Essential Oils To Boost Collagen Production
An interest in essential oils that boost collagen production has led to the birth of treatments, creams and serums to reduce wrinkles, reverse the effects of sun damage, tighten skin, reduce oxidative stress and fight free radicals. Essential oils have become popular as people look for more natural ways to stay in good health, hold off the effects of aging and look their best.
What are Essential Oils
Vitamins, flavonoids, terpenes and other plant extracts like CBD have been reported to contain antioxidant powers, healing properties and are widely used in the skincare industry. It’s the extracts from plants that are called essential oils. These oils are natural and can help stimulate collagen in the skin, reduce inflammation, act to hold off infection, help prevent acne breakouts and help heal wounds and scars.
In an article by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the use of plant extracts and herbs has its origin in ancient times, the earliest records originating from ancient China and Egypt.
Collagen and Essential Oils
Collagen is an abundant protein in your body that, among other things, builds skin elasticity and smoothness and helps keep it lifted and firm. In addition, collagen appears in most other places in the body including connective tissue, bones, cartilage, eyes, arteries and gut. Collagen makes up 30% of your body’s protein count and is responsible for:
- Maintaining the structure, elasticity, and moisture of your skin.
- Strengthening the fibrous connective tissue of muscles and bones.
- Responsible for the functionality of joint cartilage.
- Represents 90% of bone mass to which calcium and other minerals anchor.
However, in case of collagen degradation, your skin may start to show signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines, and also lose its natural glow. You’ll start to notice saggy, dry and wrinkly skin. Not only that, your hair starts to thin and your nails become more brittle. While the most common factor that causes collagen breakdown is aging, there are various other factors like prolonged sun exposure, damage from free radicals that can contribute to this problem.
Nowadays, skincare products come as collagen-boosting serums, creams and face masks. The majority of these products contain essential oils as key ingredients. Packed with astringent properties and powerful antioxidants, essential oils offer innumerable benefits for your skin.
Anti-Aging Treatments vs. Essential Oils
It’s easy and safe to create a youthful glow on your face with essential oils. More extreme procedures, such as collagen injections, improve appearance more, they are painful and leave you with soreness or adverse effects.
Collagen injections can cause an allergic reaction, discoloration, infection, skin necrosis, and even loss of vision. Although these side effects are rare, they are possible and pose a much greater risk than all-natural essential oils.
The Importance of Collagen
When providing your body with additional nutrient sources like fat or protein, the body simply places collagen in the areas that need it most. Taking collagen supplements is a great way to supply your body with an increase in collagen reserves from which it can draw over time.
For skincare purposes, there’s application and science behind essential oils that encourage receptors within the body to create their own collagen. Following are the best essential oils to stimulate collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and brighten the skin. Consider making any of the following essential oils a part of your beauty regimen
Wrinkles are a natural part of aging but there are ways to change your skin’s biome to an environment that’s more resistant to cell degeneration. Healthy skin needs moisture, regular hydration, nutrients, and consistent collagen production. There are a few essential oils that are particularly good at ensuring your skin remains healthy.
Calendula Essential Oil
Calendula contains a particularly high concentration of healing properties and is often used in salves and ointments. It’s loaded with flavonoids, which make it an ideal way to boost natural collagen production. Flavonoids found in calendula oil help your skin metabolize collagen and improve cell turnover for a more youthful appearance.
Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot seed essential oil is considered preventative skincare. The number of beta carotene antioxidants found in Carrot Seed essential oil is equal to eating several pounds of carrots. In a 2012 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed the antioxidants in carrot seed oil significantly slowed down the breakdown of collagen.
The effects of the sun is one of the biggest contributors to skin damage. Carrot seed essential oil boasts of high concentrations of minerals like flavonoids and carotenoids, along with vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and helps ward off free radicals, cleaning out pores improving your skin’s tone.
All of these beneficial features help to protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays and free radicals, and repair damaged skin. These minerals and nutrients rejuvenate cells stimulating cellular growth.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
This essential oil works as a natural toner. It balances the pH of skin and controls sebum (oil) production. Well balanced sebum production leads to tighter skin. Clary sage essential oil also has antibacterial and antiseptic properties which promote healthy cells.
Evening Primrose Oil
Evening Primrose oil is rich in gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid. This fatty acid maintains skin’s moisture and also keeps the subcutaneous layer in good health. This oil adds elasticity to dry skin, rejuvenating it and making it firmer.
Frankincense Essential Oil
This extraordinary oil helps get rid of wrinkles or slow down their appearance by promoting healthy cellular regeneration and keeping existing cells healthy. With healthy cells, there is effective collagen and elastin production that keep the skin firm and healthy. Frankincense oil also improves skin’s tone and reduces the appearance of scars. It also eliminates sun spots, tightens the skin and gets rid of fine lines.
