Oily Face: Why I Started Using Essential Oils On My Skin

As promised, I’m adding another post about essential oils, but this one is strictly in regards to skincare and keeping yourself glowing as youthfully as possible for as long as possible!

Even though I started using essential oils to support my family’s immune system and overall health, I was very wary about using oils on my face until recently.  Although they didn’t feel at all greasy, I was hesitant to add anything that even hinted at having oils of any kind in it on my skin. 

I have a very oily T-zone.…which on a good day makes me look glowy, and on a bad day has me feeling like a victim of the Exxon Valdez.  How could more oil actually be good for my skin?  I was worried I’d end up with massive breakouts and an oil slick so serious I’d need to call out FEMA for help.

I was wrong.

After hearing about the wonders of essential oils for skincare from a couple of friends, I finally decided to risk it.  If I got oilier then I’d quit, hopefully before ending up with a unicorn’s horn erupting on my forehead. 

I got a hold of a bottle of Frankincense essential oil and another of Carrot Seed oil and decided to add them to my routine.  Frankincense would be added to my nightly moisturizer, and Carrot Seed to my morning one.  I set them out on my vanity, held my breath, and hoped for the best.

A week into using these oils I was a believer.  Not only did my skin not get oilier, it actually started to normalize itself.  I suffered from zero breakouts, and my skin just looked and felt better….and it was no small wonder why.  These oils are powerhouses for your skin.  There are so many more that work wonders too…but for today I’ll concentrate on these two…because they are the ones I use every single day.

Frankincense is a powerful, all natural astringent which helps protect your skin cells.  For generations, it has been used to combat blemishes, reverse the signs of aging, reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, as well as lift and tone the skin, and normalize the overproduction of oils in your skin. 

Some studies have also shown the effectiveness of Frankincense to help in the reduction of scarring and stretch marks as well as in the treatment of eczema.  It is perhaps one of the most beneficial essential oils you can use for your skin.

While you can purchase facial creams and serums that contain Frankincense,  I prefer to use it in its purest form…straight out of the bottle.  I add two drops to my nightly moisturizer and massage it into my face after using my hyaluronic acid serum and derma roller (more about that in another post) and wake up to refreshed, happy skin in the morning. 

I also add 4 drops of Frankincense essential oil to one teaspoon of coconut oil and one teaspoon of baking soda to make a healing exfoliating scrub.  I normally use this scrub twice a week and leave it on for about 20 minutes to let my skin absorb the mixture as much as possible.  This scrub is like a mini microdermabrasion session with the benefit of Frankincense to really help support my skin cells!

Carrot Seed Oil is an oil I kind of came upon by accident. My aunt and I were reading up on different essential oils when Carrot Seed popped up.  I had never heard of it before, much less knew that it was amazing for the skin. 

What I found out was that this essential oil is full of antioxidants and bioflavonoids including luteolin which is a cancer fighting antioxidant typically found in fruit.  That all sounded great in order to protect my skin from free radical damage, but what really sold me is that Carrot Seed oil has naturally occurring sun protection factor as well.

According to recent studies, this essential oil has up to the equivalent of SPF40.  I’ve always loved the sun, but in the past few years have wanted to avoid premature aging and have become very conscious of that.  However, due to circumstances in my life that were very emotionally stressful, I developed a skin sensitivity which, when I would use even natural brands of sunscreen, would result in an unsightly rash on my face. 

Now, all I have to do is add 2 drops of Carrot Seed essential oil to my morning face cream and my skin gets sun protection….plus the added benefits of bioavailable antioxidants!  Win-win!

There are so many more oils I want to try, and a few others that I do use already but I’ll make you practice a little patience to find out what they are. 😉 

I also find it best to add in new products for your skin and health little by little to really get to see the benefits and find out which combinations work best for you.

As with all skincare, and essential oils in general, I can only recommend things that I use and believe in.  Young Living is the essential oils company I use because they offer the largest array of oils and their purity is bar-none.  I know what I am getting with this company, and don’t have to worry about synthetic fillers or low-grade ingredients. It’s such good stuff I get giddy when I discover how to use a new one!    (You can also check out and purchase your own oils at my Young Living shop: My Oil Shop)

**As an affiliate, I make a small portion of every sale made via links in my blog.

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