When a brand-new pulsating pimple stops your morning routine in its tracks, you might be tempted to drop everything and hit the pharmacy for the quickest fix. But if you have an essential oil tool kit, you can create an all-natural fix right at home. The same products you use to ease your anxiety and help you sleep (or wake up) could also help soothe your irritated skin.
“Geranium oil is wonderful to help soothe acne blemishes when they’re not open—when they’re growing or they’re healing.”
For fighting acne, tea tree oil is key—but there’s a catch. Amy Galper, a certified aromatherapist at the New York Institute of Aromatherapy, says that while tee tree oil is “really powerful, anti-microbial, and has a lot of skin-balancing and wound-healing properties,” it can dry out the skin. That’s why her spot treatment also includes equal parts geranium and palmarosa oils.
“Geranium oil is wonderful to help soothe acne blemishes when they’re not open—when they’re growing or they’re healing,” Galper says. As for the palmarosa oil, it’s anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and promotes healing. An equal-parts combination of the three oils is ideal since “the palmarosa and the geranium together lessen the drying effect of the tea tree.”
To make sure you’re not inadvertently making your blemish worse, Galper says to not touch your face. Instead, apply your spot treatment onto a cotton swab, lightly apply it to your blemish, and watch that zit go from angry to the most relaxed.
Here’s what you need to DIY your own spot treatment.
Create your own spot treatment
Way of Will Tea Tree Essential Oil $18
Edens Garden Palmarosa Essential Oil $8
Vitruvi Geranium Essential Oil $15
Can’t get enough essential oils? Fill up a chic diffuser with Miranda Kerr’s favorites.
Sign up for the Well+Good SHOP Newsletter
Get exclusive deals on wellness, beauty, fitness, and food products that have been hand-picked by our editors.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
