Oils on the face?

[Totaviodori]

Hello,
Just wondered if any one could give me some advice......

Just wanted to know if any one knew which essentail oils cannot be used on the face.

The way we've been taught at college is not to blend oils higher than 3% on the face, but are there any oils i should avoid?

Many thanks
Lisa x

 

[Da Smith]

Hiya...

I would say that any oil that is really strong smelling, like ylang ylang or black pepper, for obvious reasons, and those that are high in irritant aldehydes. There is a great book called the Aromatherapy Workbook by Shirley Price and it tells you all about chemical constituents and what oils are likely to be irritant. THose are the ones you should avoid. But oils like lavender, rose and neroli are great for the face and as long as the client's skin isn't really sensitive, you could maybe up it to 5%, but always use caution, and if in doubt, stick to the rules.

Hope this helps a little bit.

 

[sassy k]

It would also be a good idea to avoid the oils that are phototoxic?

Cheers

HP

 

[YorkiiTorii]

There are always exceptions of course and as long as certain oils are used in the correct concentration, there shouldn't be a problem.

For instance, I make a face lotion for the massage after Ear Candling Treatments. To a 60ml jar of lotion I add six drops of lavender and three drops of eucalyptus oil and it's a very clearing blend after the treatment. I do, of course, check that the client doesn't have sensitive skin.

Lesley

 

[The Reverend Soleil]

Hello,
Thanks for all your replys! i did a bit of research in the mean time and found a few books that said which oils can be used on different skin types, i think i'll stick to these when blending. I looked for the 'Aromatherapy Workbook by Shirley Price', but i couldn't see it in our libary but will keep a look out for it! I think i'm just a bit cautious about putting any thing on the face but feel i'm a bit more confident now! I like the sound of making my own aroma lotions, will have to find a course that does it....anyway, thanks alot!

Lisa x