Best Essential Oils That Give You Healthy, Flawless Skin

Oils have amazing healing properties and can restore and maintain healthy, flawless skin. Here is a guide from beauty icon Shahnaz Husain on how to choose the right oil.

Research in skin care has introduced several kinds of products and face oil is one of them. Like serum, face oil is the buzzword today. Oil, by itself, does not moisturise the skin, but it helps the skin to hold moisture better. Face oils help people with persistently dry, dehydrated skin, by softening it and preventing loss of moisture. The skin feels and looks soft and smooth after application of oil. Olive oil and coconut oil, for instance, moisturise the skin by preventing moisture loss and helping the skin to retain moisture. In fact, oils have many properties, including healing properties that help to restore and maintain healthy, flawless skin.

THE RISE OF ARGAN AND JOJOBA OILS

Argan oil and jojoba oil are ideal as face oils. While jojoba oil is very close to the skin's natural oil in nature, argan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and Vitamin E. Therefore, it helps to delay the visible signs of ageing and even rejuvenates the skin. It is easily absorbed by the skin and helps to nourish and moisturise it. A few drops of argan oil can be applied directly and massaged on the face after cleansing. It can also be used as a serum, applying only a few drops. Or, add a few drops of the oil to 100 ml rose water to make a skin tonic.

BENEFITS OF A COMBINATION OF OILS

Face oils that are a combination of essential oils and carrier, or pressed oils, help to control certain skin conditions and also impart a natural, healthy glow. Jojoba oil, or argan oil are getting more importance as face oils, but that does not mean that oils like sesame seed (til) oil or olive oil are less effective. Sometimes, a combination of oils may be more effective. Face oil can be a combination of pressed and essential oils, or only pressed oil, like sweet almond oil, olive oil, or unscented oils for sensitive skin.

BEST OILS FOR YOUR FACE

Other Let us look at some face oils that you can use

Sweet Basil Oil

This oil can be used for oily skin. It helps to build immunity too and also fights acne. It can also be used for normal and dry skin to rejuvenate the skin and brighten it.

Neem oil

This oil is a very potent essential oil and cannot be used directly on the skin. It has been combined in the prescribed proportion with sesame seed oil or sweet almond oil in Ayurveda, acne, fungal infections and even warts. Therefore, it can be used for oily skin too.

Ayurvedic face oils

Among the Ayurvedic Face Oils is the well known Kumkumadi Tailam or oil for the skin. It contains about 24 herbal extracts. Among the ingredients of the oil are precious extracts like saffron, sandalwood, himalayan cherry, vetiver or khus, Indian barberry, leaves of the Banyan tree and many more. Sesame seed oil (or til oil) is the base oil.

Bio-organic Face Oil

We have formulated Bio-organic Face Oil, containing Vitamin E oil, sunflower and soya oils, combined with essential oils of chamomile, rosemary, lavender and calendula, to protect the skin and restore ideal balances.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind when buying or planning to use any essential oils. Remember that essential oils must never be used by themselves and should be diluted with carrier oils.

• When buying face oil, look at the labels to see the ingredients.
• You should check the base oil or base ingredient. It will probably be a pressed oil.
• Check if there is any mention of skin type suitability.
• Jojoba oil and Tea Tree oil, for instance, suit acne-prone skin.
• Check the method of use too. If there are essential oils, the directions for usage should be followed.
• Check also for the fragrances used, as they may be photosensitive and react on sun-exposure, like citrus oils and bergamot.

The right face oil is the route to a healthy, radiant skin.

(This article is authored by Shahnaz Husain, a Padma Shri Award recipient and pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement and the head of a global network of franchise ventures and 375 formulations.)