Anyone familiar with Aromatherapy will know that a base oil is always needed to dilute the potent essential oils and to make them safe for application on the skin. Many facial concoctions would include vitamin E oil to help with the healing process for reduce fine lines. I personally stopped using vitamin E oil on my facial skin ages ago because I found it irritating. I also found it didn't help prevent or heal acne. Not long ago a very small study was done with the outcome being vitamin E did nothing to heal the skin when applied topically. If this will remain true or not will be seen in the coming years but what is an alternative to oil in Aromatherapy? The answer is Aloe vera gel, which has been shown to rejuvenate and help heal the skin, especially in the case of burns. You can even create your own fresh gel by buying branches of aloe and scraping the clear gel which resides inside the leaf with a knife. Many supermarkets now sell aloe in the exotic fresh produce (vegetable) area of the store. Aloe shows many of its own healing qualities which include sedative, demulcent and antifungalness. It also stops bleeding and heals wounds. These qualities are heightened by the essential oils you choose. When one adds essential oils to the aloe gel, it actually turns into an ointment. The is because the essential oil combine with the gel, (when stired quite quickly), it turns opaque in color. If stored in the refrigerator properly, it will not separate and will keep for months. A concoction using aloe vera gel is perfect for the face, as not only is it gentle but it will not disturb acne conditions and will feel cool on the skin. Being it is very clear and does not have a pronounced scent of its own, you will find it makes for a perfect base for your natural perfume creations as well. Another choice is vitamin C gels which are being sold in many health food stores. They too are made of aloe but impregnated with high dosages of vitamin C to help the skin rejuvenate faster. Either way, aloe can make for a viable alternative to oils for diluting essential oils; for health and for aromatic applications.
-MAM
Either way make sure to always do a patch test before using essential oils. You never know if you are allergic to a particular botanical of brand of essential oils. Due to the essential oils being combined into the aloe, it is wise to get an undiluted product for best
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