Dry skin is a bothersome problem that can affect our face, hands, elbows, and any other area of our body. Keeping our skin moisturized is one of the keys to battling dry skin. If given the choice to do this with a natural product or one produced with synthetic materials which would you choose?
Here at Better Mind Body Soul, we are fans of natural remedies for anything that ails us, including dry skin. Today we are going to take a look at thirteen of the best essential oils for dry skin.
Best Essential Oils For Dry Skin Comparison
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Plant Therapy Carrot Seed |
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Edens Garden Chamomile |
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Rocky Mountain Oils Cucumber Seed |
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Plant Therapy Frankincense |
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Plant Therapy Geranium |
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Rocky Mountain Oils Helichrysum |
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Edens Garden Hyssop |
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Plant Therapy Jasmine |
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Edens Garden Lavender |
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Plant Therapy Manuka |
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Edens Garden Myrrh |
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Rocky Mountain Oils Sandalwood |
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Edens Garden Tea Tree |
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Plant Therapy Ylang-Ylang |
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What is Dry Skin?
While we are sure you already know what dry skin is, it doesn’t hurt to take a quick look at the symptoms, which are as follows:
- Skin tightness (particularly after showering, bathing, or swimming)
- Rough looking skin,
- Varying degrees of itching, flaking, scaling & peeling
- Fine lines and cracks
- Gray discoloration and redness
- Deep cracks that cause bleeding
Get to The Root of the Problem
So, what exactly causes dry skin? There are quite a few things so let’s take a look at the common culprits.
The Weather
Winter is the roughest season when it comes to battling dry skin. This is because when the temperatures drop, so does the humidity. If you live in a region ruled by the desert then this shouldn’t be a problem.
Home Heat
When it comes to making your home warm, what you might be robbing yourself of is moisture in your skin. Of course, we are not going to sit in a cold house, but any heating system you use in your home will steal precious humidity.
Showers and Baths With Hot Water
These feel great but when we extend them for the sake of relaxation, we are robbing our skin of moisture.
Heavily Chlorinated Pools
As it turns out, too much chlorine kills the good bacteria with the bad as well as vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can result is the onset of dermatitis and even eczema.
Soap and Detergents That Are Too Strong
Using harsh body and clothing soaps can also wreak havoc on your skin by removing the moisture that’s in there.
Disorders
There are medical issues that can cause a person to have dry skin. Some of these include eczema and psoriasis.
What Puts Us At Risk?
Besides these causes, there are certain types of people and environmental reasons why someone might experience dry skin.
- If you live in an area that is dry, cold, or low in humidity
- Have to keep your hands or body in water, like washing hand a lot (nurse) or washing dishes (service industry).
- Swim regularly in a pool that has chlorine.
- People who are 40 and older the risk is higher to develop dry skin.
What Happens If We Let It Go?
Keeping your skin moisturized is so very important when these factors come into play. While dry skin isn’t a serious issue, there are complications that can arise if you don’t take care of the issue properly. Here are a few examples.
- Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis: There are times when dry skin goes untreated, the excessiveness of it can activate this disease if you are already prone to developing it.
- Infection: When your skin cracks from being dry, there is a great opportunity for bacteria to get inside and infections can occur.
How To Treat Dry Skin
There are ways to beat this issue, which are as follows.
- Moisturize your skin to keep a barrier up to keep water from leaving.
- Limit your time in the bath and shower.
- Use a moisturizing soap or one made of the essential oils listed below.
- Keep your body covered when it’s cold.
- Wear rubber gloves when your hands are in the water.
Essential Oils Can Help
When it comes to natural remedies, you can’t do better than the volatile compounds that are extracted from natural hosts like lavender flowers and eucalyptus leaves. Essential oils come with a myriad of benefits, each with their own unique set of advantages.
But we are here to talk about dry skin. As it happens, there are thirteen essential oils that can help moisturize your skin when applied correctly. Let’s take a look at how to do that.
Learn To Moisturize Your Skin With Essential Oils
There are three ways you can incorporate essential oils into your life, inhalation, topical, and ingestions. We must tell you that the third, consumption, should only be done after you have talked to a medical professional and have thoroughly researched the oil.
