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We’re in the thick of winter right now. We’re battling mountains of snow, and its’ cold. It’s FREEZING, and the air is dry. This can put your skin through the ringer and may require some extra TLC. Not to worry, there are a few carrier and essential oils that can help sooth and heal dry, cracked winter skin.
A house is nothing without a strong foundation, and essential and carrier oils need a good base. You want to ensure you are using petroleum-free, plant-based products that will absorb into or otherwise nourish the skin. There are different options for bases, depending on your application needs.
Lotion, Cream and Ointment Texture Comparison
Lotion – An emulsion of oil and water. Light and absorbs fairly quickly into the skin. In winter time, this may not provide enough oomf for your dry skin but it can be modified with other ingredients for added moisturizing and nourishing properties.
Cream – Thicker than a lotion, with a higher amount of oils and a lower amount of water. Creams can take longer to absorb into the skin, and can be preferred for when skin is dehydrated, and can be a better go-to for the winter months.
Ointment/Balm/Salve – This will be a mixture of fats, oils and waxes with a complete absence of water. Typical ingredients include beeswax or carnauba wax, vegetable butters such as shea, sal or cocoa, and vegetable oils. An ointment does not absorb into the skin like a lotion or cream, it sits on top. Because of this, they are best used when a barrier is needed (wind, diaper rash, lip balm, etc). It is not a moisturizer, it protects the skin and nourishes the moisture that is already there.
Ointments are an excellent choice for dry, cracked hands, elbows and skin. Applying at night shortly before bed can prevent it from being rubbed off throughout the day onto different surfaces. It’s great for skiers and snow boarders to apply to the exposed spots on the face for protection from the harsh, cold, wind!
Hemp Seed Oil
Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil has emerged as a complete nutritious oil for skin, hair and body. Relaxed government regulations have allowed people to finally discover this wonder oil which is a renewable and sustainable crop. It’s also processed right here in Canada. It is incredibly beneficial for healing and relieving dry skin. The oil contains more naturally occurring essential fatty acids than most other plant-derived oils. A balanced 3:1 Omega-6: Omega-3 EFA ratio and GLA and Omega 9, make it a versatile ingredient for skincare.
Suggested Uses
Creams/Lotions: Add 1 -3% for delicate facial creams and 5 – 10% for body creams/lotions to help soothe and heal dry skin.
Ointment: Add 1 – 10% to an ointment as the last ingredient before removing from heat to solidify. Acts as an emollient to help repair skin.
A jar of Calendula oil macerating
Although this oil is derived from flowers, it is not classed as an essential oil. It is generally extracted by a method of maceration. whereby the flowers are saturated in a vegetable oil for a period of usually 6 weeks to allow the medicinal properties of the plant to seep into the oil. We make our own calendula oil every year to general pharmaecopia standards using pure locally manufactured sunflower oil as our experience indicates it is the best.
It’s tremendous healing abilities on the skin make it a popular remedy world wide. It is excellent for dry, cracked, itchy skin.
Suggested Uses:
Massage Oil: Mix 5 – 25 % to any combination of fractionated coconut, almond or jojoba oil for a soothing massage oil.
Creams / Lotions: Add up to 5 % to any one of our all natural plant based cream or lotion bases to increase skin absorption.
Ointments: melt in 5 – 10% to a natural ointment base to improve softening emollient effect.
Extracted from the ‘meat’ of the rose bud, this is a finer carrier oil where you only need a small amount. Rosehip seed oil is much more effective when properly diluted. It is an excellent oil for the skin, used in a lot of fine skincare. It’s great to add to your facial cream in the winter when your skin needs a bit more nourishment.
Suggested use
Add 0.5 – 2% to your facial cream for its emolliating and moisturizing properties.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Lavender Officinalis
When in doubt, add lavender! Lavender can help sooth the itchy feeling of dry skin.
Suggested Use
Creams/Lotions/Ointments: Add 0.5 – 1% Lavender.
Frankincense Sacra
One of the most prized and skin-friendly varieties of Frankincense. Originating in Oman, the resin from which this oil is obtained survives in a dry, hostile environment and has been used for centuries by the local people to nourish and protect their skin.
Suggested Use
Creams/Lotions/Ointments: Add 0.5 – 1% Frankincense.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Ingredients
Directions:
Resinous essential oils are a topic we’ve received many questions about in the last few weeks, so we figured it was time to write a post about them!
Elemi, Myrrh, and Frankincense Resin
A resin is produced by trees, typically coniferous trees. It can also be known as gum and pitch. It is not the same as sap. Plants create resin to protect themselves from injuries, insects, pests and pathogens.
Resins are a thick, very viscous and sticky liquid. They are typically dark and amber in colour.
A resinous oil is a plant-based, natural, concentrated oil extracted from the resin of a plant. It can be a steam distilled essential oil, CO2 extracted, or an absolute. Many Aromatherapists do not acknowledge these substances as essential oils but do recognize their therapeutic value.
Some examples of resinous oils are:
Closeup of Frankincense Resin
Resinous oils are very thick and can get thicker as they age. This can make them incredibly hard to get out of the bottle!
Warming a resinous oil can help with the mobility and thickness of the oil. A few options to warm your oil include:
Adding extra air holes to the orifice (dropper) can help with dispensing. You can also use a glass dropper to extract the oil from the bottle, if even after warming it still won’t come out of the essential oil bottle orifice.
Essential Oil Bottle and Glass Dropper
Resinous oils such as Frankincense or Myrrh are often used in first aid for healing wounds. They are great to add to salves for bumps and scrapes! Myrrh is best known for its healing properties in cases of wounds and tissue damage. It’s reputation for this was noted in ancient Greece with Galen and his successful treatments of Gladiators for their wounds. In fact, all Gladiators carried a pouch of myrrh paste into battle with them.
Myrrh Resin Pieces
Resin oils are also great for skincare. Frankincense is excellent to add to creams for aging skin. Benzoin is amazing for dry, irritated, uneven and/or acne prone skin.
Some resins such as Benzoin are excellent fixatives. Benzoin is a very heavy base note, and it helps ‘hold’ other essential oils and aromas. For this reason, it is very popular in perfumery.
We do not recommend using resinous oils in diffusers, as the can gum up and cause it to clog, possibly damaging it.
Resins are excellent for salves and balms
Healing Protection Balm
Gently melt the ointment to liquid state (or make your own base if you have a recipe). Add in all other carrier oils and essential oils. Stir till thoroughly mixed and then pour into containers. Allow to cool and harden.
This recipe is meant to be used as protection and soothing application while wounds are healing to stop itch and keep skin supple and soft. Makes approximately 8 oz.
Resinous oils have an incredibly long shelf life, up to 5 – 6 years! Resinous oils such as myrrh may even improve with age, like a fine wine. Over time they may thicken and start to return more to their original resinous state. This does not mean that the oil has gone bad, it’s still perfectly fine to use! Crusted residue may form around the lid due to trace amounts of oil exposed to air. Gently warming oil before use and adding extra air holes to the orifice (dropper) will help with dispensing.
Frankincense Carteri Resin Oil
Disclaimer
The information contained in this article is not meant to be a replacement for medical treatment or advice and refers to some simple applications for minor cuts, wounds and abrasions. If you have suffered a wound or injury which is potentially serious, are diabetic or have any other illness which compromises the immune system or interferes with the process of natural healing, proper medical attention is advised.
