Acne can seriously impact the lives of those it affects, making the promise of a quick fix very tempting for sufferers, but chemical based creams do not always deliver the relief they promise. Instead they often strip the skin and cause a perpetual cycle of dryness and excessive oil production that can be worse than the original problem. The damaging affects of alcohol on acne prone skin have been well documented by research published in medical journals such as the Archives Of Dermatology And Research. (read more about that here)
This cycle can be broken however and acne can be treated effectively with the use of natural essential oils. Essential oils do not dry out the skin and when used regularly can permanently end the over production of sebum that occurs in acne prone skin. While it may seem at first counter-intuitive to use oil as an acne treatment, there are a number of good reasons to try it. For one thing it’s not actually the oil in skin that causes acne but the bacteria that grows in the oil. Most essential oils contain antiseptic and antibacterial properties like Fernasol which help kill the bacteria without removing the moisture it lives in. They work on the opposite principle as most chemical acne treatments, feeding the skin rather than starving it. Once the body senses there is enough moisture in the skin it will slow down it’s own production of sebum. Additionally essential oils are easily absorbed and they contain healing compounds which closely resemble the compounds found in human skin and which can help speed up the healing of old pimples or scars.
The best essential oils for acne treatment are Tea Tree oil and Lavender oil, though there are certainly many more to choose from. Tea tree oil has a pleasant somewhat medicinal smell somewhat like Eucalyptus, and the oil itself is good for people with sensitive skin as it rarely causes allergic reactions. A study published by the Medical Journal Of Australia showed that Tea Tree oil was safer and just as affective at treating acne as Benzoyl Peroxide. Rosewood oil is another good essential oil for acne though somewhat stronger and faster acting. You may have to try a few different kinds before you come across the essential oil that works best for your skin.
To apply it topically just dab a few drops onto a moist washcloth or cotton ball and dab the acne prone areas. Or you can dilute the essential oil in a bowl of hot water for a steam facial. You should always read the directions on the bottle first as some essential oils are too harsh to breath in directly and these are best to apply topically. When applying topically always dilute your essential oil in a carrier oil like Avocado oil or Grape Seed oil, or in water or some other substance. Grape Seed oil is often used as the carrier oil for essential oil acne treatments as it is very high in Linoleic acid and good for the skin. The only oil that is gentle enough to be applied directly to the skin is Lavender oil.
