Anyone who likes to add extra crunchiness to their salad or a touch of green to their stir fry should try sprinkling them with crumbed basil leaves. This versatile herb, which originated from India and is a staple ingredient for fine Italian cooking, is surprisingly common in a variety of Australian dishes from salads and pesto to soups and vinaigrette.
What many of us don’t know is that apart from being a delightful side to our favourite dishes, basil can also be used to extract an essential oil, which can be harvested by steam distilling the basil plant’s leaves, flowers and stems. Basil essential oil is prized for its numerous cosmetic benefits. Here are some of the things basil essential oil can do to your skin.
Smooths Wrinkles
While ageing is inevitable, there are plenty of ways to delay its signs from emerging. One particular sign of ageing that has been the target of many cosmetic procedures are wrinkles. Good news for essential oil buffs — basil essential oil is packed with moisturising properties, which can help smooth visible signs of wrinkles and age lines. For safe application, infuse this essential oil into a facial skin cream or mix with a carrier oil. Even though essential oils are natural, they are potent enough to irritate the skin when used in their pure form.
Adds Protection from the Sun
We all know that prolonged exposure to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation could cause irreversible damage to our skin. Sunlight, however, is a good source of Vitamin D, which promotes healthy bones and support the immune system, so most of us take the risk and sunbathe from time to time. All we need to do to avoid getting sunburn is to apply sunscreen. As it turns out, you can improve the effectiveness of sunscreen by adding a few drops of basil essential oil. It can even help moisturise your skin after tanning.
Improves Complexion
There are countless skincare products that promise a light skin tone after use. If none of those products seem to be working on your skin, it’s time to try the natural approach. A concoction of olive oil, lemon juice and basil essential oil may prove to be a good alternative to commercial products when it comes to improving your skin complexion. It can help to remove blemishes and dead skin cells that might be obscuring the light skin tone underneath.
A Good Skin Cleanser
Basil essential oil, when mixed with other substances, can help get rid of dead cells and unnatural blemishes on your skin to reveal the light complexion concealed underneath. This makes it a good skin cleanser, removing other impurities such as dust and oil. Just apply a mixture of honey, lemon juice, basil essential oil and Fuller’s earth clay powder on your face for ten minutes and all those pimple-causing impurities will be purged out.
There’s so much to learn about essential oils and their cosmetic benefits. Even after using them for thousands of years, we’ve barely even scratched the surface of their true potential. If you are interested in knowing more about them, especially basil essential oil, follow us on Facebook or Instagram. N-Essentials can help you find the most suitable skin care products for you.