Sometimes creams, lotions, and potions won’t hack it when it comes to treating stubborn skin problems. Luckily, nature has a cure: essential oils.
Essential oils have long been used to treat a variety of conditions, like acne, rosacea, warts, skin tags, moles, fungus, and more. One type of essential oil -- oregano oil -- is considered a miracle worker against hard-to-resolve skin issues.
Why is oregano oil so effective?
Oregano oil is sourced from the flowers of the oregano plant. As natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola reports, it possesses a wide range of therapeutic and medicinal benefits.
Besides its power to boost your immune system and kill parasites, oregano oil also has potent properties that are:
1. Antibacterial. It kills germs and bacteria that can cause acne or cysts.
2. Anti-inflammatory. It helps soothe rashes, sunburns, or rosacea.
3. Antifungal. It is a potent cure for athlete’s foot or other fungal infections.
4. Antioxidant. It helps to destroy free radicals in the skin and reveal a better complexion.
What skin conditions does oregano oil treat?
If you keep oregano oil in your medicine cabinet, you can use it for a variety of different problems, including:
- Itchy rashes like poison oak
- Bug bites or bee stings (as an added bonus, oregano oil acts as a natural bug repellent, so you can use it to deter mosquitos)
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Cold sores
- Dandruff
- Foot fungus
- Warts
- Burns
- Skin tags
- Moles
How to use oregano oil on your skin
Oregano oil is extremely potent and can cause burning if it is applied undiluted to the skin. For skin ailments, naturopathic physician Dr. Theresa Ramsey suggests diluting three drops of oregano essential oil into one teaspoon of olive or coconut oil. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to test this dilution on a small patch of skin before applying more to your body.
Use this ratio to create an oregano oil balm and simply apply it to the skin as needed.
You can also combine oregano oil with other essential oils. Since oregano has a pungent smell that might bother some people (it’s widely used in Italian cooking!), a little lavender or citrus oil can tame the odor without minimizing the healing benefits.
Oregano oil may not be safe to use on children or pets -- ask your doctor or vet before giving it to your kiddos or critters.