You Might Be Making These Essential Oil Mistakes

Summer has finally arrived, which means it's time to put away those heavy moisturizers and replace them with essential oils for your skin. In case you are not yet aware of the cosmetic oil trend, its everywhere: Suki Waterhouse swears by coconut oil, Lupita Nyong'o loves Hawaiian Kukui Nut oil, and Miranda Kerr can't live without her rosehip oils. But before you run out to the drug store to steal your celeb idol's beauty oil secret, it's extremely important to pick out the right oils that work best for you and the scorching summer temperatures.

If you start using oils on both your face and body without doing your research, it can turn into a messy situation. Using the wrong oil on your skin can leave with you with a face full of pimples and your body feeling like a greasy mess.

Don't get me wrong, using cosmetic oils can be life-changing for your beauty routine, but before you shop for these must have beauty elixirs, make sure you educate yourself. And whatever you do, do not fall for these 5 common essential oil mistakes.

1. You don't realize that cosmetic oils can be medicinal

While natural oils can serve as the most pure perfume and can give your skin a natural and healthy glow, cosmetic oils can actually work as medicine by healing scars and even elevating your mood. For example, using pure lavender oil before bedtime can actually help you relax. WebMD states that lavender can have sedative effects on the body and can even aid in insomnia, nervousness, and depression. Another example of a medicinal oil is peppermint. Pure peppermint can actually aid in digestion. In other words, don't just pick out an oil because you like the scent. Do you research because these oils are powerful and can aid in your body's weaknesses. For more information about how oils can benefit you, check out this chart which displays the pros to using these popular scents.

2. You rub them everywhere without doing your research first

Using essential oils for its beauty based benefits is actually an ancient art. To get the full benefits of oils, make sure you do your research on how to put them on. Each oil is supposed to be used differently as each one is incredibly unique and has individualized benefits. There are four main places of application for essential oils: your feet, ears, fingers, and any acupuncture point that may help to ease your most common issues (headache, acne, depression, etc.). For the full "how to" guide on wearing essential oils, check out Young Living World.

3. You don't realize that they can be used in several different ways

Most people use essential oils topically on their skin, face, and body. However, you can also use roll-on oils, bath oils, and spa diffusers. Including essential oils into your beauty routine basically gives you an instant at-home spa.

4. You don't invest in high-quality oils

When it comes to using essential oils, quality matters. While you may be able to skimp on quality when it comes to other beauty products, essential oils need to be used when they are 100% pure if you want to take in the health benefits. When you purchase oils at a drug store, they contain parabens, which are chemicals that are intended to preserve the oil. However, they are also contain cancer-causing chemicals.

5. You avoid oils because your skin is oily

If you have oily skin, the thought of purposely putting oil on your face is terrifying. But your skin will actually produce less oil if it is already nourished. Also, if you have acne prone skin, oils can do wonders for your complexion. Lavender oil is known to serve as a spot treatment, sea buckthorn oil can help to prevent acne, witch hazel oil and rose oil can help to even out your skintone, and coconut oil can help to heal any open wounds. The key here is to not overuse the product and to use it sparingly.

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