Autumn is approaching fast and with it the seasons of dry skin. Should you be suffering from winter or year-round dry skin, you want to consider adding a facial oil to your skincare. It will add extra moisture and leave your skin feeling soft and glowing. And fear not, there’s an oil for every skin type.
Since time immemorial, oils are a classic ingredient used in skincare. There are many kinds of oils and each has its own special properties that help your skin as explained with argan oil. Applying oil to your skin offers potent and deep nourishment. When comparing oil to a moisturiser, it nourishes while replacing low levels of natural oils (sebum) in the skin. With age, dry season, heating, or other drying conditions, the skin loses its sebum which leads to a general lacklustre and dullness.
Depending on your skin type, the issues you what to tackle, your needs, and the cost, you can choose the type of oil that is available to you.
Organic Oil And Essential Oil
You can often find olive oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, and if you are a gourmet pumpkin seed oil and such in the kitchen. Organic and unrefined oil is the best as a food ingredient and as a skincare substance. As with honey, when the oils are refined, some chemicals that have beneficial properties will be lost during the process. Organic oils extracted by cold pressing the fatty portion of the plants like nuts and seeds.
Whereas essential oils are distilled from different parts of the plant, these can be petals, leaves, bark, stem, and roots. They are very powerful and volatile. They also have a strong scent. The classic examples are tea tree essential oil, bergamot essential oil, or lavender essential oil.
Organic oils are often termed base or carrier oils. They’re beneficial for skincare in their own rights. Adding essential oils can enhance them. We’re going to look at how in a future post.
Almond Oil
Almonds are commonly known as nuts, but they’re actually the seeds in the almond fruits that look a bit like a peach. The oil is obtained by pressing these seeds. It’s choke-full of antioxidants most notably vitamin A and E, but it also contains zinc, proteins, and potassium.
Both vitamin A and E are known anti-aging compounds, the first due to line-smoothing and the latter for preventing skin damage.
It has a lighter texture than olive oil and shea butter and is widely used in cosmetic products. It’s very emollient and smooths, conditions and softens the skin.
Almonds are known to provoke allergies. If you have almond allergies or have sensitive skin, it’s best to avoid it.
Apricot Kernel Oil
Apricot kernel oil is similar in viscosity and feels to almond oil, as such it absorbs quickly and is highly moisturising. You can use replace almond oil with apricot kernel oil and vice versa. The same precautionary steps as with almond oil apply.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is derived by pressing the fruit itself, the pit is not used. It is high in vitamin B as well as antioxidants vitamins A, C, and E. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the avocado oil help to keep your skin firm, smooth, and elastic. It’s a great choice for those with sensitive skin.
Evening Primrose Oil
Derived from the evening primrose. The oil contains linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, both are omega-6 fatty acids. The oil is moisturizing and anti-inflammatory. Combined with the fatty acids, it helps rejuvenate tired skin, fight acne, and reduce sun damage. It’s a good choice for oily and acne-prone skin, as the fatty acids are antimicrobial and help to dissolve sebum and other impurities in the pores.
Evening prime rose oil is also a good choice got those concerns with dry aging skin. The fatty acids are vital for cell structure and strengthen the elasticity of the skin. It’s deeply nourishing, reduces wrinkles and dryness, encourages regeneration of skin cells, and keeps skin soft.
Grape Seed Oil
As the name already says, this oil is extracted from the seeds of grapes. It’s a lightweight oil, compared to the others. It’s known for its high contents in linoleic acid and vitamin E, giving it antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, it’ll help mattify your skin. A bonus is that has yet to be recorded that it has triggered allergic reactions.
Jojoba Oil
This oil seems to be the most commonly used in the beauty industry. It’s called oil, looks and feels that way, but is a liquid wax. It’s made from pressing jojoba seeds. It’s similar to the skin’s natural oil and lightweight so that it absorbs quickly into the skin and carries other beneficial ingredients with it. Jojoba oil can break down and dissolve sebum, helping to balance oil production. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s perfectly suited for those with combination, oily, and acne-prone skin.
Sunflower Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil is rich in linoleic acid, making it emollient which helps to maintain and repair the skin barrier. It absorbs easily into the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties. The high content of vitamin E helps protect the skin cells from sun damage and other environmental stressors. Vitamins A, C, and D make it an effective acne treatment. It’s an excellent choice as a natural moisturizer.
How to choose an oil
As jojoba oil similar to sebum, start with this oil. You can add another oil that is suited to your skin needs. So, if you want to achieve anti-aging effects, you could try jojoba and argan oil. It’s all about figuring out what’s working for your skin. You may need to experiment to find the right ratio and combination for your skin concerns.
Do you have a special oil or recipe that you want to share? Leave it in the comments.
