Outdoor & Active Life Style, Skin Care
Hydration Tips & Essential Oils for Dry Skin
By Caryn Gehlmann
Dry skin is no fun. It’s easily irritated and can even lead to a rough surface and red patches. Dry skin also lends itself to premature aging since it tends to get fine lines and wrinkles sooner than oilier skin types. Our tendency is to apply heavy creams but this can backfire with clogged pores and blemishes. So many of us, myself included, are looking for hydration tips and essentials oils for dry skin.
To explore this subject I turned to Joni Keim and her book, Natural Skin Care: Alternative and Traditional Techniques. Joni is on our panel of experts here at e3 and is a licensed aesthetician and has certificates in aromatherapy, holistic health sciences, and nutrition with over 30 years of experience.
In addition to a daily routine of compressing, cleansing, toning and moisturizing with gentle, high-quality products, here are five recommendations from Joni if you have dry skin:
Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of pure water as this is an internal moisturizer. Remember that alcohol, coffee, tea, and diuretic foods can be dehydrating so either avoid them or drink extra water to compensate.
Protect yourself from the sun. Wear long sleeves and a hat when you know you’re going to be out in the sun. Use sunscreen every day. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 that uses non-nano particles of zinc oxide for the active ingredient.
Eat healthy. Essential nutrients from a balanced, natural diet are necessary for your body, including your skin, to function properly. Omega 3 oils are especially important to keep skin soft and supple. They are found in foods such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds, and they may need to be supplemented.
Benefit from aromatherapy. You want essential oils that are hydration-supporting and gently stimulating. Good essential oils for dry skin care include: Chamomile (German and Roman), Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Carrot Seed, Frankincense, Helichrysum, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Rosemary, and Patchouli. They can be used in a compress, cleanser, toner, moisturizer, facial oil, facial mask, facial mister, serum, and for steaming.
Apply flower waters. Facial mists can be one of the single best treatments for dry skin, as long as it is done correctly. One option, that includes the benefits of aromatherapy, is using a flower water or hydrosol to mist. Use it to refresh and rehydrate your skin throughout the day. (We have two flower waters, that are true hydrosols: Lavender Floral Water and Orange Blossom(Neroli) Floral Water. These both are great options if you want to hydrate your skin naturally. However, be aware that not all hydrosols are appropriate for skin care.)
I’ve found that these tips make a huge difference in keeping my skin hydrated. Joni’s book “Natural Skin Care: Alternative & Traditional Techniques”, has many more suggestions if you want to explore this topic further. It’s definitely our go-to resource for skin care advice so we keep it in stock to make it available to our customers. Joni will be sharing additional tips on essential oils for skin care throughout the month. If you have a question on how to use essential oils for dry skin please let us know.