There are four categories of skin types: normal, oily, dry, and combination.1 People with dry skin can experience it all the time or some of the time, such as during the winter months. The characteristics of dry skin are the opposite of oily skin.
Oily skin is not dehydrated skin, while dry skin is. Conventional products can keep it under control, but so can alternative methods such as essential oils. Highlighted below is an overview of what exactly dry skin is and which essential oils help moisturize dry skin.
Contents
Which Essential Oils for Dry Skin Work Best?
- #1 Lavender essential oil.
- #2 Helichrysum essential oil.
- #3 Myrrh essential oil.
- #4 Frankincense Essential Oil.
- #5 Geranium Essential Oil.
- #6 Carrot Seed Essential Oil.
- #7 Cucumber Seed Essential Oil.
- #8 Sandalwood Essential Oil.
#1 Lavender essential oil
Latin name: Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils for dry skin, and for good reason. It has many benefits for skin health and can help support healing.
This is definitely one of the best essential oils for itchy skin. Lavender oil is particularly useful for skin issues including rough, dry, irritated skin, and may be helpful for reducing scarring.
Safety: This oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted.
#2 Helichrysum essential oil
Latin name: Helichrysum italicum
Helichrysum is one of my all-time favorite essential oils for dry skin. My previously dry skin has been so much healthier since I started using helichrysum essential oil.
I waited to buy this oil for some time because it’s one of the more expensive essential oils, but when I finally did, I was amazed at how beneficial it is! By the way, I bought my Helichrysum from Eden’s Garden as it’s much more affordable than many of the other brands and still high quality with third-party testing for quality control.
Helichrysum is known for its potential anti-aging and scar-reducing benefits because it is very hydrating for the skin. There’s also the potential benefit for this oil to help block UV damage to skin. While Helichrysum is one of the more expensive essential oils, when compared to the many pricey creams and serums on the market, it can actually be less expensive. This is especially true when you consider how long one bottle of this essential oil can last. Plus it’s all-natural, so that’s even better!
Safety: This oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted.
Other oils for pigmentation
Your skin naturally loses elasticity and collagen as you age, which can lead to sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles. The following essential oils have been studied for their potential anti-aging benefits.
With antioxidants like vitamins A and C, rose oil can help promote skin cell turnover, which often slows down with age. In turn, this could create younger-looking skin with fewer lines.
Historically, myrrh was used by Egyptian women for anti-aging skin care regimens. This antioxidant-rich oil is thought to promote circulation, creating brighter, more refined looking skin.
Jojoba oil has been noted for repairing the top layer of skin, thanks to its natural fatty acid content. Other oils that provide similar results include argan, coconut, and sunflower seed oils. Jojoba is also known for being lightweight, which makes it a good choice for oily skin.
Other anti-aging oils
Essential oils are either inhaled or used directly on the body. It’s not safe to ingest them. When applying the oils topically to your skin, be sure to use a patch test ahead of time to make sure you’re not allergic, and don’tuse them around your eyes.
A patch test involves placing a small amount of the diluted essential oil on your skin, say your forearm. Wait 24 hours to check for allergic reaction before using on a larger area of skin.
Diffusers are rising in popularity as tools to help disperse essential oils in a room so that you can breathe in the steam. This practice is also known as aromatherapy.
Still, while inhaling the essential oils can be relaxing (or invigorating, depending on the oil used), you won’t necessarily reap the skin benefits using them this way.
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What Is Dry Skin?
When your skin is dehydrated, it’s in a state of xerosis, otherwise known as dry skin. This happens to people of all ages, sexes, and races. The characteristics of dehydrated skin can be itchiness, roughness, flakiness, scaling, cracking, and peeling. When a person’s skin is dry, the areas where it is most manifested are on the heels of the feet, hands, arms, legs, and back.
A person can experience dry skin any season of the year, or it may manifest during particular seasons, such as winter when a furnace heated house has dry air and the moisture is not being replenished with something like a humidifier. Other factors that contribute to dry skin include toxins in soaps and detergents, medication, long hot showers or baths, thinning skin due to aging, smoking, skin conditions such as eczema, certain medical diseases such as diabetes, and more.2,3