The 12 Best Essential Oils for Dry Skin

Trying to soothe and re-hydrate dry skin can feel like an uphill battle. I’ve tried a lot of things to help with itchy, peeling skin and nothing has worked as well as these essential oils for dry skin. Here’s what you need to know about nourishing this type of skin and which oils I recommend (and why).

Does your skin tend to look flaky or rough? Does it sometimes feel itchy? You may have fine lines or even cracks that accentuate the appearance of aging, particularly on your face. These are all signs of dry skin. And it can occur on your face, arms, legs, or anywhere else on your body.

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Erika Bragdon is a Certified Essential Oil Coach from the Essential Oil Institute

Which Essential Oils for Dry Skin Work Best?

Thankfully, there are many great essential oils for dry skin that work to hydrate and soothe irritated skin naturally. Find out more about each of these effective essential oils, plus how to get the best results in this post.

Please read my Common Sense essential oil safety post before using essential oils.

#1 Lavender essential oil

Latin name: Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils for dry skin, and for good reason. It has many benefits for skin health and can help support healing.

This is definitely one of the best essential oils for itchy skin. Lavender oil is particularly useful for skin issues including rough, dry, irritated skin, and may be helpful for reducing scarring.

Safety: This oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted. 

#2 Helichrysum essential oil

Latin name: Helichrysum italicum

Helichrysum is one of my all-time favorite essential oils for dry skin. My previously dry skin has been so much healthier since I started using helichrysum essential oil.

I waited to buy this oil for some time because it’s one of the more expensive essential oils, but when I finally did, I was amazed at how beneficial it is! By the way, I bought my Helichrysum from Eden’s Garden as it’s much more affordable than many of the other brands and still high quality with third-party testing for quality control.

Helichrysum is known for its potential anti-aging and scar-reducing benefits because it is very hydrating for the skin. There’s also the potential benefit for this oil to help block UV damage to skin.

While Helichrysum is one of the more expensive essential oils, when compared to the many pricey creams and serums on the market, it can actually be less expensive. This is especially true when you consider how long one bottle of this essential oil can last. Plus it’s all-natural, so that’s even better!

Safety: This oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted. 

#3 Myrrh essential oil

Latin name: Commiphora myrrha

Myrrh is another wonderful essential oil for dry skin because it both protects and soothes. It has strong antioxidant properties and may help protect against UV damage while reducing fine lines and wrinkles and supporting youthful skin.

Safety: Do not use this oil if you are pregnant or nursing. Otherwise, this oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted.

#4 Frankincense Essential Oil

Latin name: Boswellia sacra

Frankincense has wonderful potential for minimizing scars, wrinkles, and fine lines while supporting new skin regeneration. It’s very calming and can help reduce inflammation while evening out skin tone.

Safety: This oil is prone to oxidation issues which means you should keep the bottle tightly capped and stored in a cool, dark location to help preserve it. Otherwise, this oil is generally considered safe and well-accepted.

Note:  Some people have said that using frankincense oil may thin blood. My body doesn’t produce enough clotting factor and I am more prone to bleeding excessively; however, I use Frankincense essential oil all the time without any negative side effects.

#5 Geranium Essential Oil

Latin name: Daucus carota

Geranium is wonderful for balancing skin, whether it’s dry or oily. It’s helpful for moisturizing and promoting youthful skin. This oil also has astringent-like properties which mean it may help minimize wrinkles and fine lines and regenerate skin. Plus, geranium oil’s anti-inflammatory properties may help minimize red, dry, irritated skin as well.

Safety: This oil has a very low risk of skin sensitization and is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted.

#6 Carrot Seed Essential Oil

Latin name:

Carrot seed essential oil is another one of my favorite essential oils for dry skin. Its antioxidant properties can help protect skin while also soothing it.

Safety: Do not use this oil if you are pregnant or nursing. (This is based on the conservative research of Tisserand and Young in their Essential Oil safety book.)

#7 Cucumber Seed Essential Oil

Latin name: Cucumis sativus

Cucumber seed oil is hydrating and may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. This oil is reminiscent of all those cucumber-scented things that were popular years ago. To me, it smells like a spa in a bottle!

#8 Sandalwood Essential Oil

Latin name: Santalum paniculatum

Sandalwood essential oil is great for dry skin as it helps tone and reduces inflammation while hydrating and soothing.

