What Is Skin Brightening?
Skin brightening is a common skincare term used to mean lightening and fading of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It aims to balance skin tone and bring more vibrancy and glow to the skin.
Skin brightening ingredients like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic and lactic acid will work to brighten scars, tone, and hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production and increasing cell turnover.
Melanin is a pigment produced by the skin cells that determines how light or dark the skin appears. Melanin is made in cells known as melanocytes.
Products that target and decrease melanocytes such as Vitamin C and exfoliators such as glycolic acid will thus help to brighten those areas.
Brightening ingredients are amazing for treating conditions like melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (those red, dark spots left behind by acne).
They can also benefit the skin’s overall health and appearance by boosting glow and helping clear dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.
If you are wanting to naturally brighten your skin, even skin tone, and treat those pesky dark spots and melasma (which can be very difficult to get rid of), essential oils and plant-based oils make fantastic natural skincare options.
(Check out the best essential oils for skin tightening – in a new tab.)
Are Essential Oils Good For Skin Brightening?
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years to treat topical conditions of the skin.
Essential oils, when diluted and used correctly, can brighten the skin and provide a boost of glow by treating stubborn hyperpigmentation, dryness, irritation, and more.
These essential oils can work similarly to skin care exfoliators by gently removing the buildup of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin and encouraging the production of new, healthy cells.
The results? Brighter, glowier, healthier-looking skin.
Essential Oils For Skin Brightening & Glowing
Neroli Essential Oil
Neroli (which derives from orange blossoms) essential oil is one of the best sources of Vitamin C that you’ll find. Vitamin C is fantastic for brightening the skin as it speeds up healing and works to face scars and lighten discoloration.
Vitamin C is also an important antioxidant known to protect the skin from free radicals and boost collagen production.
Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile is a great, calming essential oil that repairs the skin and fights cellular damage.
This is largely due to the compound Azulene, a natural nutrient that calms redness and inflammation. Chamomile is a great option for those with sensitive skin.
Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium is a natural astringent that calms inflammation and improves skin’s appearance by hydrating the skin and reducing scarring and hyperpigmentation.
It can be used for dry and acne-prone skin types because it boosts hydration and overall glow.
Turmeric Essential Oil
Turmeric is a widely used and loved spice that, in the skincare world, is known for its ability to brighten and even out the complexion.
Turmeric’s main active compound, curcumin, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that benefits the skin by reducing redness, blemishes and prevents dark spots from getting worse.
Turmeric is also antibacterial and antifungal, so it is great for acne-prone skin.
Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary essential oil is a beautiful plant-based oil that is packed full of antioxidants.
These antioxidants and phytonutrients protect the skin from sun damage and other types of free radical damage that can lead to advanced aging and hyperpigmentation.
Rosemary is also naturally antibacterial, so it will prevent the growth of acne and prevent scar-causing blemishes. This also makes rosemary a brilliant option for those with oily or acne-prone skin.
Rose Essential Oil
Rose is a lovely essential oil that has been shown to reduce acne and the appearance of scars, hydrate the skin, have anti-aging properties, as well as even the skin tone of those with eczema, sun damage, and rosacea.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil is a fantastic source of antioxidants like Vitamin C that work to brighten and even the skin tone.
It is a great option for those with oilier skin as it is a natural antiseptic that treats excess oil and gently removes dead skin cells.
Manuka Essential Oil
Manuka is a gentle, warm oil that supports healthy-looking skin by reducing the appearance of blemishes and calms inflammation, all while nourishing and providing the skin with the moisture it needs to sustain a healthy glow.
How To Use Essential Oils For Glowing Skin
Using essential oils for brighter, more glowing skin is both simple and affordable.
The best way to utilize the brightening, nourishing, moisturizing agents in these oils is to create a serum or hydrating facial oil by diluting two to four drops of essential oil into one tablespoon of carrier oil.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, so you don’t need a lot. Those with sensitive skin should start small and use less essential oil to avoid any irritation.
By now, you may be wondering what the best plant-based carrier oils to pair with these beautifying essential oils are? Let’s find out.
Plant-Based Carrier Oils For Radiant Skin
Choosing the right carrier oil when your goal is brighter, clearer, more radiant skin is incredibly important. First, you want to make sure that the oil you choose is a plant-based oil, NOT mineral oil or baby oil.
Plant-based oils are high in nutrients that will benefit and plump the skin far superior to non-plant-based oils. You will also want an oil that is low on the comedogenic scale to avoid potential flare-ups in acne or congestion.
We’ve listed some of our favorite oil below.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Rosehip seed oil is one of the best natural sources of Vitamins A and C, ingredients that will increase cell turnover and treat discoloration.
Its natural source of Vitamin A can also have a retinol-like effect that increases collagen production without irritating the skin. Rosehip seed oil is high in omega fatty acids and linoleic acids that can help treat and balance acneic skin.
Squalane Oil
Squalane oil is a unique plant oil that mimics your skin’s natural moisture substances, meaning that your skin loves this stuff!
If you want to boost your natural glow, squalane will help by keeping your skin properly hydrated, plumper, and firmer.
Squalane is also anti-inflammatory and is known to increase blood circulation. Because its molecular structure is so close to our own, squalane can work for any skin type.
Pomegranate Oil
You probably already know that this fruit is high in antioxidants.
What you may not know is that this plant-based oil can also help protect the skin against sun damage and work to heal the skin by increasing circulation and protecting the epidermis.
Pomegranate oil is excellent for dry skin because it can deeply penetrate the skin’s layers to hydrate and plump. But pomegranate oil can also benefit oily and acneic skin by reducing scarring and preventing breakouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Essential Oil Is Best for Glowing Skin?
There are so many beneficial essential oils that can promote radiant, glowing skin. Some of these oils include lavender, Neroli, geranium, chamomile, rose, lemon, and more.
What Oils Make The Skin Glow?
Plant-based oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, rosehip seed, squalane, argan, carrot seed, pomegranate, and Marula oil are beautiful, non-comedogenic oils that make the skin glow.
What Is Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition that causes the skin to darken by producing an excess of melanin. It is most commonly caused by acne scars, sun damage, and hormone fluctuations such as those post-pregnancy.
What Is The Difference Between Skin Brightening And Skin Lightening?
Skin brightening is all about increasing glow and vibrancy to the skin by balancing out the skin tone and treating hyperpigmentation.
On the other hand, skin lightening works to target melanin production and even out the skin tone and marks of discoloration.
Skin lightening focuses on other skincare ingredients such as Hydroquinone and Alpha Arbutin, but Vitamin C and Vitamin A are also used. For skin brightening, ingredients are used in lower concentrations.