Frankincense oil has another important property–it is astringent. This means that it protects your skin cells from infections or diseases. It heals acne and reduces large pores while minimizing the appearance and formation of wrinkles.
Geranium Essential Oil
The first essential oil that possesses the ability to enhance cellular activity and boost collagen production is geranium. The powerful antioxidants present in it can safeguard your skin from damaging free radicals and keep premature signs of aging at bay.
Geranium essential oil has a lovely soft, floral scent, is a natural astringent which causes constriction (shrinking) of skin pores and promotes circulation reducing skin inflammation.
A National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2017 paper states geranium is naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic which means it may reduce breakouts, skin irritation, and skin infections when applied topically.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is well-known for its antioxidant properties which are effective in protecting the skin from free radicals. It has a class of flavonoids called proanthocyanidins, which bind to collagen and repair skin cells damaged by free radicals. It is also rich in vitamin E, another natural antioxidant. This oil works best for the skin around the eyes.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is an ingredient in most beauty products. Though it works just fine when added to lotions and creams, the benefits of jojoba oil increase when used on its own. It is rich in vitamin E, B vitamins, iodine, zinc, copper, chromium, and silicone which help restore moisture to the skin.
Jojoba oil works just like sebum, the oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands that keep skin moisturized and hydrated. As we age, sebum production declines. Applying jojoba oil helps skin regain a soft and supple look. The beautiful thing about jojoba oil is that it works on oily and dry skin. Because it is non-comedogenic, it will not clog pores.
Jojoba oil has healing properties, and will cure skin lesions and inflammations. It shortens the healing process by boosting collagen production without causing any adverse effects. The presence of iodine in Jojoba oil acts as an antibacterial that prevents acne-forming bacteria and prevents the infection of sores.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is grown in northern Africa and the Mediterranean mountains and is widely used in skin and beauty products. This oil is well known for its moisturizing properties. It penetrates into the deep layers of the skin promoting healing from the inside out. This deep penetration also helps to promote healthy regeneration of cells because it encourages cellular function.
Lavender oil has antioxidant properties that fight off free radicals. Free radicals are cellular toxins that compromise the immune system and speed up the breakdown of collagen. The antioxidants in lavender oil detoxify cells keeping the skin healthy. The three critical antioxidants in lavender: glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase play the role of fighting and neutralizing free radicals that speed up the aging process. It’s known to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help heal wounds.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon is favored in skincare because of its natural fresh scent but it’s also an ideal way to keep bacteria and tiny viruses from destroying your skin’s collagen boosters.
Even in traditional, mass produced, chemical based skincare lines, a lot of bacteria is missed in the cleansing process. Lemon essential oil has been shown to be an antibacterial agent, especially in wound healing and acne breakouts. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and may brighten and protect skin tone. Lemons are a magnificent addition to any home as they have such a broad variety of uses, read our post on the gift of lemon for in–depth details.
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass essential oil acts as a skin protectant and combats the damage that free radicals cause when breaking down collagen in your skin. This essential oil is easily absorbed through the skin, boosting the production of collagen, and providing moisture and hydration.
Myrrh Essential Oil
Myrrh oil has antioxidant properties that help repair cells damaged by oxidation. Antioxidants prevent further breakdown of collagen and promote the formation of new collagen. This oil also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Neroli Essential Oil
Orange blossom essential oil, is it an effective solution against aging and wrinkles. Orange blossom essential oil is known as neroli. Neroli oil works by keeping the skin moisturized and elastic, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and scars. It’s also rich in Vitamin C, which repairs the skin and keeps it bright. Vitamin C is a precursor in the collagen production process, and its presence in neroli means that this oil prevents wrinkle formation by boosting production of collagen.
Pomegranate Seed Essential Oil
Pomegranates are what’s known as a superfood. Pomegranates are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Pomegranate seed oil can kill cancer cells and reduce inflammation. Aside from this important role, it is also an effective anti-aging component. Its essential oil contains enough nutrient density to be applied directly as a powerful anti-aging serum. The red color of the fruit is the result of bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids have antioxidant properties, and defy aging by preventing the breakdown of collagen and cell membranes. Pomegranate seed oil is also rich in a natural SPF, minimizing the appearance of sunspots and other signs of sun damage.
Rose Essential Oil
Rose essential oil was used in ancient Egypt and considered liquid gold by Cleopatra herself. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant and locks in moisture to stimulate collagen and prevent fine lines or wrinkles. This essential oil helps create a perfect skin environment to promote healthy skin. It is an ancient beauty elixir and it still works wonders.
