Beauty Oil: The Ultimate Skin Saviour

Eliza Scarborough   |   13-01-2018

Whether you suffer from dry or oily skin, adding a beauty oil into your routine could be just what your complexion is screaming out for. Many people worry that using a face oil will leave them with a greasy, shiny complexion, but in fact using an oil-based product can actually be a good way to regulate your skin’s oil production. Alongside the obvious hydration benefits, face oils can completely transform your overall skin tone, giving you luminous, dewy, and radiant skin which will look healthy all year round.

 

CLEANSING

Oils are also transforming our cleansing regimes. It’s strange to imagine that the same ingredient that seals in moisture can also clean, but it’s true. The skin’s protective barrier is made up of sebum or oil, so because oil absorbs oil using an oil cleanser will purify your skin without stripping it. They work because the molecules in oil specifically react with makeup and your own natural oil, meaning they dissolve makeup, sunscreen and impurities while nourishing the barrier.

 

APPLICATION

The way in which you sequence your products matters. Oils deliver nutrients and create a protective seal that stops moisture escaping, but they won’t pull water into the skin to moisturise it the way a humectant, such as hyaluronic acid, does. For maximum hydration, you should start with a serum, followed by an oil and then your moisturiser. When applying, avoid rubbing the product into skin, rather warming it slightly between your fingertips and patting into skin to allow for full absorption.

 

MULTIPURPOSE

In addition to moisturisation, face oil can be super effective for a makeup touch-up, so instead of adding more makeup, pat some oil on to revive the makeup you’ve already got on, avoiding the T-zone. Pop it in your handbag, and it can act as an all in one product to fight frizz, hydrate cuticles, moisturise under eyes and give shine to lips.

REPAIR

You really need an oil if you use retinols or other drying anti-aging or anti-acne treatments. Treatments like Retin-A, AHA peels or creams, or breakout fighters from astringent toners all the way to prescription medication can really help your skin, but they can also seriously dry it out. Face oils return moisture and elasticity to your skin, smoothing wrinkles, and soothing irritation in the process.

 

OILY SKIN

Sufferers of oily skin often turn to harsh toning, oil-stripping products to combat shine and breakouts, but this can actually cause your skin to over-compensate and produce more oil, leading to pore congestion. When finding the best face oils for oily skin, look out for vitamins, amino acids, and anti-oxidant ingredients to help. Using essential oils such as tea tree and eucalyptus that have anti-bacterial properties can also help combat breakouts and adult acne.

 

By Eliza Scarborough

 

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