Cleopatra used them to enhance her beauty in harsh desert conditions. Make up artists have been sneaking it backstage since the dawn of commercial beauty. Models have been hoarding it, paying a small fortune for it. Finally, one of the best-kept secrets to healthy, glowing skin is making its way to a drugstore, and a huge online shopping experience, near you. And yet, somehow – like the rise of coconut oil, kombucha, and manuka honey – it happened overnight! I’m talking face oils; concentrated concoctions formulated with essential oils smoothed all over your face. And it’s not as crazy as you think to lather your face with the same thing dermatologist’s have been helping you get rid of for years!
The Facts About Face Oil
- The conventional wisdom that oil clogs pores, causes zits, whiteheads, blackheads and general yuckiness is rather outdated. So why the sudden obsession with using oils? Simply put, face oils are complexion perfection in a bottle. Many botanical oils, including argan, passion fruit, and African marula oils, are potent antioxidants. I already touched on my love for Jojoba Oil a little bit (see also: a lot) here.
Why Facial Oils?
- Facial oils are made up of a variety of different botanical oils, or based around a single plant-based extract (like argan, lavender or chamomile) and provide skin with powerful antioxidants and nourishing vitamins inherent in nature, and the amazing benefits of the aromatherapeutic healing properties of facial oils are a kinder, gentler alternative to traditional moisturizers.
- Not to discount them, but traditional moisturizers – the ones we find in our local drugstore – are mostly waxes and water, with a few essential oils thrown in. Waxes form an occlusive layer on the skin, which helps to hold moisture in.
There are two downsides to waxes:
- wax build up may lead to clogged pores, and the wax barrier may prevent the oil component of the cream, the part that actually benefits skin, from penetrating the surface. This is likely the reason why creams typically deliver a higher level of diminishing results over time.
- They will work at first because they help to initially hold in moisture, but as time goes on the wax barricade may prevent oils from delivering nutrients like essential fatty acids to the skin.
The Basics: Face Oil VS Moisturizer
Compared to water, wax and synthetic fragrance-based products, natural oils deliver all of the benefits with none of the downside. The stratum corneum, the top layer of skin that’s composed of dead skin cells, is held together by naturally occurring lipids (oils), and serves as your environmental protection barrier against the elements. Lipid barrier damage occurs on a daily basis, so maintaining an effective barrier requires continuous input of lipids to the skin.
Want clearer, smoother skin? Facial oil might be your best bet. They deliver these lipids straight to the skin, right where it’s needed!
So, you on board with me on this one?
Good, good!
Let’s get started!
1. Vered Botanicals: Anti-Aging Treatment Face Oil ($118)
Oh, Vered. Between beautiful, inspiring, kind Vered herself and this exquisite line of Organic, ethically sourced, therapeutic-grade essential oils and organic herbs, I am in love. Sometimes I mix this with a few drops of witch hazel and my skin is in heaven! Vered’s products are kinda pricey but for a very good reason: this is the best facial oil you’ll ever use. It seriously has a little bit of everything, and for once you’d actually pay much more to buy the raw ingredients than you do to buy the product, which means you’re really getting your monies worth! It’s a lovely scented, aromatherpeautic, beautiful oil and I feel like a goddess using it! Plus: Vered’s elegant, aesthetically pleasing, clean cut packing is to die for!
Natural Ingredients: Organic and ethnically sourced, therapy grade essential rose hips, carrot seed, borage, aragan, primrose, jasmine, rose essential oil, rosewood, vanilla, camellia, pumpkin seed, licorice, marshmallow root, calendula, plantain, lemon peel, fennel, roses.