Popular for its refreshing fragrance, rose essential oil is also replete with astringent properties that can stimulate elastin production and help your skin become firm.
Rosehip Seed Oil
This essential oil not only stimulates collagen production in the skin, but it can reduce the appearance of scarring, discoloration, inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, acne and age spots.
It has high concentration of essential fatty acids and beta carotenes, which keep skin firm and supple. This oil is also rich in antioxidants, like vitamins A and C that prevent collagen breakdown and cellular oxidation. It moisturizes skin, heals broken capillaries, and reduces inflammation or reddening. It also reduces scarring and tones the skin.
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Another remarkable essential oil that can promote collagen production and help your skin attain a youthful glow is sandalwood essential oil. This oil helps prevent the formation of wrinkles intrinsically and extrinsically. The nutrients in this essential oil possess the ability to encourage regeneration of skin cells and fight off various signs of aging. Sandalwood essential oil works as a moisturizer, promoting the formation of new cells and reducing inflammation.
Sandalwood essential oil is rich in sesquiterpene compounds that increase blood circulation keeping cells healthy and giving skin a smooth and supple look. Sesquiterpenes stimulate the pituitary glands and the hypothalamus to produce human growth hormone (HGH) whose production drops with age. The production of human growth hormone enhances cellular function increasing skin’s thickness and elasticity. Thicker skin is naturally supple and firm.
Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang is another essential oil that offers a pleasant scent and is used in natural perfumes. A few years ago a study revealed that it also possesses antioxidants that can keep skin looking youthful and help collagen promote cell turnover. This means the skin is able to repair itself faster and more frequently.
How To Use Essential Oils for Wrinkles
Consult with a medical professional if you plan to use essential oils. Especially if you are taking any prescribed medications. Essential oils are not recommended to eat or drink.
Caution: never apply essential oils to your skin without first diluting in appropriate ratios with a carrier oil.
First, you must get a carrier oil for these essential oils. Some of these carriers include argan, coconut, olive, grapeseed, apricot kernel, avocado, sweet almond, rosehip seed, and jojoba. These carrier oils on their own can also enhance cellular regeneration preventing the formation of wrinkles. The best way to use any of these essential oils is through topical application and massaging into the skin.
Remember these before using essential oils:
- Dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil.
- Perform a 24–hour skin patch test.
- Use in small amounts because these oils are highly concentrated.
- Take care to avoid mucous membranes and protect your eyes when applying to skin around the eyes.
Never use essential oils in a humidifier, CPAP machine, or any other breathing device.
Oils to Avoid in Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant should use essential oils with caution. There are some oils they should steer clear of altogether, according to the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IPFA) these are: acorus calamus, ajwain, allspice, amyris, anise (aniseed), angelica, apricot kernel, asafoetida, babchi, bergamot, cinnamon, clove, cumin, fennel, hyssop, oregano, Peru balsam, thyme, sage, star anise, sweet birch and wintergreen.
Other Ways to Prevent Wrinkles
Avoid Sun Damage
Even though the sun is a great source of vitamin D, too much sun can cause damage to the skin. UV rays from the sun increase the formation of free radicals which damage proteins and DNA. You should wear protective sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, and cover-up clothes when out in the sun.
Quit Smoking/Vaping
Smoking speeds up aging by causing inflammation which generates more free radicals that damage the whole of the skin.
Cut Down on Sugars of All Types
Sugar binds to collagen through glycation rendering it useless and enhancing inflammation which causes oxidative damage from free radicals.
Use the Right Skin Care Products
Products with vitamin A retinoids, vitamin C, and peptides. These ingredients encourage collagen production and cellular regeneration.
Be Gentle on Your Skin
Harsh cleansers, over-exfoliating, squeezing the skin and using the wrong products will make your skin susceptible to inflammation.
Consider Using Skin-Friendly Oils
These include argan, babassu, and coconut. Coconut oil moisturizes the skin while argan oil is rich in omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids that keep the skin firm and soft.
Sources:
7 Best Essential Oils to Stimulate Collagen | TBOSC
https://thebestorganicskincare.com/best-essential-oils-to-stimulate-collagen/
DECEMBER 19, 2019 by ANDREA
5 Essential Oils That Can Boost Collagen Production In Your Skin
https://www.boldsky.com/beauty/2018/5-essential-oils-that-can-boost-collagen-production-in-your-skin-122800.html
By Somya Ojhaon May 30, 2018
Health Watch List
13 Best Essential Oils For Wrinkles (Skin Tightening Oils)
https://healthwatchlist.com/essential-oils-wrinkles/
Woman and Wellness
6 Best Essential Oils To Boost Collagen For Glowing Skin
https://womanandwellness.com/6-best-essential-oils-to-boost-collagen-for-glowing-skin/