When you say the word “hydration” what comes to mind? It’s probably water! You picture moisture, dewiness – all things that are…water.

You can only hydrate with water. That’s why creams and lotions are so appealing, where we combine water + oil soluble ingredients.

So what is the place of a face oil? Do they work?
​The short answer is hell yes! They can work really well – but they will never hydrate your skin. Oils have no water in them. They do many amazing things for skin, like nourish with fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and carry oil-soluble active ingredients like bakuchiol and Coenzyme Q10. They can strengthen, heal and support your skin’s barrier, which is mostly composed of oils and waxes. Oils can improve skin’s texture, soften, strengthen, and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Many oils are anti-inflammatory, therefore they can soothe and even help calm skin conditions.

BUT….

…if you’re skin is dehydrated and you put an oil on it, it will not become plumper and more hydrated.

HOW DO I GET AROUND THIS??

I’m glad you asked! Another thing that’s great about your oils is that they are great at sealing in moisture! Do you see an opportunity coming? That’s right! Just hydrate skin before applying oil-based skincare! In younger or super healthy skin, simply applying your face oil to damp skin might be enough. For more mature and drier skin, a serum that contains water-based ingredients is vital. From there, a well-formulated face oil is an excellent choice to seal in all that goodness and perform its magic.

So, next time you see a product that contains no water-soluble ingredients say that it hydrates your skin…you’ll know that's not really possible!

A BIT MORE ABOUT OILS

Here are a few oils I just love and why. These are considered carrier oils (as opposed to essential oils) because they can usually be tolerated up to 100% and serve well to extract oil-soluble constituents from plants and to dilute essential oils, which can be very sensitizing and potent. They're called carrier oils because they can hold oil-soluble active ingredients and essential oils, which need to be in very small amounts to be tolerated safely in skin.

• Jojoba – actually a liquid wax, has an extremely long shelf life and is easily absorbed by your skin, as it’s quite similar to your natural waxy barrier and is made up of almost entirely ceramides. Ceramides help rebuild or reinforce your skin barrier.

• Argan oil – precious, expensive, and rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, it’s great for skin in need of extra TLC.

• Sweet almond oil – lightweight and quick to absorb, it’s pretty well tolerated by almost everyone. Some of us use unrefined varieties, so there is some slight risk to those with tree nut allergies.

• Coconut oil – highly moisturizing and antimicrobial (excellent antifungal!), it’s versatile and has a lovely skin feel, but is not great on the face because it is slightly comedogenic (could clog pores). Good in body lotions, haircare and cleansers.

• Rosehip oil – so, so beautiful! The orange color itself tells you it is very high in vitamin A. It is a secret to many age-supporting formulas due to its ability to regenerate skin, heal scarring and decrease wrinkle depth.

• Hempseed oil – an excellent oil for balancing the skin’s oils and suitable for all skin types, this multitasker is well-tolerated and does basically everything you could ask from an oil. It is very anti-inflammatory.

• Camellia oil – from the pressed seeds of the tea plant, this extremely adaptable oil absorbs quickly with no greasy feel, is anti-inflammatory and very calming, softens and soothes skin and promotes and protects collagen and elastin.

WHICH IS BEST??

This list doesn’t even scratch the surface, and you don’t have to choose just one! These oils work best in combination! Being inventive and thoughtful about the effects you want your formula to have on skin and who it is supposed to help is half the fun! Carrier oils are unlikely to cause sensitivity (anyone can react badly to anything!), so when you combine them, you almost can’t go wrong!

It's fascinating how nature really makes sure we have everything we need. Oils have been used for cleansing, scent-making and skincare for over 5000 years! Isn’t it crazy that we’re just coming back to them? I, for one, am super glad we are!

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