Essential Oils For Dehydrated Skin

All skin types suffer from occasional dehydration, even oilier skins. Dehydrated skin looks dull and prematurely aged. It can feel tight and dry and may crinkle into many fine lines when you push it up with your fingers. The condition may be caused by external factors, such as extremes of hot or cold or drying air-conditioning or heating systems, or by internal factors, such as poor nutrition, hormonal imbalances, stress or fatigue. As the problem is often multi-faceted, a multiple approach to the condition is required.

Aromatherapy can offer many essential oils that help to rebalance, rehydrate, nourish, renew and protect your skin.

Rehydrate Your Skin

The first step to restoring dehydrated skin to its former health is to rehydrate it. One of the best oils for hydrating skin is frankincense. A tree resin from the deserts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Oman, frankincense has long been renowned for its anti-aging properties. It helps to reduce and prevent the appearance of wrinkles, while restoring a youthful smoothness and glow to skin. Like the tree the resin nourishes and protects in the desert, frankincense oil is deeply hydrating and helps maintain your skin in good health.

To apply frankincense to your daily routine, make up the blend below and store in a dark glass jar, out of direct light. It should have a shelf life of three months:

• 30 ml unscented day-time moisturiser
• 10 drops frankincense
• 5 drops sandalwood
• 5 drops ginger

Sandalwood is also a deeply nourishing oil, while ginger helps to pep up your circulation and to bring a healthy glow back to your skin.

At night apply a few drops of the replenishing serum below to your skin:

• 30 ml rosehip oil
• 6 drops frankincense oil
• 6 drops rose oil
• 6 drops sandalwood oil

Rosehip oil is high in vitamin C and also helps to strengthen cell walls. Rose is another nourishing and hydrating oil for drier skin conditions.

Rebalancing Your Skin

If your skin is dehydrated, you need to return it to a normal state. Use the following cleanser each day, massaging into your skin for at least five minutes:

• 30 ml jojoba oil
• 8 drops each lavender and geranium oils

Lavender and geranium are balancing oils. Therefore, they will help restore your skin to its normal balance, enabling sebum levels to remain balanced.

Nourish Your Skin

You can also nourish your skin from within and help to restore hydration through good nutrition. Drink six to eight glasses of water daily, take a multivitamin and a supplement containing your essential fatty acids. Eat more greens and vegetables and oily fish, avoid too much sugar or salt in your diet, and get at least six to eight hours sleep each night. You’ll notice your skin and overall appearance will steadily improve.