When we think of loving our skin we often think of beauty, and while my goal today is to share the top essential oils and holistic modalities to give you that beautiful, youthful, glowing skin you're longing for, my tips are going to go beyond just the surface.
Most of us know that our skin is the body's largest organ and has some important tasks: helping to regulate our body temperature, protecting against germs, plus it's full of nerve endings that allow us to feel cold/heat, feel pain, and our overall sense of touch. We're also decent at understanding that we should wash our skin, avoid the sun for long periods of time - or at least use sunblock, and moisturize when needed. Two other huge factors that affect our skin that you might not think about are your stress level and quality of sleep. *Note: I'm not going into those factors today but have talked about both numerous times before. Check out my
Sleep Better Protocol or
Essential Oils for Stress to dive into each of those a little more.
To get the glow on your skin that you're longing for you have to start at the cellular level. Because unfortunately, there are many environmental factors that damage our skin, namely breaking down collagen and creating oxidative stress (think toxins in the body). Essential oils are great at supporting our bodies at a cellular level. To create your own Get the Glow serum, in a 2oz bottle combine a half oz each of Rose Hip oil, Jojoba oil, and Sweet Almond Oil along with 20 drops Blue Tansy, 15 drops each: Copaiba & Frankincense and 5 drops Rose essential oil. Shake to combine before each use and apply to face just after cleansing.
One of my favorite ready-made doTERRA products for the skin is the Yarrow|Pom Body Renewal Serum - it's as close as it gets to a fountain of youth. 😉 This luxuriously silky serum is packed with powerful bioactive compounds and skin-protecting proteins that promote the appearance of firmer, smoother, younger-looking skin. This will also help you get that glow from head-to-toe.
This body renewal serum is packed full of benefits. Yarrow essential oil revitalizes aging skin while cold-pressed Pomegranate seed oil supports the skin’s natural barrier by helping to prevent the normal breakdown of skin proteins that occur with aging. Roman Chamomile, Yuzu, Peppermint, and Cananga essential oils soothe skin and promote a positive, relaxed mood - hello less stress! Avocado Oil increases skin moisture by reducing water loss through the skin for smoother, more youthful-looking skin. Jojoba, Sunflower, Grape, and Argan Kernel oils provide deep moisturizing benefits and help prevent premature signs of aging. Coffee Seed Extract and Pomegranate esters help enhance skin luminosity and improve the appearance of firm skin for that smooth, vibrant, radiance we all desire.
If you don't know what Gua sha is, you've probably at least seen the stone in a store, maybe wondering what it is, so let me tell you. Gua sha is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that uses a
flat tool, typically made of semi-precious stone(s) that are used to massage the face. The benefits of using the Gua sha technique are unbelievable. It reduces puffiness, fights acne scarring, helps dark circles and dull complexions, softens fine line and wrinkles, contours and sculpts jawline and cheekbones, and supports lymphatic drainage. Now if the stone/technique can do all that image the results if you use an essential oil along with it. The Yarrow|Pom Body Renewal Serum can be used for additional skin tightening benefits or if you're concerned about putting all those deliciously good natural oils on your face, then I recommend just using the Yarrow|Pom essential oil. Gua sha is recommended to do 2-3 times per week, at least in the beginning. You can work your way up to doing it daily without it taking a ton of time and daily action will result in better results.
Dry brushing may seem like a weird concept, and I'll admit when I first started doing it, I felt a little silly, however dry brushing is extremely beneficial for your skin and your entire lymphatic system. It helps to detoxify your skin by increasing blood circulation, unclogging pores, and promoting lymph drainage. You can add some essential oils to your dry brushing routine too for added benefits. Cypress essential oil is known to promote circulation, plus improves the appearance of oily skin. Grapefruit essential oil can promote the appearance of clear, healthy-looking skin. There are many different dry brushes on the market, you'll want to choose one that uses a natural fiber brush with coarse bristles. I prefer using a
convertible brush, one with a long handle that allows me to reach my backside easier, but then the handle can be removed to give you more control as you massage the areas that need it the most. The best way to dry brush is to apply gentle pressure, starting at your feet and using upwards sweeping motions as you work your way up the body towards the heart. After your finished take a shower to rinse off the dead, exfoliated skin.
To invite some spa-like vibes into your routine let's cue the cucumbers! Grab a wax cucumber, peel off 2 inches on one end, wrap in wax paper or foil, and place in your freezer. Once frozen, massage your face. Cucumber massages have a plethora of benefits too. It encourages and stimulates blood circulation to the face. Reduces swelling and puffiness. Minimizes redness and pores. Promotes tightening of skin. Soothes irritations like breakouts, itching, redness, and pain. Plus, you guessed it, it promotes lymphatic drainage. I don't know how much more of a natural solution you can get that this!
The next two "skin" things we're going to talk about are the top essential oils for healthy hair and nails. I'm sure you know that our hair and nails are made of keratin that's manufactured in your skin, so when discussing loving your skin your hair and nails fit right into the mix.
Essential oils that support the growth of healthy hair and produce a healthy scalp are Tea Tree, Rosemary, Peppermint, Lavender, Cedarwood, and Geranium. A regular scalp massage increases circulation and can help with fatigue and stress too. Remember how I mentioned stress and sleep are some other major factors in healthy skin? To do it yourself, gently massage a few drops of a carrier oil, like Fractionated Coconut Oil into your scalp and add in one or a couple of the above-mentioned essential oils for a pleasant aromatic experience and added benefits unique to the chosen oil.
Women often desire longer fingernails, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're healthy. Healthy fingernails can be characterized as smooth with uniform coloring throughout (no spotting). I used to have little white spots on my nails, but ever since I started on my natural solution journey those have dissipated and are rarely present anymore. Typically, white spots on the fingernails indicate that you're deficient in certain minerals or vitamins, like zinc or calcium. The doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Supplement trio has been a game-changer for me. There are a multitude of benefits, but as it relates to our skin, I've noticed that my hair is healthier (less "shedding" and losing it in clumps) and my nails grow quickly. It's also my #1 go-to product that has blessed me with consistent, quality sleep.
Mix Jojoba oil and a few drops of one or more of the following essential oils known to support healthy nails: Myrrh, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Lavender, or Tea Tree. Rub thoroughly on your hands and massage into your nail beds 3 days a week. This will help with brittle nails and promote nail growth.
Have fun getting your glow on!
xoDanette