The 18 Best Essential Oils for the Skin 2021 (Plus Recipes to Make Skincare Products)

Essential oils can lift your mood and help you relax.

But the best essential oils for the skin are anti-aging and anti-acne, too.

They tighten and firm and enhance your natural beauty.

Today I’m going to review the top essential oils to take care of your skin.

Let’s start with a brief overview of how to use them safely.

How to Apply Essential Oils to Your Skin

If you’re not working with pre-diluted oils (like the doTerra Touch product line), you’ll need to dilute them yourself.

This fact is why essential oil users tend to have a collection of empty amber glass bottles ready to receive custom blends.

Another reason to dilute the essential oil is that it makes the oil easier for the skin to absorb.

Even if you’re not prone to allergic reactions, it’s smart to blend essential oils with carrier substances. Besides oil, you can use water or fragrance-free lotion.

The reasoning is that your skin can become sensitized. This creates problems later as you’ll be unable to enjoy that particular oil topically. And that would be a shame!

Should you have contact dermatitis from using an essential oil on your skin, a carrier oil can help solve the problem. Spread the pure carrier oil on the problem spot to neutralize the effect of the essential oil.

Specific Recommendations for Diluting Essential Oils

The easiest ratio to remember is 1% or one drop of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil. This amount is safe to use over large areas of the body, like for a massage or lotion (1).

Never exceed higher than 5% concentration, or five drops per teaspoon.

To treat blemishes, it’s best to stick to 2% or two drops per teaspoon.

Carrier Oils

If you plan to use essential oils on your skin, carrier oils are a necessary investment. Diluting essential oils protects you from allergic reactions.

It also prevents you from becoming sensitized to the oil, which would prevent you from enjoying it in the future.

Carrier oils include plant-based products like coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, and olive oils.

You can also improvise with unscented lotion, water, witch hazel, or raw shea butter.

Don’t worry about reducing the effectiveness of the essential oil if you dilute it. It will still work all the same.

Think of it as a package of powdered Kool-Aid. If you don’t add enough water, it won’t taste good and could make you sick. Besides, dilution ensures that your essential oils last longer.

Now Foods Variety Moisturizing Oils Sampler: Sweet Almond, Avocado, and Jojoba Oils

Here is an inexpensive way to experiment with three popular carrier oils. Each bottle holds 4 ounces.

The nearly colorless oils have little to no aroma by themselves. They have a thin viscosity that you can thicken by adding vegetable glycerin.

Jojoba is the closest to natural skin oil. It reduces oiliness.

Almond is a popular choice for massages because it’s a good skin conditioner. And grapeseed is an excellent moisturizer for dry skin.

Fractionated Coconut Oil by Artizen

Fractionated coconut oil is also a very popular carrier oil. It’s odorless, colorless, and has a thin consistency. It should wash right out of fabrics. Use it to dilute any essential oil.

Plant Therapy Rosehip Extra Virgin Carrier Oil

Rosehip oil is excellent for skin care as it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. It’s rich in fatty acids and vitamins to keep your complexion young.

Plant Therapy cold-presses their rosehip oil from seeds. Because it’s 100% percent pure, it’s potent. You might enjoy it when it’s combined with other oils to make lotions and creams.

It blends well with rose absolute, bergamot, rosemary, lavender, and helichrysum essential oils.

Plant Therapy Near Perfection Carrier Oil Blend

If you want to reap the anti-aging benefits of using more than one carrier oil at a time, try this blend. It contains avocado, jojoba, almond, tamanu, and Vitamin E. As a result, you can use it by itself or combine it with your favorite essential oils.

The Best Essential Oils for Skin Care

Here are the best essential oils for the skin. These oils treat acne, moisturize, and fight signs of aging. You may also find they help heal eczema, clear up fungal infections, and fade discoloration.

Plant Therapy Rose Absolute Essential Oil

You won’t need much of this rose absolute essential oil to erase wrinkles. Dilute to just 1% in a carrier oil like jojoba to apply it to your face.

It’s distilled from the Rosa x centifolia plant. If you have any questions about how to use this oil, contact the manufacturer. They have certified aromatherapists on staff to respond to customers.

Also, Plant Therapy has batch-specific test results available.

Plant Therapy Geranium Egyptian Essential Oil

When it’s diffused, geranium essential oil relieves stress. Or if you apply it to your abdomen, it can reduce cramps. (Combine it with clary sage for even more relief.)

Apply it to your skin and hair to deep-condition them, treat acne, and fade scars and fine lines. Just be sure to dilute to 1% when you apply it to your face.

Acne Blaster Mask Recipe

By themselves, bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar can pull toxins out of your skin. But you can maximize their benefits by adding the right essential oils. Then this once-a-week face mask keeps pimples away.

Start with two teaspoons each of apple cider vinegar and bentonite clay.

Add one drop each of frankincense, lavender, and tea tree oil.

Stir well, then apply as usual.

Majestic Pure Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary is a traditional remedy for hair loss. It also helps stimulate collagen production to firm up the skin.

Be sure to keep this oil away from your pets and your children. Dilute with a carrier oil to avoid allergic reactions and skin sensitization.

Plant Therapy Petitgrain Essential Oil

Petitgrain is one of the less well-known essential oils. It’s steam-distilled from twigs and leaves of the bitter orange tree. That means it’s related to both orange and Neroli oils.

The scent is more woody than fruity. It blends well with bergamot, grapefruit, jasmine, and ylang-ylang.

Apply petitgrain (when diluted with a carrier oil) to clear up acne. It also helps balance an oily complexion.

Plant Therapy Cedarwood Himalayan Essential Oil

There’s more than one type of cedarwood essential oil. This one is derived from the Cedrus deodora in the Himalayas, and it calms oily skin.

