The present invention concerns various compositions comprising the essential oil of Origanum compactum or of Aniba rosaeodora or one of their constituents, preferably a major constituent, for use in the targeted treatment and prevention of keratoses in the transformation phase and of carcinomas originating from these keratoses, and more particularly of keratoses induced by solar radiation on the skin of a subject. More particularly, the present invention concerns compositions based on the essential oil of oregano or of rosewood, or on linalool, thymol or carvacrol.