As someone who is skincare obsessed :), I learnt quite early on that oils are an extremely important part of anyone’s skincare routine. Oils are natural sources of hydration that contain a lot of important fatty acid that will help you moisturize the deeper layers of your skin. They provide a whole host of benefits that will heal, hydrate your skin and make it glow. I first learnt about natural skincare in primary school, where we learnt about the Ancient Egyptians and how they used to use all sorts of natural products to do their makeup, and oils to moisturise their body.
Having travelled to various parts of Asia, I also learnt that oil was an extremely important natural skincare product that you can use at any age that will only help your skin. Contrary to popular knowledge, using the right oils will not break you out, and in fact, can actually help normalize oily skin. As a young 20 something, I started to get adult acne, which was fixed by using specific oils in my skincare routine. ‘Going to bed greasy’ has also become a popular Instagram in recent years with many models sporting their oiled face before bed. This is a great habit to form to provide deep hydration to your skin overnight. Below I have listed some of the best oils to incorporate into your skincare routine that are anti ageing, nourishing and that will make your skin glow!
Rosehip oil is one of the best facial oils to use at any age. This oil has properties that will nourish the skin whilst keeping wrinkles at bay. It also is very healing! I rememeber a friend of mine once used pure rosehip oil daily on a burn she got on her arm while cooking, and after a week, the burn started to noticeably disappear! This powerful potent is a wonderful oil to start using, especially at a young age, to ensure your epidermis is properly hydrated.
Avocado oil is one of the best and richest sources of oleic acid which is a hydrating agent that will deeply nourish the skin. Avocado oil also helps with anti ageing as well as lightening of hyperpigmentation. It also helps regulate acne and is definitely one to use if you have oily skin, as oily skin often maks itself as actually being quite dehydrated underneath.
Jojoba oil is one of the best regular oils to use on the face daily as the wax ebers are identical to the sebum in human skin. The consistency of the oil is light and it will quickly absorb into your skin, providing deep hydration whilst at the same time drawing out toxins and keeping your skin clear.
Camellia oil is a facial oil that is often overlooked and not always talked about in skincare. It is an oil that has long been used in Japan, especially to hydrate hair and create glossy locks. Camellia oil is also very potent when used on the face, containing important antioxidants and fatty acids. It actually has its own sun protection as well, boasting 3-5 SPF which makes it perfect to use under your sunscreen. Have you seen those pictures of Japanese Geishas? One thing that strikes me is that they seem to have porcelain wrinkle-free skin. Yes, according to them, their secret is using Camellia oil every day to keep wrinkles at bay!
Argan oil is an incredibly popular oil recently, being used in numerous hair care products. This oil is also very good for the face with very strong anti-ageing properties that will help to smoothen out fine lines and wrinkles.
Olive oil is one of my favourite facial oils that I have used for a very long time. I discovered this oil when attempting to remove my makeup using makeup wipes. I realised that it was impossible to remove them completely, and proceeded to use some olive oil after reading that Sophia Loren used to use it as a moisturizer. I did a little research and found out through a Youtube video that a prominent young Korean skincare guru used Extra Virgin Olive Oil straight from her kitchen every day. She used to work in the offices of Lancome and discovered that the bins that contain their famous Bi-fasil makeup remover were eroded every two weeks! This alerted her to the fact that the products marketed to remove makeup often contain a few too many chemicals and she switched over to olive oil. Olive oil has many great properties including Vitamin E and squalane which is very hydrating. It also is great for anti ageing. On those days that you feel that you may see a few fine lines around your eyes due to tiredness, simply use a few drops of Olive Oil around your under eye area, you will make up moisturized and refreshed!
Squalane Oil might be an oil you don’t hear of often. It is actually an oil that is included in a lot of popular beauty products, including the famous Midnight Recovery Oil by Kiehls. The Ordinary has recently come out with a bottle of this oil after being one of the first to jump on the bandwagon of their wonderful properties for the skin. This oil is very good at hydrating your skin and does wonders for anti ageing as well.
Lavender oil is another hero essential oil used in many anti ageing products with antiseptic properties that heal and repair the skin. It is also an ingredient found in the Midnight Recovery Oil due to its hydrating and anti aeging properties. Incorporating Lavender with a carrier oil of your choice (for example, Squalane oil) is a great oil combination to apply before bed.
Marula oil is a newly discovered oil that does wonders for the skin due to its extremely high content in Vitamin C. It is rich in fatty acids and contains a huge amount of fatty acids, helping with sun damage and protection.
This oil is something I discovered while watching Huda Beauty’s Instagram story feed. She said that this oil has been her go-to product to moisturize her skin before bed. Grapeseed oil also has a high amount of fatty acids and Vitamin E. It is also an oil that does not clog pores and is therefore suitable for acne prone skin.
There you go, there are 10 oils to incorporate into your beauty routine! This may seem like an extensive list however it is definitely important to choose at least one or two of the oils in this list, or a combination of a few to give your skin some much-needed hydration if you don’t already use an oil in your routine. Ideally, the best idea would be to use at least half of these oils on the list and alternate with the days that you apply them.
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