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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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! 🙂
39 responses to “Six supermarket vegetable oils that your skin will love!”
How about sunflower seed oil?
That would be a great choice too Jazz! Sunflower oil soaks in really nicely 🙂
Hi there! I just started to use oil on my face, can i mix vitamin e oil with my olive oil and lavender oil mix?
[…] Your favorite oil […]
[…] Choose your favorite oil from six favourite supermarket oils here. […]
[…] Choose your favorite body oil here. […]
[…] Don’t have a bath? No problem. All you need is a blender. First, blend the rose petals, to make them powder fine. Then add the salt (if its coarse) to make it fine. Blitz it all together. Add your cinnamon and oil (read: oils for skin) […]
hey – love your blog! would you recommend coconut oil or is vegetable oil preferable for a facial moisturizer? or even something else? thanks!
Hi, could you help me? I’m using sunflower seed oil since your fresh start challange but i don’t feel it suits me very well. I have dry skin but when using oil or face cream or even nothing at all after toner, after few hours my face becomes very oily. Can you recommend any oil? I don’t know what to do, if i just wash it it’s too dry. Thank you. Sona
Use Rosehip Seed Oil. It will closely match the sebum in your skin.
Such a lovely blog…(although I would also note that coconut oil can clog pores and cause excess sebum etc, so be careful of that one on your face).
Honestly you won’t get clogged pores with coconut oil if you wash your fast with cold water properly first to close your pores
I make sugar scrubs (4 oz jar) with extra virgin olive oil and wanted to add some avocado oil to help with my dry skin. Do you have a recommended amount of the avocado oil I should mix with the olive oil, to help with the dryness?
Hi Amy! Avocado + Olive is a wonderful combination for dry skin! I might do a 50/50 ration… but A good idea is to apply the oils directly onto your skin as an experiment: maybe avocado on your left arm. Olive on your right arm – so that you can see how each oil feels on your skin. If you find that you like the feel of one more than the other, or if one absorbs better, moisturises better – you can decide the ratio for your scrub.
Hope that helps! Happy making!
Helli!
I am happy I found this blog!. I am just one starting to make my own skin care products from scratch at home. It was nice to learn about some oil that I can use on my recipe. Thank you!
Hi Irene! Making your own skincare from scratch is so fun, especially if you already like spending time in the kitchen, being creative and making something good for yourself! I hope you find lots and lots of inspiration here – and always, if you have any questions I’d really love to hear it – it helps me know how to best help! Send me an email at: [email protected]
Happy making
Militza Xx
I have broken capillaries on my face can grapeseed oil help in fading them away?
I have broken capillaries on my face can grapeseed oil help in fading them away? Or what other ouls can diminish all the red blotches?
[…] The cream contains many substances that neutralize the impact of polluted ecology. And also, it is especially important for women living in large cities. Moreover, there is the presence of vegetable cosmetic oils, which contribute to the improvement of skin color.[2] […]
I am a beginner at making my own products can you help me in pricing organic skin care
Hi I’ve recently started making my own body butters but the hardest part is cleaning my bowls and utensils. How do you suggest cleaning the wax and residues off. THANKS
Hi Roni! Pour boiling water over them, it will immediately melt the butter, and then clean them with very soapy water. The only thing to consider is where you’ll do this, as you may not want to pour melted butter down the kitchen drain – incase it solidifies and blocks the pipes. You can clean them in a large bucket to capture the oily water and later pour it out safely.
Olive oil, coconut oil, Avocado is a gift from god! If you regularly use these oils, then you get the result as per my experience.
Whoever wrote this does not know what they are talking about…try putting these oils in your hair and you will be washing it out for a week..it’s a mess. And for the skin, a decent lotion from the drugstore is so much better. Who writes this stuff?…..
She seems African American and she’s correct, this is lovely for their hair!
Depends on the amount you’re using. When I first started using oils I defeiently had times where I used way too much and was a grease ball. But now I understand that a little goes a long way. Switching from harsh chemical conditonders to just a little bit of natural oil such as coconut, rosehip or argan have completely transformed my hair. Previously i found that my hair was fine and a extreme combination of oily and dry. Now after switching to shampoo bars and natrual oils my hair oil levels have completely evened out and my hair growth has increased! So happy as this better impacts the earth and my wallet!!
If people don’t believe in these natural options which are better for the hair and skin than the stuff you buy at the drugstore full of chemicals, perhaps they shouldn’t even comment on this blog.
I have lots of experience with oils that you can put in your hair and IT IS NOT difficult to get them out. You need to know how much to use.. it’s just common sense.
Coconut Oil raises blood pressure and is not recognized as a good choice, by physicians and researchers.
Digesting sure! But using on your skin and hair no
Hello, any idea if Palermo Grapeseed oil (expeller pressed) good for your skin and can we mix it with castor oil? Been researching but haven’t found anything yet. Thanks!
Can aloe Vera be added to body butter?
Hi Angie – yes and no. You could make body cream, adding aloe vera gel (fresh aloe will spoil too quickly, food-grade aloe vera gel is best) but you would need to store it in the fridge and use it up within a week or so. Water(aloe) and oil do not mix, so you would need to add a third ingredient to bind everything together. This could be emulsifying wax or beeswax. It can be done, very simply – but it requires some processing 🙂
We’re can I find papaya oil
Pls can I add carrots to these oils for my skin
Pls can I fry these oils with grated carrots and use on my skin
Hi, what oil could you mix with Bayleaf oil for joints pain relief.?
GNC was out of the NOW grape seed oil that I normally put on my face so I bought one that was less expensive on the oil isle at Target. Is this the same oil? I’m assuming they are both 100% grape seed oil. It says it’s expeller pressed. Is this safe for my face? Thank you!
I’m looking for a recommendation of a pure solid vegetable oil for moisturizing my outer vulva area. Any recommendations? – THANKS! Monica
Hi Monica. Yes, jojoba is one of my favorites for the skin. Coconut is often recommended for vulva care, it has cleansing properties that promote healthy skin flora balance (do not use coconut oil with condoms) I recommend herbal infused oil for vulva care. One of my favorites is vanilla-infused jojoba oil. You might enjoy reading my article on Sitz Baths for recommendations on herbs.