Why add face oil to your skincare routine?
Did you know that our skin naturally produces oils and these oils are what help our skin stay youthful, supple and healthy. Being that aging is a natural part of life, as we get older these oils begin to decrease with time, which results in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Since the oils in our skin decrease we need to replenish it back therefore, incorporating beauty oils in your skincare routine is an essential step.
Face oils are a category on their own and this article will get you in the know on how to use them, how to incorporate them in your skincare routine and how they benefit the skin. Those who have consulted with me know how much I love beauty oils and how I always recommend them and how it can boost your skincare routine. I simply don't know how people can live without beauty oil. I know that most of you think What? Oils, Really! What if I have oily skin and acne? Won't they clog my pores? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions.
Benefits of Beauty Oils
When you add oils to the skin it enhances the skin’s barrier function to help it retain moisture as it plumps up the skin cells and the skin barrier’s solidarity. This actually prevents an excess decrease in hydration which is called the transepidermal water loss so the water that evaporates through the skin. The skin naturally produces its own hydration and of course there’s the water that you drink and take in however when your skin is compromised, moisture and hydration escapes - think of it like a crack in the pavement. So oils are more nourishing than hydrating. When we talk about nourishment, that’s what you give your skin to feed it—versus hydration, which is like giving your skin a drink of water.
Incorporating a beauty face oil into your skincare routine makes for an incredibly luxurious experience. Especially good oils that offer amino acids, flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C, D, E , and omegas 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 fatty acids that help cell renewal, collagen production and resist damaging effects of the environment such as pomegranate, marula, baobab, pumpkin, jojoba, almond, evening primrose, olive oil and camellia. Check out our Youth Elixir Beauty Oil. This is why you need to try our Youth Elixir Beauty Oil.
Are oils good for oily skin?
Spoiler Alert! Yes, oils are good for oily skin. Let me help you understand why oils are good for oily skin.
I bet you did know that most people with oily skin types have dehydrated skin. This is because people will use very harsh products to dry out their skin, not realizing their skin will produce more oil and break out to make up for the lack of moisture. Moisturizing oily skin can be very tricky, mainly because people with this skin type often feel like they can skip out on the moisturizer and load up on skincare products that mattify their skin since their complexion is naturally oily. However, skipping out on moisture may only be causing dehydration, creating a vicious cycle of excess sebum production.
This is where the benefits of face oils come in for oily skin. Oil attracts oil so this can help balance the skin and work as a moisturizer. Face oils have emollient properties, which help soften and smooth the skin. In addition some face oils have anti-inflammatory properties and therefore may help to reduce the inflammation in breakouts. There are also oils with a composition similar to human sebum that may be able to help regulate sebum production. Further many oils are rich in fatty acids and if you use the right oils they can help balance oily skin types by restoring essential fatty acids and providing hydration without leaving a greasy residue behind. Because oils are lipophilic; this means they combine or dissolve in lipids or fats, they can trap water.
It's important to use the right type of oil such as squalane, marula, borage, pomegranate, jojoba, baobab, grapeseed, evening primrose, and camellia which are good for oily skin. Our Youth Elixir fast absorbing beauty oil is formulated with a unique blend of superfood seed oils, good for all skin types that will leave skin hydrated, protected with glowing results and can be used day and night.
How and when to apply beauty oil?
You are probably wondering when to apply your beauty oil before or after moisturizer. First you need to know that every skincare product has a different molecular structure and the order in which you apply toners, creams, and serums depends heavily on the thickness, or viscosity, and other properties of each product. For example, you wouldn't want to use a toner after a moisturizer. The toner will only break down your cream or lotion, and neither product will end up having much of an effect on your complexion. Skincare products are best applied from thinnest to thickest, with the final layers providing increased barrier function to your skin.
Depending on which products you use, application based on the skincare layering rule should generally follow this order:
As you can see, facial oils are the last step of your skincare routine after your serum or moisturizer, this will seal in hydration with added moisture. Facial oils are best used daily and they're most easily absorbed at night because sebum secretion (an oily substance produced in the sebaceous glands) is lowest in the evening, just before your bedtime.
There is, however, one exception if you struggle from dry skin you may benefit from adding a few drops of facial oil to your morning routine over your moisturizer to layer under your makeup. A good oil for this is our squalane oil which also works like a primer. In the long run this will also improve the overall condition of your skin.
Can face oil replace my moisturizer or serum?
While face oils can do a lot for your skin, they are best used to support your moisturizer and serum. Face oils nourish, lubricate and form a protective lipid barrier on the surface of the skin to help keep water in. However each skincare product should hold a spot on its own because they are all as important and give you skin the nourishment and love it deserves.
Summing it Up
Your skin is a complex organ that can never have all of its needs satisfied by a single product or single brilliant ingredient. Think of facial oils as supporting players rather than the leading role in a complete skincare routine and that they hold the secret to achieving healthy radiant skin no matter your skin type (yes, even those of you with perpetually oily skin.
XOXO
Georgina Tzavaras
January 17, 2023