Why You Should be Using Oils to Moisturize Your Face
I know what you're thinking, I'm not applying oil to my face! It's going to make my skin look greasy, clog my pores and just overall wreak havoc on my skin. Well, you would be mistaken, and I'll explain why.
Just like your body requires essential fatty acids to stay healthy, so does your skin. These essential fatty acids are found in abundance in plant based oils. When you see young, glowing skin, you are seeing skin that is at its healthiest. This is skin held together by an abundance of oils. As we age, our skin produces less of the oils that give our skin its luminous features and holds our cells together. So, we must supply them. The best way to do this is by applying face oils. Face oils provide the essential fatty acids that your skin is missing while avoiding harmful chemicals and preservatives.
Why face oil instead of a face cream? Face creams are usually comprised of water, oils and some type of wax (i.e. beeswax, carnuba wax, emulisying wax). The wax portion of creams helps create a protective layer to hold in moisture, but they can also clog pores and prevent the oil portion of the cream from absorbing. This is usually why creams deliver results initially but then stop working because the wax creates a barricade and prevents the oils from nourishing the skin and delivering the all important essential fatty acids. Face oils are only comprised of oil and possibly essential oils, depending on the product. By being free of water, you do not need the wax component or harmful preservatives. The oil will deliver essential fatty acids directly to the outer most layer of the skin (the stratum corneum). This layer protects your body against the elements and its health is essential. Damage to this layer occurs on a daily basis, so continuous input of lipids is a must to maintain healthy skin.
Now, not all oils are created equal when being used as a face moisturizer. We’ve been led to believe that oil clogs pores causing acne breakouts and blackheads. It does, but that’s because it’s the wrong type of oil, usually mineral oils or animal fats. Oils from plant sources, on the other hand, are extremely similar to the oil your skin produces naturally. These are readily absorbed by the skin without clogging pores and can hold moisture in the skin while strengthening the skin cell membranes. Some of the best plant oils are grapeseed, hempseed, sweet almond, avocado and rosehip.
Trust me when I say: Once you use oil to moisturize your face, you will never use anything else.