Essential Oils for Sunburns (Oil Blend & Spray Recipes)

Essential Oils for Sunburns - The best essential oils and blends to use to sooth a sunburn. Sharing DIY blend recipes you can make at home. #essentialoils #aromatherapy #suncare #naturalskincare #diy #sunburns

It’s that time of year! By now I think we’re all well aware of the risks associated with unprotected sun exposure. Hopefully all of us lather on that SPF before heading to the beach! But as cautious as I am, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten through an entire summer without at least a mild sunburn. And it usually happens right around the start of the season. Should you find yourself resembling a lobster at any point this summer, these blend recipes and essential oils for sunburns will help relieve your skin.

I’ll start by just breaking down where to start as far as specific essential oils and carriers. Then we’ll get into the blend recipes I use and would recommend. As always, customize within my suggestions so that the blend works for you!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​It’s going to seem like a lot of information and options, but I want these posts to be as exhaustive and helpful as possible. Because there is so much to share, I’m going to organize it similar to the way in which I did the essential oils for rosacea series. This is the primary general post, and it links out to separate blend recipes.

Best Essential Oils for Sunburns

Links are to Plant Therapy essential oils, a brand I personally trust, use and love. They are affiliate, however I do not work directly with them and am in no way sponsored by PT (I wish lol).

To overly generalize, the essential oils below are included on the list because they’re calming and healing to the skin and burns in particular, and/or because they provide a cooling sensation upon application.

  • Lavender – If you’re just going to use one essential oil for your sunburn, this should be it. And if you’re going to make a blend, I’d highly recommend including it. Lavender is calming to the skin and nervous system and is also antiseptic. It’s particularly indicated for burns and sunburns.
  • Peppermint – Peppermint is cooling to the skin when applied in small doses and antiseptic. Key words: small doses. If using it in a blend, have the bulk of the oil composition be Lavender (or a similar, gentle essential oil) with just a small concentration of peppermint (or other cooling oil). I’ll get into numbers below, don’t worry.
  • Chamomile – You could use Roman or German chamomile, as both are good for burns and wound care. I personally prefer German chamomile, as it’s incredibly gentle.
  • Geranium – Geranium is widely used in skincare. It can be particularly beneficial for burns.
  • Sandalwood – Sandalwood can support irritated and inflamed skin.
  • Neroli – Neroli is great for sensitive skin in general and has antiseptic properties.
  • Eucalyptus – Like Peppermint, Eucalyptus has a cooling effect on the skin in small doses and has antibacterial and anti-infectious properties.
  • Tea tree – Tea tree oil is like nature’s first aid kit. It has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties, making it helpful in preventing infections. If a sunburn is severe, it’s a great option. It also has a cooling effect in small doses.

Best Carriers for Sunburns

You could use one of these carriers or combine them. I like including several in the topical treatments I make for sunburns.

  • Aloe vera – Aloe is the first thing that comes to most of our minds when we think of a sunburn. It’s anti-inflammatory and healing, and also provides a cooling sensation.
  • Extra virgin olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is high in vitamins and minerals. Traditionally used to heal burns for centuries.
  • Wheat germ oil – Wheat germ oil is an antioxidant and useful for damaged skin.
  • Calendula infusion oil – Calendula infusion oil (olive oil infused with the Calendula officinalis plant) is healing and moisturizing. Traditionally used in all sorts of first aid ointments and lotions for damaged, dry skin.
  • Honey – Honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It can be used in blends and for dressings if the burn is severe. You’d mix the essential oils in the honey then apply a thin layer to the gauze dressing that you’re going to then drape over the burn.

How to Soothe a Sunburn with Essential Oils

Now that we’ve gone over the best essential oils and carriers for sunburns, let’s dive into some specific modes of application.

Cooling Spray for Sunburns

DIY Cooling Spray for Sunburns - Using aloe, essential oils and honey, make this DIY spray that is cooling and soothing for sunburns. It's a summer go-to for me! #diy #sunburns #essentialoils #aromatherapy #naturalskincare

Spritzing a cooling blend over sunburnt skin feels heavenly. It’s also a great option if your sunburn is painful to the touch, and you’d rather not rub a blend into it.

