Good Looks
Want supple skin? Strike with oil
One of the best pieces of skin-care advice I ever got was also one of the most counterintuitive: Slick my skin with oils. Not just my body. My face. That is, if I wanted to age like Dorian Gray (or just protect my skin from losing its natural luster).
I took some convincing, so I understand why, when I say I’m now an oil-slathering convert, and use oils twice a day under my moisturizer, it often provokes a violent head-shaking reaction. But before you say, “No way, I will break out!” Check to see if you’re not already using one. Your skin-care brand may have just called it a “serum” because you’d never buy it otherwise.
I get that my fanaticism flies in the face of what conservative dermatologists and Neutrogena commercials advise. But here’s some of the reasoning that’s made me an oil addict culled from dozens of interviews with chemists, facialists, aromatherapists, and formulators.
• The smaller oil molecule (I’m talking jojoba seed, grapeseed, rosehip seed, apricot kernal, black currant seed, and more) can penetrate into the skin and nourish it. Creams can’t.
• The skin likes oil because it resembles its cell structure; so it lets it in.
• Oils help protect the skin from water loss and feed it hydrating, firming nutrients like essential fatty acids, gamma linoleic acid, and vitamin E that help boost elasticity.
• Using pure face oils spares you from chemical emulsifiers that many face creams and lotions need to keep the oils from separating with the water.
Facial oils often come in apothecary-style packaging
So how come we’re so convinced that face time with oil will cause our skin to freak out?
It’s likely most of us are still drinking the Clean & Clear Kool-aid. Maybe teenagers don’t need the extra oils, but your adult skin does thanks to three dozen years on the planet + sun exposure + free radical damage + accumulation of cocktails.
Not convinced it’s time to update your skin-care operating system? What if we told you your skin won’t break out?
• Oil binds to oil, not water. (Ever made salad dressing?) So it makes scientific sense as a cleanser for shiny skin and makeup-wearers. That’s the reason for the popularity of Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils.
• Acne isn’t caused by surface oil, but by a plumbing problem in the pore, say dermatologists. (Skin and oil produced in the follicles get stuck there. In balanced skin, it should slough and flush itself out.)
• Your skin likes balance. So over-washing it with detergents like sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) to get that tight, dry “clean” feeling just tells your skin to produce more oil.
So which skin-nourishing essential oils are high quality and not synthetic schlock? My wheat grass might be your poison ivy, but I’ve tried all these to good effect. In fact, I’m using several of these right now. —Melisse Gelula
Facial Oils We Love
Susan Ciminelli Sensitive Skin Formula with Cypress, Basil, and Petitgrain, $110, www.susanciminelli.com
She Essential Beauty Night Serum, $60, www.sheessentialbeauty.com
In Fiore Complexe de Fleur, $140, www.infiore.net
Pangea Organics Complexion Balancing Oil, $50, www.pangeaorganics.com
Do you use facial oils or would you? Tell us, here!
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I second this! I’ve started using oils on my face under moisturizers and I actually break out less. My skin looks happier and my makeup lays better as well because my skin is smoother. I didn’t splash out for expensive oils though. I just got a bottle of pure jojoba oil for about $15. And I said, it works great. I’m sure these other products have great ingredients, but for me the plain jojoba oil seems to do the trick.
Great to hear you’re getting great results from the $15 jojoba alone, J. I’m convinced that my skin’s less clogged thanks to the oils, which seem to keep things, well, flowing. To use the scientific term. The extra layer of hydration this time of year doesn’t hurt either.
funny I just washed my face with oil and applied oils for moisturizers all while thinking, “I should really post about using oils on the face…” and now I plop down a the time-sucker blog reading machine and read this wonderful post. My sister, who is a holistic esthetician wholeheartedly agrees with the oil approach. My grandmother, who is 92 and barely a wrinkle has never used water or soap on her skin in her life. Only heavy, oily cream to cleanse and moisturize. I am an aromatherapist so I love to add essential oils to my face.
Tonights regime: Wash face with sesame oil and a couple drops lemon and geranium essential oils. I just rub it all in and then take a warm wet facecloth to gently wipe it off. Then for moisturizer I use Camellia seed oil with one drop each clary sage and cedarwood which are both calming and good sensitive hormonal skin like mine since I am a nursing mom.
Will have to post more about this soon!
I started using sweet almond oil on my face, as advised by my dermatologist, many years ago. Still use it today. Contrary to popular belief, it actually helped balance my skin, and I have not had a pimple in over a decade.
What a wonderful, thorough post. Yes!!!! Face oils are the DEFINITELY the way to go for youthful, healthy skin. With face oils, castille soaps, natural balms and masks you can virtually eliminate all the unwanted ingredients in today’s creams and lotions and stick with organics. As an aromatherapist and producer of organic essential oils remedies, I make a face oil for my private clients. If you are worried about breaking out, start with a product that has a lot of jojoba in it. Jojoba is one of the oils closest to body’s oils, in fact it is a wax and is great for oily skin. Often oily skin is your body overproducing oil to compensate for dryness. Jojoba oil will tell your body to stop this cycle of overproducing.
Add another to the wholeheartedly agree column. I have struggled with tight, dry skin for my whole adult life and nothing has worked to balance it better that the Decleor Aromessence day oils and night balms (I use the Angelique blend). My skin is balanced, dewy and plump. AND wrinkle free.
As an esthetician I love the reaction I get when I recommend this approach to my clients, see their doubt and then follow up to see the amazing balancing that happens to their skin. I have converted many to believers!
1 month ago, I would have thought you were nuts suggesting I put OIL on my skin. Then a friend gave me a bottle of Arganica oil to try. I LOVE IT! Not only is my skin softer than its ever been, my t-zone area is LESS oily than before. I went to my long time facialist and she was impressed with the condition of my skin and the improvement since my last facial. I’m now a fan of using this oil on my face. As a plus, I also use this oil on my body, in lotions, etc. Great post!
Excellent post!
I use extra virgin olive oil straight from the kitchen cabinet and apply all over the body just sfter a shower. Have done wonders to my skin.
I can attest to cleansing and moisturizing with oil. I used Jojoba oil, Castor oil, and a little Tea Tree oil and removed with a warm wash cloth. I moisturized my body with olive oil. I’m taking a break and trying Tata Harper’s line but I loved the results I was getting. Just make sure you compliment the efforts you’re making for the outside by eating well and drinking water. Otherwise it’s pointless.
If only a wise Italian grandmama had told me about facial oils when I was a teenager. I’ve been struggling with combo/oily skin and intermittent cystic acne since then. Inspired by this post, I bought a $3.00 bottle of Aura Cacia grapeseed facial oil and have been applying it to my face and decollete morning and night. Breakouts have dropped significantly, the oily/dry balance is restored, and my skin is pleasantly plumped and able to weather the winter. Consider me convinced!
Since writing this article, I’ve sampled a few more I recommend: Lab of Flowers Sensitive Skin Oil (found at Ritz Carlton spas), John Masters Pomegranate Face Oil, Truth Art Beauty Face Nourish, and a couple more mentioned on Well+Good here: http://bit.ly/h6eJTP
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[...] Keep reading… Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. Posted in Acne, Advice, Argan oil, Beauty, Facial care, Skin care, Tips, Well+GoodNYC | Tagged acne, beauty tips, facial oils, In Fiore, Melisse’s Beauty Advice, Pangea Organics, She Essential Beauty, Skin care, Susan Ciminelli, Well + Good NYC [...]
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I love that you’re bringing this into the light. I love pure coconut oil, and I often add a bit of essential oil to it, like frankencense. :) Its amazing, and works on wrinkles and skin surface.
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