10 reasons why I love using plant-based oils on my skin
I started my journey using vegetable oils or carrier oils on my face back in 2008. It’s been four years thereabout. During this period, I’ve also gone back to using facial creams and lotions for certain stretches but I recently realized that my face really enjoys using oil more than lotions and creams. In fact, I can say that I see more results using oils and I think some of you will agree with me. I’ll probably have a bit more to say pertaining to this category but for now, let me tell you 10 reasons why I love using vegetable oils.
Before I start the list, here’s a quick explanation about vegetable oils: they are the non-volatile, generally liquid fats extracted from fruit like nuts, kernels, pits, seeds and pulp. They are also referred to as carrier oils, base oils or fixed oils. In terms of quality, organic cold pressed oils are best. Okay, with that quick intro outta the way, here’s my list of reasons:
1. Full strength, concentrated and undiluted goodness
The idea of pampering my skin with concentrated, undiluted vegetable oils with no added water or additives pleases me much. I think of it as getting the beneficial components of the oils like vitamins and fatty acids to my skin at their full strength. Potent goodness!
2. Natural sun protection
Some vegetable oils contain natural sunscreens. While the sun protection factor (SPF) is usually equal or less than 5 and insufficient for proper sun protection, I like the idea of added protection I get when I use them. Some of the oils with SPF include coconut oil, apricot kernel, wheat germ, cranberry seed, sea buckthorn, jojoba, amongst others. You can check out more details about them in my post titled natural sun protection from plant oils.
3. Fast absorbing
Many people think that vegetable oils are oily and heavy but on the contrary, many of them are actually very fluid, light and fast absorbing. Hence, you don’t really get that greasy feeling after application. An oil like jojoba is actually considered as non-greasy because its composition is very close to that of human sebum.
4. Mix and match
The wonderful thing I find about vegetable oils is that they’re very flexible in the sense that they can be used alone, or mixed. In fact, you can mix different vegetable oils together to optimize the best benefits according to your skin condition.
5. Varied choices for different skin types
Another great point about vegetable oils is that there are so many different oils and you can definitely find one that works well for your skin type. Whether your skin is dry, normal, oily, combination, sensitive or acne prone, you can definitely find one that works well.
6. Multiple usage
I can use vegetable oils on my face, my neck, my body and even my hair. I can use vegetable oils to stimulate my eyelashes to grow faster and stronger and I use a vegetable oil to nourish my cuticles daily. Oh, and I can also use vegetable oil to cleanse my eye makeup. Definitely multi-purpose love!
7. Minimize fine lines quickly
I actually find vegetable oils minimizing fine lines on my face almost instantly. Granted, it’s temporary but I like the idea that my skin doesn’t look so “crinkled”. LOL.
8. Complements other skin products well
Another reason I like using vegetable oils very much is because they complement the other products in my skin care regime very well. I can always use an oil under a sunscreen, or use one over a serum, or one under a cream moisturizer.
9. Reasonably priced
Many vegetable oils are inexpensive and a bottle usually last quite a long time.
10. Smell great
Most of the oils I’ve come across smell pleasant enough. But even if they don’t, I can improve their scent by dropping a few drops of my favorite essential oils to make them more appealing to my nose.
So are you also a lover of using oil on your face? Or maybe you like them on your body or hair better? Can you identify with the reasons I’ve shared or are there other specific reasons why you like using oil?
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I also am a lover of skin care oils, for most of the reasons that you listed and more. Each plant oil holds its own unique properties and characteristics so the range of uses for skin conditions is huge. Also, this is natural skin care at its most pure and you can always be assured that the product is 100% real and nothing funny added to it. So I love using oils on face, body, hair and they are the basis for so many other products!
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Awesome article! I’ve been using them for a year or a bit more now, I make my own DIY stuff from them and my all time favorites are wheat germ oil and sunflower oil. The last one is so multifunctional. ?
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I love vegetable oil for skin care! I like them ’cause they’re natural, effective, and multipurpose.
I use jojoba oil and tea tree essential oil for my face. I use jojoba oil/tea tree essential oil mixture to remove my mineral make-up and to boost my facial moisturizer (just a drop). I also use tea tree essential oil as a acne spot treatment.
I moisturize my body with my DIY Body Butter (shea butter/coconut oil mixture) or almond oil. These oil keep my skin soft and smooth.
