Top Essential Oils For Pityriasis Rosea

Skin conditions can be annoying and irritating. Most of them are nothing to worry about. You should get anything you’re concerned about checked with your doctor. When you have a diagnosis, it’s usually a case of letting things clear up on their own.

You may consider using certain types of topical ointment to get rid of a little faster. If you’ve been diagnosed with pityriasis rosea, you’ll know that it is certainly annoying and can be uncomfortable too. Scaly, red patches which are dry and sometimes itchy are no fun to have. The good news is that isn’t dangerous or serious and usually clears up within a few weeks.

If you don’t want to hang around waiting for 12 weeks, is there anything you can do? Yes, essential oils may be useful in helping to relieve symptoms and clear up the problem a little faster. We are going to look at essential oil for pityriasis rosea.

Essential Oils to Help Treat Pityriasis Rosea

There are two main essential oils which are known to help reduce the redness, soreness, and dryness of pityriasis rosea. When used in conjunction with other self-help techniques, such as taking oatmeal baths and staying cool, you may find that your condition clears up a lot faster than it would if you simply let nature takes its course.

Virgin coconut oil is also a possibility, as well as aloe vera. You’re basically looking to soothe the skin and calm down inflammation, which can make the itching far worse.

Lavender Essential Oil

Most essential oils have antiviral benefits for helping to get rid of any type of skin condition, but this is particularly useful for pityriasis rosea because of the virus which causes it. Lavender oil contains these powerful antiviral benefits but in a quiet gentle way.

Of course, the lavender essential oil is known for its relaxing properties, helping to nod off to sleep at night! You might, therefore, wonder how it can help with this particular skin condition, but those antiviral powers really come to the fore.

It’s important to make sure that you dilute this type of essential oil before applying it directly to the skin, especially when the skin is already inflamed or a little sore from scratching. Obviously, it is best to try and avoid scratching if at all possible, but in some cases that is not possible!

Lavender oil is quite gentle however so you shouldn’t notice irritation provided you dilute it down and watch out for any adverse reactions. This should be the case with any type of oil you use.

Coconut oil is a handy carrier oil for lavender oil and that oil in itself is useful for the condition too, so you’re getting double the benefits! Mix the two together (more carrier oil than essential oil) and then dip a cotton wool pad into the mixture, applying topically to the area affected.

You should notice that the itching goes down very quickly indeed and with regular use you will find that the condition disappears quite quickly, helping to boost healing overall.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree is an essential oil which has been known for its beneficial healing effects for a variety of different skin conditions and is quite soothing too, which is ideal for skin which may be red and inflamed from itching.

Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties, and it is also antimicrobial, which helps to accelerate the healing process but also to soothe the redness too. As with lavender oil, it is a good idea to dilute the essential oil down with a carrier oil, and coconut oil is another good option here.

You would then dip cotton wool into the mixture and apply to the skin twice every day. You will notice the itching disappears quickly, but also any inflammation and redness will even itself out quite fast too.

Coconut Oil

Opting for virgin coconut oil is best because not only is it soothing to the skin, but it also contains antimicrobial effects, which can get to the heart of the virus which causes the condition in the first place. We have mentioned mixing other essential oils with coconut oil as a carrier oil and that is probably the single best choice to make when diluting down an essential oil.

Most people will find this to be soothing at the very least, but as with anything you are applying to your skin, be sure to look for any signs of irritation, and then stop using it if you notice any adverse effects.

Other Self-Help Methods For Pityriasis Rosea

Aside from using essential oils, there are a few other self-help methods you can use alongside. We have already mentioned oatmeal baths and these are known to be very effective for calming inflamed and itchy skin.

In addition, make sure you wear loose-fitting clothes and avoid getting too hot. Cotton is a good material to wear as it is breathable, anything synthetic is simply going to cause you to sweat, and that is going to make it all feel so much worse!

It is also said that eating flaxseed and garlic as part of your diet can help to alleviate inflammation and itching from the inside out. These are easy to incorporate, so it shouldn’t be an issue to at least give it a try! Garlic is also known to help treat the virus which causes the condition, helping to speed up the healing process a little.

Of course, it goes without saying that if you are concerned about any skin condition, or you feel that your pityriasis rosea isn’t getting any better, you should go and see your doctor.

You should also be on the lookout for any signs that any essential oils or self-help methods are creating an even worse environment, e.g. making the redness and soreness worse, or causing more of a rash. Skin is a very sensitive thing, and what suits one person may not suit another.

Sources

https://cks.nice.org.uk/pityriasis-rosea#!scenario

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376405

https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h5233