Safety – East Indian Sandalwood has a low risk of skin sensitization (irritation or reactions after repeated exposure). For the safest results, do not dilute less than 2% or about 4 drops to every 2 tsp carrier oil. Otherwise, Indian, Hawaiian, and Australian Sandalwood types are generally considered to be safe and well-accepted.

#9 Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Latin name: Cananga odorata

Ylang Ylang essential oil may help reduce signs of aging. It’s also very hydrating. This oil has a wonderful floral scent—it’s one of my favorites!

Safety: Do not use topically on children under age 2. There is a moderate risk for skin sensitization (irritation or reactions after repeated exposure) that may occur with this essential oil. For the safest results, do not dilute less than 1% or about 3 drops to every 2 tsp carrier oil. 

#10 Manuka essential oil

Latin name:  Leptospermum scoparium

Not to be confused with Manuka honey, Manuka essential oil is helpful for healing damaged skin and reducing scarring, including wrinkles and fine lines. It may also help with the growth and regeneration of new skin cells.

Safety: This oil is generally considered to be safe and well-accepted. 

#11 Jasmine Essential Oil

Latin name: Jasminum sambac

Jasmine is excellent for calming irritated, dry skin due to its antibacterial and anti-viral properties. It may also help promote youthful, radiant skin.

Safety: Always dilute as there is a moderate risk for skin sensitization (irritation or reactions after repeated exposure) that may occur with this essential oil. For the safest results, do not dilute less than 0.7% or about 1 drop to every 2 tsp carrier oil. 

#12 Hyssop Essential Oil

Latin name: Hyssopus officinalis

Hyssop is helpful for reducing scars, wrinkles, and fine lines, and healing skin.

Safety – There are two main types of Hyssop (both with the same Latin name) – one type has a primary chemical compound called Linalool. This one is generally well accepted and safe. The other type of Hyssop has a primary compound called Pinocamphene. This type should not be used if you are pregnant, nursing, or for children under 2 years of age. For the safest results, do not dilute this type less than 0.5% or about 1 drop to every 2 tsp carrier oil.  Not sure what type your Hyssop is? Check the GCMS report for that essential oil to find out.

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How to Use Essential Oils for Dry Skin:

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before using. This is because essential oils are very potent and a little goes a long way.

Carrier Oils for Dry Skin

The most common carrier oil is fractionated coconut oil.

However, I recommend one or more of the following carrier oils when using essential oils for dry skin. This is because these carrier oils are more hydrating and moisturizing than fractionated coconut oil.

These are my favorite carrier oils for dry skin:

• Jojoba oil
• Argan oil
• Almond oil
• Apricot kernel oil
• Rosehip oil

I use a combination of the five above carrier oils for my dry skincare routine, though my two favorites are Jojoba oil and Argan oil.

There are so many ways you can use these essential oils for dry skin! If you are looking for an easy recipe to start with, I highly recommend this DIY cuticle oil. Your nails will thank you.

Which Essential Oil Brand is the Best?

For the best results, you will want to choose a high-quality essential oil brand that is 100% pure and offers third-party testing for quality control.

My favorite essential oil company is Rocky Mountain Oils, followed by Eden’s Garden, and Ancient Apothecary by Dr. Axe.

You can find those oils here:

• Rocky Mountain Oils – buy here and get free shipping on any order
• Eden’s Garden – buy here and get free shipping on any order
• Ancient Apothecary by Dr. Axe – you can order directly from his website or through Amazon

Using Essential Oils for Dry Skin

You’ll want to use 2-3 drops of each essential oil diluted with a carrier oil. If you want to use ALL of the essential oils listed in this post, I’d recommend mixing up a small one or two-ounce glass bottle with a combination of carrier oils and adding 5 or so drops of each essential oil for the best results.

My Results:

Since using a combination of these essential oils and carrier oils for over a year now, my face is now noticeably softer, smoother, and my forehead lines are much less noticeable. I rarely need to wear foundation now; instead, my skin feels and looks great without makeup!

I mixed and matched the 12 essential oils mentioned in this post, along with the carrier oils.

I hope you’ve found this post on essential oils for dry skin helpful. Let me know how these oils work for you and which ones are your favorites in the comments below.

Here are a few more ways you can use these Essential Oils for Dry Skin: 

• Natural Homemade Foaming Face Wash
• How to Make a Cream for Cracked Heels
• Nourishing DIY Cuticle Oil
• Homemade Coconut Oil Lotion Bars
• DIY Facial Toner Pads

Want to save all this information for later? Pin the image below to your essential oil board on Pinterest!