Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that is often mistaken for acne and is in some regards, quite similar to how it looks. However, rosacea is a permanent condition that seldom affects those under 30 (though this is rapidly changing), flares on the cheeks and nose area, and can even be caused by a microscopic mite known as demodex. The affected areas can look red and splotchy with pimple-like lesions.
Acne is caused by internal imbalances that encourage the skin to produce excess sebum. It is this abundant food source that sustains and spreads the acne vulgaris bacteria, in turn causing redness, sluggish cellular turnover, blackheads, whiteheads, and blemishes of varying degrees to develop.
So, while rosacea and acne can LOOK the same, it is there that the similarities end.
In either case, it is distressing to deal with. So how do we treat rosacea naturally and effectively?
Today, I want to go over the best essential oils for rosacea and how to use them!
For a more holistic approach, be sure to check out my more thorough article on how to heal rosacea naturally here.
Essential Oils for Rosacea
Unsurprisingly, the treatment for rosacea when using essential oils is almost the same as that for acne except that the essential oils used are going to be different.
The best essential oils for rosacea include:
• Bergamot (FCF) – helps balance uneven skin tone, dullness, and oiliness
• Cypress – an astringent essential oil that helps reduce redness and inflammation
• Eucalyptus radiata – helps fight minor infections that may be associated with the blemish-type lesions of rosacea
• Geranium – anti-inflammatory and helps stimulate lymphatic drainage through the skin. Also helps regulate sebum production
• German chamomile – repairs damaged skin and encourages the development of new skin cells. Calming and soothing to skin
• Helichrysum – Helps regenerate the skin while soothing redness and inflammation. Also kills the demodex mite
• Ho wood – cooling on contact and alleviates redness and inflammation while stimulating healing
• Juniper berry – promotes a clear and healthy complexion
• Lavender – alleviates the pain and inflammation associated with rosacea and other forms of dermatitis
• Manuka – antibacterial and anti-inflammatory in nature. Helps kill demodex mites which are believed to be the possible cause of some forms of rosacea
• Patchouli – effectively treats many forms of dermatitis
• Roman chamomile – anti-inflammatory and helps stimulate lymphatic drainage in the skin. It also strengthens weakened capillaries
• Rosemary – a superior disinfectant that helps protect the skin
These oils are known to be anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, healing, and balancing for the skin.
How to Use Essential Oils for Rosacea
Below is a four-week protocol that should drastically help alleviate the symptoms of rosacea.
However, always keep in mind that the problems that manifest on the outside often stem from a root cause on the inside.
I encourage you to make the appropriate lifestyle changes like following a healthy diet, sleep, and exercise routine coupled by using all-natural ingredients in your skincare regime.
Make an effort to eliminate the stressors in your life and instead try to focus on more self-care.
It will make a huge difference and flares will come less and less often in less and less severity.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the best essential oils for rosacea!
Essential Oil Protocol for Healing Rosacea Naturally
Part One
The first stage of treatment aims to promote gentle healing and reduce redness and inflammation of the skin.
This period should last for two weeks.
To begin, it is important to very gently cleanse the skin (use whatever your skin tolerates the most) and tone it morning and night.
I like to use rosewater for toning and reducing redness and inflammation, but you can also use thyme hydrosol or diluted raw apple cider vinegar. You can make diluted ACV by mixing 3TB of water with ¼-1/2 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar.
After cleansing, you will want to apply an essential oil infused day-time facial serum.
Day-time Serum Recipe
• One empty 5ml essential oil bottle
• 30 drops manuka essential oil or tea tree essential oil
• 45 drops German chamomile essential oil
Add the essential oils to the 5ml essential oil bottle and roll between your palms to mix.
To make the serum, add 12 drops of this mixture for every 1oz of carrier oil.
The best carrier oils for rosacea include:
• Jojoba oil – the closest “oil” to our own skin’s natural sebum. Tolerated well by most skin types
• Apricot kernel oil – a light oil that is well tolerated by most skin types
• Tamanu oil – this oil is also excellent for treating scarring
To Use
Every morning for two weeks, gently cleanse the skin and tone it. While the skin is still damp, apply a few small drops of the above day-time serum recipe to the skin.
Allow the serum to soak in for a few minutes before dabbing away any excess. If possible, it is best to avoid using cosmetics and other skin care products during treatment.
Nigh-time Serum Recipe
• One 5ml essential oil bottle
• 15 drops German chamomile essential oil
• 15 drops ho wood essential oil – delightfully cooling and soothing to the skin, can sub with rosewood essential oil
• 30 drops lavender essential oil
Add the essential oils to the 5ml essential oil bottle and roll between your palms to mix.
To make the night-time serum, simply add 12-18 drops of the above mixture to every 1oz of carrier oil.
To Use
Cleanse and tone the skin and apply a few small drops of night-time serum to damp skin.
Part Two
For the following two weeks after stage one, you will be using a few different essential oils to help with rebalancing the skin.
Continue to gently cleanse and tone the skin morning and night, then start using the new day and night serums below.
Part Two Day-time Serum Recipe
• One 5ml essential oil bottle
• 15 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 15 drops geranium essential oil
• 15 drops patchouli essential oil or juniper berry essential oil
Add the essential oils to the 5ml essential oil bottle and roll between your palms to mix
Add 6-18 drops of this mixture to every 1oz of carrier oil.
To Use
Apply a few small drops of part two day-time serum to damp skin after cleansing and toning.
Part Two Night-time Serum Recipe
• One 5ml essential oil bottle
• 15 drops cypress essential oil
• 15 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 45 drops eucalyptus radiata essential oil
To make the part two night-time serum, simply add 6-18 drops of this mixture to every 1oz of carrier oil.
Once the complete four-week protocol is finished, you may repeat the routine as needed.
