Expert: Judy Frayne - 1/5/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello and Happy New Year!
For dry, maybe sensitive skin and aging preventative care:
-Can honey be used to dilute oils-to apply to skin as a shower gel? If so, how should one go about doing this and how long would this keep? Would this also be safe for the face or should one have a separate mixture?
-Would it be safe to apply essential oils(diluted in a carrier oil) after shower to leave on?
-What kind of oils-essential and carrier- would you recommend? What are the best and what are the best of the cheaper oils-from experience?
Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi there - Happy New Year to you.... and thanks for your question.

I think using honey with essential oil mixes is a great idea - however it may produce a sticky feeling on the skin so it would be better to experiment and see how it feels. I have not tried it personally, but there are many recipes for skin creams that include honey and, given honey's very healing nature, a good ingredient to use.

So to start with let's look at the carrier or base ....
For a face and general skin cream I would use a plain unscented cream base or one that has Vitamin E added.
I would use any of the following essential oils:

Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Geranium , Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Frankincense,Benzoin, Rose, Jasmine. (the last two being expensive of course, but you can buy dilutions of these if you really like them#

I would make up a small batch at a time - say 30ml of cream base with up to 10 drops of oils in any combination. say for instance Lavender, Chamomile and Geranium - 3 drops each. Mix really well and mix in about a teaspoon of your honey as well. If the honey is runny then it will mix in better. #I will also mention Birch Tar essential oil. This is a fabulous oil for serious skin problems such as eczema. It doesn't smell very nice, but just one or two at maximum, drops in a formula will give wonderful healing.#

This 30ml batch would last you quite few days, depending on where you are using it, and the oils would stay fresh. After a few weeks the oils will gradually fade, so it's nicer to mix up small batches. I also think it's nicer to vary the formula - maybe a fresher mix for the daytime, and a more relaxing night time mix....

So perhaps Chamomile, Geranium and Patchouli for day time and then Ylang Ylang, Lavender and Frankincense for night time. You will need to experiment to see how you react to the oils, both physically and psychologically.

All of the above oils are lovely for the skin and you need not use more than two to three drops in your mix. If you are mixing up a larger amount - say 100ml of cream - then you could use four or five of each. But try them in small amounts first. I would also experiment with how many oils you use in one formula. Start  with two or three and then add others in if you feel it would work. I have used up to six or eight different oils in a formula for very dry skin.  

Rethe shower - it's good to rub in either oil or cream after the shower as all the pores are open and absorbtion is easy. If you are choosing an oil carrier, I would think coconut, almond or most other carriers would be great. Again you could add in your honey. I would think if you mixed up a 100ml bottle, then a teaspoon or two of honey would be good.

I would recommend a great book by Valerie Anne Worwood called The Fragrant Pharmacy #ISBN 978-0553403978 ) but you may be able to find other books that have formulae for home made creams as well.
You could also bear in mind that there are honey based products such as Propolis creams which can be very good for the skin. But these can be quite expensive.
Good luck and please get back to me if need any further advice.

Best wishes
Judy


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your wonderful advice,
If I were to just mix essential oil and honey- no cream/soap/lotion base, but use it in showering/bathing like soap. Is the recipe the same as for the cream/soap- do I just use honey in place of cream/soap? Honey would melt quick in a hot shower, is it safe to use a large amount of the mixture? Or should I dilute it further in this application? I'm not worried about the stickiness as I will be washing it out. Would it be beneficial to keep it on my skin longer?
Also there are so many benefits of using raw honey (thick)- but it would be more helpful by eating it then applying it topically. Is regular honey just as good for skin? As a body wash, it would probably be easier to apply on the body.
Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi there. I don't think there is any harm in trying the essential oils diluted with just honey. As long as they are diluted, and not with a synthetic substance, I would say it was worth trying. Only you will be able to judge it's effectiveness.
When applying oils to the skin, i always advise leaving them on the skin for at least six hours before showering, as it takes that long to be absorbed properly into the skin. Obviously with a shower,you are going to be washing the oils off again quite quickly, so their effect would be less beneficial than if you put some on after the shower.
I am currently using honey for healing and supporting a convalescing relative, and the benefits of a little honey being eaten are quite amazing. One favourite is Greek yoghurt, a little Manuka Honey and some fresh fruit - such as banana. Not only is it extremely scrumptious but is strengthening her every day. I agree with you that the benefits of the honey will be more if taken internally. But I still think it is a great idea of yours to put it with the oils for your skin.
I think regular honey would be fine for your skin too. It's the bacteria within the likes of the Manuka Honey that make it beneficial to the internal systems of the body. But I think any honey will have a lovely effect on the skin when applied topically. Why not do both !
Let me know how you get on.
Best wishes
Judy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,
I don't own any essential oils unfortunately- but I plan to. I tried Vitamin E oil and regular honey (Golden Blossom Honey). Didn't smell too good but it was was much better on my skin than Vita. E alone. I did this in the shower while putting on hair conditioner. My skin was evenly "oiled." Usually after taking a shower my skin continues to have rough, white, dry skin but it looks better now. I can't wait to try it with essential  oils- but I would leave it on longer. Do you have any recommendations on where to buy? In SuperTarget, there was a cheaper brand...something Origins near the pharmacy. What about wholesale places? I see a website called New Directions Aromatics that offers cheap oils. I'm from the U.S.
Thanks

Answer
Hi there
I am copying a previous answer to another enquiry which may be helpful to you when selecting the oils.
I am not in the US and don't have any experience of oils companies there. You will need to sample one or two, and ask around - you may know someone locally who can advise you.It's surprising how many people do use aromatherapy at home. Your local pharmacist may have some information......

" you end up trusting your nose !

First of all - do a label check. Essential oils should say something to the effect that they ARE essential oils. They may say 100% pure or similar. This SHOULD mean they are pure essential oils and nothing else has been added. However you may find labels that say they are blended essential oils. This is still ok. It usually means that the essential oils have had some carrier or base oil added to dilute them.
An example would be Jasmine oil. This is very expensive,a gm measure of pure Jasmine could cost as much as £20.00 - however you will fine blended Jasmine , i.e probably 2gms diluted with almond oil perhaps, for much less than that. It's a good way of buying the more expensive oils at affordable prices.

Next - you need to look at the prices. A complete range of oils all selling at £1.99, are not going to be essential oils. Prices should range from very reasonable - Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary being among the cheapest, to Rose, Jasmine and Vanilla being much more expensive.

Next comes your nose ! Use it to get used to what's real and what's not real. Your nose will tell you after a very short time. A good test is to buy yourself one of the cheaper oils that you know IS essential oil, and then sample a room fragrance of the same smell. Rose essential oils smell like real roses. Rose room fragrance smell very sweet and cloying . Try comparing real citrus oil with the equivalent in a room fragrance, or even lavender, which is readily available from most pharmacies. If the smell is 'too good to be true' or  a bit sweet and 'overdone' you can bet you have a room fragrance, or a synthetic blend and not an essential oil.

Finally - you should be able to sample smell the oils you buy. I won't buy from anywhere that won't let me smell what I am buying first. I have found myself a good online company and now just deal with them.

I will also mention that there are certain shops that say they are selling aromatherapy products containing essential oils. You need to bear in mind that the amount of essential oil they add to a whole vat of their product is going to be very small, and the product will not have a huge therapeutic effect, if any at all. It's usually best to mix up yourself with the real thing."

I hope you have fun choosing your oils and getting to know them. Store them somewhere special, out of the sunlight, and mix them up in non metal containers - glass or ceramic is fine.

Best wishes
Judy