Cosmetic Oils

Skin care regimens are important for a beautiful complexion free from blemishes, large pores and flakiness. While most people use a cleanser, many neglect utilizing moisturizers or oils in their daily skin care routines. Oils provide hydration, create a barrier against Mother Nature and penetrate the skin to soften and protect it. But all cosmetic oils aren’t the same when it comes to your own skin. Here is a guide for how to choose oils that are *really* right for your skin when making your own cosmetics. Vegetable-derived oils are generally the best for cosmetic purposes.

Avocado: A lush, rich oil, and one of the most moisturizing; especially perfect for older skin. An extra rich oil best used with lighter vegetable oils like sesame or almond. good for: dry skin A rich and lovely oil for the skin and hair, it’s very nourishing full of protein, fat and antioxidants. It helps to treat skin conditions like sunburn and diaper rashes, it boosts collagen production and softens the skin. how to use this oil: This is great to moisturize under the eyes, to treat dry skin and as protein rich hair treatment. You can blend it with other oils or use it on it’s own on trouble spots.

Almond: A high protein oil that is lubricating and particularly good for dry skin. For most people, almond oil is a favorite oil because it has a light nutty scent and softens dry skin wonderfully. good for: all skin types A neutral scented oil, light enough to use all over the skin, on the face and body. It’s packed with vitamin E which is incredibly healing and protective on the skin. how to use this oil: Makes a great base oil for making body oils, body butters, body scrubs, creams or to use directly on the skin as a moisturiser.

Apricot Kernel: Rich, lubricating, soothing and emollient. Great for lip balm.

Cocoa Butter: Water repellent, protective, helpful for dry skin, with some sun blocking qualities. An extra rich oil best used with lighter vegetable oils like sesame or almond.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is full of a rich fat that will plump up your skin to leave it looking healthy and smelling like you just came back from a day at the beach. Because of its thickness, it protects the skin from daily damage from the sun, caked on makeup and pollutants found in the environment. For this reason, it is also found in many anti-aging lotions and creams. This is also a useful oil to rub right onto stretchmarks, as it will assist in minimizing their appearance by softening the skin. You should combine it with another oil or avoid it altogether if your skin is especially oily since it has a high fat content. Coconut Oil is solid at room temperature - all good saturated fat is solid at room temp. Palm oil is the same. One of my favorite oils – it’s great for both skin and hair. 50 percent of Coconut oil is a fat called Lauric Acid, which is naturally found in human breast milk – making it easily recognised and useful for our bodies to nourish and protect the skin. It’s incredibly antimicrobial, which cleanses the skin as well. how to use this oil: You can use it directly on the skin, it makes a great eye-makeup remover. It’s also great to mix into your skincare recipes and it makes a great intensive hair moisturiser – but don’t use too much, you’ll spend days washing it out!

Corn Oil: Emollient oil with properties similar to those of other nonfragrant plant oils

Grapeseed Oil: One of the least greasy oils that is ideal for protective creams, such as sun screens and blocks, for those with oily skin. For extremely sensitive skin, grapeseed oil is an ideal choice. It absorbs quickly, leaves no greasy residue, and never causes allergic reactions. If you have trouble finding this oil in the cooking section, look in cosmetic departments or natural health food stores. A light oil, extracted from the seeds of grapes left over in winemaking. Grapeseed oil is packed with Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant and skin brightening vitamin C. It helps to nourish the skin and balance the skin’s oil production – making it great for acne prone skin. how to use this oil: Grapeseed oil is very light and non-greasy, so you can use it directly on the skin. Many people like using it on their face and for under the eyes.

Lanolin: The fat from sheep (found in pharmacies as anhydrous lanolin). Lanolin is a very rich, water repellent, oily cream, best for older skin, or skin that is cracked and chapped. If you are going to use your lotion on an extremely dry spot like feet and elbows, try using one part lanolin to two parts of a lighter oil for supreme nourishment.

Macadamia Nut Oil: good for: dry skin/ mature skin Macadamia oil is interesting because it has a high fatty acid profile. This helps with cellular regeneration, giving it anti aging properties. It’s light weight/medium oil that doesn’t feel greasy on the skin, but has a great moisturizing effect. how to use this oil: use this oil for very dry skin, to treat dry patches or soothe skin conditions. You can mix in a little with another oil to boost moisturizing properties. it’s great to add into your recipes to create anti-aging remedies.

Peanut: A good oil for dry skin because it is nondrying, it is also nutritious and quite adequate for most skin types.

Sesame: An oil with natural sunscreen qualities, it is rich and anti-inflammatory.

Jojoba: Technically a liquid wax which will never go rancid, jojoba is a good lubricant for most skin types.

Olive Oil: Olive oil has been used on skin dating back to ancient civilizations. It is assists with dry skin and can penetrate deep into the epidermis to soften and nourish flakiness. It is a slow dryer, and won’t go rancid for a long time. Those with eczema or extremely dry skin will benefit from using products that contain olive oil, such as lip balm, bath oils, lotions and massage oils. You can even add a few drops to water and soak your hands in it. Use extra virgin olive oil, as it is untainted and untreated. good for: all skin types, dry skin An incredibly nourishing oil, we’ve been using it as skincare for a long time now! The ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing – they prized olive oil for it’s moisturising and beautifying properties. Olive oil has major antioxidants which work to heal, protect, nourish the skin. how to use this oil: Great for skin and hair, you can apply it on directly or use it in any of your skincare recipes that call for a natural oil.

Shea Butter: Used frequently in moisturizers as a natural sunscreen, it is also a great emollient and moisturizer. Ideal for older skin.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is found in plenty of beauty products on the market, as its benefits for skin care are deep and powerful. It protects skin from harmful UV rays and pollution. It is also used to combat wrinkles and is, therefore, an active ingredient within many anti-aging products. Vitamin E also helps the skin maintain a proper oil balance and is useful in the treatment of stretchmarks and scars.

If you want to treat your skin directly with vitamin E, you can break open a supplement, usually a small golden capsule, and rub the oil on your skin. Vitamin E capsules are found in drug or grocery stores everywhere.

Wheat Germ Oil: A very nutritious oil rich in vitamin E. The vitamin E provides preservative properties, and this oil is used for this reason in some products.