I credit oils for making my skin look fresh and youthful – even clearing up my acne! So many people strip away all their skin’s defenses when cleansing, so your skin starts to rebound, creating more oil, which then clogs pores from the inside out.
By using cooking oils on your face to cleanse or treat, you are working in tandem with the biology and chemistry of your skin… and we’re all guilty of picking at our pimples, bathroom surgery, if you will, and if you think about it, a blemish is technically a wound. Wounds heal better when you keep them moist, and what better than with something natural like oil!
WHAT OILS SHOULD I USE AND WHEN?
There’s definitely a method to the madness. You can use oils to cleanse, as a moisturizing mask or even as an overnight treatment to insulate active ingredients in!
OILY SKIN
For oily skin, turn to sesame oil! It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which are helpful in clearing up existing blemishes! Use as a cleansing oil to remove makeup and replenish the skin while disinfecting it from the day’s grime. It’s high in antioxidants so it can speed up wound healing – and that’s what a blemish is!
And it’s true, like dissolves like, so long-wear and water-proof foundations, eyeshadows and mascaras are no match to the cleansing power of oils – you’ll even nix tugging, which has been shown to create fine lines over time, too!COMBINATION SKIN
For combination skin use coconut oil ideally applied as a simple mask for 30 minutes. Coconut oil will soften and lubricate healthy skin cells, break down dead cells, hydrate skin and balance out your skin’s pH level. Many products we use, from soap to moisturizers throw your skin’s pH level out of whack. Happy skin is at a 5.5 pH balance, just slightly acidic. Too dry and enzymes that break down collagen to go town making your skin look older and saggier. To melt coconut, use a blow dryer, or the heat from your hands!DRY SKIN
For dry skin, head to the pantry for some olive oil. When I travel, my skin gets so dry I steal olive oil from the salad bar to put on my face! You can pat a few drops of olive oil over your moisturizer each night to amp up moisturization, especially as we move into cooler temperatures. Any active ingredients from your skincare products will get locked in overnight with this layer of insulation and you’ll have supple, softer skin by morning. Oils can penetrate moisturizers, not the other way around.
HOW OFTEN CAN I USE OILS?
Oils are gentle enough that you can use them every day! It’s really important to go organic if you can for these, your skin is your biggest organ and you definitely want it to soak up all the good stuff, and none of the toxins.
For the full scoop, check out as I school Dr. Oz on the show – and give him an unsuspecting beauty treatment.
I would like to know what moisturizer you used with the oil that white cream it looked like you used
It was a generic moisturizer! Mix a few drops of oil with whatever you use, even Cetaphil.