Mix it with witch hazel to create an effective toner that prevents acne. But always dilute cedarwood as it can irritate the skin.

If you diffuse cedarwood, it can help relax you and improve your breathing if you are congested.

Plant Therapy Cedarwood Atlas Organic Essential Oil

The Cedarwood Atlas oil is steam-distilled from wood harvested in Morocco. Its scent will remind you of a cedar chest or a man’s cologne.

The official name is Cedrus atlantica. While it has benefits for your respiratory system, it helps clear up dandruff and reverse hair loss, too.

Blend it with citronella and a carrier oil to make a natural insect repellent for your skin.

3-Pack Variety of NOW Essential Oils: Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lavender

If you want to save money on three classic essential oils, check out this pack of 1-ounce bottles. It comes with lavender that soothes irritation, anti-microbial tea tree oil, and eucalyptus to treat respiratory infections (2).

Recipe to Soothe Razor Rash

Make your own customized shaving oil that prevents razor rash and ingrown hairs.

First, select your favorite carrier oil – you’ll need a quarter-cup of it. Olive oil is pleasant if you want a thicker consistency. Otherwise, try jojoba or fractionated coconut oil. Both of these absorb quickly without leaving the skin greasy.

Second, once you put the carrier oil in a glass container with a spray top or dropper, add the following essential oils:

• 2 drops of Melaleuca (tea tree oil)
• 3 drops of lavender
• 3 drops of frankincense

If you stop right there, you end up with a shave oil that both men and women will appreciate.

If you want to alter it a little bit more, you can sweeten the fragrance for a feminine touch. Add:

• 2 drops of helichrysum
• 1 drop of rose or geranium

Then, shake the bottle, and it’s ready to use.

Edens Garden Frankincense- Carterii Essential Oil

There are different kinds of frankincense. The Carterii version comes from Somalia. It’s the type that’s typically used in incense.

Frankincense is a traditional remedy for many illnesses and skin conditions. It’s also an anti-aging essential oil. You’ll find it as the primary ingredient in many beauty blends.

It acts as an astringent to shrink pores, speeds up healing, lessens inflammation, and improves skin tone.

Typically, frankincense is one of the more expensive oils. This one offers good value for the money because it comes from a company that sells direct to the public.

Edens Garden is a woman-owned business that’s been around for a decade. They offer batch-specific purity test results for free to their customers.

Frankincense is a must have essential oil for skincare. It’s also excellent for stress reduction and boosting the immune system if you diffuse it.

–Willow’s take

Edens Garden Myrrh

Myrrh is another ancient remedy used for healing wounds and preventing wrinkles. You may find that it clears up conditions as diverse as eczema, hemorrhoids, and athlete’s foot, too.

Edens Garden sources the Commiphora myrrha from Somalia. It’s steam-distilled from the gum resin.

Multiply myrrh’s healing effect by blending it with geranium or bergamot.

Pregnant women, please note: this is not an oil you want to use when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

Helichrysum 100% Pure, Undiluted Essential Oil Therapeutic Grade

Helichrysum is useful for detoxifying the skin. It’s helpful if you have oily skin. Plus, it can fade age spots and hyperpigmentation.

Recipe to Soothe Sunburn

Add aloe vera to this recipe for extra healing power.

To a ¼ cup of jojoba or fractionated coconut oil, add:

• 6 drops peppermint oil
• 6 drops lavender

Stir or shake well, then smooth it on gently.

Premade Blends of Essential Oils

If you’re unsure where to start making your own blends, why not try the expert recipes from top essential oil companies? Here are some of our favorite premade blends for skincare.

doTERRA – Immortelle Essential Oil Anti-Aging Blend

The Immortelle blend revives aging skin. It smoothes wrinkles and adds a touch of radiance.

Although doTerra doesn’t reveal the precise recipe, they do list the ingredients. It contains frankincense, Hawaiian sandalwood, lavender, myrrh, helichrysum, and rose.

Edens Garden Age Defy Essential Oil Synergy Blend

The Synergy Blend also promises smoother skin with less inflammation and more vivacity. It has a formula similar to the Immortelle oil with frankincense, sandalwood, lavender, helichrysum, rose, and myrrh.

doTERRA – HD Clear Essential Oil Topical Blend

If you struggle with acne, try the HD Clear blend. It has black cumin seed oil, ho wood, Melaleuca (tea tree oil), eucalyptus, geranium, and litsea berry.

The goal of this formula is to clear up pimples and diminish the frequency of breakouts. Apply it to problem areas after cleansing in the morning.

Rocky Mountain Oils – Skin Care – 100% Pure and Natural Essential Oil Blend

The simple name of the Skin Care blend belies its power to rejuvenate mature skin. It provides essential moisturization and fades imperfections.

The primary ingredients are cucumber, lavender, frankincense, Neroli, carrot seed, Roman chamomile, and rose oils. Unfortunately, you’ll need to dilute it with a carrier oil before applying it.

These Essential Oils Need Extra Care When Applied to the Skin

Citrus oils like petitgrain and bergamot may make your skin more prone to sunburn. Wait twelve hours after using them before you spend time outdoors or go tanning. Otherwise, be sure to apply sunblock.

Also, the following oils definitely need to be diluted before you put them on your skin:

• Peppermint
• Geranium
• Eucalyptus
• Lemongrass

Don’t let the warnings scare you – let them empower you to enjoy essential oils safely.

Conclusion

I hope you have fun exploring essential oils for your skin. They have many benefits for your health beyond beauty.

I’d love to know what oils and blends you’re using. Please leave me a comment below.

Resources:

1. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils by Linda Halcon, accessed 15 May 2019
2. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-are-common-therapeutic-uses by Linda Halcon, accessed 15 May 2019