Essential oils for the face

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are aromatic substances extracted from plants through methods such as distillation. They are used in perfumery, aromatherapy and skincare. Essential oils appear in personal care products as well as aromatherapy bottles, so the fragrance department can arrive wearing a moisturizer label.13

Are essential oils good for facial skin?

Essential oils are not a good choice for treating eczema. They are often highly concentrated, and oils such as tea tree can irritate skin and make eczema worse. Botanical ingredients can also trigger irritation or allergies; being extracted from a plant does not make an ingredient gentle.4

Do not use essential oils to treat hives or another allergic skin condition. Applying them to irritated or broken skin can worsen symptoms or trigger another reaction. Some oils can also leave skin dry, tight and flaky by stripping away its natural oils.2

Essential oils are sold as natural and pure, which gives the bottle a better biography than a safety assessment. Their composition varies with the production process, harvest year and country of production. Aging, contamination and added substances can also change the oil. A bottle described as pure is not necessarily a better quality oil.3

How do common essential oils differ?

What should you do before using an essential oil on your face?

1. 1Identify the oil in the product, including essential oils added to homemade skincare. Lavender, tea tree, peppermint and ylang ylang can all expose skin to allergens.
2. 2Rule out ingredients you already know you react to. Avoiding the allergen is the main way to prevent allergic contact dermatitis, an allergic skin rash caused by contact.
3. 3Do not apply the oil neat, meaning undiluted. Direct application can lead to sensitization, where your immune system becomes able to react to the ingredient.

Who should be especially careful?

People with atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema, have a greater risk of essential oil contact allergy. Frequent exposure matters too: people who work with essential oils, including aromatherapists and beauticians, develop this allergy more commonly. Reacting to one oil can also mean reacting to others because they share components.1

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak with your obstetrician before using essential oils. Certain oils can affect hormones, pregnancy or milk supply.
• If you take prescription medicines, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider about interactions. Some essential oils interfere with medicines used for diabetes or depression.
• If you have asthma or COPD, essential oil vapors can worsen breathing conditions.
• If you have a ragweed allergy, chamomile essential oil can trigger a related allergic reaction.
• Some essential oils make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Moving application to the evening is not a substitute for identifying that risk.

What does an essential oil reaction look like?

An allergic contact rash commonly causes itching, redness and scaling. It generally appears 24 to 72 hours after exposure and can spread beyond the area where the oil touched skin. High concentrations can also cause irritation confined to the contact area. Hives can appear within minutes instead.1

Stop using the suspected oil if these symptoms develop. Avoiding the allergen usually allows symptoms to resolve, but continued exposure can make the rash persist. For a persistent or recurring rash, a dermatologist can investigate contact allergy with patch testing, including testing your own products.1

What can you use instead for dry, irritated skin?

For eczema related dryness and irritation, a fragrance free moisturizer or colloidal oatmeal product is a more useful direction than essential oils. Colloidal oatmeal can help calm inflammation and dryness. A cool, wet washcloth can soothe itching, followed by a fragrance free moisturizer. Moisturizing does not require an aromatic supporting cast.4

Virgin coconut oil and sunflower seed oil have been used as moisturizers for eczema. Sunflower seed oil can help maintain the skin barrier, the outer layer that protects skin, and reduce inflammation. Petroleum jelly helps seal moisture into skin, although its greasy texture is a practical drawback.5

If eczema keeps flaring or interferes with daily life, seek medical care rather than continuing to experiment with homemade treatments. Both prescription and nonprescription treatments are available.4