should give you enough to work with:
For severe acne across the back and shoulders, I recommend having a warm bath with a few drops of oil. The steam and connection with the skin will allow the properties of the oils to work into your skin.
If you have mild acne or you’re not comfortable with using oils on your skin then diffusing the oil is the answer. You can enjoy the oil and reap the benefits through aromatherapy. If you are applying oils topically to your skin always mix the oil with a carrier oil first.
Precautions and Safety When Using Essential Oils for Acne
Oils are safe to use and don’t have side effects as such. You do need to act responsibly and follow the guidance on the labels however. Being as you’re using oils to help with acne you need to be very careful when using oils on skin. You should always dilute oils with a carrier before use, and test on a small patch of skin first.
Essential oils are not intended to be a cure or a compelete alternative to traditional medicine. If you are using prescribed medicines then carry on with the treatment and use oils as a complimentary way to increase the results. If you aren’t using any medications and only have mild acne, oils may be all you need.
I’m a MA, (CMT) Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and Reiki Master — I’m a licensed massage therapist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.