When we think about the word ‘rejuvenation’ – especially alongside essential oils - we so often think of it as being just about skin.  It’s the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word.  But, according to dictionary.com, ‘rejuvenation’ means “restoring to a former state; making fresh or new again”. It is defined in the Oxford dictionary online as “the action or process of making someone or something look or feel better, younger, or more vital.” 

So, with this in mind, this month (one of the busiest of the year) we’ll investigate how you can rejuvenate and restore holistic vitality – i.e. the whole picture of your health. We’ll look at oils that support cellular regeneration (preventing wrinkles and infection), oils that can help with degenerative diseases and hormone balancing,and oils that can help you feel more vital in your mind and soul – all with the ultimate aim of helping you live a longer, happier and healthier life.

Best essential oils for rejuvenation

What is great about essential oils is that they can be used together in blends that can rejuvenate your entire body, mind and soul.  First, though, we will look at the individual 'Top 5 rejuvenating oils' for Skin, Body, Mind and Soul. Be sure to read to the end though to see how you can create a tailor-made, versatile blend that restores you back to balance in ALL areas...

Skin

Of course, skin is the best place to begin because it creates a foundation for us to start to understand the oils which have basic ‘rejuvenating’ properties in the way we have come to know.  Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and it deals with a lot – for example, acting as a protective barrier and aiding with detoxification – we owe it more credit than we often give it!  It can suffer, too, with many different challenges – healing, scarring, inflammation, dehydration, sensitivity, and even excess oiliness.  So, sometimes, its health and vitality needs a little support.

Top 5 essential oils for rejuvenating the skin:

1. Frankincense – best oil for mature skin, balancing, healing, and reducing wrinkles and scars
2. Lavender – soothing, nurturing, antiseptic, toning and revitalising for all skin, including oily
3. Carrot Seed – clearing, toning, for tired, ageing, dehydrated and problematic skin
4. Rose – stimulating, toning and balancing for sensitive, dry and inflamed skin and broken capillaries
5. Neroli – regenerative for all skin, helps with elasticity, scarring and stretchmarks. 

These oils can be easily added into your skincare routine by adding 1 drop of your chosen oil into 5ml of any skincare product. You can also get creative and combine them into beautiful blends, which is especially useful if you want to look more holistically at your overall wellbeing. More on this later!

Body

Top 5 essential oils for rejuvenating the body:

1. Tea Tree – this is a great oil for fighting infection – from skin infections, coughs, colds, chest infections, through to cystitis or thrush.
2. Turmeric – excellent for degenerative diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, as well as gout, and the joints in general.
3. Lemon – protects against infection, detoxifies, cleanses and fights physical fatigue.
4. Eucalyptus – a great anti-viral oil, which is particularly useful in winter because it restores vitality after coughs, colds and flu. It’s also a good all-rounder for headaches, muscle and joint pain.
5. Ravensara – a lovely cleansing and rejuvenating oil which supports in fighting infection and illness, as well soothing muscular tension.

These 5 oils have a myriad of physical properties and can support with the body’s vital functions. If you want a totally body-rejuvenating blend try them in massage blends at a ratio of up to 6 drops (total) of your choice of three essential oils mixed in 15ml of carrier oil (e.g. Grapeseed).

Mind

Of course, even if our body and skin are being supported with oils, this means nothing if we are not feeling mentally balanced.  We all know that things like stress can show up in our skin, so we want the totality of our mind, body and soul to be feeling good for us to be able to live in harmony.

Top 5 essential oils for supporting mental-emotional challenges:

1. Chamomile – this oil is restorative in many ways, being calming, soothing and balancing for irritability, anger, anxiety and when feeling overwhelmed.
2. Grapefruit – a beautifully uplifting oil, it supports in times of negativity, and also relieves stress, tension and nervous exhaustion.
3. Peppermint – refreshing and stimulating, this oil aids concentration and helps with mental fatigue.
4. Geranium – uplifting and anti-depressant, this oil is great for sadness and any emotions that come with hormonal disruption.
5. Rosemary – a wonderful oil for mental stimulation, memory and clarity.

Again, you can use any of these oils to create a total ‘mind rejuvenating’ blend. They work particularly well in an aromatherapy diffuser, so combine up to 7 total drops of oil and diffuse for up to half an hour at a time, especially in the morning.

Soul

Some of the other elements are easily understandable – we all know what the mind and body is, but we don’t always resonate with the concept of ‘soul’ – but for me, this section is really about finding those oils that return you to joy; to that deeper knowing within you – your wisdom (whatever you want to define that as). 

Top 5 essential oils for rejuvenating the soul:

1. Myrrh – a popular spiritual oil, it is often used in meditation to help reconnect to wisdom.
2. Ylang Ylang – popular in spiritual applications, this oil helps reconnect to joy and nature’s primal state.
3. Patchouli – said to be very grounding, this essential oil is good for calming mental chatter and reconnecting to the wisdom underneath it.
4. Cedarwood – said to be a transformational oil, cedarwood is known for its spiritual properties.
5. Clary Sage – having a euphoric effect, this oil is beautifully calming and uplifting.  

These five oils certainly help with creating space to reconnect, and would be great in a beautiful, soulful spritz.  Choose your favourite 3 oils and mix up to 30 drops (total) with 100ml of your choice of Hydrolat.

Blending your essential oils for total rejuvenation

So, it’s all very well knowing which oils are best for each individual thing, but it’s unlikely that you only need to restore and rejuvenate one area.  So, let’s explore how you can create a bespoke blend that satisfies all your needs.

The first stage is to figure out what those needs are. Let’s begin by completing the chart below to assess your revitalisation requirements, rating how you feel out of 10 in each area (10 being good).

Now we have a visual representation of where we want to restore our vitality, we can start to sense into the types of rejuvenating essential oils we might want to use.  For example, if our mind is content, but our skin and body could do with a boost, then we might use more essential oils from these categories.  Or, if our body is feeling okay, but we want to feel more soul-fulfilled then we might select more from the soul category.  It’s not an exact science, but it’s a tool that can help you choose the best oils for YOU! Ask yourself where would you like more nourishment and rejuvenation?  Is it in your feelings?  Is it in your body?  Where do you want to feel more ‘vital’?  Where do you want to feel fresh or new again?  

Don’t get too hooked on this, it is simply an awareness tool, but the most important thing is to play with the oils – just begin to notice as you do: which ones do you feel drawn to in the categories where you are feeling most out of balance?  Then it’s as easy as using your wisdom to select a blend that suits you – using the blending guidelines in each section.

Create your blend in a way that nourishes you most – do you want to use essential oils in a diffuser, massage oil, a skin blend - a toner or moisturiser - a spritz?  Only you can choose, and if you follow the ‘essential oil to carrier’ ratios above, choosing any of the oils that feel right for you, you can’t go wrong.   

Finally, before I finish, I want to offer you one more piece of advice – if one area is feeling really out of balance, maybe use your blend and take the time to really tune in.  A great way to explore what’s going on is sometimes to write a letter to one of the areas that feels is lacking vitality, and really explore this, letting whatever is inside flow out.  What would you like to say to that depleted area?  What would it say back?

This process is a great way to really unravel what is going on for you in an area where you feel stuck.  In an area you want to breathe life back into – and that is exactly what ‘rejuvenation’ is all about!  So, get exploring, use your wisdom, and you’ll be feeling as good as new in no time!

Happy blending.

Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist

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