TLC Products
The source for Spa Products & Cosmetic Chemicals

Home       Products       Contact Us       Ordering   

Essential Oil Benefits

The information contained on this page is intended to provide a review of the healing properties of therapeutic essential oils. While every effort has been made to provide accurate information, you and your licensed health care practitioner must take full responsibility for the use of the information on this page. We and/or the manufacturer cannot be held responsible for any adverse outcome that arises from the use of any of these essential oils in a program of self-care or under the care of a licensed practitioner

Essential Oil & Skin Care
Essential Oils are concentrated derivatives of plants and flowers, of which could cause allergic reactions. Before using essential oil on skin, perform a skin test:
Dilute 2 drops of essential oil to a 1 teaspoon of vegetable, nut or seed oil. Apply solution to neck, inside elbow or inside upper arm. If redness occurs within 8 hours, do not use this particular oil.
Most common oils that can cause allergic reaction or skin irritation are: Angelica Root, Anise Seed, Bay, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Thyme, Wintergreen and Citronella.

 

Bergamot
Botanical Name: Citrus Bergamia
Main uses: Purifying; balancing; calming; relieves anxiety, nervous tension and stress; promotes restful sleep; mood uplifting; refreshing; improves mental clarity and alertness. Cooling; helps reduce cellulite; disinfectant.
Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Avoid direct exposure to sunlight for several hours after applying to the skin. Use small amounts.

Cajeput
Botanical Name: Melaleuca cajuputi, m. leucadendron, m. minor
Main uses: Improves circulation; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages. Relieves aches and pains.

Cedar Wood
 Botanical Name: Cedrus atlantica
 Main uses: Improves mental clarity; promotes dreaming; aids meditation; loosens tight muscles; lessens pain.

Chamomile
Botanical Name: (German) Matricaria chamomilla, M. recutica; (Roman) Anthemis nobilis, Chamaemelum
 Main uses: Calming; promotes restful sleep; mood uplifting; lessens pain, eases menstrual discomfort; soothes, inflammation; healing to the skin. Improves digestion; soothes the intestines; acts as euphoric; soothes insect bites.

Clove Oil:
Main uses: Known for antibacterial and antifungal qualities. Clove oil has been known to relieve headaches and toothaches. Improves digestion, relieves gas, opens sinus and breathing passages. It's been called an "aphrodisiac", mentally stimulating and helps improve memory.
Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Use small amounts.

Eucalyptus
Botanical Name: Eucalyptus globulus
Main uses: Improves circulation; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; energizing; improves mental clarity and alertness; relieves aching and sore muscles; lessens pain; disinfectant; cooling; insect repellant.

Fir Needle
Botanical Name: Silver Fir: Abes alba; Grand Fir: Abies grandis
 Purifying; removes lymphatic deposits; calming; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; improves mental clarity; encourages communication; lessens pain.

Lavender
Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia
 Main uses: Calming; lessens tension; relaxes the muscles; promotes restful sleep; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; purifying; lessens pains; healing to the skin, especially for bruises, cuts, wounds, burns, sunburns, scars, sores, insect bites and injuries. Improves digestion; soothing to the intestines; helps reduce cellulite; gently removes fluid retention; mood uplifting; balances mood swings; disinfectant; repels insects.

Lemon
Botanical Name: Citrus limon
Main uses: Purifying; cleansing to the tissues; reduces cellulite and obesity; calming, relaxing, reduces stress; promotes restful sleep; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; improves mental clarity, alertness and memory; encourages communication.
Precautions: Use small amounts. Avoid direct sunlight for several hours after applying the oil. People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil.

Lemongrass
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citratus
Main uses: Balancing the nervous system; calming; reduces stress; promotes restful sleep; mood uplifting, reviving; improves alertness. Improves digestions; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; reduces inflammation and swollen tissues; tones skin; repels insects.
Precaution: Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Use small amounts.

Marjoram (Sweet & Spanish)
 Botanical name: Majorana hortensis; Thymus mastichina
Main uses: Warming; improves circulation relaxing; calms nervous tension; promotes restful sleep; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; relaxes tense muscles, relieves pain; helps reduce inflammation and spasms; eases menstrual discomfort. Improves digestion; disinfectant.
Precautions: Tends to slow down reflexes. Avoid driving or doing anything that requires full attention after using. Use small amounts.

Orange
Botanical name: Citrus aurantium
Main uses: Purifying; calming; reduces stress; promotes restful sleep; mood uplifting; relieves emotional tension and stress; improves mental clarity and alertness. Cooling; helps reduce cellulite; relieves spasms.

Peppermint
 Botanical name: Mentha piperita
Main uses: Vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; stimulating; improves mental clarity, alertness, memory and ability to concentrate; encourages communication; increases physical strength and endurance; relieves pain and inflammation; eases menstrual discomfort.
Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Use small amounts.

Pine
 Botanical name: Pinus sylvestris
Purifying; removes lymphatic deposits from the body; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; improves mental clarity, alertness and memory. Helps reduce cellulite; stimulates the adrenal glands; promotes vitality; lessens pain, disinfectant.
Precautions: Pine oil has a strong diuretic effect on the kidneys and can also irritate the skin. Use small amounts with care.