If you want to keep things super simple, lavender hydrosol (floral water) can act as a great soothing spray. In this older post I show you how to make floral water (just sub German chamomile with Lavender). You can buy Lavender hydrosol already made as well. Just transfer to a spray bottle. I’d recommend storing in the refrigerator so it feels even better on your sunburn. While Lavender is calming and soothing to the skin, it doesn’t provide the same cooling effect as, say, peppermint essential oil.

Personally, I use a spray that I made using aloe and peppermint (along with other ingredients) for more of a cooling sensation. I still store it in the refrigerator (cool and prolonged shelf life). It feels AMAZING when spritzed over sunburnt skin, and you can make a bottle of it now that will last you through the summer. I sometimes use it when I’m feeling flushed and overheated or having a rosacea flare-up—no sunburn required. DIY Cooling Sunburn Spray RECIPE HERE.

Body Oil for Sunburns

DIY Body Oil for Sunburns - Made with essential oils, created by a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist. #aromatherapy #skincare #essentialoils #diy

In addition to a spray, you can use a body oil to help with a sunburn. You’ll notice the “cooling” oils and carriers (peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, aloe) aren’t included in the particular body oil blend I use. This is because the focus is more on calming, moisturizing and healing the sunburnt skin, rather than on an immediate sensation of relief.

You can, however, customize your blend to include one of those oils (in *small* dilution). Or, after gently massaging the body oil into your skin, you could apply some aloe vera gel on top for that ahhhh cooling sensation.

Apply a body oil 2-3 times throughout the day, but especially before you go to bed. Gently massage it over your sunburn, ideally after showering so that the skin is clean and moist.

I use extra virgin olive oil, calendula infusion oil and wheat germ oil as my base. For essential oils, Lavender is the primary focus (it’s so good for burns—don’t exclude it!). I also use Chamomile, Neroli and Geranium. All are gentle and calming, which is important when dealing with inflamed, angry sunburnt skin. DIY Body Oil RECIPE HERE.

Simple Aloe Vera Rub for Sunburns

Somewhere between a spray and a body oil, you can use aloe vera gel and 1-3 essential oils to make a simple, soothing sunburn rub. Using the above list of recommended essential oils for sunburns, pick 1-3 with aloe vera gel as the carrier. ​​​​​​​Here’s a simple recipe I love:​​​​​​​

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 oz (= ½ cup) Aloe vera gel
  • 18 drops Lavender
  • 6 drops Chamomile (I’m linking to German chamomile but Roman works here, too)

The above will yield 4 oz of aloe vera rub at a 1% essential oil dilution. Typically for topical application with adults, I recommend a 2% dilution. But given the skin is burnt and irritated, I’d reduce that a bit.

Mix well and apply to sunburned skin as needed throughout the day.

Let me know if you have questions in the comments! I am admittedly way more responsive on Instagram, so if it’s important, you can also always DM me. 🙂

xo Nicole

The statements and blends referenced in this post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, consult with your physician before using any essential oil or blend.

I’m a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist through the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy and only share blends with you that I’ve personally used and from which I’ve benefited. I stand behind them 100%! Essential oil blends are, however, most effective when made with individual needs, goals and personality in mind.

Phototoxic Essential Oils (Avoid before Sun Exposure)

Phototoxic Essential Oils - Avoid applying these essential oils before sun exposure. #essentialoils #skincare #aromatherapy

With summer upon us, I wanted to pop in with a quick post about phototoxic essential oils. Photowhat? Phototoxic means UV sensitizing. If you use body oils or essential oil skincare blends, it’s worthwhile to check the ingredient list before applying them and spending extended periods of time in the sun. Most essential oils are perfectly fine to be applied before heading outdoors. There are, however, a handful that will cause your skin to be increasingly sensitive to sun exposure.

Certain chemicals called furanocoumarins induce a skin reaction in the presence of strong sunlight. They absorb more UV photons than normal, which results in a rapid tanning or burning skin reaction. These are commonly found in citrus essential oils.

