Homemade Skin Care Products and Essential Oils
For those of us who enjoy making our own skin care products at home, the use of essential oils may be an everyday thing, but do you know why essential oils are added and what it can do for a homemade cream or lotion? If you’ve always wondered why these oils are so popular for do-it-yourself recipes, then you’re in for a few pleasant and interesting discoveries.
Essential Oils as Preservatives
Essential oil can act as a natural preservative, and is a perfect alternative for other chemical preservatives. This is one reason why homemade skin care products are so popular, and the use of an essential oil can help prolong the shelf life of these products without adding potentially harmful chemicals.
Antimicrobial and Antibacterial Properties
Certain essential oils are anti microbial and anti bacterial, and this may work in a number of ways. Tea tree oil is one of the ‘heavyweights’ when it comes to anti microbial properties, because the oil is both anti fungal, anti bacterial and anti viral. Homemade skin care products that contain tea tree, or similar oils, may help to control infection and to manage problem skin.
Soothing and Healing Properties
Certain essential oils can help soothe the skin and are often used in creams for eczema, psoriasis or to treat minor injuries such as grazes, sunburn, or insect bites. Oils such as chamomile, lavender, and rose are renowned for their soothing properties, and are some of the most popular choices in homemade skin care products. These essential oils may also have an emotional effect and may be used to help calm the emotions. The scent itself may be enough to help calm frazzled nerves or nervous tension.
Natural Fragrance
This is the first thing most of us notice about essential oils, and there are some oils that can add a luxurious and heavenly scent to almost any homemade skin care product. The great thing about the use of essential oil for fragrance is that it’s safe and a natural alternative to other synthetic fragrances.
Essentials oils are a must for any aspiring kitchen chemist, and if you’re just starting out, it may be worth it to purchase one or two oils that can be used for a number of things. Rose and lavender oil could be good choices because of the pleasant scent, soothing, healing and anti microbial properties. If you’re looking for the next skin care miracle, it may be time to consider natural and essential oils.