All You Need to Know About Essential Oils For Skincare

Essential oils are highly fragrant, super concentrated, and extremely volatile; and their effects on humans are proven and documented. Even though a growing number of synthetic fragrances are available at much cheaper prices, manufacturers still rely on essential oils when making more natural products that are less sensitizing and have better skin tolerability.

EXTRACTION

Steam distillation is often the method of choice for extracting essential oils. It takes a lot of flowers to yield a little essential oil. Even though some highly fragrant flowers contain more essential oil, very large amounts are needed for extraction for example, two pounds of petals produce only one ounce of essential oil.

ESSENTIAL OILS METHODOLOGY

Essential oils and extracts are extremely concentrated and should be diluted before they are applied to the skin. In general, for cosmetic purposes, essential oils should not exceed twelve drops per ounce of finished product. If unsure, stay within the 1 percent limit. Use a quarter of that amount if pregnant, and even less or none at all if the product is intended for babies.

Because the scent of an essential oil can be potentially disturbing and maybe hazardous in some cases, it is important to be in a well-ventilated area when using them. They are also volatile and flammable and should not be inhaled or applied undiluted.

A health hazard might be posed by some essential oils, including arnica, onion, garlic, camphor, mustard, sassafras, rue, pennyroyal, horseradish, wormwood, sweet birch, bitter almond, wintergreen, and others. Eugenol, for example, which is present in clove, can be toxic to the liver at high concentrations. It is, therefore, important to read package inserts and research safety precautions pertaining to specific essential oils before working with them in cosmetics or in aromatherapy.

CHOOSING ESSENTIAL OILS

Choose your essential oils according to your taste or mood. Essential oils can improve the smell of your product and uplift your spirit at the same time. A little reading on aromatherapy will help you know which essential oils will interest you. Tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon are widely used citrusy essential oils, especially in personal care products. They can be photosensitizing when added to facial creams, so the use of sunscreen with them is recommended. Flower-derived essential oils, such as gardenia and geranium, are also very popular or even rose and jasmine, which remain among the most expensive essential oils. Other deeper scents, such as cedar and sandalwood, are more popular in the perfume industry.

Essential oils that may have an astringent effect mainly tea tree, neem, and neroli are preferred for acne-prone skin. Some studies have shown that tea tree oil can improve acne through two different mechanisms: its antiseptic effect, which counteracts bacterial proliferation on the skin surface, and its astringent effect, which helps reduce sebum production. It is also more skin friendly and causes less irritation and dryness than acne medications.

Neem essential oil has antiseptic properties that help to clear skin. It prevents infection of clogged pores and assists in the healing of infected cysts.

Both neroli essential oil and neroli water are astringent and can reduce sebum production.

ABSOLUTES AND CO2S

Absolutes and CO2 extracts are also highly fragrant extracts that have some differences with essential oils. Absolutes are even more concentrated than essential oils but might contain residual amounts of the solvents used during the extraction process. CO2s are thought to be better than essential oils because pressurized CO2 will evaporate after extraction, leaving a thicker essential oil with a less altered fragrance. Steam-distilled essential oils are still the most popular and have great potency and high purity.

FLOWER OILS

Because essential oils can be costly and difficult to obtain, flower oils might be a more convenient and affordable alternative. Flower oils are made by adding highly fragrant flowers to a neutral oil such as sunflower oil and allowing enough time for substances such as essential oils to be transferred from the flowers to the vehicle oil. Part of the essential oils within the flowers will be diluted within the oil used, and that is why flower oils can smell like essential oils, while being a much less expensive alternative. Flower oils are not as concentrated as essential oils, and that is why a much larger quantity is usually called for.

PRESERVATIVES

Preservatives have become a sensitive topic because of the controversy associated with the use of synthetic preservatives. First of all, it needs to be clearly stated that all commercial skin care products, natural or not, must be preserved in an adequate and efficient manner. Creams, lotions, and gels contain large amounts of water, which makes them susceptible to the growth of microorganisms and to spoilage. They require adequate preservation that guarantees their usage safety up to a certain period of time.

Synthetic preservatives, such as parabens, phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate, are efficient at low concentrations and are used in a wide array of personal care products, pharmaceutical products, and various foods. However, because of the increasing doubt in their safety profile, some of them (mainly parabens) are being phased out of many commercial products. Food companies have taken similar steps and removed or substituted some of the synthetic preservatives that were part of the ingredients.

The challenge that the natural products industry is currently facing is being able to replace those highly efficient preservatives with new equally effective and less questionable preserving agents. While homemade beauty products are designed for personal and immediate use and rarely need preservatives, commercial cosmetics need to rely on a concoction of natural extracts and botanicals.

Those preservatives should be able to ensure a sufficient shelf life for the products and protect them from deterioration and spoilage. Natural preservatives do exist and are efficient, especially if used in the right concentrations. Manufacturers often use more than one preservative to achieve this objective. Auxiliary techniques, such as using amber or dark blue glass containers and UV-filtering bottles to minimize photo oxidation and extend shelf life, are also implemented.