2. Nyakio Hydrating Face Oil with Kola Nut ($49)
This came in my KidStock Goody Bag, and ever since I’ve been on the hunt for regular size versions of Nyakio! Inspired by her grandparents’ beauty secrets, Nyakio infused this lightweight oil with caffeine-rich African kola nut and African oils to reveal more youthful-looking skin. I love applying this because after I use it my hands are absolutely silky smooth! That’s how you know you’ve got a good oil! 🙂 As tiny as this sample is, I’ve only needed mere drops of the stuff and it absorbs amazingly well! It livens up my skin a lot, like I just drank a ton of water. And sometimes I just smell it for fun. 😉
Natural Ingredients: Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed oil, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Trichilia Emetica Seed Butter, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Oil, Castoryl Maleate, Cola Acuminata (Kola Nut) Seed Extract, Ormenis Multicaulis (Chamomile) Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Phenoxyethanol, Nymphaea Abla Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 2.
3. Aquarian Bath’s Lavender High Altitude Essential Oil ($20)
Unlike the other oils, this is NOT to be used undiluted on your skin. It’s NOT to be used on your face directly, but I included it because I use it for things that go by my face all the time (pillows, blankets, toners). But for aromatherapy, this oil is my best kept secret because I use it for absolutely ev.er.y.thing. I put a few calming drops on my pillow every single night for amazing, restful sleep. Consequently, I brought it with me on my birthday camping trip to sprinkle on my pillow to help me fall asleep, I take it with me when I’m traveling to ease anxiety and help get better rest, I rub it on my wrists for a quick pick me up, I include it in DIY toners for a great smell and amazing skin benefits, I’ve generously added a few drops in my baths. I can’t say ENOUGH about this oil! One or two drops in ANYthing and you are guaranteed on your way to happy town! The Aromatherapy Force is strong with this one! Absolutely can’t recommend a better product of concentrated Lavender!
Natural Ingredients: Lavender Essential Oil
4. Vered Therapeutic Balancing Face Oil ($68)
Still sighing with complete love and admiration… 🙂 This Balancing face oil contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and was created especially for problematic, inflamed, damaged or oily skin. For those with blemish or acne-prone skin: this is a life saver! The condition of my skin has vastly improved since I’ve been using this oil, and the aroma of it is beautiful! It calms me down to use Vered’s products. It really heals and promotes normal oil secretion and balances out my skin in times of trouble. When used in combination with a toner, or mixed with some witch hazel, I find it really, truly does the job of eliminating inflammation and healing former breakout scars.
Natural Ingredients: They’re really lovely but rather long, and can be found Here 🙂
5. Raw Olive Rosehip Carrot Facial Serum ($18)
If you’re worried about scars, premature aging, or just hydrating your skin, this is the serum for you! You only need a few drops of this rosehip and carrotseed-based oil. These two essential oils protect, while promoting cell growth and nourishing skin. It also smells fantastic and it’s wonderful to add to other products if you’re making DIY cleansers or oils!
Rosehip seed oil is extremely high in essential fatty acids and is a great agent in the fight against dry, weathered, and dehydrated skin.
Natural Ingredients: Materials: organic rosehip oil, organic jojoba oil, organic olive oil, natural vitamin e, essential oils of neroli, carrot seed, rose, lavender essential oil
6. Osea Undaria Algae Oil ($38)
How exciting is this? Undaria Algae blocks the enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid in the skin, and hyaluronic acid is essential for good skin! It works by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it affects how the body responds to injury by assisting clotting. Therefore, Undaris Algae leads to healthy, happy, glowing skin!
I want to live in this oil. Pristine, wild sourced Algae based AND 100% natural? Am I in oil heaven? I love the ladies at Osea, and their commitment to all natural products! Potent omega fatty acids minimize redness and inflammation. Vitamins A, C, and E along with hydrating sea minerals, acai and passion fruit, help repair environmentally damaged, sensitive skin and restore a healthy, natural glow.
Natural Ingredients: *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, *Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, *Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Pulp Oil, *Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, *Orbignea Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, *Oriza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, *Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, *Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, *Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, *Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, *Cupressus Sempervirens (Cypress) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Thank you very much. I wish you the happiest, healthiest skin!!
Feel free to share your experience with facial oils with me!
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