Have you ever used essential oils for rosacea? Which ones worked best for you? Please share them in the comments below!
You may also enjoy reading:
Essential Oils for Specific Skin Types
Essential Oils for Poison Ivy + 3 Healing Recipes!
How to do a Skin Patch Test with Essential Oils
How to Treat Rosacea Naturally
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HI! please could you be kind to tell me which are the best carrier oils for rosacea? rosehip? jojoba? grapeseed? pomegranate? olive oil?
It depends on what YOUR unique skin tolerates. I would use whichever carrier oil your skin likes best. Typically, most people tolerate rosehip oil well.
Hi Lin, I would also appreciate if you could provide me with the details and clarification of the abbreviations that you listed. I’ve had rosacea for over 20 years. My dermatologist gave me prescriptions for Metronidazole Lotion (over $200.00 for 2 oz.) and Doxycycline for when I have flareups. I’m sick of this. It’s so embarrassing that I try to avoid social functions as much as I can and I’m sick of my face always burning. The Doxycycline nauseates me and the lotion alone doesn’t help. Thanks.
Hi Lin,
Can you also please email me with the regimen that worked for you as well. I have had this disease for 30 yrs now and I’m forever battling flare ups. I’m willing to try one more. Its also in my eyes now.
I’ve had what I believe to be rosacea for several years, but have been unsuccessful in completely eliminating it. I would very much like to have more specific info regarding the treatment described above. Thanks for sharing
Hi Becca!
Check out this post 🙂
why do you recommend doing two different types of treatments for two weeks each? And why do you need a different serum in morning and evening? My mother-in-law has rosacea and she just asked me if I had any ideas for her rosacea. I use essential oils for my family, and I have started making salves and creams. I’m researching now to try to figure out the best cream to make her. I’m happy to make two different creams or roller bottles, but four is a bit much, so I’m wondering what you would recommend. Could I just put all those EO’s together in one moisturizing salve?
The regimen is for creating specific time frames for specific types of healing. You can certainly skip making four different creams 🙂 Going with two will be just fine, and yes, you can add the other oils to your recipe. Best of luck!
Hi Tash,
Demodex is the cause of Rosacea, always! I got it after a horrible flu in 2016 and battled it for 18 months. I used Black Africa soap, mustard showers, yes, you heard me right, mustard, and TTO with many other EO’s. Mustard kills the mites. It is essential to kill off the mites inside the skin pores and hair follicles. I have done months of research on this disease and almost all acne is caused by an infestation of D. brevis and D. Folliculm mites in the skin of the face, eyes, nose, forehead, chin and sometimes over the entire body meaning a systemic problem. At this point I had to shower two times a day using mustard, BAS, TTO and most all the oils you mentions at one time or another. I also used Manuka honey on my face with TTO. It was all out war. One day in July 2018, it was just better. The crisis was over and I have now settled down with a regimen of zinc oxide salve, sulfur soaps and again, Black African soap for hair and body with shea butter cream as a moisturizer and coconut oil. It is a fight to the finish but many people don’t do anything about it but cover the area with make-up and try to forget it but that doesn’t work long term. Drs. don’t want to treat it and pharmacy medications are very costly like $300 a tube of sulfur ointment. Ridiculous! It costs them $1.00 to make with some sulfur and petroleum gel. Sulfur is a very good treatment for Demodex. I know this is pretty jumbled but the last year and a half are a blur to me and I just have gotten better recently. If you want more information in a better format, let me know. Thanks for this info on treating Rosacea as I still have some redness from the damage of the mites and want to heal that up.
God bless you!
Lin
WOW! Thanks for all the great info Lin!!
Hi can you send me your regimen? I don’t know what the abbreviations stand for. I am battling roscea and I think it is now affecting my eyes. Thank you so much. My email is [email protected]
Lori
Lin, can you please tell me what type of mustard powder you used?
I’m currently cleansing with a tea tree oil cleanser, toning with rose water and on week two of the above treatment plan with no drastic improvement. Therefore, I haven’t progressed to purchasing the other oils for phase two of treatment. However, I find your treatment of mustard powder intriguing.
Please do, tell…
Thanks
Kristina
Can you please send me your regime, I too don’t understand the abbreviations, I’ve had rosacea acne for just over a year and nothing is moving it. Sarah
Hi Lin,
Would you send me the information that you have as well? I’ve had it for several years and it’s now in my eyes as well.
Thank you
I’m allergic to Sulfur drugs. Is that the same? Or would it be safe for me to try? Thank youuuu! This is all so new to me. The past two dermatologist I’ve been to have both dismissed me and it’s infuriating!
Lin B. Can you please provide the regime in the comments for everyone? At least, can I get you to send it to me as well? I’ve been fighting it for a few years now and its getting worse. I’ve been using medication prescribed from the VA, but it only seems to temp heal the area and then a couple of weeks later it comes back. Oh, and are you just using regular mustard?
Hi Lin,
could you send me what the abbreviations mean and what type of mustard you used.
[email protected]
Thanks
Adity
Hi Lin, Could you please send me your regime as well and I also do not understand the abbreviations. Could you also be clear as to what precise mustard you use etc. At least I could google exact items to see what they are. I live overseas so sometimes getting certain things are a little trickery than in the US for example. [email protected]
It is now in my eyes so I need to get to some deeper treatment. Thanks
Lin,
I’ve been looking for tons of info to try to control mine. For the Mustard – Was this like a powder or frenches type? Also, what does TTO mean?
Thank you,
Carol
Hi Lin,
Just found this thread; can you send the info to me as well – similar situation – started with a cold or flu and triggered trigeminal neuralgia with lots of heat in my head which is turn brought on rosacea which I never knew I had but wow – can’t seem to get it under control.
My email is: [email protected].
Thanks.