It's summertime again, and time to break out the sunscreen to help protect our skin and keep it happy and healthy. And although we apply the liberally, there may be spots we miss on ourselves or on our children; and its likely we won't remember to reapply each time we get out of the ocean or pool. Here's the perfect opportunity to nourish yourself and you skin with the fantastic skin care effects of essential oils. Much of the unpleasant effects from sun over exposure are due to the generation of free radicals in our dermal layers. Inflammation occurs on a cellular level, and long term sun damage can result if this occurs frequently. Luckily, we can apply antioxidant and anti-inflammatory formulas topically to keep our skin happy and healthy after sun exposure.

Therapeutic grade essential oils all have antioxidant activity. Many oils have exceptionally high 'oxidative radical absorbance capacity' readings found through laboratory testing. From the hard work of scientists, we can select essential oils that will have beneficial effects on our skin, not only through their antioxidant protection, but through other skin healing actions as well. A recent journal publication reported that the essential oil of Myrrh did even better than a potent man-made antioxidant at quenching singlet-oxygen free radicals generated by UV exposure. And all we have to do is rub a little of this precious oil into our skin!

It's simple to compound your own formula: Choose from a few readily available oils commonly used in skin care, add them to one or more nourishing carrier oils and voilà! -- your own personally-tailored recipe. The obvious first choice is lavender. Lavender reduces inflammation and has natural constituents which stimulate healthy skin cell regeneration. Lavender in fact began the modern aromatherapy revolution with its quick healing of burns. Really, when we come in from sun over-exposure, even without a sunburn, we do have a mild burn on a cellular level. Lavender can be used undiluted on burned his skin, and will be an effective addition to any recipe.

For even greater anti-inflammatory effect, try Blue Tansy, also known as Moroccan chamomile. It's deep blue color is indicative of its natural cooling effect. It has an absolutely delicious aroma, smelling like a berry patch deep in the forest. Blue Tansy is included in many natural health skincare formulas for all sorts of dermatitis including itchy allergic reactions which often occur in the summer heat. If you or your child's skin is particularly sensitive, Blue Tansy will be a great addition to your recipe.

Everlasting essential oil, better known as Helichrysum Italicum, is a wonderful and profoundly healing oil called for when the most potent anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects are needed. If you're looking for one of the secret ingredients in natural skincare, Helichrysum is it. You'll find Helichrysum in blends for scar reduction, wound healing, hair growth, and maintenance of mature skin. Its gentle nature belies its profound effects; it can be used at 100% strength if necessary, but is most often used at 3-5 % in skincare recipes.

Finally, a lovely essential oil that should be perhaps be in every aromatherapy formula is Sea Buckthorn. This CO2 essential oil is extracted from tiny red berries from a bush wildly grown across Europe. This fruity smelling, deep red oil is dense with vitamin A - like nutrients for the skin which dramatically increase healing and regeneration rates. You'll see this oil recommended in nearly every skincare formula these days -- it can help in conditions ranging from acne to dermatitis, from general skincare to improving the appearance of healthy mature skin. Sea Buckthorn has even been studied for the protection of astronauts’ skin from the powerful raise beyond the Earth's atmosphere -- how's that for a recommendation? Use this oil with confidence at a 1-3 % concentration.

You also have the option of adding other active-ingredients like natural vitamin E and fat soluble vitamin C to your mixture. You can simply empty or two capsules into each ounce of blend that you make. All these ingredients will be based in natural 'carrier oils'. Carrier oils are common seed and nut oils like Avocado, Apricot Kernel, Evening Primrose, Jojoba, Hemp, and the specialty skincare oils Tamanu and Rosehip seed. Any of these oils alone will work wonderfully, though you can use two or more together to provide a synergy of healthy action for your skin. A general-purpose formula may include Avocado and Jojoba; a potent formula for extra skin health support might include Evening Primrose, Tamanu, and Rosehip seed.

Use your intuition to guide you for the best formula for yourself. Here are a few examples to get you started: make a base of one third Apricot Kernel, one third Tamanu, and one-third Rosehip seed. For each ounce of base, add 15 drops each of Lavender, Blue Tansy and Sea Buckhorn -- include 15 drops of vitamin E and 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbyl palimate for that extra nutraceutical enhancement. You might also try a base of Jojoba, Avocado, and Tamanu; to this add 15 drops each of myrrh, helichrysum, and Sea Buckthorn. While simple, these formulas are highly effective. They will reduce inflammation and quench oxidative radical activity in your skin on a cellular level. All of these oils are gentle enough for family members of all ages, though for the very young ones use only a quarter as much essential oil in the recipe. These oils are gentle enough for frequent application, and frequent application is encouraged for the long-term health and vibrancy of your skin.