As you may know by now, as a teenager my skin was extremely oily. It never had that healthy glow, it was just downright SHINY! I carried a powder compact with me wherever I went. Imagine to my surprise when in the early 70's the woman behind the Clarins counter studied my skin (flawless skin back then, I was in my 20's but oily nevertheless) and she "prescribed" my new skin care regimen that I still follow to this day with a few added bonuses.
A foaming cleanser, a toner, moisturizer and (GASP!) a skin oil. A skin oil? Really? Seriously? You're joking, right?
It was called Lotus Face Oil and made from 100% Plant Extracts: Rosewood oil, geranium oil, sacred lotus oil (a holy experience), hazelnut oil and maybe one or two other oils. My instructions were clear, cleanse, tone and put several drops of the oil into the palm of my hand and rub my hands together to warm the oil. I was to place my hands over my face and press the oil into the skin. I felt I had died and gone to heaven! The scent!!!
I looked in the mirror. My face was surely oily now and to top it off, I was supposed to add a moisturizer to this? Trusting the woman with the red blazer (and flawless skin, I must add), I proceeded to slather on the moisturizer and went to bed. It couldn't get any oilier.
My surprise came the next morning when I ran my fingers over my face and felt a new softness but more importantly, I wasn't oily. My skin drank in the oil overnight and left my skin smooth and subtle, dare I say - dewy. What miracle was this and why am I telling you?
Fast forward to 2015 and in my early 60's and I still use Lotus Face Oil at night before I go to bed and I really believe it is responsible (plus genetics, Retin-A and some other stuff I'll go into at a later date) for the condition of my skin. Yes, I have wrinkles and lines but my skin looks nothing like that of some friends and I'm very happy with it.
So what is this obsession with oils nowadays? Are we just rediscovering what some skin care companies knew all along and find ourselves in the process reinventing the way we look at face oils?
What exactly do these new and improved skin oils do? Oils provide free radical protection, allow anti-aging creams to sink deeper and plump the skin. Bear in mind that many moisturizers contain a bit of oil but the oil in and of itself is applied in its purest form. Oils are more hydrating than a moisturizer and absorb into the skin very quickly.
Oils can be used either in your morning routine or evening or both. Because I tend to have an oily T-zone, I only use one drop which I mix in with my serum in the morning before applying my makeup. The oil absorbs into the skin leaving no residue behind.
Some oils have added ingredients such as antioxidants which reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. I will go into the different natural skin care oils and their benefits in my next blog (stay tuned).
I encourage you to comment below and feel free to ask any questions related to beauty.
I have developed two skin oils for the face and neck and offer them in my Etsy shop:
www.etsy.com/shop/nynativebeauty.
What exactly do these new and improved skin oils do? Oils provide free radical protection, allow anti-aging creams to sink deeper and plump the skin. Bear in mind that many moisturizers contain a bit of oil but the oil in and of itself is applied in its purest form. Oils are more hydrating than a moisturizer and absorb into the skin very quickly.
Oils can be used either in your morning routine or evening or both. Because I tend to have an oily T-zone, I only use one drop which I mix in with my serum in the morning before applying my makeup. The oil absorbs into the skin leaving no residue behind.
Some oils have added ingredients such as antioxidants which reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. I will go into the different natural skin care oils and their benefits in my next blog (stay tuned).
I encourage you to comment below and feel free to ask any questions related to beauty.
I have developed two skin oils for the face and neck and offer them in my Etsy shop:
www.etsy.com/shop/nynativebeauty.
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