Why a facial oil is a must
Don't you use facial oil yet? Then you are seriously depriving your skin. Especially if you're over 30. A nice sales pitch you might think. But nothing is less true. Why does your skin need an oil? Read all about it in this blog.
What's up with 30+ skin?
Thirty years is still very young, but nature thinks differently. Your body processes start to slow down at that age. The metabolic system in the cells works less quickly, so that new cells are created more slowly and your skin barrier - the protective layer of your skin - becomes thinner. With all its consequences:
- Your skin loses moisture more easily, which causes drier skin.
- The barrier layer itself contains fatty substances. Because it is thinner, your skin also feels drier. Double bad luck. Less moisture and less fat.
- That thinner skin barrier also ensures that external factors such as dry air, inclement weather or less fine cosmetic ingredients - which have a drying effect on the skin - have a greater impact.
- Dryer skin in combination with a decrease in elasticity of your skin causes fine lines and then wrinkles. Your skin is less able to 'bounce back' in a smooth position and is less filled with moisture.
If you have a lighter skin tone, then your skin is already thinner than with people with a tint, and you will sooner notice that your skin is getting drier and will age.
What is the skin barrier like?
Skip this paragraph if you're thinking 'I believe so about the skin barrier', but be sure to read this one if you're interested in how your skin is put together so it can provide protection.
In fact, your outer skin layer - your skin barrier - is a kind of wall. Which is built from your deeper skin layers. Living cells slowly move upwards from these layers. In the upper skin layer, they release moisture and fat little by little and harden - they keratinize. Those keratinized cells are the bricks of your wall. With the released moisture and fatty substances in between as the cement. Your skin is fully protected, until a slowdown in your metabolism throws a spanner in the works.
External factors such as irritating or skin-damaging substances in cosmetics - such as aggressive cleaning ingredients (SLS or other sulfates), drying hard alcohol -, air pollution, UV radiation or frequent/long hot showers also help to weaken your skin barrier. If you are under 30, but your skin already feels dry and tight, this can be an important cause.
Young skin stores as much as 10 to 20 percent of the total water volume of the entire body! I have not been able to find out how much that is less as you get older. But assume that this can easily be halved.
Why a facial oil?
A good facial oil replenishes your (damaged) protective layer. So that it loses less moisture and is better protected against negative external influences. The oil actually replaces (part of) the oil that your cells no longer produce themselves. Or that has disappeared from your top layer of skin due to external influences. And thus supports the natural functioning of your skin. Your skin is better balanced again.
It is important that cold-pressed oils are used. They still contain all the active ingredients of flowers or plants.
The more advanced facial oils such as those from Abloom or deMamiel also give your skin a beautiful glow / healthier complexion. These oils are often also packed with extra power ingredients for your skin. Who have earned their spurs for hundreds of years in, for example, Ayurvedic teachings. Plant extracts for even more beautiful skin! Just check the ingredient lists.
I don't want a smiley face
That is what we often hear as a prejudice against using a facial oil. The more advanced facial oils such as those from Mamiel , Abloom , Shankara , Dr Hauschka or The Green Goddess don't give a shiny head. Unless you use too much oil. For your face you normally only need a pump or 4-5 drops! Not anymore.
It is also possible that you are not massaging the oil enough. Shame. That doesn't take much time, is great for your face, stimulates blood flow (which also has a skin rejuvenating effect) and helps the functioning of your lymphatic system. As a result, waste products are better disposed of.
Another option is to mix a pump or a few drops of facial oil with your day or night cream. That is my favorite way of applying oil to my face.
Facial oil - also for oily skin or acne
It is often said that you should not use facial oil with oily skin. Because it will only get fatter. Nothing is less true. 'Oil cuts oil': if you put (a good) oil on your skin, your skin will get a sign 'I don't need to make any more oil, because that's already there', so that your skin will produce less sebum (skin oil) . For example, jojoba oil (Latin name: simmondsia chinensis) is very similar in composition to your skin's own oils. And works sebum regulating. For example, Dr Hauschka has a facial oil that has been specially developed for oilier skin!
What you absolutely should not use with acne-prone skin is parrafinum liquidum (which is for example in the classic Bio Oil - nowadays there is also a 100% natural variant). That puts a layer on your skin, so that your skin can no longer perform its own skin functions properly, clog your pores and you can get more pimples. Because this 'oil' is in many cosmetic products, I suspect that's where the idea comes from not to use oil with oily skin.
Extra oil anti-aging tip
If you are still busy with facial oil, complete your ritual immediately with a Gua Sha massage stone or gemstone roller. Trendy at the moment, but actually a super solid tool that was used in ancient times in Egypt, China and Japan for an eternally youthful face.
There are an awful lot of muscles in your face, with which we do relatively little training compared to, for example, our arm and leg spears. Massage with Gua Sha and/or roller puts the muscles to work, which promotes blood flow, removes waste and strengthens the underlying connective tissue. And thus stimulates a better complexion, more collagen production and tighter skin. Who wouldn't want that ;-).