I use coconut oil and castor oil on my Afro-textured hair. I mainly use them in my DIY deep conditioning mixtures.
oh my god, me too! i have acne-prone oily skin and i have tried so many expensive products, but once i tried using natural on my skin, i am so satisfied with the result. I have been using argan oil, vitamin e oil, jojoba oil, castor oil and cocoa butter (for my stretch mark), shea butter (put a think layer on foot, you have unbelievable foot the next morning!)
i have been telling my girlfriends and families about using oil. they are reasonably priced, all natural, and extremely effective. But they don’t really buy it, they prefer high-end skin care……
but the way, a client of mine, she is a former la mer director and she used to work for la pariaire as well. she told me those products are way overpriced, and afterall they are just cream and they can’t give you a miracle result. She told me she is using Clarins!!!!
i am still using la mer foundation, i hope i can found a good all natural foundation, so i don’t have to pay USD $95 + tax per bottle of make up any more.
Anyway, thanks for sharing. I really like your blog and natural oil on face, body, and hair works amazing!!!!! I hope more women can be rational enough not to waste money on overpriced commercial skin care products. I have a lot of them, nothing works like those natural oils.
I am planing to try more different oil, will hit iherb once i finish my oil inventory at home ?
Thank you so much for telling us that those expensive products are overpriced. Yes, I know that, not because a former director told me (thank you!), but because I spent money on them, and saw only disappointment. ? No miracles for that price. Nothing at all. In fact, I ended up using La Mer cream on my hands, because it was so thick that my face looked awfully greasy. It broke me out, too.
Now…the theme. Thanks Viva for this great post. I love face oils, they do not break me out compared to ueber expensive La Mer. I tried argan oil, jasmine oil, rose hip oil, mixtures, and I love them all! Also, I love body oils. Oils are my friends. You have a picture of Ila Oil. I have not tried it yet. I will not because I do not like that price. I do not think it is so miraculous to spend over $110 USD for a 30 ml bottle. Ugh!
Sandra
All my life, I’ve been using a variety of face creams and sad to say the results are all temporal. Basically, I grew tired of my therapist, frequently telling me how dehydrated my skin is in each visits. That’s when I switched to face oils. I’ve been using oils for my face and body for 3 years and the results I get are massive. I can see far more results and improvements during these 3 years than all those years, wasted spending on creams and such.
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I love this post!! Bringing awareness to everyone that putting oil on your face is actually good!!
I suffer from eczema and was trying to find different moisturizers to use (instead of succumbing to steroid cream!). And I came across an article in Crunchy Betty, and decided to give it a try. It was a guideline of how to mix your own oil to moisturize your face: http://www.crunchybetty.com/simple-homemade-3-ingredient-facial-oil-moisturizer-customize-it-for-your-own-gorgeous-skin
I tried it, and never went back since. It’s true that most ppl think that its oily, but it’s not at all! And I’ve made facial oils for my mom, and body oil for my sis to help her with pregnancy stretch marks. It’s great!!
Eventhough I have eczema, I do get pimples. But using oil has helped my skin. Just be sure to read the properties of the oil before you mix it in! Some are comedogenic. Here’s a list for some help: http://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html
I don’t think I’ll ever go back to creams ever after having tried facial oils. Even my Mom commented that my skin is looking healthier now and the only drastic change I’ve done is really just using facial oils. Previously, I used to spend lots of $ on all sorts of creams and serums because I was looking for a product that can heal my dry skin without causing me blackheads and acne breakouts. Only oils truly solved my problem. Best of all, most of the dehydrated lines around my mouth disappeared already.
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i totally love them and agree with all your benefits ?
Yes, agree 100%. Love that they’re all concentrated and without additives.
I haven’t tried both the oils you mentioned neat. I was under the impression that wheat germ oil is quite rich and never really dared to try it.
Wow, you’re an oil lover! Except for the hair, I use oil all over too.
I think the price point is a matter of brand positioning because those high end brands can reach out to the tai tais. ? It’s a bit like branded bags but the thing is nobody can tell what you slather on but if your skin is good, everyone wants to know what you use. I’ve tried La Mer many years back and do like it then but right now, I can’t bear to part with that kind of money for my skin.
Haha…you recognized the packaging. That’s an old picture and I only use it cos it’s suitable. But I’m using the oil right now cos I still have half a bottle left. Well, it’s true that there are other more affordable ones.
Glad you’re enjoying the benefits from oils too! Certainly concur that they’re much better than most creams and lotions.
Oh thanks for the link to the list of oils. That’s helpful. And I’m so glad your skin is doing well using your own DIY oil. ?
I went back to using lotions and creams for most part of last year and yeah, I discover that they didn’t perform as well as vegetable oils. Plus the lines under my eyes are starting to show. Oh horrids!
And you’re the envy cos you’re located where it’s easy to get them too. ?
