Essential oils - super potent plant power

Essential oils are highly concentrated herbal active ingredients. They are popular for aromatherapy and a common representative in natural cosmetics. Because these ingredients are super complex, there are a few things to consider when using them. We will tell you here how you can safely use this flower power.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are the language of plants. They communicate via the scent of these signaling substances, telling bees “Come here” and predators “Get lost!” Our nervous system also understands many of these messages . Certain essences have an invigorating effect, others have a calming effect, and so on.

🌹 Scents have a different effect than other sensory impressions. They skip a processing step in the brain and go straight into the limbic system, which controls our emotions and hormones. That is why essential oils in cosmetics are not just a matter of skin.

But your scent is not everything. These highly complex ingredients also bring special abilities to skin care. However, they are not suitable for everyone. That's why we're taking a look at where essential oils get their super power from, what needs to be considered when using them on the skin and what role they play in FIVE products.

Highly concentrated all-rounders

Essential oils have an ancient tradition in medicine, much longer than for cosmetic purposes. Each one of them consists of several hundred chemical compounds. So they are super complex and tremendously versatile . They generally have an antimicrobial effect and are rich in antioxidants. Depending on the plant, essential oils can also relieve inflammation, promote wound healing, refine the complexion and much more.

☝️ Compared to vegetable base and active ingredient oils, essential oils are much more complex and intense .

There's just one thing they can't do: grease. Unlike nourishing lipids like jojoba wax or argan oil , essential essences are super light. They also dissipate quickly. They are therefore dissolved in base oils for care products . There is another reason for this, because they would be much too irritating on their own. Which brings us to a common question: are essential oils even good for the skin?

Essential oils for the skin

Almost 100 essential oils are used in dermatology. So they are anything but forbidden for the skin. Still, many have concerns. There are two reasons for this:

Dose too high

For example, if you put pure tea tree oil on your skin - it's good for pimples - you're not doing it any favors. The essences are much too hot for that. They should always be generously diluted . This is already the case with “finished” cosmetics. When it comes to your own creations, thrift is a must – less is more!

👊 The rule of thumb is: Only 4 drops of essential oil for 1 shot glass (2 cl) of base oil.

allergies

Essential oils are plant-based active ingredients, each of which consists of up to 200 chemical components. Some of them can be allergenic. The EU has defined 26 allergens that are always shown separately in the INCI list for cosmetics. This is how people with allergies can see which products they should avoid.

💡 1 ingredient, multiple allergens, whoa? yes it can happen Because essential oils are so complex, a single one may contain multiple allergenic components. For example our neroli oil. This is only 1 ingredient, but counts 4 allergens to be reported (linalool, limonene, farnesol and geraniol).

Can I use essential oils during pregnancy?

Yes, but not unconditionally. There are essential oils that specifically alleviate certain discomforts during pregnancy. But you should now avoid others, especially very stimulating ones. The application also plays a role. So you can use them in personal care products and as a fragrance, but not internally. If you want to know for sure, it's best to consult a midwife with additional qualifications in aromatherapy. She will tell you exactly which essential oil you can take, how and for what.

🤰 FIVE loves Moms : Our products are all suitable for pregnancy. My personal recommendation is the FIVE Shea Cream with essential neroli oil. It is perfect for abdominal and breast massages and, according to customers, should also help to prevent stretch marks .

Are essential oils for baby care?

Experts advise against using essential oils for children and especially babies. How much power is in them has been shown here several times. Its effect is correspondingly complex. Not only on the skin, but above all on the nervous system . And that is still developing in children. So don't just experiment. If so, then you should seek advice from specialists with special training.

Which essential oils does FIVE actually use?

How nice of you to ask! We rely on essential oils for three reasons:

1. Because of their effectiveness - that's why the choice is always perfectly tailored to the care goal of each individual product.
2. Because they conserve . And all natural, which is important with our minimalist formulations .
3. Because of the scent , because skin care should also touch the senses.

You can find these essential oils in our products:

neroli oil
In FIVE Make-up Remover and FIVE Shea Cream

Neroli oil is one of the most valuable essential oils of all. It is obtained from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree and smells like a Mediterranean garden: fresh, delicately sweet, slightly tart. In addition to the aroma, we use the precious neroli because of its good skin tolerance.
Quality & extraction: organic, steam distillation of the flowers

lavender oil
In the FIVE facial oil – dry skin

Lavender oil promotes collagen synthesis and thus wound healing. This supports the regeneration of dry and stressed skin. The scent of lavender is only very faintly present in the product.
Quality & Extraction: organic, distillation of the flower spikes

grapefruit oil
In the FIVE facial oil – impure skin

Its particularly strong antibacterial effect helps to contain skin impurities. We also love the subtle tart-sweet scent.
Quality & extraction: organic, pressing from the fruit skin

Conclusion: fragrant active ingredients, but not for everyone

Let's reiterate: with up to 200 individual chemical compounds, essential oils contain the concentrated power of plants . This makes them so effective for different skin needs but also for aromatherapy. Because of their intense smell, they not only have an effect on the skin, but also in the brain. Because of their complexity, they should be consumed with caution by people with allergies and not for babies and children.

Most others, however, benefit from their special skills, which should always be tailored to the respective need . Soothing, regeneration, pimple gone? Tell your skin through the flower. 😉

Your Anna