At first thought you'd think, WHAT?! Essential oils on oily skin? THIS chick is crazy!

But alas, I'm only a little loco once a month. 😊 That being said, using essential oils in conjunction with steam is a wonderful option for those of us with irritatingly sebaceous faces. The steam opens pores and encourages the skin to get rid of any deeply embedded gunk and toxins.

Next, enter the oil. There's a variety of essential oils that are beneficial for oily skin; including lavender, juniper, myrtle, and bergamot. My personal faves are a combination of lavender, juniper, and tea tree or lavender and tea tree only. Either combination smells delightful but the main point behind adding the oil is to reduce the amount of oil your skin produces. Essential oil on oily skin also aims to balance the skin out.

Ok, so if you're anything like me, where there's a will there's a way. Saving a few bucks is important these days so I quickly found that a large glass bowl, some hot water (not boiling, just enough to steam), and 1oz bottles of oil is just as effective as a personal facial sauna.

Here's what I do:

• Cleanse with a mild face cleanser -- Lemongrass Goat Milk Soap
• Get a large glass bowl and fill it with really hot water.
• Add 5 to 10 drops of Sweet Almond oil to the water. 
• Get a large hand towel or bath towel, cover my head with it, and hover over the bowl with my eyes closed.
• 5 minutes later, sit up, then I spritz with a mild toner, and let my face air dry before using a pea-sized amount of goat milk lotion.
• ​All done!

My point in all this is to keep a clean face, reduce the oil, and fight off pre-mature aging ....at the same time. Hard cleansers tend to do me more harm than good, so the hope is that sharing a kinder, gentler method will help others too!

Oh and did I mention how relaxing it can be? I sleep soooooo much better, so there you go. A dual benefit of facial steaming. Just be mindful to not get to close to the water so you don't get burned and your eyes and nose don't get irritated.

Ok, so there are basically two types of oil diffusers I want to touch on.  There's ultrasonic and nebulizing; depending on what you want to do will determine which diffuser you'll want to purchase.  I took a visit to my local Earth Fare to check out what they have to offer.  By far, the majority offered were ultrasonic....personally, I think it was a cost thing.  So let's get right into the similarities and differences.

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I'm so excited by the increase in attention to diffusing oils as a means of home fragrance!  I love essential oils and how beneficial they are to our overall health.  I, too, use a diffuser. So I feel it's only right to  share some thoughts on diffusers and essential oil.  After that, I'll share my favorite recipes.

Ok, so I've ALWAYS loved Rosemary.  It has this pleasantly distinct smell and is perfect for a potted plant at my front door.  I use it to keep mosquitoes away and other bugs in the garden on my deck, but I've recently found it's got wonderful antiseptic and astringent properties.

I'm sorry....I really am.  I don't have a viable recipe for using Rosemary for acne, but rest assured I'm working on it.  For now, I'd say use a Rosemary hydrosol---my husband has experienced great results for the acne he tends to get after a fresh haircut and shave.  His preferred Rosemary hydrosol is from Mountain Rose Herbs.  Check out the links I've included here.  Absolutely LOVE their products!  Give it a go!  Comment below on your personal recipes or regimens!