One of the most well-known and ubiquitous features of essential oils is their antiseptic nature. Many people use an essential oil for the first time in their lives for this application. They’ll be handed a bottle of tea tree for a small cut, and they’re using an essential oil as an antiseptic. Essential oils can be highly effective for the treatment of acne — perhaps better than many pharmaceutical preparations — because of their complex antiseptic chemistry. In addition to being antiseptic, they offer both anti-inflammatory and sebum/hormone balancing effects, along with general healing properties for the skin. Here’s a look at using essential oils for the treatment of both teenage and adult acne, including which oils to use and how to blend them.
First examining the antiseptics, the choice for many people is tea tree essential oil. It has been the gold standard of topical antiseptic essential oils. It is readily available, inexpensive, and actually “proven” effective. A recent study was produced comparing the efficacy of tea tree to oxybenzone, the most popular over-the-counter active ingredient for acne treatment. A 5% tea tree formulation was found to be as effective as a 5% benzoylperozxide preparation, without side effects (benzoylperoxide can cause drying and peeling). Tea tree can be used at much higher concentrations if desired, as it will not produce the peeling and drying action of oxybenzone. Some people find they can use it “neat” (undiluted) without side effects, though it’s crucial you test a very small amount to see if this is both safe AND effective for you personally. Other popular antiseptic essential oils in acne blends include geranium and palmarosa — you can combine one or more of these in your formula, which may result in greater therapeutic activity.
Then there’s the important balancing of sebum secretion. Green myrtle essential oil is actually both balancing and a potent antibacterial. Like tea tree, it has been suggested as a treatment all by itself, and may work better for may individuals. If you’re seeking a single oil for direct application, consider experimenting with myrtle and tea tree — finding the one that works best for you. Myrtle will work synergistically with tea tree in an overall acne treatment blend.
Somewhat less potent of an antibacterial, but perhaps a more important oil for sebum balance and overall skin health is rosewood. You’ll find rosewood included in a great many skin care formulas, and is an especially good choice for adult acne care. If you choose rosewood for your blend, look for one from a sustainable source, or from a location other than Brazil, such that it’s not from wild-grown trees in the Amazon rainforest.
Lavender is found in many blends for its soothing, anti-inflammatory and regenerative action. Perhaps even better would be spike lavender, sort of lavender’s more strongly antiseptic cousin. Myrrh has a host of therapeutic actions for the skin, the most well-known being antiseptic and anti-aging (a good choice for inclusion in an adult acne formula). Sandalwood is excellent for adults where the skin is dry, yet still acne prone.
There are many recipes where cold pressed citrus oils are recommended, due to their antiseptic and astringent nature. They can be effective where acne is accompanied by the overproduction of sebum. However, they are known to produce photo-sensitization, meaning they make the skin far more susceptible to sunburn. For this reason, their use should be limited to dabbing on location, and only where one will not be exposed to significant sunlight for the next couple days (getting moderate amounts of sun is probably something you should be doing, and not avoiding, in any case).
Aside for the limited direct application of a dab of oil directly on pimples, you’ll want to create a formula for treating the whole affected area. You can base your essential oils in either a carrier oil or in aloe vera gel. The most popular carrier oils for acne blends, which will not contribute to an over-oily condition are hazelnut and grapeseed. A truly therapeutic carrier oil is Tamanu — pressed from a tropical nut, Tamanu has both soothing and antiseptic properties, somewhat straddling the line between carrier oil and essential oil. It’s also highly regenerative, and may stimulate the replacement of infected cells with healthy ones, and lessen the appearance of acne scars. Coconut oil is also considered highly therapeutic for the skin, with its own antiseptic nature. Combining Tamanu and Coconut oils for your base, and adding your chosen essential oils to this may create the most effective known natural treatment.
When blending, you simply need to pay attention to the concentration of your essential oils. The total concentration should not exceed five percent. This number varies depending on the source — if you choose to make a stronger formula, be very, very aware that essential oils are highly potent, and too much can result in significant irritation to your skin. It’s almost always the case that more is not better with essential oils — we’re not saying this for your safety, we’re saying it because lower concentrations are found to be more effective than higher ones. Use this formula to find your total essential oil concentration: There are about 20 drops in one milliliter (it actually may be best to measure this with each oil using a graduated eye dropper — droppers vary, as do the thicknesses of each oil), and one milliliter of essential oil in one ounce of carrier is a three percent concentration. So 7 drops or so is 1%, and 35 drops or so = 5%.
A very effective formula for teens would be this: In one ounce of equal parts Coconut oil (you may need to warm before mixing) and tamanu carrier oil, add 9 drops each of tea tree, myrtle, geranium and lavender. For adults, try 9 drops each tea tree, myrrh, spike lavender and rosewood. If skin is dry, add sandalwood as well. These both offer incredible blends of antiseptic, balancing and anti-inflammatory essential oils. You can reduce the total number of essential oils and add a little more of each, or select different oils if you think they’d be a better choice for you. Many people have had excellent success using natural essential oils and carrier oils to treat their acne, with many benefits not available from synthetic preparations. You’ll smell great while you look great, too!
More information on essential oils and aromatherapy carrier oils is available at the Ananda Apothecary.
