Therapeutic essential oils are found in the highest quality beauty care products designed for mature skin. Natural oils have many beneficial properties including the stimulation of cellular metabolism, the regeneration of tissues, reduction of oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory effects, as well as various hormone-like activities. These known benefits are the therapeutic fundamentals for topical support of the health and beauty of aging skin. Not only are true essential oils kinder to the planet than synthetic mixtures, their health-giving effects can be dramatic. Beyond the obvious benefits, the natural health enthusiast can make a skin care blend precisely suited to their skin's personal needs, at a fraction of the cost of the high-end laboratory-made blends. Many of the ingredients are available locally at your health food store. The more esoteric items found either on the internet or through mail order from providers of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy and apothecary supplies.

What is it about essential oils that make them so suitable to the task of making mature skin glow? The aromatic oils are nature's liquid healing wonders. It is thought that plants produce them as their own healing potions, with variations that depend on the plant's habitat; a plant needs to generate new cells, defend itself from oxidative radicals, and promote its own fitness as much as humans do. These aromatic oils are highly compatible with our own health and well-being. Countless essential oils have been examined over time, and a few stand out as extraordinary medicines for our skin. Creating a personal formula using them is a simple task: just mix a small amount of essential oils with the appropriate (and therapeutic) seed or nut oils at the right concentrations, and voila! Your own highly effective skin care blend.

In describing the ingredients, we'll start with the carrier oils (also known as 'base' oils). These natural seed and nut oils will make up the bulk of any skin care formula. There are a great many carrier oils to choose from for mature skin support: Avocado - hydrating, and nutritive, with a medium consistency, avocado oil is most often included at about 1/5 of the total base oil mixture. Apricot Kernel - Excellent for dry skin, also for healing damaged or irritated skin; can make up to 100% of the base oil. Borage - Used as a small (5-15%) portion of the base oil mixture; supplies important fatty acid nutrients, which also act to calm inflammation. May be interchanged with Evening Primrose oil, though the Evening Primrose should be used in slightly larger amounts than Borage (up to 25%). Hazelnut - This is the most common carrier in skin care blends. It has a relatively thin consistency, and is best used by those with oily skin conditions. It is mildly astringent, and should not exacerbate trouble with overactive sebaceous glands. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Rosehip Seed - this oil contains a wealth of therapeutic properties, including Retin-A like compounds that increase skin cell turnover without the drying side effects found in pharmaceutical preparations. In summary, a good base oil for mature skin might be 70% Apricot Kernel, 15% Rosehip and 15% Evening Primrose. If the skin is dry, reduce the Apricot Kernel to 50% and add 20% Avocado. If the skin is oily, use Hazelnut in place of Apricot Kernel.

Then of course there are the 'active' ingredients - the essential oils. We will look at eight incredible oils that are all beneficial to mature skin: Considered one of the most potent revitalizing oils for the derma, Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot. Carrot seed is chosen principally as a tonic for skin that has become dull and lifeless through any sort of stress. Carrot seed has a smooth, warm and earthy aroma that will blend well with many other essential oils. Next is Rosemary Verbenone, which contains a high amount of regenerative ketones and is highly effective for regeneration. This specialty skin care essential oil is noted by professionals for its wonderful ability to improve the metabolism of skin cells - in essence, increasing both the removal of waste products and the intake of nutrients.

Clary Sage is renowned as being particularly suited to natural skin and beauty care. A component of the essential oil mimics the effects of estrogen, which may enhance the vibrancy of aging skin. Clary Sage is also celebrated for its regulation of the skin's secretions, naturally bringing balance to both over-oily as well as under-oily skin. It's aroma is considered relaxing and mildly euphoric which may also contribute to its positive effects. Sweet Fennel is another oil with estrogen-like action, listed by herbalist and author Valerie Worwood in blends for wrinkle prevention at every stage in life.

A couple of lesser known yet highly effective skin care specialty oils are Cistus and Sea Buckthorn. Cistus is distilled from the Rock Rose flower, with astringent qualities used for firming the skin. Some Cistus varieties tend to have a rather medicinal aroma, but truly fine ones are sweet and alluring. Sea Buckthorn is pleasingly sweet, and should be considered for blends for all skin types. Found as a CO2 distillation (not to be confused with the cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn carrier oil) the essential oil is a deep red color, indicating the high concentration of carotenes, vitamin A precursors so important to skin health. The virtues of Sea Buckthorn have been hailed by users with a wide variety of skin conditions and types at every age - it is useful in very small amounts, and need only make up 1% of your recipe to enjoy its benefits.

Of course no discussion of skin care and aromatherapy would be complete without Lavender. True lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) can be included in aromatherapy blends for skin at any age. It may be especially supportive of aging skin through its combination of anti-inflammatory, balancing, and regenerative actions. Lavender is also well-known for its relaxing effects, and its support for stress reduction may quickly result in improving your skin's appearance. For those whom enjoy its floral aroma, Lavender may be added in whatever concentration one chooses to impart its aromatic quality to the formula. For an even stronger anti-inflammatory and regenerative effect, use Helichrysum essential oil (also known as Everlasting or Immortelle). Helichrysum may be the most profoundly healing essential oil for damaged skin, often called for in blends for healing wounds or reducing the appearance of scars. If you are combining aromatherapy with other treatments such as microdermabrasion, Helichrysum would be an important ingredient in your blend.

The recipes for natural skin for mature skin are quite simple. A good starting place is the following ratio: ten drops of each essential oil to every one ounce of carrier oil. For example, if you have four total ounces of carrier oil, use forty drops of each essential oil. More essential oil is rarely better when blending a formula for the skin - many essential oils work best at low concentrations with some oils potentially irritating the skin at high doses. A good rule of thumb is to keep your overall concentration of essential oils below five percent of the total concentration. This ratio works out to about thirty drops per ounce of carrier. If you are designing your own recipe, you can start with equal amounts of essential oil in your blend. Some oils will have more powerful aromas than others; most of these very potent aromas will be oils that you will want to use in smaller quantities. You can also adjust according to your aromatic preferences as well, thus creating a formula that not only supports your skin's health and metabolism, but smells lovely too.

While these are many of the oils favored for women's beauty care, similar recipes may be used by men as well. A more masculine formula can be created using essential oils from woods - Australian Sandalwood, for example, can be added for both its therapeutic and aromatic properties; Frankincense and Myrrh are also noted for their positive effects for aging skin and have warm, earthy aromas. Further, adding oils purely for their aromatic beauty is always an option. There are only a few oils that should not be applied to the face that are commonly used in aromatherapy: Cinnamon, Oregano, Clove and Red Thyme; cold-pressed citrus oils and Angelica Root oil are phototoxic, and should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight in the following 72 hours. If you're not sure about a particular essential oil, check with a reliable resource - otherwise, feel free to enhance your blends to suit your aromatic taste.

Creating your own personal therapeutic skin care blend is a wonderful aromatherapy project for beginning and advanced practitioners alike. You'll have an effective mixture made just for your skin type, and that you can adjust according to your needs in the future. Plus it's fun to do, and easier on the pocket book than high-end commercial formulations. As always when starting out with these medicines from nature, be aware of you're body's responses to the oils, respect their potency, and most of all, have fun!