The best essential oils for your skin are the ones that work for your skin type. Today we’ll go over which essential oils are best for dry skin, oily skin, mature skin, and everything in between – plus a few basic skincare recipes!
How to Figure Out Your Skin Type
If you’re not sure what type of skin you have, here’s a handy page to help you understand the different skin types. (Even if you know what your skin type is, you might still learn something from that page. I sure did!)
NOTE: Before we get started, I need to be clear – I can’t talk much about specific skin conditions and problems (since I’m not a dermatologist!).
Supporting your skin type is the key to bring out your best and most beautiful skin. So make sure you know your type and use the right essential oils and carrier oils for your skin! 🙂
My Basic Moisturizer Formula
Let’s start with a very simple formula for making your own facial serum or moisturizer. You can use this recipe with any of the oils we discuss for each skin type.
How to Make a Simple Facial Serum
- Pick a carrier oil for your skin type (see the skin type sections below).
- Use about 10 drops of essential oil for each tablespoon of carrier oil
- For a 2-ounce dropper bottle, that means about 40 drops of essential oil.
- You can use one essential oil, or a combination.
Everyone’s skin is a little different, so the perfect blend for you might be different than what works for someone else. This is especially important when you might be dealing with more than one skin type (such as aging and dry skin).
You can mix and match essential oils in your recipe to make sure you have all your bases covered. You might also find one blend works best in the summer, and another in the winter – our skin type can shift through the seasons!
Here are the essential oils I trust and use every day.
What kind of bottles do I use?
I usually keep my facial serum in amber dropper bottles like these. The amber color protects the oils from direct light and the dropper makes it easier to use just the right amount (usually 1-2 drops is plenty for my face — you might need 3-4 if you have very dry skin).
The Best Essential Oils for Each Skin Type
You might notice a few oils land on more than one list. Essential oils are pretty awesome! Their skin-supporting properties can sometimes be used to help different skin types.
(Lavender is probably one of the most versatile – it can be used for pretty much any skin type.)
Don’t worry too much about picking the “wrong” oil. Essential oils have a wide range of benefits, so you can’t really go wrong. 🙂
Essential Oils for Oily Skin:
These oils have properties that tend to regulate and normalize oil production:
- Orange
- Lemon
- Lime
- Bergamot
- Geranium
- Cypress
I personally love jojoba oil for my sensitive, oily skin. Did you know jojoba oil is also known as jojoba wax?
Another great carrier oil for oily skin is grapeseed oil, which absorbs very easily and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling behind.
Essential Oils for Acne-Prone Skin
These oils can be added to your moisturizer to promote clear skin, and can also be applied neat (undiluted) as a spot treatment.
Here are the best essential oils for acne-prone skin and clogged pores:
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea tree)
- Geranium
- Vetiver
- Lavender
- Patchouli
Just like for oily skin, jojoba oil and grapeseed oil are my favorite choices if your skin is acne-prone.
Essential Oils for Dry Skin
If your skin tends to be dry and chapped, a deeply moisturizing oil like shea butter or cocoa butter is a good base for a face cream.
Argan oil and rosehip oil are also good facial oils for deep moisture. These work well for serums.
Here are the essential oils that are best for dry skin types:
- Cedarwood
- Geranium
- Myrrh
- Sandalwood
- Palmarosa
- Roman or German Chamomile
Essential Oils for Aging + Wrinkles
Argan oil and rosehip oil are also two of the best carrier oils for aging skin that tends to be prone to wrinkles and sagging.
These essential oils are the best for mature skin:
- Ylang-ylang
- Patchouli
- Cypress
- Sandalwood
- Lavender
- Frankincense
- Rose
- Palmarosa
- Elemi
Essential Oils for Combination Skin
If you have both dry and oily skin (it happens!!), these essential oils are your best bet:
- Patchouli
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Orange
For this I would recommend a base of jojoba oil, since it is nourishing for dry skin but still tends to be friendly to oily skin.
Essential Oils for Skin with Red Marks and Dark Spots
Some of the best essential oils for skin with red marks or dark spots are:
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Frankincense
I use these in my serum recipe for toning and brightening the skin.
Simply use 3 drops each per tablespoon of carrier oil, and you have the perfect skin-toning moisturizer if you tend to need help with uneven skin tone. Use twice a day or as needed.
Ready to learn more about essential oils? Check out my FREE essential oils course here!
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE:
Citrus essential oils (and some others) may cause photosensitivity.
This means if you apply them and expose that skin to the sun within several hours, you may be more susceptible to redness, burning, and irritation.
Please avoid sun exposure for at least 12 hours after applying these oils. Dilution can help, but it’s always better to err on the safe side. (In my experience, bergamot is especially prone to causing reactions in the sun.)
Photosensitive oils include:
- Bergamot
- Grapefruit
- Lime
- Lemon
- Orange
- Ginger
- Angelica
- Rue
- Cinnamon
- German chamomile
Skincare Recipes with Essential Oils
Homemade moisturizers tend to be the easiest way to use these oils on your skin, but you can also add them to your favorite cleanser, mask or toner.
Try any of these recipes with your oils to get the benefits:
- The Best Homemade Toner for Acne Prone Skin
- Raw Honey Facial Mask for Acne
- Peppermint Foot Scrub Recipe
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