Beauty Tips - Using Oils for Skin Care

I love beauty tips - dont you? Unfortunatly, I only know what I have learnt myself along the way, although I would love to study make up artistry, especially theatrical makeup ! However I am so blessed to have some wonderful vintage loving friends who can share some tips and tricks with you...... I do hope you enjoy this guest post by wonderful vintage beauty blogger Lydia from TheVintageMama.com, as she imparts to us the value of skin care with oils.....

A Simple Guide to Oils for Skin Care

Using natural oils for your skin is one of the most cost effective ways to keep your skin healthy.

And though not quite as powerful as some anti-aging creams, vegetable and nut oils are a great

alternative since they are full of powerful skin nourishing properties.

But before you reach for the nearest bottle of vegetable oil, use this simple guide to find out how

to pick the right oil for your skin type and skin concern

But first…How to choose quality oil

Though oils are naturally full of anti-oxidants, they are still sensitive to going rancid. Putting rancid

oil on your skin is much more damaging to your skin than putting nothing at all. It can be pretty

tough to tell whether oil has gone bad, so I have these general guidelines to help me avoid rancid

oils.

•

Butters and oils that are solid at room temperature have a longer shelf life. (Shea butter, coco

butter, palm oil, coconut oil for example)

•

Oils derived from areas that are hot or tropical climates usually have a longer shelf life.

•

Oils that need to be refrigerated (like flaxseed oil and rosehip seed oil) should only be used if you

know they have been in refrigeration since first extracted.

•

Adding fractionated coconut oil, Jojoba oil or vitamin E to fresh oils can extend their shelf life, but

it cannot make rancid oil good again.

•

Any store bought oil blend that contains oils that should be refrigerated should be considered

already rancid.

Oil for every skin

Oily skin

Using certain oils can help to dissolve oil plugs (aka blackheads) and gently remove excessive oil

on the surface of the skin.

Use

: Grape seed oil, Sunflower, Jojoba oil or Hazelnut oil

How to use

: Cleanse and exfoliate your skin, use oil as a facial massage medium and follow with a

mild cleanser and then apply facial mask. Lastly, place a few drops of oil on your hands and gently

press onto your face.

Dry Skin

Skin that does not produce enough oil is said to be dry. Dry skin loses moisture quickly, is more

prone to irritation and shows signs of aging sooner.

Use: Macadamia Nut oil, Camellia oil, Rice Bran oil, or Jojoba oil

How to use: Cleanse and exfoliate your skin, use oil as a massage medium and apply mask or

moistened hot towel over skin. Remove mask with warm water and press a few drops of oil onto

skin. If using warm moist towel, simply remove any excess oil with towel.

Sensitive or Irritated skin

Some skin types are naturally prone to irritation, for others it may be a temporary occurrence

(such as from a sunburn). Either way, the following oils are known to have strong antiinflammatory

properties to help calm your skin down.

Use:

Kukui nut oil, Emu oil, Tamanu oil

How to use:

Cleanse skin and rinse cleanser using cool water. Gently press a few drops of oil onto

skin followed by a cool, gel mask. A cold compress or thin slices of chilled cucumber can be used

instead of a mask. Remove mask with cool water and finish off with a few drops of oil gently

pressed into the skin.

Mature skin

I don't really need to explain to you what mature skin looks like, do I? You know what it looks like,

and you know if you have it. Here's what to do…

Use:

Argan oil, Emu oil, Pomegranate oil, Sea Buckthorn Berry, Squalane oil or Rosehip oil

How to use:

Pretty much the same way as the dry skin facial above.

Helpful hints:

•

Create a blend of oils for your skin type to help customize your facial.

•

Although not always necessary, it's best to keep oils stored in the fridge and date them

•

The above facial treatments can be done up to twice a week.

•

I find that often the freshest oils from online retailers or from local manufacturers (if you can find

'em)

•

Oils should be used sparingly on facial skin, similar to how one would use an expensive serum

Lydia Poblano is a licensed skin care therapist, Mad Men addict, homeschooling, vintage mama to

3 rascally boys. You can find her blogging about bombshell living for moms at

TheVintageMama.com

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