Aromatherapy Considerations for Burn-Related Skin Support: A Practitioner Perspective

By: Daria Rios

Burns are among the most common household injuries - nearly everyone has experienced at least one. Whether from cooking accidents, hot beverages, or summer sun exposure, understanding how to support the healing process safely can be valuable for aromatherapy practitioners and families alike.

Important Safety Note: This article discusses mild to moderate burns only. Severe burns, burns covering large areas, burns on the face or joints, and burns in children or elderly individuals require immediate medical attention. The information presented here is educational and does not replace professional medical care.

Why Burn Care Matters

Effective burn wound repair involves three priorities: enhancing tissue regeneration, preventing infection, and minimizing pain and scar formation. While aromatherapy cannot replace medical treatment, research suggests certain essential oils may offer supportive benefits when used appropriately and safely.

What the Research Shows: Lavender Takes Center Stage

Among essential oils studied for burn-related skin support, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) appears most frequently in research literature. This Mediterranean shrub from the Lamiaceae family has been valued for centuries. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) flowers contain approximately 3% essential oil, with over 300 chemical compounds. The dominant components: linalool, linalyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol - contribute to its documented antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.¹

Historical Context

The therapeutic use of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for burns has deep roots. In René-Maurice Gattefossé’s 1937 book “Gattefossé’s Aromatherapy,” Dr. Marchand documented observations of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil applied topically following a superficial skin injury - an account that helped establish modern aromatherapy practice.²

Current Research

PRISMA-guided reviews indexed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase have examined lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil across multiple research models. These studies consistently report positive changes in wound-associated processes, particularly collagen expression and tissue remodeling.³ Several controlled studies have specifically explored lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil in second-degree burn cases with adult participants, comparing different topical approaches and measuring wound healing progression, infection rates, and recovery duration.⁴ Additional laboratory studies have examined lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil’s antimicrobial activity and interaction with inflammatory processes.⁵

Important Reminder: These findings represent controlled research observations, not clinical recommendations for self-treatment.

 

A Personal Observation

I once used lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil diluted at 1% in baobab (Adansonia digitata) carrier oil for my young son after he sustained a burn injury to three fingers with significant blistering.

On the first day, the affected fingers were briefly immersed in the diluted oil blend. After that, the oil was applied topically to the burned areas twice daily for three days.

After the initial application, I observed a noticeable calming response, and the child appeared more comfortable almost immediately. I continued gentle topical applications while closely monitoring the skin’s condition.

Within about a week, I could see how quickly everything was healing up - the irritation went down and there was no more redness.

Beyond lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), researchers have also explored:

Other Essential Oils in Burn-Related Research

Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus): blue gum eucalyptus essential oil has been incorporated into antibacterial hydrogel dressings and lipid nanoparticles tested in experimental burn/wound models.^6,9 

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin): referenced in experimental literature for topical skin applications, with contemporary research exploring wound-care gel formulations; specific chemotype was not reported in the cited study.⁷

Lemon Pepper (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium): recent studies have examined this essential oil in experimental burn models, contributing to research on plant-derived compounds in skin care.⁸

Choosing Carriers: What to Consider

Essential oils are volatile and concentrated; they require dilution in carriers. But which carrier works best for sensitive burn injuries?

Different carriers vary in composition and properties that may influence healing. Here’s what research has explored:

Advanced Delivery Systems

One experimental study encapsulated blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil in lipid nanoparticles using cocoa (Theobroma cacao) butter (solid lipid) and olive (Olea europaea) oil (liquid phase); the system showed cytocompatibility with dermal fibroblasts and was evaluated in a rat burn model.⁹

Natural Carrier Options

Honey is widely recognized for antibacterial properties.

One study evaluated honey mixed with thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil at 0.5% dilution in experimental burn models, reporting wound closure rates of 85.21% (thermal) and 82.14% (chemical) with healing periods around 14 days.¹⁰

Beeswax, olive (Olea europaea) oil, and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) butter examined as nutritive carriers in experimental wound studies, with observations about absorption properties and skin repair processes.¹¹

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Oil: a 2018 study showed promising results with an herbal ointment containing sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil, camphor, and honey.¹²

Other studies suggest combining lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil with sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil may support tissue restoration, with effects comparable to silver sulfadiazine (a conventional burn care standard).¹³

Aloe Vera (Aloe vera): Long used for burns, though scientific evidence remains limited.¹⁴ Research suggests Aloe vera works best for light sunburns (decreasing subdermal temperature and inflammation), while lipid-based carriers like olive (Olea europaea) oil or sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil may be more appropriate for deeper skin irritation.

Practical Dilution Guidelines

In most research studies, essential oils were used at low dilutions:

• Approximately 0.5–2% with carriers like olive (Olea europaea) oil, sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil, or honey
• For semi-solid preparations: cocoa (Theobroma cacao) butter and/or beeswax

Safety Consideration: Always perform a patch test first, especially with children or sensitive skin.

