With more of us turning to natural and alternative therapies for better health and looks, there is increased interest in the application of essential oils in our healthcare and beauty routines.
There is a whole host of essential oils to choose from and among them, as one of the best for hair and skin, is hyssop oil.
Chapter Overview
What is Hyssop?
A member of the mint family, hyssop has been used as a natural healer as an oil and as a herb since ancient times. Indeed, its name is derived from the Hebrew word ezob which means holy herb. The oil is distilled from the leaves and flowers of the plant and delivers a sweet, woody, herbal scent.
The oil has a powerful chemical composition and has expectorant, digestive, diuretic, cicatrisant, antimicrobial, and astringent properties. This makes hyssop essential oil highly beneficial for skin and hair. To get the expected effects, you’ll need to choose a 100% pure hyssop oil, otherwise you risk hair damage and skin irritation
Here are the top benefits of hyssop essential oil for skin and hair:
1) Use as a Cleanser for Skin
Because of its natural herbal and astringent properties, hyssop makes an excellent skin cleanser. Properly cleaning your skin on a regular basis helps control the bacteria that can lead to acne and other skin issues such as blackheads and pimples.
Adding just a couple of drops of hyssop oil to your usual facial cleanser is all it takes to reap the benefits.
2) Ward off Infections
Any time you’re injured where your skin is broken, there’s the risk of bacteria getting in, leading to infection. Left untreated, these infections can become quite dangerous.
The antiseptic properties of hyssop oil make it ideal for cleansing wounds and killing the bacteria and germs in and around them. Simply rub a small amount of the oil into the wound and allow it to do its magic.
3) Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
Whether you’ve always had thin hair, or it’s recently begun thinning, the application of hyssop oil can thicken and strengthen each strand.
Healthy hair starts with the products you use on it so adding a few drops of hyssop oil to your shampoo or conditioner infuses your hair with its marvellous chemicals, stimulating hair growth and discouraging hair loss.
4) Fights Oily Skin
Oily skin can make it difficult to keep your makeup in place, and it also increases the chances of developing breakouts. Use hyssop oil to take advantage of its natural astringent properties for clearing the greasiness.
Any astringent will also shrink your pores which helps to ward off pimples and breakouts. The oil can also be used in a facial steam treatment – just a couple of drops are needed in the water,
5) Softens and Smooths Skin
Another of the many benefits of hyssop is that it helps smooth and soften the skin on your face and body. It can help even out skin tone awhile nourishing and hydrating at the same time.
Hyssop oil can help soften and smooth all skin types so it’s a valuable addition to your regular skincare routine. Have a multi-purpose skincare product is always a bonus.
6) Prevent Scars
Scars can appear after an injury, a disease such as chickenpox, or as a result of bug bites or acne. Most people with scars, especially on the face, do anything they can to hide them.
Hyssop oil can help prevent these scars from appearing in the first place. It can also help minimize and fade existing scars. Simply apply a bit of hyssop oil to the scar on a regular basis and watch it disappear over time.
7) Soothes Skin Conditions
The chemical composition of hyssop oil makes it soothing for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or other similar afflictions. Because it’s safe for use on sensitive skin, it can be used to treat and soothe the itching, flakiness, and redness that goes with certain skin irritations.
The oil’s anti-inflammatory properties will also contribute to the soothing effect. It’s as easy as adding a few drops to your usual skin cream or lotion with each application.
8) Hides and Prevents Wrinkles
We all want to keep looking young for as long as we can, wanting to stave off the signs of ageing that inevitably appear first on the face as those fine lines and wrinkles appear.
Hyssop oil fights wrinkles by hydrating the skin, plumping it up, smoothing out the furrows. At the same time, hyssop has firming properties that help combat sagging, wrinkly skin that forms when the skin’s elastin relaxes, and we don’t produce enough collagen to counteract it.
9) Boosts Perspiration
You might wonder why you’d want to increase the rate at which you perspire. Not sweating enough can lead to a build-up of sodium, bacteria, and toxins in your body.
This can make you sick and uncomfortable. Because hyssop oil is sudorific, it can help your body perspire, removing the excess salts and toxins.
10) Aids in Detoxification
If your body is filled with toxins, such as those from a poor diet, smoking, drug use, alcohol ,or environmental exposure, it can’t do a good job of keeping skin and hair healthy.
It makes sense therefore, that detoxing the body will help boost the look and feel of both your skin and your hair. Hyssop aids the body’s natural detox by removing excess salt, water. and fats from your system, thereby boosting overall health.
11) Stimulates the Circulatory System
Both healthy skin and healthy hair rely on a properly operating circulatory system. Without adequate blood flow to your scalp, your hair may become dull and lifeless. The same goes for the skin all over your body.
Hyssop oil stimulates the circulatory system, making it an ideal choice for bringing shine and lustre to your hair and smoothness and brightness to your complexion.
Hyssop oil really is one of nature’s little miracles. It has many great properties that target skin and hair issues but also your overall health, and when you feel good and your body is functioning well, you also look good. Its versatility makes it a must-have essential oil in your collection if you are serious about natural remedies.