As for moisturizing, all you need to learn about is the second application method we mentioned, which is topical. But you don’t want to apply essential oils directly to your skin. It’s important to dilute them well in a carrier substance.
These are wonderful for making blends, by which I mean that you add a specific amount of drop from two or more essential oils and then top it all off with a carrier of your choice. Now that’s been said, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t just start adding oils all willy nilly.
Another way to say that is you should know the correct ratios: 2%, 3%, 5%, which is best for your blend? You have to know how to mix essential oils for the answer.
Once your blend is made, you can apply it to your dry skin.
One More Thing…
When it comes to essential oils, they are called volatile compounds for a reason. They are powerful substances so just be aware of that. We will list any cautions with the individual oil in our list below.
The 13 Best Essential Oils For Dry Skin
Now that we covered what dry skin is, what causes it, what you need to do to fix it, and how these compounds can help, let’s take a look at our list of best essential oils for dry skin.
Plant Therapy Carrot Seed
- Strong, sweet, and woody scent
- Fights infections
- Tightens loose skin, lessens the appearance of age spots and wrinkles
- Blends well with lavender, geranium, and lime
First, we have a scent that you might not find in everyone’s cabinet but a distant relative might be sitting in your refrigerator. For this oil, the wild carrot plants are dried and the seeds are steam distilled so this powerful agent can be sold to help you with a myriad of issues.
When it comes to skin, carrot seed oil works against infections, which can be a serious issue if dry skin is left too long. It’s been used to help psoriasis and other problems like it. Because it also stimulates the growth of new cells, this oil works well on flaky skin and wrinkles.
On top of all that, this scent works like a tonic and is able to tighten loose skin and reduce age spots and lines. Other benefits offered by carrot seed oil is relief from stress and anxiety, ease from muscle aches, and stimulation of blood circulation and metabolism.
Who Should Purchase This?
This oil would be a great choice for anyone who is dealing with severely dry skin from disorders like psoriasis. The scent can be pungent so it should be diluted well. It would also be a great selection for someone who has other scents in their collection because it’s so unique, but it would be a good choice for a beginner for the following reasons.
Cautions
This oil is relatively safe for anyone to use. It is suggested that pregnant women should not use it because of the stimulation it could pass to her unborn child.
Edens Garden Chamomile
- Fresh, light, apple-like scent
- Fights infections and bacteria
- Used in commercial moisturizers
- Blends well with ylang-ylang, tea tree, and jasmine
Next, we have one of my favorite oils and tea for that matter. There isn’t a stressful situation I can have that a sniff of this scent can’t pull me out of. You may be wondering, “What does that have to do with dry skin?”
Nothing. Still, when it comes to skincare, there are not many oils that are turned to in the cosmetology world like this one. The powers that lie in this gentle oil can do wonders for your skin, including beating dry skin. In fact, they have also been proven to have antimicrobial properties, which is helpful when your skin develops cracks and get infected.
Chamomile also promotes sweating, which removes toxins, and has been used in commercial moisturizers. It also fights infections that might occur while your skin is dry and tones the epidermis.
Who Should Purchase This?
People who are just getting their feet wet in the aromatherapy world should consider this oil for purchasing. It’s easy on the nose and doesn’t come with any risks, for the most part.
Cautions
Of all the oils on our list, this is probably the safest one to use. Unless you have a direct allergy to the ragweed family, then this isn’t the oil for you since chamomile comes from that family.
Rocky Mountain Oils Cucumber Seed
- Earthy, herbal, and a bit nutty in scent
- Works as moisturizer
- Fights eczema and inflammation
- Blends well with lemon, lavender, and chamomile
When you have dark circles under your eyes, have you ever put slices of cucumber on them to make the circles go away? I have and can remember the intense feeling this vegetable had when placed on my skin.
The oils that are extracted from the seeds of the cucumber contains 14-20% oleic acid, which helps seal in moisture. So it’s no wonder people add it to their moisturizing blends.
