Sebum | Health And Wellness Tips

How to Use Essential Oils for Skin Care

People have been using essential oils to nourish and soothe their skin since the time of the ancient Egyptians, at least. For awhile, chemical products were coming on the market every day. People went almost completely away from using essential oils. In recent years, it seems that they’re back.

With the resurgence of the use of essential oils, people are finding ancient answers to common problems. Several different essential oils have been used for simple cleansing. Some of these are sweet basil, lemon, lemongrass, neroli, juniper, and peppermint. Any of these oils can be put in by a few drops in a mild soap. Acne is a distressing skin condition that is related to overproduction of sebum in the skin cells of the face. Essential oils have long been used to help the condition. Geranium, chamomile, tea tree, and lavender oils are among those employed.

These essential oils can be combined with a light carrier oil and applied directly to the skin. However, the extra oil of the carrier may seem to be too much. In this case, the essential oils can be dropped into fragrance-free lotion or cream and rubbed into the affected area. The biggest single factor causing skin to age is the fact that skin loses the ability to hang onto moisture. Thus, it dries out and becomes more fragile. Skin can also age because of exposure to sun or pollutants such as smoking.

Essential oils supply a variety of remedies for aged and wrinkled skin. Frankincense, neroli, or rose oils are excellent oils to use for this purpose. Put them in carrier oils or in fragrance-free lotions to rub on the face. Sandalwood oil, carrot root oil, and many others can be used.

Dandruff can be a bothersome ailment. There are all kinds of chemical remedies in your local stores to treat it. However, there are many essential oils that can help the condition in a more natural way. Cedarwood, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, or rosemary essential oils can be used. There are many other oils and combinations of essential oils that have been used successfully. Any of these can be dropped into hair oil, or added to a water and vinegar mixture to rinse the hair with.

Chamomile and lavender oils are the two best essential oils to use for sunburn. One method is to put a few drops into a cool bath and soak until the heat goes away. The other way to use them is to drop a few drops into a carrier oil and rub gently onto the burnt skin. For severe burns, see your doctor. It seems counterintuitive that essential oils can help to clear oily skin. However, people have been getting good results with these treatments for years upon end. Juniper berry, chamomile, cedarwood, and lavender oils, to name a few, have worked wonders. Add them to water to make a rinse for your face after you wash it.

Skin problems aren’t new to the world. Using essential oils to treat them isn’t new either. However, because these treatments were ignored for so long, they are new to many people now.

Enjoy Fresh And Healthy Skin

Acne is a skin disorder resulting from the actions of hormones and other substances on skins oil glands and hair follicles. These things often lead to plugged pores and outbreak of lesions more commonly known as pimples and zits. Acne lesions basically occur on the face, back, chest, neck and shoulders. Thus acne is a term for plugged pores [blackheads and whiteheads], pimples and even deeper lumps [cysts and nodules] that appear in different parts of the body.

How does acne develop?

Acne is a disease of the pilosebaceous units [PSUs], which consists of sebaceous glands connected to a canal, called a follicle that contains a layer of fine hair. These sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum that normally empties onto the skin through the opening of the follicles. When the walls of this plugged follicle breaks down, it starts spilling everything like sebum, bacteria and shed skin cells, thereby leading to lesions and pimples.

Factors that make acne worse

Although the exact cause of acne is still unknown, but doctors have a strong belief that they result from various factors. One of the main factors include sudden burst of androgens that occur more during puberty. The factors of acne include heredity or genetics. Children usually have a tendency of getting acne from their parents and often get affected due to usage of drugs like androgens and lithium.

However, there are several factors that can make acne worse:

– Changing hormone levels in adolescent girls and adult women

– Stress and anxiety

– Excess secretion of oil after using of skin products like moisturizers and cosmetics.

– Pressure from tight collars, tight sports uniform and backpacks

– Environmental irritants like pollution and high humidity

– Hard scrubbing of skin

– Squeezing or picking at blemishes

Types of acne

People suffering from acne can basically have a variety of lesions that can act as a detriment to the skin.

Following are the types of acne:

Comedo an enlarged and plugged hair follicle that mainly produces whiteheads

Papules inflamed lesions that usually appear as small pink bumps on the skin that can appear to be tender on touch

Cysts deep, painful and usually pus-filled lesions that can cause scarring

Nodules large painful solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin

Pustules papules topped with white and yellow pus-filled lesions that are basically red at the base

How to treat acne?

Dermatologists normally treat acne but often you can use some homemade recipes to prevent severe acne. You should wash your face at least thrice a day with cold water and a mild cleanser. Using essential oils like lavender, chamomile, calendula, juniper and mint with almond oil on your skin will give effective results. You should also start adding zinc supplements to your diet and avoid caffeine, junk food and salty foods.

Other than these homemade recipes, you can also take prescribed medicines that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid, sulfur, Azelaic acid, vitamin A, and OTC topical medicines to recover fast from acne.

Acne Types, Causes And Treatments

Acne Vulgaris, commonly referred to as pimples, is an inflammatory disease of the skin. This condition is very common in puberty. As one reaches their early twenties, it either disappears or decreases. Acne begins because of the comedo, an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria. The comedo is invisible to the naked eye and is present beneath the surface of the skin. When it gets the right condition, it grows into an inflamed lesion. The oil produced from the skin helps bacteria to flourish within the swollen follicle.

Non-inflammatory acre are of two types Closed comedo or white head, and Open comedo or black head. There are 4 types of inflammatory acne

Papule It is the mildest form that appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump.

Pustule They are small round lesions containing visible pus. They may appear red at the base and yellowish or whitish at the center.

Nodule or Cyst Large and painful, they are pus-filled lesions lodged deep within the skin. The nodules may persist for weeks or months with the contents hardening into a deep cyst. Both nodules and cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne Conglobata This severe bacterial infection develops mostly on the back, buttocks and chest.

The chief causes of acne are hormones like androgen, production of extra sebum, follicle fallout, bacteria and inflammation. For controlling acne, you can carry out the following steps

– Avoid excessive washing of your skin. It can leave the healthy skin dry, thus irritating the acne prone areas. Over-washing may also stimulate extra oil production.

– Avoid alcohol products to tone your skin. Alcohol is a strong astringent that strips the top layer of the skin causing sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

– Do not squeeze or pick the acne with fingernails, pins or any other thing. It forces the bacteria deeper into the skin and often leaves a permanent acne scar.

– A wash is required after exercise. The heat and moisture trapped against the skin creates an ideal breeding ground for the spread of bacteria.

– Consume food rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-3, Vitamin E and Zinc like eggs, nuts, liver, milk, fish and leafy green vegetables.

– Proper sleep and a life without stress and emotional anxiety can reduce acne.

– Wear little make-up while exercising. Avoid garments that are made exclusively with nylon.

Laser surgery is often used to reduce the scars left behind by acne. Treating acne with azelaic acid, salicylic acid, tropical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide is also common. A large number of people started trying herbal acne treatments over the traditional medications by using teas, oils and herbal creams.