For many, the idea of putting something on our skin that we’d normally put onto a salad sounds… insane. But once you get over this mental hump – you’ll find the idea of using overly fragranced, chemical-laden lotions even crazier! Vegetable oils are natural emollients, packed with vitamins and nutrients recognised by our body. Your skin will not only be soft, but also nourished.
If like me, you find yourself shopping for skincare in a supermarket aisle, I promise you’re not crazy and you’re not alone! People have used plant oils as skincare for centuries – we just seemed to have forgotten – so, let’s change that!
Take a look at these six simple oils. Everyone’s skin is different and finding the right one means experimenting. You can use them directly on the skin, to make a scrub or body butter, or add a few drops of oil in rosewater or aloe vera juice for a moisturising spray. The best part is that if for any reason your skin doesn’t like a particular oil, there’s no waste. Just go back to making that salad!
Try one out, and see if it works for you!
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Sweet Almond Oil
good for: all skin types
A neutral scented oil, light enough to use all over the skin, on the face and body. It’s packed with vitamin E which is incredibly healing and protective on the skin.
how to use this oil: Makes a great base oil for making body oils, body butters, body scrubs, creams or to use directly on the skin as a moisturiser.
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Olive Oil
good for: all skin types, dry skin
An incredibly nourishing oil, we’ve been using it as skincare for a long time now! The ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing – they prized olive oil for it’s moisturising and beautifying properties. Olive oil has major antioxidants which work to heal, protect, nourish the skin.
how to use this oil: Great for skin and hair, you can apply it on directly or use it in any of your skincare recipes that call for a natural oil.
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Coconut Oil
good for: all skin types
One of my favorite oils – it’s great for both skin and hair. 50 percent of Coconut oil is a fat called Lauric Acid, which is naturally found in human breast milk – making it easily recognised and useful for our bodies to nourish and protect the skin. It’s incredibly antimicrobial, which cleanses the skin as well.
how to use this oil: You can use it directly on the skin, it makes a great eye-makeup remover. It’s also great to mix into your skincare recipes and it makes a great intensive hair moisturiser – but don’t use too much, you’ll spend days washing it out!
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Avocado Oil
good for: dry skin
A rich and lovely oil for the skin and hair, it’s very nourishing full of protein, fat and antioxidants. It helps to treat skin conditions like sunburn and diaper rashes, it boosts collagen production and softens the skin.
how to use this oil: This is great to moisturize under the eyes, to treat dry skin and as protein rich hair treatment. You can blend it with other oils or use it on it’s own on trouble spots.
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Macadamia Nut Oil
good for: dry skin/ mature skin
Macadamia oil is interesting because it has a high fatty acid profile. This helps with cellular regeneration, giving it anti aging properties. It’s light weight/medium oil that doesn’t feel greasy on the skin, but has a great moisturizing effect.
how to use this oil: use this oil for very dry skin, to treat dry patches or soothe skin conditions. You can mix in a little with another oil to boost moisturizing properties. it’s great to add into your recipes to create anti-aging remedies.
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Grapeseed Oil
good for: oily skin
A light oil, extracted from the seeds of grapes left over in winemaking. Grapeseed oil is packed with Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant and skin brightening vitamin C. It helps to nourish the skin and balance the skin’s oil production – making it great for acne prone skin.
how to use this oil: Grapeseed oil is very light and non-greasy, so you can use it directly on the skin. Many people like using it on their face and for under the eyes.
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The brand of oil doesn’t matter as much as how the oil was expressed. Chemical and heat destroy the oils natural properties, so always buy: Cold-pressed, Virgin and unrefined oils only. Read the label and make sure it says it!
ps – I’ve linked the oils to iHerb, so that you can see them, but you can easily find them in your supermarket too! If you prefer shopping online, I’m an affiliate of iHerb, so using these links helps to support the blog. Thanks for that! 🙂
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