BOOST THE EFFECTS OF YOUR BEAUTY PRODUCTS WITH ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils are aromatherapy products commonly used in the home to treat various ailments. In fact, these oils are natural plant extracts that contain a wide range of benefits and can be used as active ingredients in a number of applications.

It’s important to know that essential oils can be used for much more than just the care of everyday ailments, as they can also be used for cosmetic purposes. You can combine them with each other, or with your cosmetics to boost their effects on skin or hair, for example. However, there are a few rules to follow!

How to boost the effects of your beauty products with essential oils?

Essential oils: a few rules for use

Although essential oils are formulated from plants, there are a few rules to be observed when using them, as they are rich in active ingredients and therefore particularly powerful.

The experts’ recommendations for their use are as follows:

• Always follow the dosage instructions on the bottle.
• Essential oils should not be used on pregnant or breast-feeding women or children under 5. Some essential oils are contraindicated for children up to 7 years of age. Read the label carefully before use, or ask a health specialist for advice.
• Always take an allergy test before using an essential oil in a blend. To do this, pour one to 2 drops into the vegetable oil of your choice, then massage the mixture into the skin. If there is no reaction after 24 hours, you can use it again.
• Never apply essential oil to or near mucous membranes or eyes.
• People with asthma or respiratory allergies should not use essential oils. The same applies to people with a history of epilepsy or convulsions.
• As essential oils are not water-soluble, you should never mix them with water or an aqueous solution without first diluting theme.
• When diffusing essential oils into the atmosphere, it is always necessary to dilute them beforehand. Air freshener based on essential oils are an excellent alternative to avoid any danger or error in product dosage.

Recommended dosages for essential oil care blends

To concoct effective skin care products with essential oils, you must scrupulously respect the recommended dosages.

Indicative doses depend on the action sought with the essential oil:

• For cosmetic action, experts recommend a dosage of 1% of the initial formula. 3 drops of essential oil are enough to boost the effects of 10 ml of product. All you have to do is make the calculation according to the quantity of product you’re using.
• For a deeper action of essential oils in the layers of the epidermis (dermo-cosmetic action), the recommended dosage is 3% of the formula, i.e. 6 to 8 drops for 10 ml of product.
• Finally, for a deeper action in muscles, joints and tendons, 25 to 30 drops of essential oil are required for 10 ml of product. Note that for this particular application, we can use the finished product may be used only locally, i.e. on the skin.

For greater effectiveness, we recommend direct use of commercially available essential oil balms and ointments.

Essential oils and cosmetics: which blends are best?

The best way to boost the action of your cosmetic product with one or more essential oils is to mix them directly:

• To soften a shower gel and make it creamier to use: mix 5 drops of true lavender essential oil with 10 drops of argan oil and pour into your bottle of neutral shower gel. If you’re using Gourmand Gas’care shower gel, you can add the same amount of coconut essential oil and coconut oil to make it even creamier!
• To optimize the anti-dandruff action of your shampoo, add 3 drops of tea tree essential oil to a small amount of product.
• To add shine to your hair, you can also mix rosemary, ylang-ylang or cineole essential oils into your vegetable oil. If you use pure coconut oil, this addition will also help mask its rancid smell.