Essential Oil Blend: Recipe for Sunburn

What’s a quick and easy way to relieve the discomfort from sunburn naturally?  Consider using essential oils, and an essential oil blend recipe for sunburn.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the liquid aromatic substances that are extracted from the many different parts of aromatic plants, like seeds, roots, flowers, leaves, citrus peels, wood, needles, cones and resin. The different ways in which we use essential oils, like applying them to our skin and also just by smelling them, is called “Aromatherapy.”

Think of the plants you know like peppermint, basil, rose, lavender and rosemary.  They are very aromatic, right? And in order for us to capture their aroma, and use it to benefit our health and wellbeing, we extract the scent using a process called steam distillation; drawing out the “invisible” aroma and transforming it into a “visible”  liquid extract - which is called an essential oil.

These liquid extracts are very concentrated.  In fact, it can take upward of 100 lbs of plant material to yield just 4 to 8 ounces of essential oil!  So this tells us that essential oils are highly concentrated and should be used mindfully.

A pure high quality essential oil is composed of only the unique and special molecules that are produced during the distillation process.  Nothing has been added or taken away. Therefore, the resulting essential oil is 100% genuine and authentic.

How do you use essential oils?

There are basically two main ways to use essential oils so that they can enter our bodies and affect physiological and emotional shifts.  One is via inhalation and the other is by applying the oils to our skin.

Inhalation:

1. We bring in needed oxygen,
2. We experience scent.

So that means when we are diffusing an essential oil, we are simultaneously breathing it in and smelling it.  And that offers us two ways to experience an essential oil’s benefits at the same time. 

Applying essential oils to our skin:

Applying essential oils to our skin is another great way to enjoy their benefits. Think about all the different kinds of products we use on our bodies every day:  Soaps, cleansers, lotions, creams, exfoliates, gels, oils, salves and balms.  Imagine adding a few drops of essential oils to each of the products we use every day.  That would offer us a way to incorporate the benefits of essential oils in the daily practice of our lives with minimal effort.

Also Read: 7 Essential oils you have to try now for healthy glowing skin

But since we are talking about sunburn, let's focus specifically on how essential oils can support and soothe our skin.

What are the best essential oils for sunburn? Here is a list of our 5 favorites:

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is steam distilled from the flowering tops of this common herbaceous bush. The lavender essential oil is made up of a combination of molecules that have been known to soothe redness and irritation, plus cool down heated skin, and offer great relief when the skin feels sore and irritated. Using Lavender on tender sore skin is a great way to soothe and support its ability to reset and rebalance.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is steam distilled from the leaves of the common culinary herb that has been used for centuries to combat all sorts of ailments, from physical soreness and mental fatigue.  But one of the most beneficial ways to use Peppermint Essential oil is to quickly cool down and soothe heated and irritated skin.

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) is steam distilled from the fragrant leaves of this sturdy bush.  The molecules found in this geranium oil are known to be skin soothing and balancing, and can offer calmness, and ease when the skin feels tight and irritated.

Frankincense oil (Boswellia carterii) is steam distilled from the resin of this ancient tree, and it provides a wide range of healing benefits to both the mind and body.  For the skin, it offers an experience of overall well-being and calm, and can quickly soothe away discomfort and irritation - while encouraging the skin to reset and rejuvenate.

Spearmint oil  (Mentha spicata) is steam distilled from the leaves of the common culinary herb, and like Peppermint it has been used for centuries to navigate all sorts of ailments that affect the mind and the body.  Like Peppermint, Spearmint can offer great relief to skin irritations, heat and soreness - but is more balancing and grounding than Peppermint.  So we’d reach for Spearmint over Peppermint, whenever the soreness of the skin feels particularly over-sensitive.

How to use these oils to soothe sunburn?

The fastest and most effective way to use these essential oils to soothe sunburn would be to add up to 16 drops total (so you can mix and match different oils together depending on how you like their aromas) into a 2 oz spray bottle filled with distilled water.  Once the oils and water are all added to the bottle, shake well and keep chilled in the fridge.  Use as often as needed to cool the heated irritation caused by sunburn.

Also Read: Best essential oils to take on vacation

Recipe:

After Sun Aromatherapy Spray to Cool and Soothe the Skin.

What’ll you need:

Glass Beakers or Glass Pyrex measuring pitcher

Wooden or metal stirrers

Disposable dispensing pipettes.

1 empty 2 oz glass spray bottle with fine mist sprayer

Ingredients:

2 oz of Distilled Water

4 drops of Frankincense essential oil

1 drop of Peppermint essential oil

1 drop of Spearmint essential oil

3 drops of Geranium essential oil

7 drops of Lavender essential oil

Steps to Make It

1.  Add your total 16 drops of essential oils directly into the glass spray bottle. Use the disposable pipettes to drop out the essential oil, if needed.
2. Using your measuring cups or glass beakers, add 2 oz of distilled water to the bottle
3. Place cap, tighten and shake well.
4. Place in the fridge and use as often as needed, holding the bottle at least 10-12 inches from your body and avoiding your face.

Let us know how this works!