Essential Oils & Plant Extracts in Topical Creams

Sharon Sinclair
Jan 6
3 min read

Traditional use, thoughtful selection, and external application

When creating a topical cream, ingredients matter — but so does why they’re chosen and how they’re used together.

In Sharon’s Magic Cream, essential oils and plant extracts are selected with intention, drawing from traditional topical body-care practices and modern formulation knowledge. This article explains the role these ingredients play, how they’re traditionally used, and why balance is key in a topical product.

The Traditional Role of Essential Oils in Topical Care

Essential oils have been used for generations in massage oils, salves, balms, and body-care preparations. Traditionally, they are valued not only for their aroma, but for how they contribute to the overall feel and experience of a topical application.

In body-care traditions, essential oils are often associated with:

Easing feelings of tightness in overworked areas
Supporting a sense of relaxation during massage or application
Enhancing comfort as part of a topical routine

These uses are rooted in external application, not ingestion, and are intended to support everyday comfort rather than medical treatment.

Essential oils traditionally used in topical body care

Antispasmodic and Soothing Traditions

In traditional herbal language, certain essential oils are described as antispasmodic or soothing when used in topical preparations. These terms historically refer to how oils have been associated with relaxing tension and promoting ease when applied to the skin, often during massage or body work.

In Sharon’s Magic Cream, essential oils are used in this traditional, topical context — as part of a formula designed to support comfort, relaxation, and ease through external application.

We do not use essential oils as isolated ingredients or in overpowering amounts. Instead, they are carefully blended to complement the cream’s texture, aroma, and overall experience.

Essential Oils and the Sensory Experience

Beyond traditional associations, essential oils play an important role in the sensory aspect of a topical cream.

They influence:

Aroma (calming, grounding, or gently warming)
How the cream feels during application
The overall ritual of use

Many customers tell us that applying the cream becomes a small moment of pause — a time to slow down, breathe, and care for the body. The essential oils are chosen to support that experience rather than overwhelm it.

Applying topical cream as part of a self-care routine

How Essential Oils Work Alongside Hemp-Based Extracts

Hemp-based extracts and essential oils are used together in our creams because they complement one another in a topical formulation.

Hemp-based extracts are included for external, localized use, while essential oils enhance the application experience and support traditional body-care practices. Neither ingredient is intended to work alone — it’s the balance of the formula that matters.

By combining these ingredients thoughtfully, the cream remains:

Gentle
Balanced
Easy to understand
Designed strictly for topical use

Why Balance Matters in Topical Formulation

More is not always better when it comes to essential oils. A well-formulated topical cream uses just enough to support comfort and aroma without overwhelming the skin.

Our approach emphasizes: