The Ultimate Guide to Anti-Aging Essential Oils

Need an effective and natural anti-aging elixir? Try essential oils – and let Mother Nature help you fight off Father Time.

Essential oils are the natural oils distilled from plant parts like seeds, stems, flowers, roots, and the bark. These oils are rich in many beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and more. Each essential oil has its own delicate balance of these organic components that affect both your skin and overall health in various ways. Depending on their composition, essential oils are absorbed by the body in different ways.¹

This guide to essential oils for looking younger can help you get that glow back in your complexion, naturally.

Essential Oils for the Skin

Essential oils bestow a multitude benefits for skin. For example, tea tree oil, with its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, has shown promise in treating acne.²

Some oils also boast powerful antioxidant benefits, which means they have the power to scavenge for free radicals produced as a byproduct of the very oxygen we breathe (along with environmental factors like UV rays).³ These free radicals damage cells and cause our skin to show signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging, sun spots, or hyperpigmentation. The antioxidants destroy these free radicals, protecting the skin from internal and external damage.

Anti-Aging Essential Oils

Some essential oils are especially known to excel at slowing down the manifestations of aging. Here are five to consider:

1. Coffee Bean Essential Oil: Coffee essential oil is rich in polyphenols, such as chlorogenic, quinic, and ferulic acids, all of which are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation, as well as improve the overall look and feel of the skin.⁴

2. Frankincense Oil: Frankincense essential oil has emollient (moisturizing) and healing properties and works wonderfully for mature skin, as it speeds up the cell regeneration process. It can help tone and “lift” the skin, and also help reduce the appearance of scars and even stretch marks.⁵

3. Pomegranate Seed Oil: Bursting with antioxidants, pomegranate seed essential oil is perfect for mature or damaged skin, as it prevents UV damage, aids in skin repair and regeneration and even lightens pigmented or tanned skin.⁶ Along with the antioxidants at work here are two fatty acids named punicic acid and ellagic acid that are very beneficial for the skin.

4. Lavender Oil: A boon for dry skin, lavender essential oil not only hydrates all skin types, but also helps with extreme dry skin conditions such as eczema, and even in the treatment of wounds. Studies also indicate that lavender oil may prove very beneficial in cases of alopecia (hair loss and balding) by stimulating hair regrowth.⁷

5. Myrrh Oil: Myrrh essential oil also has great antioxidant properties and spruces up the body’s immune mechanisms against many environmental factors. This means your skin is protected against free radicals as well as harmful toxins such as lead.⁸

How to Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are highly concentrated, so don’t apply them directly to skin without diluting them in carrier oils like coconut, olive, rosehip, avocado, or sweet almond. A general rule of thumb is to mix 2-3 drops of essential oil per 1 tablespoon of carrier oil. However, you should always thoroughly research this or talk to a trained skin specialist – particularly if you have sensitive or reactive skin.

Make sure you are not allergic to the oil by doing a patch test of your essential oil-carrier oil concoction on the inside of your arm 48 hours before you decide to apply it on your face. While essential oils are natural, they are still chemicals.

Essential oils are nature’s gift to us. Not only do they smell heavenly and uplift your mood, they can help keep you looking youthful for as long as possible.

Sources

1 Essential Oils – National Library of Medicine – PubMed Health. PubMed Health. Accessed May 13, 2017.
2 Tea tree oil research : School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine : The University of Western Australia. Pathologyuwaeduau. 2013.Accessed May 13, 2017.
3 Binic I, Lazarevic V, Ljubenovic M, Mojsa J, Sokolovic D. Skin Ageing: Natural Weapons and Strategies. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;2013:1-10. doi:10.1155/2013/827248.
4 Binic I, Lazarevic V, Ljubenovic M, Mojsa J, Sokolovic D. Skin Ageing: Natural Weapons and Strategies. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;2013:1-10. doi:10.1155/2013/827248.
5 Mikhaeil B, Maatooq G, Badria F, Amer M. Chemistry and Immunomodulatory Activity of Frankincense Oil. 2003.
6 International Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences And Research. 2016;7(2). doi:10.13040/ijpsr.0975-8232.7(2).430-42.
7 Lavender. University of Maryland Medical Center. 2015. Accessed May 13, 2017.
8 Nordqvist J. Myrrh: Uses, Health Benefits, Precautions. Medical News Today. 2015.Accessed May 13, 2017.