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Are essential oils good for your skin?

We believe wholeheartedly in the therapeutic benefits of pure essential oils. When blended knowledgeably into organic skincare products, high-quality essential oils can bring incredible healing benefits. However, using cheap essential oils (and products that contain them), or using essential oils inappropriately, can be damaging for your skin. In this blog, we hope to shed some light on the wondrous benefits of using essential oils properly, as well as showing you how to use them safely and how to identify essential oil skincare that you can trust.

Are essential oils good for your skin?

It depends which essential oils you are using, and how you are using them.

In high-quality skincare products, essential oils can be very healing for the skin and your general wellbeing. The essential oils should be 100% pure, and should be blended into the products in low volumes. Certain essential oils are also good for massage and can be effective for homemade skincare. However, essential oils are strong, so never apply them to the skin undiluted.

Watch out for cheap essential oils, as these can be damaging for your skin. They are often watered down with chemical fillers, alcohol or dilutants, which can cause skin irritation.

Good essential oils for skincare

There are a number of different essential oils you can use to heal and soothe your skin.

For example, geranium essential oil has healing properties for skincare disorders. Lemongrass can be used to treat cellulite. May Chang and Fennel are effective toners. Other essential oils aid your wellbeing, which can have the knock-on effect of being good for your skin. For example, lavender helps you sleep, which results in brighter, healthier skin.

Here are just some of the essential oils we use in our organic skincare at Purdie’s of Argyll:

• Orange – high in vitamin C to detoxify the mind and body
• Cedarwood – helps to soothe and calm irritated skin; effective for treating rheumatism
• May Chang – tones the skin
• Geranium – uplifts the mind and treats skincare disorders
• Lemon – contains antiseptic properties to help treat and clear the skin
• Lavender – calming for the mind and a good sleep aid
• Neroli – hydrates and balances the skin, manages inflammation, and helps with anxiety
• Lemongrass – an effective treatment for cellulite
• Lime – contains antiseptic properties to help with acne and inflammation
• Patchouli – helps to soften and balance the skin, as well as helping with depression and irritability
• Melissa – good for managing acne and oily skin; has antifungal and antibacterial properties that are effective for conditions such as athlete’s foot; helps with nervous exhaustion
• Tangerine – good for toning and uplifting the skin, and managing skin irritation and acne

How do you know if an essential oil is high-quality?

The quality of an essential oil comes from its purity. Unfortunately there’s no certification around the term ‘pure’, so even low-quality oils can have this written on their label.

If you’re unsure about the quality of an essential oil, ask the seller about its provenance. They should be able to tell you exactly where it comes from. For example, we get all our essential oils from H. Reynaud and Sons in Provence, who distil their own botanicals. Another indicator is price – you can expect to pay at least £5 for 10ml of a pure essential oil.

Are essential oils safe to use on skin?

The short answer is generally yes, as long as:

• They are pure and high-quality (not cheap essential oils)
• They are safely blended in low concentrations (less than 5%, or 1% for the face)
• You use the essential oils externally (i.e. you don’t ingest them)
• You dilute them if you’re going to apply them to the skin (we recommend 10ml of base oil for every 5 drops of essential oil)
• Your skin isn’t irritated or broken

If you have very sensitive skin or you are undergoing medical treatment, we recommend that you don’t use skincare products that contain essential oils.

If you are not sure about using a certain essential oil, you could always perform a patch test, just to check if you are sensitive or allergic to that particular oil.

H2: Buy 100% pure essential oils today

You can buy essential oils from the Purdie’s online store, or pop in to visit us in Inveraray If you have any questions about the provenance, benefits or uses of our essential oils, get in touch - we're more than happy to help.