Essential oils and skin care - Examiner

There is a lot of buzz in "all natural" circles now about essential oils, their supposed healing properties and beauty applications.

What is an Essential oil? An essential oil is a concentrated volatile oil or hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants like herbs and flowers. The term "essential" simply comes from the "essence" of the plant.
 
Although skin is slightly permeable, it is not a digestive organ that readily absorbs oils or nutrients. In fact, the skin is equipped with several barriers to keep foreign matter--even water molecules out--based upon molecule size and solubility. It is debatable whether or not most essential oil ingredients can penetrate past the skin's natural protective barriers. Most foreign substances that do manage to make it past the skin's top layers and past the moisture barrier are disposed of as waste.

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Also see: Why "All-Natural Organic" Ingredients Are NOT Better for Your Skin