Did you know you can treat acne at home with essential oils? Get to know the 15 absolute best essential oils for acne that you can use as part of your skin care routine! There are hundreds of essential oils with suitable qualities that can be used for acne management, but here’s a list of the Top 15 best essential oils for acne, pimples, acne scarring and pimple marks. This list is pretty extensive and makes for a really long article, so let’s dive right into it! 😉
Note: Please consult your doctor/healthcare practitioner before using essential oils. Avoid essential oils particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Avoid using essential oils on new born babies.
15 Best Essential Oils for Acne Relief at Home + How to Use Each Essential Oil for Acne
Here is the list of 15 best essential oils for acne management and treatment:
1. Tea Tree Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Melaleuca alternifolia
Origin: Australia
Scent Profile: Strong, medicinal, herbal, fresh
Tea tree is the number one essential oil antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral and disinfectant properties and if you had to choose just one essential oil for acne, tea tree should be your top pick.
How to Use Tea Tree Essential Oil for Acne:
2. Lavender Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Lavandula angustifolia
Origin: Asia, Europe, Africa
Scent Profile: Sweet, clean, powdery, floral, fresh
Lavender essential oil is helpful against acne because of its analgesic, antibacterial and antiseptic properties among others. Many people swear by it for healing their acne, while others say it didn’t help at all – this is partly due to lavender being drying for the skin. Dry skin can aggravate acne in some individuals so it pays to test it out on a small portion of your skin before taking it up as a daily routine. For those with oily skin, lavender oil can work wonders in controlling acne breakouts.
How to Use Lavender Essential Oil for Acne:
3. Basil Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Ocimum Bacilicum
Origin: Tropical Asia & Pacific Islands
Scent Profile: Sweet, herbaceous with a hint of camphor
Though not as popular, basil is one of the best essential oils for acne due to its strong antibacterial properties, which is why it is a popular remedy for respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, coughs, colds and flu. Basil is potent against acne and skin conditions too. Even fresh basil leaves can be used to make anti-acne face masks.
How to Use Basil Essential Oil for Acne:
4. Geranium Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Pelargonium Odorantissimum
Origin: Africa
Scent Profile: Deep, feminine, floral scent with a hint of pepper
Despite its strong flowery scent, geranium essential oil is actually extracted from the leaves of the geranium plant and it has a green color. It is rich in antioxidants and is recommended for aging skin, but is rich in antibacterial compounds that make it effective against acne.
How to Use Geranium Essential Oil for Acne:
5. Clary Sage Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Salvia sclarea
Origin: Southern Europe
Scent Profile: Herbaceous, hint of fruitiness, earthy, vivid
Clary Sage has been used for beauty and cosmetic purposes since historical times, and is a known anti-depressant. Its antiseptic, bactericidal and astringent properties make it a powerful remedy for fighting acne.
How to Use Clary Sage Essential Oil for Acne
6. Chamomile Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Chamaemelum nobile
Origin: Europe & some parts of Africa
Scent Profile: Sweet, apple –like scent
Chamomile is effective against many types of skin issues and is valuable in calming acne and breakouts. It lightens dark spots and acne scars, too.
How to Use Chamomile Essential Oil for Acne:
7. Oregano Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Origanum vulgare
Origin: Eurasian and Mediterranean regions
Scent Profile: Strong, slightly minty, spicy, camphor-like
Oregano is said to have the highest percentage of phenols out of all aromatic plants. Phenols are organic compounds characterized for their strong disinfectant properties. Be careful when using oregano oil – always go by the rule, “less is more” as it is known to cause skin irritations in large amounts. But when used safely, oregano essential oil is highly effective against acne.
How to Use Oregano Essential Oil for Acne:
8. Neroli Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Citrus vulgaris
Origin: South East Asia
Scent Profile: Floral, mysterious, sweet, deep, misty
Neroli is one of the most loved essential oils in the aromatherapy world due to its pleasant smell, along with its amazing healing properties. It has anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties and is used to treat headaches too. Its anti-infectious, bactericidal and antiseptic properties make it one of the best essential oils for acne.
How to Use Neroli Essential Oil for Acne:
9. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Scientific Name: Cananga odorata var genuina
Origin: Philippines, Indonesia
Scent Profile: Flowery, floral, fragrant, sweet, fruity, fresh, delicate, exotic
When it comes to skin care, ylang ylang makes it onto the list of best essential oils for acne as it has antimicrobial and astringent properties, which make it good for oily skin, too.
