Essential Oils for Eczema

Explore the benefits of using essential oils to alleviate eczema symptoms and improve your skin's health while ensuring safe and effective application.

Using essential oils for eczema could be an option if your skin is not responding to the current course of treatment.

Whilst essential oils should only be used to complement rather than replace prescribed medication, they can offer a natural alternative that can help to soothe and ease some of the symptoms.

Here we look at the best oils for eczema and how they may be able to help you improve the condition of your skin.

Can I use essential oils for eczema?

Whilst there are some specific essential oils you can use for eczema, there are others that should be avoided.

Certain types of essential oils have higher concentration levels, which can cause irritation or even allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin.

On the other hand, certain essential oils that contain the right chemical properties can help you to manage the condition and ease some of the symptoms.

Before applying an essential oil to any part of your skin it should first be diluted with a carrier oil (such as jojoba oil or coconut oil).

Another option is to intake the benefits via aromatherapy or inhalation using a diffuser, which can help to ease some of the associated anxiety and stress.

What are the best essential oils for eczema?

Here are a few suggestions on the best essential oils for eczema:

Tea tree essential oil contains anti-inflammatory properties

Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of the tea tree plant and can be used to treat a variety of conditions including insect bites, nail fungus, athlete’s foot and head lice.

Research into the oil has found that it contains anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds, although it is one of the strongest essential oils available, so must be used carefully.

Another study, published in 2010, found that when tea tree oil was compared to various other minerals for the treatment of dermatitis, it proved to be the most effective. 

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Tea tree oil: contact allergy and chemical composition

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As is the case with all essential oils, if you want to use tea tree essential oil to treat eczema, you should first complete a patch test (you can read more about that below) to ensure it is compatible with your skin.

Peppermint essential oil can offer skin calming abilities

Many people use peppermint oil to calm nausea and to ease indigestion, whilst others dilute it with a carrier oil and use it to reduce itching on the skin.

Like tea tree oil, peppermint oil is particularly potent, so if you are using it to treat sensitive areas of skin, you may want to increase the dilution ratio to reduce any risk of irritation.

Can I use carrier oils to treat eczema?

If you are concerned that using essential oil for eczema may cause irritation or an allergic reaction, you could use a carrier oil as an alternative.

Apply jojoba oil direct to your skin to ease eczema

Many people find that jojoba oil is the best oil for eczema, as it is much kinder to skin.

This partially explains why it is often used as an ingredient in a wide range of shampoos, body care products and facial cleansers.

When applied to the skin, jojoba oil works in a similar way to human sebum, the natural substance produced by skin and hair, helping to keep skin soft and moisturised.

And, according to a study published in 2018, jojoba oil may also contain anti-inflammatory properties that could help to calm and soothe skin.

The vitamin E properties of sunflower may ease inflammation

Sunflower oil is rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help to keep skin moisturised, so it doesn’t become dry and itchy.

A study published in 2021 stated that vitamin E may also be able to work as an anti-inflammatory agent, which could also help to ease eczema symptoms.

Anecdotally, some have said that sunflower oil also contains anti-inflammatory properties.

How do I complete a patch test?

Before using essential oils for eczema, you should complete a patch test to ensure your skin is compatible with the oil.

You can do this by following the steps below:

• Mix a small amount of the essential oil with a carrier oil of choice.

• Apply the mixture to the inside of your elbow.

• Cover the patch of skin with a plaster and leave for 24 hours.

• If there are no signs of irritation after you remove the plaster, it should be okay to use.

The usual dilution ratio is 1-2 drops of essential oil per teaspoon (5ml) of carrier oil.

However, you may want to further dilute the essential oil to treat eczema symptoms, to further reduce the risk of skin irritation.

Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, finding the best oil for eczema may not be a straightforward task.

If you are concerned about an essential oil causing irritation, the first thing to do is to complete a patch test to check the compatibility.