It’s summertime again, and time to break out the sunscreen to help protect our skin and keep it happy and healthy. Much of the unwanted effects from sun over-exposure are due to the generation of free radicals in our dermal layers — a process that continues long after we’ve stepped out of the sunlight. Inflammation and tissue damage occurs on a cellular level, and long term sun damage can result if this occurs frequently. Fortunately, we can apply antioxidant and anti-inflammatory formulas topically to keep our skin happy and healthy after sun exposure.
Therapeutic grade essential oils all have antioxidant activity. Many oils have exceptionally high “oxidative radical absorbance capacity” readings found through laboratory testing. From the hard work of scientists, we can select essential oils that will have beneficial effects on our skin, not only through their antioxidant protection, but through other skin healing actions as well. A recent journal publication reported that the essential oil of Myrrh did even better than a potent man-made antioxidant at quenching singlet-oxygen free radicals generated by UV exposure. And all we have to do is rub a little of this precious oil into our skin!
Making your own formula can be fun, and it’s really easy to do. You only need to select a few essential oils and blend them into a natural “carrier oil” base. All these oils absorb particularly well into the skin in a few minutes, without any “oily” feeling. The essential oils are easy to choose: Lavender essential oil, particularly Lavendula angustifolia, may be your first choice. Lavender has a great many healing properties for the skin; it is syngergistically anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and soothing at the same time. It is perfect for general skincare and after-sun use, and is called for by many aromatherapists in cases of sunburn.
Blue tansy is a wonderful essential oil that is frequently used for its anti-inflammatory action in skin care. Blue tansy is seen in many blends for dermatitis and skin irritation, and it will impart its deep blue cooling nature in your after sun healing recipe. It has a lovely ‘blueberry patch in the forest’ aroma loved by everyone who comes across it. It will also reduce allergic reactions that give us itchy skin in the summertime. Use in relatively small concentrations, of approximately one to two percent in your overall formula. If blue tansy is not readily available, blue chamomile is a perfect substitute.
Helichrysum may be the most dramatically anti-inflammatory and regenerative oil used in skin care. While expensive, just a small amount will have important healing effects. Helichrysum is used in wound healing and scar removal blends, and will do just as well for daily facial care for “mature” skin.
Sandalwood essential oil has recently been the subject of research noting its protective effects for the skin, actually preventing skin cancer when applied before sun exposure. The mechanism of action implies that this same protective effect should occur when applied after sun exposure as well. Another exotic oil has also been researched for anticancer activity: Frankincense. You’ll also find this oil prominently in blends for aging skin, having been researched to actually reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and result in smoother skin texture. Its range of effects makes it an excellent addition to your recipe.
A relative newcomer on the block is sea buckthorn; the oil is cold-distilled from the berries of a bush found in Eastern Europe. Sea Buckthorn “CO2 extract” is now found in many of the world’s most exclusive skincare products, and is very cost-effective when added to your own creations. Its sweet, fruity aroma is very appealing, and its deep red color indicates the many beta-carotene compounds naturally occurring in this oil. Sea buckthorn is highly-recommended for addition to all daily-use aromatherapy skin care blends, and is particularly suited for an after-sun formulation.
If you feel like getting creative, you can include other ingredients that are readily available at health food stores or on the Internet. You can squeeze a couple vitamin E capsules into your blend, or add Ester-C, a non-acidic form of vitamin C, both of which are excellent antioxidants when topically applied to the skin.
All these ingredients will be based in natural “carrier oils”. Carrier oils are common seed and nut oils like avocado, apricot kernel, evening primrose, jojoba, hemp, tamanu and rosehip seed. Any of these oils alone will work wonderfully, though you can use two or more together to provide a synergy of healthy action for your skin. A general-purpose formula may include avocado and jojoba; a potent formula for extra skin health support might include evening primrose, tamanu, and rosehip seed.
The recipes are really flexible and easy to make. You can easily tailor them to your own needs, or to those of your children and other loved ones. Simply choose one or more essential oils and add them to your carrier oil mixture at the rate of between 14 and 35 total drops per ounce. The idea is that you want to have a total essential oil concentration of somewhere between 2 and 5%. Seven drops of essential oil in one once of carrier oil equals a one-percent concentration.
Here’s an example recipe: Make 4 ounces of base using one third apricot kernel, one third tamanu, and one-third rosehip seed (you can simply estimate each in an empty 4 ounce bottle). To this, add 56 drops lavender, 28 drops blue tansy, sea buckthorn and sandalwood — include 15 drops of vitamin E and 2 grams of ascorbyl palmitate for that extra nutraceutical enhancement. You can substitute or add any other essential oil you like, noting that in this formula, 28 drops equals a 1% concentration (and the essential oil concentration is already at 4%). While simple, these formulas will reduce inflammation and quench oxidative radical activity in your skin. These oils are gentle enough for family members of all ages, though for the very young ones use only a quarter as much essential oil in the recipe.
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