It's no surprise several of the world's finest formulas for beautifying mature skin contain natural essential oils. Therapeutic grade essential oils used in aromatherapy are each selected for their distinctive healing action; many oils are specifically indicated for skin healing and healthy skin maintenance. Of greatest interest here are the oils known for their tissue regenerative effects and support of the skin's metabolic functions. An effective personal blend using premium therapeutic grade oils is easily made by choosing a few oils corresponding to the needs of your skin type, and blending with easy-to-follow formulas.

You may ask, ?What makes essential oils and their complementary carrier oils so effective for natural skin care?? The answer is found in nature herself. It happens that the elemental structures of plant oils are beautifully and decidedly compatible with that of our skin. Essential oils are easily absorbed through the skin's various layers, and even through the skin's individual cell walls. This compatibility makes the process of creating and using your own formulas extremely simple. One only need blend together a few ingredients to create a state-of-the-art healing and nourishing formula for better looking and feeling skin.

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.

Sea Buckthorn Berry CO2 (a cold-processed essential oil) is a gentle oil with a pleasingly sweet aroma. Sea Buckthorn contains significant amounts of essential fatty acids along with antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. This specialty skin care essential oil is rich in carotenes, which likely impart its rejuvenative effects. It is noted as a particularly effective anti-wrinkle and skin softening agent. Another specialty oil for mature skin care is Cistus, also known as Rock Rose. The oil is distilled from a plant grown in hot, sun-drenched regions, and can be added to blends for its particular effect of firming the skin. It also has astringent properties which can support clearing of oily skin; further, it is mentioned in blends for firming around the eyes ? when used near the eyes, any blend should contain no more than .5% essential oils as to not be irritating in this sensitive area.

Then there is the tried and true French Lavender ? Lavendula angustifolia ? the essential oil which began the modern aromatherapy revolution with the discovery of its nearly miraculous healing power. Lavender is balancing, gentle and regenerative. It may be added at any concentration to your blend. Its sweet and floral aroma is loved by many ? though if you find it too sweet, and are looking for a potent regenerative essential oil, try Helichrysum instead. Helichrysum contains regenerative molecules unique to this plant alone, with a warmer, slightly spicy and herbaceous aroma. Helichrysum need only be used in small amounts, and may otherwise overpower other oils aromatically ? otherwise, Helichrysum is very gentle, and is even called for being applied directly to the skin undiluted for acute healing needs.

The formulas for therapeutic care for mature skin are fairly straightforward. Oftentimes, you can start with 10 drops of each essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. For example, if you have four total ounces of base oil, you could use 40 drops of each desired essential oil as a starting point. Much more essential oil than this is rarely better; in fact, many oils work best at low concentrations, and some can potentially irritate the skin at high doses. Further, if you are combining several essential oils together in one blend, try not to go over a 5% total concentration of essential oils (approximately 30 drops per ounce) ? the face and neck are relatively sensitive areas, and will respond best to small amounts of nature's ?active? ingredients. If you are not working with a recipe, you can start with equal amounts of each essential oil, and adjust according to your perceived potency of each oil; some oils will have more powerful aromas than others, and you could likely do with slightly less in your overall blend. You can also adjust according to your aromatic preferences as well, 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.

Making therapeutic blends for mature skin is enjoyable, easy-to-do, and cost effective. By using therapeutic-grade oils and carriers, you'll be creating an effective, beautiful smelling formula precisely for your own skin condition. Moreover, you can adjust the recipe over time as your needs change, or make different formulas with various aromas to double as natural perfumes. As always with aromatherapy, start slowly, listen to your body and have fun!