Top Essential Oils to Buy for Eczema & Dry Skin
By Brooke Cade (see bio below)
Eczema is a chronic skin condition that affects over 30 million Americans. Common as it may be, eczema is still an uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating condition that can compromise your quality of living.
To treat eczema, more and more people are turning away from conventional medicine to home remedies like essential oils as they search for a more holistic and “big picture” remedy to their skin condition. The anti-inflammatory and stress-reducing properties of essential oils can help to promote healing and lasting change to improve your eczema for good.
In this article, learn more about the causes of eczema, who’s at risk to develop it, as well as the best essential oils for eczema.
What Causes Eczema?
The exact cause of eczema is unknown, and different people can have different triggers. However, the Mayo Clinic has listed the following factors that are likely causes of eczema:
- Dry, irritable skin
- Genetic conditions
- Immune system dysfunction
- Bacteria, particularly staphylococcus aureus
- Environmental factors
Another characteristic of eczema is that it can manifest itself differently in different people. For example, your child may develop red, blotchy weeping eczema on his/her cheeks that they don’t seem to mind, while someone else may have dry, scaly eczema with a significant itch.
Essential Oils For Eczema
Essential oils used as a topical eczema treatments can be very effective. Be sure to consult with your doctor before trying any new treatments, and consider adapting your diet and lifestyle to address all factors that could contribute to your eczema.
Lavender Oil
Using lavender oil for eczema is very common, as lavender oil is a traditional treatment for many skin conditions. It’s derived from lavender flowers and contains linalool and linalyl aldehyde, which are known for their anti-inflammatory agents and pain reducers. It can also help to relieve the itchiness associated with eczema.
To use lavender oil to treat eczema, you can make your own homemade eczema cream with ingredients like raw shea butter and coconut oil. You can also apply lavender oil undiluted directly to your skin (just a drop or two will be fine) a few times a day until your eczema goes away. This is not recommended for children. Always dilute essential oils when applying to children’s skin.
A cream like Emily’s Itchy Eczema Baby & Adults Skin Soother or Grass Fed Tallow Balm that contain lavender oil can also help soothe and repair skin.
Sandalwood Oil
Sandalwood oil can be an effective oil for treating eczema. It is moisturizing and soothing, with anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties. Many people also use sandalwood oil for stress relief, adding a few drops to a hot bath to promote relaxation.
Sandalwood oil isn’t recommended for pregnant women. Before using sandalwood oil, test a small portion in your skin to see if you have a reaction.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil is also commonly used as an essential oil for eczema for its regenerative properties to help heal broken skin and reduce inflammation and swelling associated with various skin conditions. It is also known as a powerful antiseptic that can help prevent infection in especially sore skin that has been vigorously itched. Tea tree oil isn’t recommended for children 6 years old and younger.
Manuka oil is very similar, but while tea tree can be toxic when taken orally in large doses, manuka is not. It may be worthwhile to try Manuka oil in a skin cream such as Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream.
Great Essential Oil Bases for Eczema Treatment
One great way to benefit from essential oils is to mix it with a base oil. This creates a calming lotion that can have added benefits.
As a base for these oils, many people prefer various vegetable oils for their moisturizing properties. Using coconut oil for eczema is especially recommended for its rich, highly moisturizing properties as well as its antibacterial properties. Another great option is to add your essential oils to an oil blended with healing calendula flowers, like this Organic Calendula Oil with a base of olive oil.
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Read more: Why You Should Try Calendula For Eczema Relief
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Before using essential oils, test a small amount on your skin to ensure you aren’t allergic or susceptible to any adverse reactions and, as always, talk to your doctor about your condition and treatment methods before attempting them.
Bio: Brooke Cade is passionate about health and wellness. She enjoys writing about all the things she loves in life, including yoga, hydrotherapy, Nature’s Sunshine products, and anything related to living life to its fullest.
FROM: Contributors, Eczema
You have to be real careful if your eczema is being caused by type Iv contact allergy that causes allergic contact dermatitis( eczema). I have skin allergies to chemicals but also to many natural things like some essential oils.
People don’t think you can be allergic natural things, but you can. Example is poison ivy, which is a type IV contact skin allergy.
Fully agree. I hope readers don’t overlook that last sentence about testing on a small patch of skin first.
