Essential Oils for Rosacea | Gentle Skin Care, Research & Safety
Essential oils for rosacea are sometimes explored as part of a gentle botanical skin-care routine for redness-prone, sensitive skin. Chamomile, tea tree, sandalwood, and frankincense contain naturally occurring compounds that have been studied for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, or skin-related properties.
However, rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, and essential oils have not been established as treatments for rosacea. Rosacea-prone skin is often extremely sensitive, and even natural botanical ingredients can trigger irritation in some people.
For this reason, the goal should not be to apply numerous essential oils to rosacea. A better approach is to understand the research, choose gentle skin care, avoid known triggers, and use botanical ingredients cautiously if your skin tolerates them.
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that most often affects the central face, particularly the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Symptoms can include persistent redness, flushing, visible blood vessels, bumps or pimples, burning, stinging, and skin sensitivity.
Rosacea can affect people of any skin tone. Although it is often more visible and historically more frequently diagnosed in people with lighter skin, it can occur in all skin tones.
Rosacea is also not simply “adult acne.” Acne and rosacea are separate conditions and require different approaches to skin care and treatment.
Can Essential Oils Help Rosacea?
Research on essential oils for rosacea is limited.
Many essential oils and their individual constituents have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, or skin-related activity in laboratory and preclinical research. This provides interesting scientific background, but it does not establish that applying those oils to the face will improve rosacea.
This distinction is especially important with rosacea because the skin barrier can be sensitive and reactive. An ingredient with promising laboratory properties can still cause irritation or allergic contact dermatitis when applied to human skin.
If you choose to experiment with essential oils, use very low concentrations, patch test first, and discontinue use if redness, burning, itching, or flushing increases.
Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile Essential Oil is one of the more logical botanical oils to consider for sensitive-skin care.
German chamomile contains naturally occurring compounds including chamazulene and bisabolol-related constituents, which have been investigated for inflammatory and skin-related biological activity.
Chamomile and its constituents have a long history of use in preparations intended for sensitive or uncomfortable-feeling skin. However, there is insufficient clinical evidence to conclude that chamomile essential oil treats rosacea.
People with allergies to plants in the Asteraceae family should use chamomile cautiously.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea Tree Essential Oil is naturally rich in terpinen-4-ol and has been extensively studied for antimicrobial and inflammatory-pathway activity.
Tea tree is particularly interesting in rosacea research because Demodex mites have been associated with some forms of rosacea, and tea tree-derived compounds have demonstrated activity against Demodex in research settings.
However, concentrated tea tree essential oil can irritate facial skin. Evidence involving Demodex, terpinen-4-ol preparations, or specific clinical formulations does not establish that ordinary tea tree essential oil treats rosacea.
Do not apply undiluted tea tree oil directly to rosacea-prone skin.
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood Essential Oil contains naturally occurring alpha- and beta-santalol, depending on species and composition.
Sandalwood and its constituents have been investigated for anti-inflammatory and skin-related biological activities. Topical sandalwood preparations have also attracted dermatological research interest.
This research supports continued investigation but does not establish sandalwood essential oil as a rosacea treatment.
Sandalwood’s soft woody aroma makes it a popular ingredient in botanical skin-care preparations when appropriately diluted.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense Essential Oil has a warm, resinous aroma and is widely used in botanical skin care.
Frankincense also requires an important research distinction. Studies involving Boswellia extracts or boswellic acids are frequently associated with frankincense.
Boswellic acids are nonvolatile constituents of frankincense resin and are not significant components of steam-distilled frankincense essential oil. Research involving boswellic acids therefore should not be presented as proof that frankincense essential oil reduces rosacea inflammation.
Frankincense essential oil can be incorporated into appropriately diluted botanical skin care if it is well tolerated.
Carrier Oils for Rosacea-Prone Skin
If essential oils are used topically, they should be appropriately diluted in a carrier oil.
For rosacea-prone skin, simplicity matters. Using several essential oils at once makes it more difficult to determine which ingredient is responsible if irritation occurs.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba Oil is technically a liquid wax and is commonly used in facial skin-care preparations because of its lightweight texture.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet Almond Carrier Oil is a richer emollient oil frequently used for dry skin and massage.
People with nut allergies should discuss appropriate product selection with a healthcare professional.
Fractionated Coconut Oil
Fractionated Coconut Oil provides a lightweight carrier for diluting essential oils and leaves less of a heavy or greasy feel than many traditional oils.
Carrier oils can provide emollient skin care, but they do not treat the underlying inflammatory processes responsible for rosacea.
How to Use Essential Oils on Rosacea-Prone Skin
Rosacea-prone facial skin requires more caution than normal body skin.
If you choose to use an essential oil:
- Dilute it well. Avoid using undiluted essential oils on the face.
- Start with one oil rather than a complex mixture.
- Perform a patch test before applying it to a larger area.
- Avoid the eye area and damaged or severely irritated skin.
- Stop immediately if you experience burning, increased redness, itching, swelling, or increased flushing.