The risk of phototoxicity will remain for 12 hours. So if you topically apply one of these essential oils to your skin, avoid sun and UV exposure for at least 12 hours. If you’re diffusing one of these oils in your home, no need to worry. This applies to topical application to the skin, not inhalation.

Phototoxic Essential Oils

Do not apply the following list of phototoxic essential oils topically before exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays. You’ll notice a lot of citrus.

  • Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
  • Lime (cold pressed) (Citrus medica)
  • Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)
  • Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
  • Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
  • Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
  • Lemon (Citrus limon)
  • Rue (Ruta graveolens)
  • Opoponax (Commiphora erythraea)
  • Tagetes (Tagetes minuta)
  • Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon flexuosus)
  • Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)
  • Tangerine (Citrus reticulata blanco)

Hypericum (St John’s wort) also increases photosensitivity. It’s a macerated oil and often used as a carrier for essential oils. Avoid applying it before exposure to the sun.

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In keeping with all things summer, I’ve got a whole series on essential oils for sunburn care coming your way over the next couple weeks. You’re going to LOVE the DIY soothing spray recipe I have for you!

xo Nicole

I’m a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist via the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy. All information shared in this post is from the IIA Certification Course manuals and coursework, and my own independent studies. The following books were part of my coursework and I’d recommend them if you’re interested in learning more about essential oils and aromatherapy: Aromatherapy: A Holistic Guide to Natural Healing with Essential Oils by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, RN, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Salvatore Battaglia and Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand.

DIY Cooling Facial Mist for Rosacea Flare Ups

DIY Cooling Facial Mist for Rosacea Flare Ups - using essential oils and aloe, you can make this easy cooling facial mist at home! #rosacea #essentialoils #aromatherapy #diy #skincare

This is the fourth and final post (for now, anyway) focusing on rosacea. I’ve covered my experience and how essential oils can help rosacea; shared the facial oil blend I personally use for it; and shared a chamomile toner that’s great for rosacea and sensitive skin in general. To round it up, here’s the cooling facial mist spray I use for rosacea flare ups.

Before we get to it, I want to remind you that I am a Certified Aromatherapist, not a doctor. I 100% stand by aromatherapy as a complementary therapy for skin issues like rosacea, but the information in this post is not intended to replace advice from your dermatologist.

How This Cooling Facial Mist Can Help Rosacea Flare Ups

As we covered in the first post of this series, rosacea is primarily caused by poor elasticity in capillary walls. So what’s happening during a flare-up is that blood is rushing to the face and capillary walls are expanding in response. Because they’re not sufficiently elastic, however, they’re not properly contracting again to their original size or shape. This results in distended capillary that are holding blood cells and giving the red appearance on your face.

Peppermint Hydrosol (or Essential Oil)

Peppermint essential oil was chosen for this cooling facial mist because it cools by constricting the capillaries. Exactly what we want during rosacea flare ups! Now Peppermint can be a skin irritant if used in a strong dilution for any skin type, so we want to include it in the cooling mist, but never at a dilution of more than 1%. And while we’re on the topic of safety, Peppermint should be avoided if pregnant/lactating or if you have a history of epilepsy or cardiac fibrillation. Also you shouldn’t use on kids under the age of 2 (menthol vapor can inhibit respiration in young kids).

To get a low concentration of Peppermint in our cooling mist, we can either use a small number of drops of essential oil or we can opt for a Peppermint hydrosol instead of the oil. I’ve tried both and will include blend recipes for both below. If you have really sensitive and easily irritated skin, I’d strongly suggest skipping the essential oil and using Peppermint hydrosol instead. A hydrosol is the water produced during the steam distillation of Peppermint plant. It contains water-soluble fragrance molecules and only a very small amount of essential oil.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is included in the cooling mist blend as well. It’s a gentle oil that’s safe for pretty much all skin types. It’s great for any inflammation of the skin, and is an adaptogenic oil, meaning it can both increase and decrease certain skin functions to normalize the skin based on individual need. In other words, it’s a balancing oil. I did a whole post on lavender essential oil if you want to learn more.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel is cooling and anti-inflammatory. Because we’re making a spray, you want to make sure it’s not chunky when you add it to the blend. I peel one side of the skin off a piece of aloe plant and then press the gel through a strainer into a bowl to achieve this.