Cucumber seed oil is not only great for dry skin, it helps pull the toxins out of your pores and even lightens spots that might appear from aging. In addition to all that, it moisturizes the eyes, eases the issues associated with eczema, and fights inflammation.
Who Should Purchase This?
This oil is a good choice for someone looking to get their money’s worth because it offers so many benefits when it comes to dry skin. People who like fresh Earthy scents would also like this oil.
Cautions
As far as our research goes, we couldn’t find any risks when it comes to using it on your skin. If you have further questions, you should ask your healthcare professional.
Plant Therapy Frankincense
- Sweet, Earthy scent
- Moisturizes
- Regenerates new cells
- Blends well with lavender, myrrh, and sandalwood
This is another one of my favorite scents. I use it when I need to focus and in my own skin care treatments. When it comes to dryness, this ancient aroma helps by regenerating healthy cells to replace the dead ones that have flaked away. Frankincense has other amazing benefits for your skin.
It fights age spots, wrinkles, gets rid of sunspots, and can get rid of any wrinkles around your eyes and cheeks. Frankincense brings a nice tone to your skin and tightens it. It also reduces the sign of scars and helps them fade quickly.
Some additional benefits include promoting oral health, helps with digestive issues, and helps stop the build-up of gas.
Who Should Purchase This?
As a fan, I think everyone should have a bottle of frankincense in their aromatherapy collection. It holds a great deal of power and has a nice musky fragrance.
Cautions
Pregnant and nursing women as well as people who are on specific medications. When in doubt, as a healthcare professional.
Plant Therapy Geranium
- Rose-like scent
- Promotes cell health
- Prevents the growth of bacteria and tones skin
- Blends well with lavender, jasmine, and carrot seed
Extracted from the leaves and stems of the geranium plant, this oil is another powerhouse when it comes to overall health benefits. When it comes to epidermis dehydration, geranium essential oil has been used as a remedy for dry skin due to its ability to promote cell health, prevent the growth of bacteria, and even the way it tones the skin.
Additional benefits include reducing the appearance of scars, accelerates the healing process, and works as an astringent.
Who Should Purchase This?
This oil is good for someone who not only enjoys powerful scents but also those who are fans of the scent of roses since this is what this oil smells like. It’s also a great choice for anyone looking to diminish the look of existing scars.
Cautions
Geranium oil influences hormones, so pregnant and nursing women should not use it. It can also sharpen the senses in some cases.
Rocky Mountain Oils Helichrysum
- Fruity, sweet scent
- Prevents dehydration
- Fights irritation and battles redness of the skin
- Blends well with neroli, orange, and ylang-ylang
In all honesty, I first heard of this oil when I started writing for this blog, but I have been fascinated by it ever since. Maybe it’s the great name or maybe it’s the wealth of gifts it has to offer to its users. When it comes to dry skin, this oil will help with irritation and battle the redness that comes along with this issue.
Most importantly, this scent helps keep the moisture inside your body by preventing dehydration. Added benefits from helichrysum include the inhibition of microbial growth, wound healing, reduction of inflammation, treatment for coughs, and battles infections.
Who Should Purchase This?
This is another great selection for the aromatherapy fan who is looking to get a lot for the money put in. Helichrysum comes with so many benefits, and you’ll find that you’re using it for more than just dry skin.
Cautions
Helichrysum is able to break up blood clots, which can propose problems for people who have gone through any type of surgery.
Edens Garden Hyssop
- Sweet, woody, Earthy scent
- Fights infections
- Works as an astringent and reduces scars
- Blends well with rosemary, orange, or geranium
Here we have an oil that is extracted from a shrub with the same name. Hyssop has been used to treat eczema for some time. It also works as an astringent so it helps the tone of our skin as well. It fights infection, which is great when cracking starts to happen, and it pulls out toxins that can cause an issue.
In addition to all that, hyssop also fights spasms, arthritis, gout, reduces scars, aids digestion, and helps tone the nervous system. Hyssop will stimulate your internal operating systems, promotes perspiration, and can even relieve symptoms related to the common cold.
