The use of essential oil is trending especially in beauty products and DIY (do it yourself) recipes to promote healthy , and good looking skin.
Firstly, i will like to correct the impression a lot of us have in Nigeria ( essential oils are not only for the skin) ,there are lots of other benefits to essential oil than using as part of skin products.
- Emotional balancing / healing
- Detoxifying
- Spiritual connection
- Connection to Nature
- Essential oils can be used to help Focus
- Relaxes the nerves
- Aid sleep
- PMS
- Essential oils helps in general wellness , being a study that explains the connection between human and plant
During my course of practice as a Certified & Professional Aromatherapist i have discovered the use of essential oil has a lot of consideration, now i am not discarding any recipe out there but we need to always remember we are in Africa, (Nigeria) a tropical area, we experience hotter summer.
The use of carrier oils , essential oils and body butters should be used with understanding especially for those of us who work under the sun daily . Night use of oils and butters (should be whipped) is highly recommended.
Essential oils in the Citrus family (Bergamot, Blood Orange, Ceylon Citronella, Clementine, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Neroli, Pink Grapefruit, Sweet Orange and Tangerine essential oils ) should also be used at night to avoid Photosynthesis .
Citrus essential oils can cause phototoxicity if you have prolonged exposure to UV Rays within 12-18 hours of using the essential oil.
The following should be considered to get the best of a DIY recipe / blend
- Blending factor of the essential oil (number of drops) e.g blending factor of Rose Essential oil – 1 , Tea tree -7
- Diluting percentage (sensitive skin -1% essential oil to quantity of carrier oil)
- Age ( age of user)
- Skin condition
- Skin type ( dry, combined, oily skin)
- Skin sensitivity
Working with essential oils can be very interesting , having to do it the right way.