DIY Cooling Facial Mist for Rosacea Flare Ups - using essential oils and aloe, you can make this easy cooling facial mist at home! #rosacea #essentialoils #aromatherapy #diy #skincare

You could stop there with your cooling facial mist: peppermint hydrosol, aloe vera and lavender essential oil. In the below recipe, you’ll see I do add in one more essential oil. I personally use Helichrysm, but any of the essential oils I’ve listed for rosacea will work. If you already use a facial oil blend and have found an oil that works particularly well for your skin, use that. Top three I’d recommend choosing from are Helichrysm, German chamomile and Rose essential oils.

DIY Cooling Facial Mist for Rosacea Flare Ups

Links in this section are mostly to Plant Therapy products (via Amazon), a brand of essential oils I personally use and recommend. They’re affiliate links. For other brands I recommend, check out this post.

Ok so building off the previous section, here’s the base of our cooling mist for rosacea flare ups:

DIY Cooling Facial Mist for Rosacea Flare Ups - using essential oils and aloe, you can make this easy cooling facial mist at home! #rosacea #essentialoils #aromatherapy #diy #skincare

I’ll go into ways to tweak it to fit your personal skin needs and preferences, but first here’s the exact blend recipe I use:

You can make your own Peppermint hydrosol at home using the process I outlined in this post (just replace chamomile with peppermint). Or you can just buy it. If you do make your own, do so in a well ventilated room. The peppermint aroma and menthol vapor can be very overpowering and even irritating.

Especially if you have sensitive skin, it would be prudent to do a skin patch test before incorporating an oil into your blend. You can learn more about skin patch testing and essential oil safety here. Peppermint (and most essential oils) will irritate your eyes, so be sure to close them before misting the spray over your face. That probably goes without saying!

For an added cooling effect, I like to store my facial mist in the refrigerator. If you tend to experience rosacea flare ups after working out, pack it in your gym bag! Be sure to shake your blend before spritzing over your face.

Alternative Blend Options

If you don’t want to make or buy peppermint hydrosol, but you have peppermint essential oil on hand, you can adjust the above blend recipe as follows:

  • 1.5 oz (3 tbsp) distilled water
  • .5 oz (1 tbsp) aloe vera
  • 6 drops Lavender essential oil
  • 3 drops Peppermint essential oil
  • (optional) 3 drops German chamomile, Helichrysm or Rose essential oil – if you omit this, do 9 drops of Lavender instead of 6

In a pinch, you could also add 1 drop of peppermint essential oil to a quarter-sized dollop of aloe vera gel and smooth the gel over your face. If peppermint is too intense for your skin, do a drop of lavender essential oil in the aloe vera instead.

Other Considerations for Helping Rosacea Flare Ups

Having something on hand to help with rosacea flare ups is great, but you also want to figure out what’s triggering them in the first place. Some common rosacea triggers include:

  • Sun exposure
  • Extreme hot/cold weather or rapid change in temperature
  • Stress/anxiety
  • Consumption of spicy foods
  • Intense exercise
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco

Pay attention to what you’re doing/consuming/feeling prior to a rosacea flare up. Identifying your triggers and then avoiding them (within reason) is one of the best things you can do for your skin condition.

Currently for me, the most common trigger of a rosacea flare-up is emotion. If I get upset, anxious, or even just really excited—I feel that uncomfortable heat start building in my cheeks and I know what’s coming. This cooling mist spray is great, but I may tweak it and replace the peppermint with a more emotionally calming essential oil to help with the feelings that commonly trigger my flare ups in the first place. I’ll of course keep you posted throughout this process!

xo Nicole

The statements and blends referenced in this post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, consult with your physician before using any essential oil or blend.

I’m a Certified Holistic Aromatherapist through the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy and only share blends with you that I’ve personally used and from which I’ve benefited. I stand behind them 100%! That being said, essential oil blends are most effective when made with individual needs, goals and personality in mind.