Rose Oil
 Botanical name: Rosa centifolia
Purifying; mood uplifting; aphrodisiac; calms emotional shock and grief; balances the female hormonal and reproductive system; regenerates skin cells. Calm; reduces stress; lessens pain and inflammation. 

Rosemary Oil
Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis
A warming oil that improves circulation and digestion.  Removes lymphatic deposits out of the body. Stimulates the nerves and its vapors open sinus and breathing passages. It is "mood-uplifting" to people who tend to have a lower metabolism. Stimulates the ears, adrenal glands, metabolism. Rosemary can be used to relieve aches and pains and as an insect repellant. Caution: Rosemary should not be used by people prone to epileptic seizures. Add Rosemary Oil to a coarse washcloth and scrub cellulite-prone areas. It's a natural diuretic that works with steam and heat to release the body of excess water and toxins. It's a big spa secret treatment!

Spearmint
Botanical name: Metha spicata
Vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; refreshing; reviving; stimulating; aphrodisiac; improves mental clarity; alertness, ability to concentrate and memory; encourages communication; increases physical strength and endurance; relieves pain and inflammation; eases menstrual discomfort. Cooling; improves digestion; increases the appetite; relieves flatulence; freshens the breath and the intestines; repels insects; soothes itching skin. 
Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Use small amounts.

Tea Tree Oil

High-quality tea tree oil contains 40% or more of terpinen-4-ol, the ingredient that fights harmful bacteria and fungi and makes the oil so effective in preventing and fighting infection in cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and stings.

Specifically, tea tree oil may help to:

Treat cuts, scrapes, insect bites and stings, and other minor skin wounds and irritations. Tea tree oil blends rapidly and easily with the skin's own oils. In the process, the oil alters the chemical barrier of the skin, making it less hospitable to the growth of fungi and other organisms. In these ways, tea tree oil not only lessens the chance of infection, it also promotes healing and reduces the likelihood of scarring.

Fight fungal nail infections, jock itch, and athlete's foot. Tea tree oil has been shown to be effective in countering Trichophyton, the fungus that causes numerous topical infections, including athlete's foot and jock itch.

Shorten the course of vaginal yeast infections. Two of the organisms that cause these discomforts, Candida albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis, apparently succumb to the actions of tea tree oil.

Gently control acne. Even severe cases of acne have been shown to benefit from anti-acne preparations that contain up to 15% tea tree oil, an effect that can be explained by the oil's antibacterial and skin-healing properties. In one study conducted in Australia, a comparison was made between a gel containing 5% tea tree oil and a traditional 5% benzoyl peroxide acne lotion. The products proved similar in their effectiveness against pimples, although the herbal preparation worked more slowly. It was notable, however, that the product containing the tea tree oil caused significantly less dryness, redness, scaling, and itching to the surrounding skin.

Treat dandruff and head lice. According to one study, a 5% solution of tea tree oil is effective against Pityrosporum ovale, a fungus that can cause dandruff. In a laboratory analysis of tea-tree chemistry, substances were discovered that can kill head lice. But human research is still needed, especially since the skin of children (a population particularly susceptible to lice) may be overly sensitive to tea tree oil.

 

Thyme
Botanical name: Thymus aestivus
Main uses: Heating; improves circulation; purifying; vapors open sinuses and breathing passages; mood uplifting; stimulating; improves mental clarity and alertness; increases physical strength and energy; relieves pain, inflammation and spasms; disinfectant. Relaxes the nerves; improves digestion; cleanses the intestines; helps eliminate cellulite, waste material and excessive fluids from the body; induces perspiration; repels insects; kills lice.
Precaution: People with dry or sensitive skin may require additional carrier oil when using. Use small amounts. Avoid Thyme if you are prone to epileptic seizures.



Carrier Oils

Almond Oil: For skin and hair care; moisturizing. A good source of Vitamin D. Suitable for all skin types. Especially for dry or irritated skin.

Apricot Kernel Oil: For skin care; moisturizing. Rich in essential fatty acids, Oleic and Linoleic acid. Spreads easily on the skin. Helps regulate moisture and restructure of skin. Nourishing and revitalizing. Good for baby skin, dry and mature skin. 

Avocado Oil: Skin and hair care; moisturizing; purifies the skin. For massage blends, mix about 20% avocado oil with another carrier oil before adding the essential oils. Avocado oil is very nourishing to the skin and contains vitamins A and E and especially large amounts of vitamin D and potassium. The avocado has the highest protein content of any fruit.

Castor Oil: Acts as a humectant by attracting and retaining moisture to the skin. In combination with other vegetable oils, it makes a wonderfully emollient, hard bar of soap. Used in herbalism is compresses for fibrous tissue, the enhance immunity and for liver detox. NOT SULFATED (aka Turkey Red, chemically altered and not appropriate for therapeutic aromatherapy.) Appropriate for treating eczema and dry skin. Use 10% in combination with other carrier oils.

Grapeseed Oil: For skin and hair care. Contains Vitamin E and Steroids. Emollient and moisturizing. Recommended for body hygiene cream, lip balm, hand and regenerative products for mature, damaged and stressed skin, notably around eyes.

Jojoba Oil: For skin and hair care. Moisturizer. Helps to reduce stretch marks. Can be used as a suntan oil for those who tend to burn easily. For massage blends, it is best to mix approximately 50% Jojoba Oil with another carrier oil. For Skin & hair care uses, Jojoba oil can be applied without being diluted.