- Don’t assume that tingling or burning means a product is “working.” On rosacea-prone skin, it may be a sign of irritation.
If your dermatologist has prescribed a topical medication, ask about combining additional botanical products with your existing skin-care regimen.
Helpful Skin-Care Tips for Rosacea
Gentle skin care and identifying personal triggers are generally more important than finding a particular essential oil.
Protect your skin from the sun. Sun exposure is one of the most common rosacea triggers. Use an appropriate broad-spectrum sunscreen and other sun-protection measures.
Wash gently. Avoid scrubbing, facial brushes, rough washcloths, and abrasive exfoliants. Use your fingertips and gently pat your skin dry.
Choose products carefully. Fragrance, alcohol, astringents, exfoliating acids, and other irritating ingredients can aggravate some people’s rosacea.
Moisturize regularly. A gentle moisturizer can help support the skin barrier and reduce dryness and irritation.
Learn your personal triggers. Heat, sunlight, spicy foods, hot beverages, alcohol, stress, and temperature extremes are common triggers, but everyone’s pattern is different.
Rather than avoiding everything associated with rosacea, keeping track of your own reactions can help identify what actually triggers your flushing.
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Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. BioSource Naturals products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent rosacea or any other disease or medical condition.
Research involving individual essential oils, isolated botanical constituents, laboratory studies, or experimental formulations does not establish that BioSource Naturals finished products produce the same effects. People with rosacea or highly sensitive skin should consult a dermatologist regarding appropriate skin-care products and treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Essential Oils for Rosacea
What are the best essential oils for rosacea?
There isn’t enough clinical evidence to identify a “best” essential oil for rosacea.
Chamomile, tea tree, sandalwood, and frankincense are among the botanical oils discussed because they or their constituents have interesting skin-related research. However, rosacea-prone skin can also react negatively to essential oils.
A simple, gentle skin-care routine may be preferable for highly reactive skin.
Does tea tree oil help rosacea?
Tea tree oil and its constituent terpinen-4-ol have attracted interest partly because of their activity against Demodex mites, which have been associated with rosacea.
That does not mean undiluted tea tree essential oil is an appropriate rosacea treatment. Tea tree oil can cause irritation and allergic contact dermatitis.
Is frankincense good for rosacea?
Frankincense essential oil is popular in botanical skin care, but there isn’t strong clinical evidence demonstrating that it improves rosacea.
Research involving boswellic acids should not be used as evidence for frankincense essential oil because boswellic acids are associated with the resin and extracts rather than the volatile essential oil.
Can essential oils make rosacea worse?
Yes. Essential oils are concentrated aromatic substances, and rosacea-prone skin is often highly sensitive. Some people may experience increased redness, burning, itching, dermatitis, or flushing.
Stop using any product that appears to worsen your symptoms.
Should essential oils be applied directly to rosacea?
Do not apply undiluted essential oils directly to rosacea-prone facial skin.
If you choose to use essential oils, use a very conservative dilution, patch test first, and consider discussing topical products with your dermatologist.
What natural skin care is best for rosacea?
“Natural” does not necessarily mean gentler.
For many people with rosacea, a good skin-care routine is surprisingly simple: gentle cleansing, moisturizing, daily sun protection, avoidance of known personal triggers, and medical treatment when necessary.
Botanical oils can be incorporated when well tolerated, but they aren’t required for effective rosacea skin care.
When to See a Dermatologist
Rosacea is treatable, and modern treatment involves considerably more than antibiotics.
Depending on the type and severity of rosacea, dermatologists may recommend topical medications, oral medications, laser or light therapies, and individualized skin-care strategies.
Professional evaluation is particularly important if symptoms are worsening, persistent, painful, affecting your eyes, or causing significant skin thickening.
Eye irritation, redness, dryness, light sensitivity, swollen eyelids, or vision changes can occur with ocular rosacea and should be evaluated appropriately.
Disclaimer
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. BioSource Naturals products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Products are intended for aromatherapy and general wellness support only. Consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding medical symptoms, diagnosis, or treatment.
References
- Two AM, Wu W, Gallo RL, Hata TR. Rosacea: part I. Introduction, categorization, histology, pathogenesis, and risk factors. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2015;72(5):749–758. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.08.028.
- Two AM, Wu W, Gallo RL, Hata TR. Rosacea: part II. Topical and systemic therapies in the treatment of rosacea. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2015;72(5):761–770. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.08.027.
- Forton FMN. Papulopustular rosacea, skin immunity and Demodex: pityriasis folliculorum as a missing link. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2012;26(1):19–28.
- Carson CF, Hammer KA, Riley TV. Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2006;19(1):50–62. doi:10.1128/CMR.19.1.50-62.2006.
- National Rosacea Society. Rosacea Triggers and Skin Care.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Rosacea: Diagnosis and Treatment.
- American Academy of Dermatology. 7 Rosacea Skin Care Tips Dermatologists Recommend.