Skin is the largest body organ. It acts as a barrier towards the environment. Simultaneously, it helps to regulate the body temperature and acts as a filter. The skin keeps growing constantly with old cells dying and new cells being formed at the same time. Every aspect of life affects the skin in a different manner, including where to live from what to eat. Healthy skin is more prone to faster healing, combats aging signs, and prevents diseases as well. If you are also concerned about your physical appearance, it is highly important to follow a proper skin care regime.
Your face and skin reflect your emotional and physical health. Healthy skin appears vibrant and has the tendency to glow, whereas unhealthy skin appears dull and sallow. When the skin is dehydrated, wrinkles develop easier and sink deeper. The skin tends to sag as it loses elasticity, appears thin and is more likely to get scarred easily.
Proper skin care regime takes around 5-7 minutes in the morning and 5-7 minutes at night. Daily skin care is highly recommended for people of every age group – from those around puberty to those nearing menopause. Proper skin care involves four main steps – cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and protecting.
Proper skin care, along with various other elements, helps to provide healthy and glowing skin. These include:
- A well balanced diet
- A good skin care regime at home
- Limited sun exposure
- Sufficient water intake
- Ample rest and use of professional skin care products and treatment
- Regular exercise
Of all these things, moisturizer is one of the most important aspects of skin care. Any skin care routine is not complete if it doesn’t include moisturizing as a crucial step. Some important benefits of moisturizing the skin are:
- Moisturizing protects sensitive skin, improves skin tone and texture, and masks imperfections.
- Proper moisturizing of skin helps prevent and treat dry skin.
- Moisturizing the skin keep the outermost layer well hydrated thus acting as a temporary barrier for the skin.
- It helps to protect the outer layer of the skin from harmful effects of the sun, wind and other environmental factors.
When and How to Moisturize?
Some key tips on moisturizing the skin are listed below.
- Moisturize your skin immediately after drying your skin post bath. Since the skin is still moist, the moisturizer will penetrate into the skin surface properly.
- Moisturize your hands after every wash.
- Make it a point to moisturize your skin before applying make-up. Doing so would not only hold the make-up for a longer period, but also prevent the make-up from penetrating into the skin pores. Make sure to moisturize your skin immediately after you are done with cleansing the face with suitable cleanser, depending upon the skin type.
Beauty Oils for Glowing Skin
Beauty oils have come up as a new revolution in the beauty industry. These oils can be found in a variety of cosmetic and skin care products – including body butter, body lotion, hair care products, toners, and even in lipsticks. These beauty oils are extremely hydrating and moisturizing. When we talk about essential oils, these are highly concentrated flower and plant extracts that are loaded with beauty and medicinal benefits.
Beauty oils are beneficial because they get absorbed easily into the skin and thus work faster for being loaded with essential fatty acids and act effectively to nourish and heal the skin to provide a clear, flawless, and glowing complexion.
Check out the following list of top 6 oils that provide you a glowing skin.
1. Argan Oil
Also referred as “liquid gold”, Argan oil is used in a wide range of beauty products for skin care. It contains ample amount of vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. Argan oil, one of the most expensive essential oils around the world, nourishes and protects the skin. It reverses the damage done to skin and hair. In addition, it contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and promotes scar tissue healing as well. With the amazing content of antioxidants contained by Argan oil, it helps to prevent the free radical damage to the skin and thus, acts as an effective anti ageing formula.
Akin to other beauty oils, it helps to retain moisture in the skin, thus keeping it well hydrated and glowing. This essential oil not only moisturizes but also hydrates and softens the skin. It is a wonderful beauty elixir, not greasy at all, and gets absorbed into the skin very quickly.
2. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil contains ample amount of vitamin A, B, D, and E. It is an excellent moisturizer. It contains potassium and vitamins that have the potential to penetrate deep into the skin, leaving it well hydrated and moisturized. It nourishes the skin from within. You can add a drop or two of the avocado essential oil to your moisturizer for enhanced benefits (1, 2).
3. Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot seed oil is perfect to fight off signs of aging and fine lines. It is an essential oil that supports healthy cell regeneration. This essential oil is extracted from dried seeds of Queen Anne’s Lace. It is a clinically proven anti-fungal agent and a lesser known beauty oil. It works wonders on hyperpigmentation, stretch marks, and winkles. It is also an amazing skin toner as well. Just mix a couple of drops of carrot seed oil to your homemade face packs or use to massage skin, mixed with any carrier oil (3).
4. Chamomile Oil
This is the perfect oil to use for glowing skin. It works best for those who have sensitive skin type. Chamomile essential oil, derived from chamomile flower, contains amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to heal and soothe acne-prone and sensitive skin. In addition, it also contains antioxidants and flavonoids to combat free radical damage. Another benefit of using chamomile oil is that it promotes cell regeneration along with healing benefits. It works wonders for acne-prone skin by balancing the sebum production. Above all, it restores hydration to the skin. For these reasons, chamomile oil is also used in numerous skin care products, like ointments, toners, creams, face wash, etc.
5. Almond Oil
Almond oil, extracted from almonds, contains amazing beauty and health benefits. Being rich in vitamin A, D, B, and E, it is one of the most natural and effective ways to improve skin texture and make it healthier. Most of the hair and skin care products include almond oil as an essential ingredient. This is mainly because almond oil can easily penetrate the layers of your skin, thus providing more nourishment and hydration to the cells deep within. In addition, almond oil softens the skin. With regular use, you can get a flawless complexion (4, 5).
6. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer. It prevents flakiness and dryness of the skin. It has the potential to soften the skin and make it smooth and shining. Coconut oil works by penetrating in deeper layers of the skin and delaying the process of premature aging. In addition, it also prevents sagging of the skin (6, 7).
Tips to Use Essential Oils for Skin
Some important things to keep in mind when buying essential oils for your skin are listed ahead.
- Synthetic Fragrances
There are certain oils do not exist in a natural state. They are available only as “bouquet” fragrances or synthetic fragrances which are a combination of absolutes, essential oils, and synthetics. These oils include linden, honeysuckle, gardenia, and frangipani.
- Adulteration
A higher price indicates a higher risk of adulteration. Some oils that can be available in adulterated form include rose, sandalwood, and Melissa (lemon balm).
- Grades
Lower grades of oils are usually sold as higher. One good example is Ylang-Ylang.
- Redistilled or Rectified
Oils that contain natural components removed from them, i.e. furocoumarin-free oils or terpene-less oils.
Even though essential oils work wonders to provide a glowing skin, it is important to keep a few points in mind when applying. This is because these oils are absorbed in minute quantities through the skin, depending on the oil, dilution, and application (compress, carrier oil, etc.). Generally, essential oils are quite safe and beneficial when used properly. Most of the oils have indications mentioned on the packaging, depending upon the skin condition.
However, since their uses are still relatively unknown, people can and do hurt themselves by using these highly concentrate oils improperly. Therefore, make sure to be well acquainted with the proper techniques to use these oils in the correct manner to get the best benefits.