Using Essential Oils for Milia Treatment

What is Milia?

No one wants bumps on their skin. Milia is a series of small bumps that form on your face. They tend to be widely spread out. There is a wide range of home remedies that are recommended for treating this condition.

If you are looking to use essential oils for milia treatment, this is the article for you. We will look at some essential oils that will fit the bill. As you will note, we tend to air towards going as natural as possible where treatment is concerned.

Due to their malignancy, there is no need to need to treat milia. For most people, it is important to treat them as they have an effect on their appearance. If it is affecting you and can be treated non-invasively, it is worth looking into. 

Before we get to that let us make sure you know what we are actually talking about. 

The lack of inflammation usually differentiates milia from acne. Acne will come with inflammation to the skin. Milia (singular: milium) are small (generally ≤ 3 mm) white, benign, superficial keratinous cysts. [1]. They are one of, if not the most common benign tumours of the skin. 

Milia can usually be found in 3 forms based on how it arises, primary, eruptive and skin damage. Primary milia are common in children, affecting about 1 in 2. The great part is that it is easily treated in babies. It is often manifest as a rash. Eruptive milia are most prevalent in women. It is often linked to sunbathing. 

Skin damage milia are what it says on the tin. It comes as a result of your skin being damaged. The damage may be mechanical or part of a medical condition that you may have.

Mechanical damage is anything that breaks through the surface of the skin causing a tear. Primary milia tend to be the least severe looking. In the event that they result from trauma or chemical injury, they tend to look more severe.

Types of milia

If you want to further differentiate them, you can place them into these further categories:

• Primary milia
• Congenital
• Benign primary milia of children and adults
• Milia en plaque
• Nodular grouped milia
• Multiple eruptive milia
• Nevus depigmentosus with milia
• Genodermatosis associated
• Secondary milia
• Disease-associated
• Medication associated
• Trauma associated

[2]

Essential Oils for Milia

Tea Tree Essential Oil for Milia

Tea tree oil is the most highly regarded essential oil for the treatment of milia. It works as a disinfectant due to its antibacterial properties.

How to use it

No matter how severe your condition is, it is important that you dab rather than drip or dip in the tea tree oil. There are several ways to do this right. The key thing is to use in moderation.

1. Dip a cotton bud into tea tree oil.
2. Dip that cotton bud in a bowl of warm water.
3. Gently apply this onto the affected area.
4. Start with once a day, and adjust based on the results you get.
5. Do not use more than twice a day. Morning and evening use at a maximum.

Castor Oil

Castor oil has similar disinfectant abilities as tea tree oil. It will also bear results when used to treat milia. It is best used on primary milia. Where the skin is increasingly oily due to the milia, castor oil works to reduce the production of fluid in that region. It is commonly used by people with acne to treat oily skin.

How to use it

Castor oil is not as potent as tea tree oil. Apply it directly onto the affected area. As with the tea tree oil, it is advisable that you start with a small area and a small dose.

Allow it time to be absorbed deeply into the skin. It is often applied in a mixture with olive oil and left overnight.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera contains polyphenols, and other compounds that are antioxidants and anti-bacterial compounds. This means that it stops the growth of most human bacteria strains. It has many uses, some of which you might be aware of. Aloe vera is commonly used in the treatment of wounds, especially those resulting from burning.

How to use it

Apply aloe vera to the affected area in small doses. You may use a cotton bud to lightly rub or dab over the affected area. Leave it overnight and wash the affected area in the morning.

Reapply on the clean skin and leave for the day. Wash it off in the evening.

Other Treatment

Treatment options are not limited to essential oils. There are other ways that you can go about it. The important thing is to understand what effect you are looking to have on the skin. You are looking to clean the affected area, and allow it to heal.

Essential oils play a key part in removing any bacteria that may be on the affected area. The cleaning part can be done with other methods, such as a steam bath.

Steam bath

A steam bath is a common way of treating the skin. It doesn’t have to be affected by anything. It is advisable to have a steam bath every now and again. What it does is clean your skin and open up your pores. Once your pores are open, it is easier for your skin cells to do the rest.

How to use it

There are steam baths or steam facial washes that you can buy online to make this process easier. These are not a MUST HAVE, as you can do this without them.

1. Get water that is very hot and put it into a sink or large container.
2. Place your face above the water and cover yourself with a large bathing towel.
3. Allow the steam to circulate for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Do this at the end of your day before going to bed. Repeat until the results begin to show.

Honey scrub

The honey facial scrub is another common method for treating milia. Raw honey is known to have those antibacterial and antioxidant properties that we spoke of. I am sure by now you understand what we are doing.

How to use it

You want to put a small amount of honey on your palm and gently rub it onto the affected area in a circular motion.

Once the area is covered, leave the honey there for about 20-30 minutes.

Wash it off.

You are done!

Other oils and elements that you can use to the same effect are rose and cinnamon. With rose, you are looking to find products that contain it as a key ingredient. These may be in the form of facial washes, body creams and lotion. If you want to take the DIY approach further, get some rose petals. Crush them and mix with water. Rub the mixture onto your face and leave it for a while. You may leave them on there overnight.

For cinnamon, just the usual version of it that you can find in your kitchen will do the job. Mix it with some warm water or olive oil. Gently rub it over the affected area. Leave it on for about 10 minutes or so. Wash it off.

Management

Milia will usually clear up on its own. Treatment is used to make it more bearable and to quicken the healing. If you find that your skin is prone to this condition. Consider doing what we have outlined above, on a regular basis. It keeps your pores open, your skin clean and free of bacteria.

You can also make use of topical skin lotions that have disinfectant properties, such as glycolic acid, retinol or salicylic acid. You can also use common a disinfectant such as Dettol to clean your skin. It has to be diluted. I am sure the label on the back of the bottle has a clear direction as to how much water to use with the Dettol.

Perhaps more importantly, avoid exposing yourself to common risk factors. Making sure that you are well covered and not under direct sunlight for prolonged periods is one way of doing this. There is no excuse for not wearing a sun hat and applying sun cream. You would think this is a no brainer.

Consider regular exfoliation as well. This just keeps your pores open and free of dead skin cells.

Futher Reading

If you would like to get a more in-depth understanding of this condition, check out the links below.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962208009249

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82085356.pdf

http://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/milia