When people think of aromatherapy, the image of candles burning with a piney fragrance or perfume reminiscent of spring flowers probably comes to mind. Those are some of the most popular uses of aromatherapy.

But there are medicinal or therapeutic uses as well, like personalized aromatherapy skin care. Let's take a look at how essential oils can help refresh and heal your skin.

Essential Oils

Some essential oils can soothe chapped skin on elbows and lips. Others function as astringents or antibacterial agents. So take a moment to consider what sort of aromatherapy skin care you need, and then select the essential oils accordingly.

Chamomile and rose essential oils work well to soften dry skin.

Perhaps your skin is too oily. Diluted tea tree oil could be a good choice. This essential oil is very drying, so it's often used to clear up blemishes. Lavender oil is also a drying agent.

Trying to heal a small scrape or cut? Diluted clove or eucalyptus oil might help, as both have antiseptic properties.

Never apply undiluted essential oils to your skin - you could cause serious skin irritation, just the opposite of what you want to achieve with aromatherapy skin care.

Carrier Oils

The choice of carrier oil is also important to get the maximum benefit from aromatherapy skin care. This is the main component of any aromatherapy product that will be directly applied to the skin.

Jojoba and apricot kernel oils work well as carrier oils for massage lotions or moisturizers. So does cocoa butter.

You can skip choosing and buying carrier oil when making your own aromatherapy skin care lotion by purchasing unscented body lotion at any drugstore. Then all you need to do is add a few drops of essential oil to the bottle.

Hydrosols

For personalized facial aromatherapy skin care, the hydrosols - or flower waters - are popular options for moisturizing toners and lotions.

Hydrosols consist of the water left behind by the distillation of an essential oil from a plant, and can also be combined with a carrier like glycerin to create a particularly rich moisturizer. Rose water plus glycerin, for example, is a good option for facial aromatherapy skin care if you already like using rose oil as a lotion on other parts of your body.

One safety tip to keep in mind: Aromatherapy skin care products can cause allergic reactions just like any other kind of lotion. Apply a small dab of a new product to your skin and wait 24 to 48 hours before using more. Any signs of irritation could indicate an allergy to the ingredients.