In reality, they can have adverse effects that irritate the skin and should be used with caution and care.Īll this to say: Whether you're an experienced essential oil user or a total beginner, it's always a good idea to consult an expert. Unfortunately, people often believe essential oils are inherently safe because they're natural. "Aromatherapy is not a proven science," he says.Īnd there's another big myth that we need to dispel: the idea that essential oils are totally innocuous. When it comes down to it, essential oils have not been studied thoroughly enough to be proven cures for disease, a fact Chicago-based cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski points out. What are common misconceptions surrounding essential oils? "Anything listed after the fifth ingredient is usually at less than 1 percent," says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. But even so, you want to see any essential oils low on the ingredient list - that signals their concentrations are small enough to help, but not irritate, your skin. Gentle ones, like geranium, chamomile, blue tansy, and ylang-ylang, are low in aldehydes and phenols, which are compounds found in plants that can irritate skin, says Galper. That said, you should be conscious of which essential oils you're using. The reason: Essential oils are chemically active and potentially harsh compounds, and creams with lots of them sound nice but can irritate sensitive skin. But new natural skin-care lines such as Trilogy and Natrèceutique are making an effort to leave them out.
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Shah says oils like cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, cassia, black pepper, and wintergreen can be irritating and recommends always using proper dilution and doing a skin patch test first.Įssential oils are plant-based, smell amazing, and contain chemical compounds that can do everything from kill acne-causing bacteria to help regulate hormonally stressed skin. For instance, when bergamot is cold pressed, it is phototoxic and when it's steam-distilled it's not.) "Phototoxic reactions can be pretty nasty, regardless of whether you have sensitive skin," adds Tisserand. (It's also worth noting that the type of extraction used can actually determine whether a certain essential oil becomes phototoxic or not. "Phototoxic essential oils include bergamot lime and lemon, that should not be used at more than 0.5 percent on skin exposed to any amount of sunlight," says Tisserand. While there are several oils that may aid in healing, toning, and brightening skin (Shah recommends tea tree, rose, rosehip, sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender), there are also elixirs that can spark serious skin reactions and even chemical burns due to allergies and phototoxicity. When it comes to essential oils used in skin care, things tend to get complicated. Setting up a diffuser, which vaporizes essential oils into microdroplets, is another option, says Galper - though you may not reap as many benefits as you would by inhaling directly. After you've figured out the oils you like best, you can buy a premade blend, or book a session with an aromatherapist to create one that’s unique to you. "You can carry a bottle around, open it, sniff it whenever you want, and observe how it makes you feel," says Amy Galper, a certified aromatherapist and founder of the New York Institute of Aromatherapy, of the simplest way to practice. He adds that using essential oils via bathing, diffusing, and topical application can also be helpful in terms of well-being.
" Clinical studies have shown that aromatherapy by inhalation can have real benefits for people with, for example, anxiety, mental focus, depressive symptoms, and menstrual pain," says Robert Tisserand, an essential oil educator and aromatherapy expert from California. According to dermatologist and founder of SmarterSkin Dermatology in New York City, Sejal Shah, it may be best to inhale essential oils if your concern is internal or emotional ( lavender oil may be an excellent choice for this).
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