Canadian Living – September 2019

LOTUS AROMA Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, $22, shoppersdrugmart.ca.

BLEU LAVANDE Tea Tree Essential Oil, $18, bleulavande.com.

VITRUVI Geranium Essential Oil, $18, vitruvi.ca.

LA MAISON LAVANDE Pure Lavender Essential Oil, $19, maisonlavande.ca.

PURESSENTIEL Helichrysum Essential Oil $35, amazon.ca.

DIVINE ESSENCE Cypress Evergreen Essential Oil, $14.50, divineessence.com.

SCENTUALS Lemon Essential Oil, $13, scentuals.com.

PURE ESSENTIAL OILS

PRECAUTIONS

BEFORE USE

Before integrating essential oils into

your beauty routine, here are some

questions to ask.

Does the essential oil

have to be pure?

It’s a mark of quality, so it’s important to

read the full list of ingredients to know

exactly what you’re using. Some oils, such

as pure lavender, are often diluted with

another oil or synthetic materials. In those

cases, say hello to allergies and adverse

reactions or reduced efficacy!

Can you put it directly

on your skin?

“Yes, if you have a sunburn, you can apply

pure lavender oil, or for a minor cut or

scrape, tea tree oil,” says Pacchioni. “But

it’s only good to do it if the area to be

treated is small, and the treatment time

doesn’t last more than a couple of days.”

In fact, certain essential oils can irritate—

or even burn—our epidermis. To avoid any

bad reactions, dilute them in a base oil.

Our favourite base oils are apricot, jojoba,

grape-seed, or sweet almond oil, which

are not strongly scented.

Can you mix essential oils?

As Colas explained, there surely exists a

singular oil that corresponds to your

needs, so why make it more complicated?

“Inform yourself as to which oils are

appropriate, then choose one among

those that appeals to your olfactory

senses,” he suggests. “If there are several

options, pick the one with the

most benefits.”

Can you consume

essential oils?

Be warned! Consuming these oils can be

dangerous, as some of them have halluci-

nogenic properties, while others can

cause serious complications to the liver

or stomach. “Unless you’re an expert,

absolutely avoid swallowing these

products,” says Colas. Using the oils in

the three ways that they are meant to be

administered—diffusion, inhalation or

topically applied—will give you their

maximum benefits.”

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1. CLARINS Relax Bath &
   Shower Concentrate with
   with Essential Oils, $34,
   clarins.ca.


2. KIEHL’S Midnight Recovery
   Concentrate with Lavender
   Essential Oil, $62, kiehls.ca.


3. WELEDA Gentle Cleansing
   Foam with Witch Hazel
   Extract, $20, well.ca.


4. BKIND Citrus Hand Balm
   with Rosemary, Lemon and
   Lime Essential Oils, $16,
   bkindskincare.com.


5. PURESSENTIEL Beautiful
   Skin Organic Essential
   Elixir Face Care Oil, $33,
   amazon.ca.


6. LOTUS AROMA Gel for
   Heavy and Tired Legs with
   Peppermint, Cypress, Lemon
   and Camphor Essential Oils,
   $20, shoppersdrugmart.ca.

ESSENTIAL

OIL-BASED

SKIN CARE

34 | CANADIAN LIVING SEPTEMBER 2019