Beyond Topical Application: Inhalation Support

Burns involve not only physical pain but also significant stress and emotional distress. Inhalation offers one of the fastest ways essential oils can influence the nervous system.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil: Widely studied for calming effects. In clinical settings, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil inhalation has been associated with reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality. In one study involving burn patients, aromatherapy massage using lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil diluted in grapeseed (Vitis vinifera) oil as a carrier was performed on intact (non-burned) areas of the skin and resulted in significant improvements in both anxiety scores and sleep quality.¹⁵

Damask Rose (Rosa × damascena) Essential Oil: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Iran (2013) found that inhalation of damask rose (Rosa × damascena) essential oil diluted in water was linked to significant decreases in pain intensity and severity compared to control groups.¹⁶

Key Takeaways

- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most researched essential oil for burn-related skin support

- Research suggests that several essential oils show promise: blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and lemon pepper (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium)

- Use low dilutions: approximately 0.5–2% in appropriate carriers

- Carrier selection matters: olive (Olea europaea) oil and sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil appear most studied for deeper burns; Aloe vera for light sunburns

- Inhalation can help with pain perception, anxiety, and sleep quality

- Always prioritize safety: severe burns require medical attention; this information is educational only.

A Final Word

The research reviewed here suggests aromatherapy may offer supportive benefits for mild to moderate burn care when used safely and appropriately. However, nothing replaces proper medical evaluation and treatment.

As aromatherapy practitioners, our role is to educate, support, and work within our scope - always with the wellbeing and safety of those we serve as our first priority.

References

1. Prusinowska R, Śmigielski KB. Composition, biological properties and therapeutic effects of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.). A review. Herba Polonica. 2014;60(2):56-66.

2. Gattefossé RM. Gattefossé’s Aromatherapy. Translated from the French. Edited by Tisserand RB. Great Britain: Saffron Walden, The C.W. Daniel Company Limited; 1993:90-91.

3. Samuelson R, Lobl M, Higgins S, Clarey D, Wysong A. The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil on Wound Healing: A Review of the Current Evidence. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020;26(8).

4. Sait A. Clinical Observation of Compound Lavender Oil Treatment II Degree Burn Wounds. Medicine. 2011.

5. Hajiali H, et al. Alginate-lavender nanofibers with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity to effectively promote burn healing. Journal of Materials Chemistry B. 2016;4(9):1686-1695.

6. Wang H, et al. Antibacterial polysaccharide-based hydrogel dressing containing plant essential oil for burn wound healing. Burns & Trauma. 2021;9.

7. Febriyenti, Putri RF, Suharti N. Formulation and Evaluation of Patchouli Oil Gel for Burn Wound. Jurnal Sains Farmasi & Klinis. 2019;6(3):191-194.

8. Purnama D, et al. Wound healing activity of Lemon pepper essential oil in burn wound of Wistar rat. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 2021;14(5).

9. Saporito F, et al. Essential oil-loaded lipid nanoparticles for wound healing. International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2018;13:175-186.

10. Mekkaoui M, et al. Ethnopharmacological Survey and Comparative Study of the Healing Activity of Moroccan Thyme Honey and Its Mixture with Selected Essential Oils on Two Types of Wounds on Albino Rabbits. Foods. 2021 Dec 23;11(1):28.

11. Bayir Y, et al. The effects of Beeswax, Olive oil and Butter impregnated bandage on burn wound healing. Burns. 2019;45(6):1410-1417.

12. Vaghardoost R, Mousavi Majd SGhR, Tebyanian H, Babavalian H, Malaei L, Niazi M, Javdani A. The Healing Effect of Sesame Oil, Camphor and Honey on Second Degree Burn Wounds in Rat. World J Plast Surg. 2018;7(1):67-71.

13. Afshari A, Raeeszadeh M, Akradi L. [Effect of the Lavender, sesame oil, combination of Lavender with sesame oil and silver sulfadiazine on the burn wound healing in mice]. J Gorgan Univ Med Sci. 2018 Spring;20(1):51-57. [Article in Persian].

14. Cuttle L, et al. The efficacy of Aloe vera, tea tree oil and saliva as first aid treatment for partial thickness burn injuries. Burns. 2008 Dec;34(8):1176-82.

15. Rafii F, et al. The effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender and chamomile oil on anxiety and sleep quality of patients with burns. Burns. 2020 Feb;46(1):164-171.

16. Bikmoradi A, Harorani M, Roshanaei G, Moradkhani S, Falahinia GH. The effect of inhalation aromatherapy with damask rose (Rosa damascena) essence on the pain intensity after dressing in patients with burns: a clinical randomized trial. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2016 May-June;21(3):247-254.