How to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil for Acne
10. Frankincense Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Boswellia carterii
Origin: Middle East
Scent Profile: Warm, woody, musky, balsamic
Frankincense is a gem of an essential oil, dare I say it’s my all time favorite oil in the world. It has amazing healing, revitalizing and invigorating properties that help all skin types keep healthy and youthful. It works wonders against acne and eliminates acne scars and pimple marks.
How to Use Frankincense Essential Oil for Acne:
11. Rosemary Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Origin: Spain, Morocco, Tunisia
Scent Profile: Woody, fragrant, strong, herbaceous, camphor-like
Rosemary essential oil is effective against acne and inflammation caused by acne bacteria. Apart from its anti-inflammatory properties, it also has antimicrobial properties that can fight full-blown breakouts, as well as stop acne before it forms.
How to Use Rosemary Essential Oil for Acne:
12. Rose Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Rosa damascena
Origin: Persia
Scent Profile: Feminine, floral, sweet, rosy
Being highly anti-bacterial, rose essential is a top choice for acne treatment, as its antioxidant, antiseptic and astringent properties make it an all-round healer for pimply and acne-prone skin. It is also effective against acne breakouts caused by hormonal imbalances. Whether you have mild acne or cystic acne, rose essential oil is a therapeutic oil that will bring positive changes to your life as it is anti-depressant and promotes peaceful sleep.
How to Use Rose Essential Oil for Acne:
13. Bergamot Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Citrus bergamia
Origin: Italy
Scent Profile: Sweet, citrusy, refreshing, invigorating
Extracted from the skin and rinds of the bergamot orange, this highly potent essential oil is rich in many compounds, which make it effective against many health issues, including acne. It also has skin lightening properties, which will visibly lighten acne scars and blemishes.
How to Use Bergamot Essential Oil for Acne
14. Lemongrass Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon flexuosus, Cymbopogon citratus
Origin: Australia and South Africa
Scent Profile: Strong, sharp, fresh, herby, lemony
The stems and leaves of the lemongrass plant are used to extract the essential oil via steam distillation, resulting in a pale to vivid yellow colored oil that is helpful for acne treatment. Lemongrass oil is rich in Vitamin A, which fosters cell renewal and repair and has important anti-acne properties, and also Vitamin E, which helps lighten acne and pimple scars
15. Cypress Essential Oil for Acne
Scientific Name: Cupressus sempervirens
Origin: Australia
Scent Profile: Fresh, clean, spicy, woody, herby aroma
Extracted through steam distillation of the twigs and needles of the Cypress plant, cypress essential oil has natural astringent properties that help tone the skin and prevent large pores. This essential oil is great for acne sufferers who experience oily skin or over-sweating/precipitation of skin.
How to Use Cypress Essential Oil for Acne:
How to Make Your Own Acne-Busting Cream with Tea Tree
This is probably the simplest homemade acne cream you can whip up right at home in 5 minutes straight! It uses only two ingredients: tea tree oil and shea butter yet it’s very effective in getting rid of pus-filled acne by fighting off acne-causing germs and clearing off stale sebum stuck within the pores.
Shea butter is a non-comedogenic natural plant-based skin care butter that works wonders in reducing painful, red and inflamed acne! It also helps get rid of scars at a very fast rate! I made this cheap homemade acne cream and used it with effective results! PS: It smells incredibly soothing with its fresh herbal scent.
Other Acne Help Posts:
- 3 Juicing Recipes for Cystic Acne you Must Try
- How to Use Activated Charcoal for Cystic Acne
- 40+ DIY Acne Remedies that Work! (Including Pimples, Acne Scars & Blemishes
Brandy says
Such a great list. im really gratefull to you cause i love oils.
Rose McLoughlin says
Where is the “Acne-Busting Essential Oil Facial Cleanser” recipe?
beautymunsta says
Hi Rose. 🙂 The link to the facial cleanser is in the article. It’s not a recipe – it’s a face wash from doterra. Take care xx
Tiya says
How do we use the massage oil? Also, is it possible to use sensation serum as moisturizer?
Aspen says
Hi Tiya. Yes it’s possible