Who Should Purchase This?
If you love sweet and earthy scents, this is the oil for you. I also think it’s a great choice for anyone who is looking to buy an oil that will help with more than just their dry skin.
Cautions
People with epilepsy should not use this oil due to the presence of Pinocamphone, which is a nerve stimulator. Pregnant women should also stay away.
Plant Therapy Jasmine
- A sweet and rich scent
- Used to treat eczema and dermatitis
- Reduces the appearance of scars and prevents infections
- Blends well with sandalwood, rose, and citrus scents
This oil is popular for its sweet, rich scents and the benefits that come along with it. When it comes to the skin, it has been used to treat disorders like eczema that cause dermatitis, which is a fancy way to say “dry skin that is inflamed.”
Other benefits of jasmine oil that might interest you include diminishing the appearance of scars, works as a sedative, eases coughing, and can prevent infections.
Who Should Purchase This?
Jasmine is a good choice for fans of floral scents. This is a good blending fragrance so if you are looking to make a skin moisturizing blend then this is an oil you should seriously consider.
Cautions
Jasmine can cause skin irritations so if you want to try it, use a little at a time. This oils should be avoided by pregnant women, nursing mothers, and anyone who knows they have an allergy to it.
Edens Garden Lavender
- Lovely floral scent
- Fights eczema and dermatitis
- Battles bacteria and eases the pain
- Blends well with geranium, ylang-ylang, and nutmeg
If you have been reading this blog regularly then you know this is one of my all-time favorites. It introduced me and most fans of aromatherapy to the practice in the first place due to its lovely aroma. But, it also has a lot to offer in the benefits department.
When it comes to dry skin, I have used lavender oil to treat the dry skin on my face and have been very happy with the results. It has been used to fight eczema, dermatitis, and even acne. As for additional benefits, it helps with sleeping, fights bacteria, eases pain, repels insects, and even heals burns.
Who Should Purchase This?
If you want my honest opinion, I think everyone should buy this oil. It’s just wonderful. But, if you are looking for a specific reason then I would say that floral fans would like this oil as well as anyone looking for an oil that offers more than moisturizing.
Cautions
This oil is strong so be wary of that. It can induce nausea, vomiting, and headaches if overused. Also, it is a hormone disruptor so it should be avoided by pregnant and nursing women and young boys who are hitting puberty.
Plant Therapy Manuka
- Camphorous scent similar to Tea Tree
- Anti-inflammatory properties that help with dry skin
- Also helps with itching, sores, and rashes
- Blends well with lavender, pine, and rosemary
As we’re nearing the end of our list, we come to an oil that has long been coveted by the people of New Zealand but is fairly new in the aromatherapy world. It is extracted from a tree in the Oceania country, and an interesting fact about it is- the strength of the compounds varies with how tall the leaves were forested.
When it comes to dry skin, it seems this is one of the several uses the natives in New Zealand have been using Manuka oil from the get-go due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Other issues that you can use this volatile compound for include itching, rashes, and sores. It also works as an antifungal, antibacterial, and can do wonders for allergies.
Who Should Purchase This?
People who like Tea Tree oil might be interested in adding this to their collection. While the scents are somewhat similar, Manuka oil aroma isn’t as potent. Also, it isn’t as risky, as you will see.
Cautions
It appears that this oil is relatively safe. I couldn’t find any cautions so it should be safe to use. Of course, when in doubt you should consult a healthcare professional.
Edens Garden Myrrh
- Earthy, licorice scent
- Fights infections and inflammation from dry skin
- Aids with digestive issues, cough, and boosts immunity
This oil has biblical roots as well, just like frankincense. It is taken from the resin of a native Egyptian tree with the same name. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps with excessively dry skin. It also aids with infections and accelerates the healing process.
Other wonderful benefits you can expect in your little dark bottle of myrrh oil is stimulation of blood circulation, a boost in your immune system, and eases things like muscle aches, cramps, and spasms. It also helps with coughs, aids with digestive issues, helps boost sweating to eliminate toxins and fights fungal infection.
