Make Your Own Medicinal Oil Blend for Healing Wounds and Scars
Essential oils have a long history of use in natural skin care –These wonderful phytochemicals provide a great breadth of natural medicinal components well-known for healing damaged skin, as well as reducing the appearance of old scars from trauma and surgical wounds, acne and other incidents. Recipes Essential oil blends for these applications are gentle, safe for regular use, and have a wonderful aroma to boot. The blends are easy to make, and simple to customize for your particular needs.
Essential Oils for Healing the Skin
There are a few primary oils used in skin repair; additional oils may be added to your liking (to improve aroma, or add further skin-supportive properties), but here, we’ll concentrate just on the commonly used oils for skin damage. First, and possibly most important, is Helichrysum Italicum, also known as Everlasting. This oil with a lovely earthy aroma is distilled from the brightly-colored, daisy-like flowers of a strongly aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Helichrysum is one of the most highly regarded oils in aromatherapy for it’s broad range of healing properties for body tissues. It is strongly anti-inflammatory, and has a high concentration of regenerative diketones found only in this oil. It is a bit more expensive due to it’s low yield in processing, but produces it’s wonderful effects in very small doses.
Helichrysum, the Healing Foundation
Helichrysum can be used in a simple carrier oil by itself, though it is considered synergistic with Rosehip seed oil and sometimes with Lavender essential oil. This easy-to-make combination has been noted by professional aromatherapists to “heal wounds with minimal or no scarring” though the nutritive triple unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin A compounds of Rosehip seed, combined with the anti-inflammate and regenerative properties of the Helichrysum. Helichrysum can be a little bit pricey, but it’s wonderful effects have been noted at very low concentrations of the total blend – a little will go a long way. Helichrysum contains natural anti-inflammatory, stress-relieving and regenerative natural constituents that make it an amazing healer all its own.
Synergizing with Lavender
As noted above, Lavender oil is often used for skin healing. In a 50/50 blend with Tea Tree oil, it is commonly used on small cuts and scrapes to sooth and prevent infection. Lavender has anti-inflammatory properties along with tissue regenerating effects, albeit a bit more mild than Helichrysum. It does, however, have the important added benefit of a well-liked aroma that can ease anxiety for many people.
Salvia Officinalis: Sage for Old Scars
The essential oil distilled from common Sage leaves is also used in the healing of scars, particularly old or unsightly scars. It’s natural regenerative properties and ability to promote circulation aid in gently breaking down the tough skin resulting from wound healing. Sage oil should only be used in these instances and in small quantities, as it’s Thujone content can be toxic in high quantities. If used in a recipe for stretch marks (see below), it should only be used post-partum. Despite it’s powerful components, however, when diluted and used with respect, one can use this oil safely.
Rosemary Stimulates Healing
Rosemary of the Verbenone chemotype (rather than Cineol, which does not have the same properties) contains regenerative ketones like Lavender and Helichrysum, plus has the added benefit of stimulating the skin’s metabolic process. This oil can bring greater circulation to skin tissues, delivering nutrients and eliminating cellular waste and toxins — functions which are crucial during the healing process. Rosemary Verbenone can be used for healing new or old wounds.
Nutritive Essential Oils That Can Speed Healing
Certain essential oils can offer important nutrient that may speed the healing process. Most importantly, they offer carotenoids and carotenes — molecules closely related to vitamin A. This vitamin and its precursors are considered very important to normal skin development and wound healing. Carotenoids are also potent antioxidants, which can oxidative compounds at the healing site. Two essential oils can be chosen from: Sea Buckthorn and Carrot Root (sometimes found as ‘Helio-Carrot’). These are both Carbon Dioxide extracts with deep red and orange colors, displaying their high carotenoid content.
Tea Tree: Nature’s Finest Antiseptic
For wounds that are currently healing, a small amount of an antimicrobial oil can help the process. It can prevent redness and irritation that is the result of your body dealing with bacteria at the sight of the injury. Between 8 and 40 drops of Tea Tree per ounce of your complete formula can be added if you feel a stronger antiseptic action is necessary (Lavender and Rosemary do have moderate antimicrobial properties). A second formula without Tea Tree can be used once the wound is completely sealed.
The Carrier Oils: Diluting and Delivering the Essential Oils
The essential oils mentioned here must be diluted in a carrier oil for daily application. In aromatherapy, more is not better! There have been numerous studies showing the great efficacy of essential oils in low concentrations based in seed or nut carrier oils. The two most commonly used base oils for skin care are Rosehip seed and Hazelnut oils. Rosehip seed has many documented uses in skin care, with it’s triple-unsaturated fatty acids and it’s vitamin A compounds. Rosehip seed has the ability to support tissue regeneration like Retin A, but without the drying or redening side effects. Hazelnut oil is the most well tolerated of all the carrier oils, and with its mild astringent properties, can even be used in cases of very oily skin. It will tend to leave the skin feeling nourished without feeling greasy.
Choosing Your Recipe
For effective wound healing of recent cuts and scrapes (and has been used successfully on surgical incisions), to 1 ounce Tamanu Nut oil (also called Callophyllum) and 1 ounce Rosehip seed oil add 1 milliliter of Helichrysum essential oil, 1 milliliter of Lavender essential oil and either 1 milliliter of Sea Buckthorn or 3 milliliters of Carrot Root CO2 extracts – apply twice a day for 7 to 10 days. For older scars from wounds or acne, including keloid scars, replace the Lavender in the previous recipe with Rosemary essential oil or Sage essential oil (not to be used during pregnancy). Where acne can reoccur, do NOT use Rosehip seed — instead use Evening Primrose or Hemp Seed oils. Apply regularly for 3 to 6 months. For the healing of stretch marks, post partum, use 1 ounce Rosehip seed and 1 ounce Tamanu or Evening Primrose oil with 1 milliliter Sage essential oil and 2 milliliters with Rosemary Verbenone essential oil; again apply regularly until the marks are no longer visible.
This is a summary of a particular aspect of using essential oils for natural health, wellness and beauty. These are effective, tried and true recipes used for their specific, wound healing applications. You can certainly further customize the formulas to suit your needs, or even add additional oils of your liking. With some research, you will find there are wonderful recipes using essential oils for a broad range of skin care applications — they’re very effective, and they’re heavenly to use. As with all aromatherapy use, go slowly, watch for any (rare) skin reactions, and remember that less is more with essential oils – almost all have been noted to work in very low, well tolerated concentrations.
The author is a regular contributor to several sites in the areas of traditional medicine. More information on essential oils, for example, and therapeutic blending can be found at www.anandaapothecary.com
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Written by Tarah Cech on September 12th, 2009 with
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