If you are a stickler for high-quality skincare, chances are some of your creams, moisturizers and tonics contain one or several essential oils. No wonder – the wide-ranging qualities of essential oils, tapped into for centuries, have long proved indispensable to modern beauty rituals. Haute Beauty offers a guide to some must-try essential oils that once blended into your skincare routine deliver wow results.

Acne
Pimples bump up easily but often require quite some time – and effort – to heal away. Far from shaping up a teenage-only plague, pesky zits are a common and vexing occurrence throughout adulthood, too. To effectively – and economically – deal with the issue, try tea tree oil, which boasts antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It serves as poison to acne-causing bacteria. Other potions that achieve the same effects include calendula oil, frankincense oil (it is a great natural toner, as well) and geranium oil. To efface acne scars, use jasmine oil.

Aging
Desperate to revert the clock? Opt for geranium oil, whose astringent faculties tighten saggy skin and prompt skin cell recreation. Smoothing over wrinkles, it rushes blood circulation to the applied area – a particularity that not only improves elasticity but also heals a slew of skin conditions like dermatitis and eczema. Other age-defying essential oils are lavender, which regenerates skin cells and erases impurities like scars and sun spots, and myrrh, which mends skin tone and elasticity. Also try rose oil – a potent enhancer of skin texture – and rosehip oil, a rather dry elixir that promotes collagen formation.

Oiliness
Overly shiny complexion might be a dread but its cure has never smelled so dainty. With an enticing floral fragrance, Ylang ylang oil keeps oil secretion in check and, thus, reduces breakouts. A great treatment for mature oily skin is neroli oil, which regulates oil production and shrinks pores without causing dehydration.

Dryness
Skin dryness can be a chronic and difficult to manage condition. Yet, several essential oils help allay it. Palmarosa oil seeps deep into the derma to rehydrate it, while rosehip oil fights dryness through cell regeneration. For an instant relief, choose patchouli oil, which soothes and revitalizes cracked skin.

Caveat: Due to their concentration, most essential oils should not be directly applied onto your skin. To optimize their properties, without causing any reverse reactions, mix them into your cream or with carrier oils like jojoba and coconut.