Who Should Purchase This?
This oil is perfect for people who like to get a lot of power in their scents. Myrrh is one of those aromas, which is why its benefits have been utilized for hundreds of years.
Cautions
Pregnant women should NOT use this oil. It has properties that trigger the uterus and can cause adverse effects. Also, it should be used sparingly because it can be harmful if you use too much.
Rocky Mountain Oils Sandalwood
- A sweet and woody scent
- Fight inflammation and infection caused by dermatitis
- Indian sandalwood is the best choice
- Blends well with lavender, myrrh, and bergamot
There are several types of sandalwood, depending on where the tree is grown. Indian sandalwood is very popular and has been used medicinally in that area for centuries. Hawaiian Sandalwood and Australian are also available but the Indian version is considered first-rate when it comes to benefits.
As for how it helps with dry skin, it does so by relieving the inflammation dry skin can cause. It can also relieve any infections that might come from the issue. In fact, trials have shown that this scent is promising when it comes to treating the clinical disorders that cause dermatitis.
Who Should Purchase This?
Fans of woody scents should definitely get this oil. Also, this is a great starter oil for aromatherapy beginners. It has so much to offer and the aroma is absolutely lovely.
Cautions
This oil is relatively safe but it has been known to irritate the skin when applied without a carrier like jojoba oil.
Edens Garden Tea Tree
- Camphorous, medicinal scent
- Works on dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis
- Also helps with acne and athlete’s foot
- Blends well with lavender, rosemary, and geranium
This oil is a powerhouse when it comes to the skin in general, but as for dry skin, it has been proven to lessen the issues associated with dermatitis. On top of that it also fights eczema, psoriasis, itching, and inflammation, which can all be associated with dry skin.
Tea tree comes from a native tree in Australia and the natives have been using it’s many powers for generations. Other skin issues that can be treated with tea tree oil include chicken pox, toenail fungus, cold sores, acne, athlete’s foot, boils, and it even softens cuticles.
Who Should Purchase This Oil?
Most people who are into aromatherapy have a bottle of this oil but, if you don’t, you should. It’s a great choice for intermediate practitioners as well. New scent users should do some research since it comes with risks.
Cautions
Tea tree oil should not be ingested and diluted well when using topically. It should be kept away from children, particularly prepubescent boys. It is a strong oil so we suggest, when it comes to people who are ill and/or on medication, pregnant and nursing women, you should consult a healthcare professional before using.
Plant Therapy Ylang-Ylang
- Unique floral scent
- Anti-inflammatory and moisture blocker
- Also works as an antidepressant
- Blends well with lavender, rose, and sandalwood
Lastly we have ylang-ylang, which is pronounced EE-lang EE-lang. It is extracted from the flowers of the ylang-ylang tree, also known as Cananga odorata, which can be found natively in places like Indonesia, Philippines, and Polynesia, as well as other Asian and South Pacific Islands.
When it comes to skin, ylang-ylang is a common ingredient in cosmetic products like moisturizers. As for dry skin, it works against the inflammation that could result from this disorder. It has been used to help the skin maintain hydration and balancing sebum on the skin. Other benefits include working as an antidepressant and helps promote sleep.
Who Should Purchase This Oil?
I love this oil and find the unique flowery scent appealing that I include it in most of my blends. Fans of flowers should consider this oil and anyone who might be in need of a mood lifter with their skincare products.
Cautions
While it shouldn’t cause any skin irritation, this oil can cause nausea or headaches if used too much. I haven’t had a problem with it but new users should probably start with a little and increase the amount of ylang-ylang used in blends as their practice grows.
In Conclusion
When it comes to dry skin, we want to find the best, natural way to get rid of it. Not only is it itchy, but it’s unsightly and dermatitis can also lead to infections. Essential oils are a fun way to solve these issues while playing around with aromas that we love.
If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone you know. If you have dry skin and found that an essential oil helped you, then please share it with us in the comments section below.
The post 13 Best Essential Oils For Dry Skin; Natural Moisturizing Solutions appeared first on Better Mind Body Soul.
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