Great article! Essential oils have a big role in the treatment of Eczema. The natural way is best for Eczema because it will not make any side effects. You can try Ayurveda also, it treats Eczema in a natural way giving complete cure without any after effect.
Not happy with treatment by doctors since last march 5, 2017 to date (8 months) so I am treating myself with essential oils.
This is a detailed piece of work you got here.I love every bit of it.Good job.
I have a friend who is pregnant and has severe eczema can’t you use oil’s while being pregnant?
Hi Leann – I believe it depends on the strength of the essential oils and how much they were diluted in a carrier oil as well as which type of essential oils you are using. I’d recommend meeting with an aromatherapist or contacting the maker of the brand of essential oils you plan to use to get their feedback.
Essentisl oils to AVOID while pregnant:
• Aniseed • Basil • Birch • Camphor • Clary Sage • Hyssop • Mogwort • Oak Moss • Parley Seed or Leaf • Penny royal Peppermint • Rosemary • Sage • Tansy • Tarragon • Thuja Thyme • Wintergreen • Wormwood
Also remember a carrier oil (like sweet almond oil or something like rice brand oil if the person has a nut allergy) needs to be used when applying essential oils directly to skin
You said to apply a drop of lavender oil directly onto skin. Do you mean on the patches of eczema, or just any place on the body?
Yes, you can try on your eczema patches. But apply it to a very small area first to make sure it doesn’t trigger a reaction – it’s best to do this with any new product on your skin. Personally, I like to dilute the oil at least a little bit. Maybe a tsp of olive oil or another carrier oil with 2 drops of lavender perhaps.
I suffered from TSA so I turned to all natural remedies to heal and keep my eczema at bay. Using essential oils has really helped me deal with flare ups-lavender,frankincense, German chamomile, tea tree, Manuka oil and helichrysum have all been in my calendula oil base and they really support my skin and promote healing. Sometimes it’s trial and error to see what works for you and using quality pure oils is key but I love the natural approach!!! Great article!!
Of these essential oils, what would be the best to try on a 2 year old, and what would be the best carrier oil to try ( we think she is allergic to coconut oil).
Olive oil, avocado or sunflower oil are good options for a carrier oil. Tea tree and lavender are very good to try. I recommend speaking with an essential oils professional to make sure to dilute the essential oils to the correct amount for a child of that age.
Thank you, how would I find an essential oil professional?
Hi there – You can ask around your community and friends and family. Also, visit your natural health food store – many times they have a bulletin board with practitioners and you may find one there.
I have a very old eczema problem – around 35 years in fact! I stupidly used steroid cream from the doc a few times which only makes the problem worse. However now on right track with a nutritionist which has made me a lot healthier but the eczema is persistent and has migrated in the last few years to my ears, including right inside and makes sleeping etc very difficult. Any suggestions for the best mix of essential oils to use? It is sometimes very inflamed as I scratch in my sleep!
Hi Stella – What does your eczema look and feel like?
Great read! The natural way is always the best. Thanks
Can I safely combine any of these oils for a face moisturizer? I have Lavender, tea tree, sandalwood, manuka, clove, and fennel oil.
I’ve had eczema for years arounf my top eyelids and cortisone cream would help the problem. I wasn’t aware the you shouldnt put it on your face oops.
I think my eczema has spread to my cheeks, it’s not very flaky but it is red, dry, and very itchy. I’m not sure what to do.
Hi Danielle – I’m really not sure about that combination for your face. Do you know any natural practitioners in your area you can ask? Do you have a dermatologist you can see to get your cheeks properly diagnosed? It’s possible it could be rosacea instead. It’s hard to say – best to see a dermatologist. As far as what’s safe to put on the face, have you seen these natural products for facial eczema?
How about using castor oil as a carrier?
Sure! But it’s super thick and can be drying for some people. If you use Castor, it’s best to mix it with another carrier oil.
Lavender is the clear winner when it comes to skincare I think everyone should have this little bottle in their home.
This is a great post! My daughter has eczema so this would really help her
hi, my son was born with eczema, I also had to accept steroids prescribed by doctors initially. But I must share this now, I have since changed to a mixture of coconut oil (moisturise), few drops tea tree oil (kill bacteria) and turmeric powder(calm the skin). He is seven year old now, and still swear by this. I must say I still keep use the steroid cream prescribed by the doctor years ago when it flares up too much, but that is so rare.