Making Your Own Beauty Care Formula For Summer Sun Protection
It’s summertime again, and time to break out the sunscreen to help protect our skin and keep it happy and healthy. Much of the unwanted effects from sun over-exposure are due to the generation of free radicals in our dermal layers — a process that continues long after we’ve stepped out of the sunlight. Inflammation and tissue damage occurs on a cellular level, and long term sun damage can result if this occurs frequently. Fortunately, we can apply antioxidant and anti-inflammatory formulas topically to keep our skin happy and healthy after sun exposure.
Essential oils are exceptionally potent antioxidants, with some being researched specifically for this activity in our skin. Oil of Myrrh was recently studied for its free radical inhibiting effect specifically in the chemical interaction between UV rays and the skins natural oils. Myrrh has long been used to natural healing, and the studies show evidence of its healing potential. Every essential oil found in skin care formulas has antioxidant action, and each one has a unique skin healing property.
Creating a personal formula tailored to your family and children is especially fun and satisfying. Making an after-sun skincare formula is as easy as adding a few drops of one or more essential oils to a natural carrier oil base. That’s all it takes! The first and most obvious choice for an after-sun formula is lavender essential oil. We all know that lavender began the modern aromatherapy revolution by healing burns that were caused in an accident — and it will have the same effect on skin inflamed by the sun. Lavender can be used full strength on severe sunburns, and included at low concentrations with other oils for daily use.
For even greater anti-inflammatory effect, try either blue tansy or blue chamomile. Their deep blue colors are indicative of their natural cooling effect. Blue tansy has an absolutely delicious aroma, smelling like a berry patch deep in the forest. Both are included in many natural health skincare formulas for all sorts of dermatitis including itchy allergic reactions which often occur in the summer heat. If you or your child’s skin is particularly sensitive, either one of these oils will make an important addition to your formula.
Everlasting essential oil, better known as Helichrysum Italicum, is a wonderful and profoundly healing oil called for when the most potent anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects are needed. If you’re looking for one of the secret ingredients in natural skincare, Helichrysum is it. You’ll find Helichrysum in blends for scar reduction, wound healing, hair growth, and maintenance of mature skin.
Sandalwood and frankincense are two exotic oils often found in skin care formulas having properties especially suited to helping your skin recover from sun exposure. Both oils have been researched for their anti-cancer activity; sandalwood in particular has been found to be protective when applied before exposure to UV rays, and is very likely to be supportive after exposure as well. Frankincense is considered one of the most broadly therapeutic essential oils of all, with anticancer activity, and proven support for mature skin care. These features add up to a very protective oil for those spending a good amount of time in the sun.
And for perhaps most profound protective effects, choose sea buckthorn. This essential oil has been studied by Russian scientists as a protective agent for cosmonauts in outer space. It’s deep red color indicates a high concentration of vitamin A like compounds, highly regarded for their skin healing properties. Sea buckthorn is useful in virtually any skincare application, and most certainly for an after-sun formula.
Other additions to your formula outside the realm of common aromatherapy include fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin E in its natural form can even be squeezed from a capsule — be sure to find it labeled “natural”, as the synthetic form is considered not all that good for you. The fat-soluble form of vitamin C is becoming a very popular skin care ingredient as well. Found as ascorbyl palmitate or “Ester-C”, you can open up the dry capsules of powder and add this to your blend.
All your “active-ingredients” will be based in carrier oils. These are cold-processed seed or nut oils carefully made for therapeutic applications. The most useful for after-sun formula are jojoba, avocado, apricot kernel, tamanu, and rosehip seed oils. Jojoba, avocado, apricot kernel are soothing, hydrating, and nutritive. Tamanu and rosehip seed are specialty skin care oils are particularly suited to this use. Tamanu is mentioned in the medical aromatherapy literature as called for in various wound healing and skin care recipes; Rosehip seed has been the subject of numerous studies, helping create healthy skin numerous and diverse conditions. Rosehip has been specifically indicated for reduction of appearance of fine lines from sun over exposure.
Once you’ve chosen which essential oils and carrier oils you’d like to use, just add ten to fifteen drops of each essential oil per ounce of carrier oil mixture. The important thing to consider is not going over thirty-five drops total of essential oils in each ounce of your final product — the reason being that the essential oils are so potent, that they can become irritating if used at too high a concentration.
As an example recipe, you might use one-third parts each jojoba, evening primrose and rosehip seed, and to this add 7 drops each of sea buckthorn, sandalwood, lavender and German chamomile. This is a very potent and effective formula for those with the most concern for the sun’s effect on their skin. For a more simple formula, perhaps for your children, you might use just lavender and sea buckthorn in a jojoba base. These oils are particularly gentle, and should be suitable for even the most sensitive, youthful skin. Use your intuition as a guide, blending with lower concentrations for the young ones. Whatever formulation you choose, it is sure to have a positive effect on the long-term skin health for you and your family.
The author is proponent of the varied and potent healing actions of aromatherapy essential oils. For more, see www.anandaapothecary.com.