Most people stared at me when I mention that I put facial oil on my face. Even my sister does not believe in it. However, I see a big improvement from using commercial facial creams and moisturizers. Lesser breakouts, clogged pores and moist. Now, I just ignore sales/therapist who tells me how bad oil is.
Its a cheaper alternative and the routine is much simpler. Commercial toner–> facial oil (Normal day and night routine ) or Commercial toner–> ampules–> facial oil (On days that I go on dates.)
Except for facial oil that I buy from MVO, I mix my own body oil. The body oil also double up as my perfume and it smells good.
What oils do you use? I’ve only ever tried make up cleansing oils on my face, I must say it cleared my skin alot albeit not being vegetable oils. What’s your view on non-natural oils? ?
I do use shea oil on my hair (I got a bottle on impulse because it smelt so good; It’s for face/body/hair but I’m not that adventurous as yet!) and that’s as far as I’d go as of now, would love to hear your views!
I am from this school of thought too. Question….does applying rosehip oil during daytime accelerate tanning? Oh well, I will only use rosehip oil at night until I clear my doubts.
i use olive oil in my hair and now my face, i had a allergic recation to a new cleanser and my skin went dry, so olive oil cured it ?
Regarding point #8, do you think oils are a valid alternative to serums?
I had the same reactions initially to the idea of using oil on my skin too. I mean, it’s not in the mainstream routine but there are so much benefits that even the mainstream brands are formulating just pure oil products and then charging an arm and a leg for them. ?
Oh, I like the MVO Anti-Aging Oil much but I’ve not used it for awhile. I think I’ll try some others before deciding if I want to revert back.
Right now Argan, Avocado and Sweet Almond. Was just using Coconut Oil too,
Non-natural oils for makeup remover etc? Like those Japanese brands? They’re okay for their purpose but they can be drying. Never tried shea oil but only shea butter.
I’m two minded about rosehip oil. It is supposed to help even out skin tone but I’ve also read some different remarks that they can cause sun sensitivity. So like you, I try to avoid using it in the day.
Oh that’s great that olive oil has helped clear your allergy.
Yes and no. If you get an oil mix with different properties, then they can be extremely beneficial for your skin doing a few things together and you won’t need a serum. Personally, I don’t mind using oil with serum. I like serum because they do seem to provide some benefits overtime. I guess at the end of the day, it depends on preferences and also budget.
I haven’t tried vegetable oil but I love maracuja oil for my face and hair.
Thanks for sharing! Rosehip oil contains retin-a so that could be an explanation for the “sun sensitivity” (now I pick up one skincare terminology too). By the way, enjoy your Chinese New Year holidays.
@Tia: Yes, I read about it but also read that it is in its natural form and so may not have the similar side effects. But in any case, I would rather be more cautious.
Interesting! This is the first time I’m learning about maracuja oil.
Great post! I’m a beginner in using oil as skincare. Question, can I use oil around my eye area? I’ve used mineral oil and rose hip oil before, and both gave me milia seeds under my eyes ?
You can but you need to be careful. I developed milia with rosehip oil too and as for mineral oil, I’ll recommend you not to use it as it does nothing but coat your skin.
The other oils I’ve tried like grapeseed, argan, sweet almond, coconut, all worked well for my eye area. However, I don’t really slather a lot but just pat over my eye area with some of the oil lightly.
Hi Sesame,
Are you going to try Marie Verionique’s Pacific Topical Marine Treatment?
I tried oil, it made me break out!
I will check out the link YiLin posted about oils that won’t clog pores.Thnx.
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Ah…wish to but it’s so costly I can’t afford.
Oil is actually okay for most people but the trick is to find the one that’ll work well for your skin type.
I stopped using straight-up oils on my skin. I was applying them twice a day or used them as a cleanser for two years or more, and I didn’t see any worthy improvements, it took so long to absorb into my skin (even if I apply a little on moist face), and I broke out more than I do now. I ordered so many samples of different individual oils or oil mixtures and couldn’t find any that was ideal. BUT I’ve have better results with creams/serums that contain oils, but not oils alone. So I still think oils are beneficial to me. I use some of the new facial products from Nature’s Gate such as the Rice Bran moisturizer and Grape Seed Eye Cream..as well as commercial products that aren’t so natural. I wish I could do all natural, but it doesn’t always give me the results I desire.
I thought they would give you some samples to try
I am hoping but haven’t heard anything. I’m planning to order some stuff soon and may ask for a sample to try though not sure if samples are available. ?
I see…what a shame. But you’re not alone…I know some women just can’t use oil neat on their skin.
This is an interesting read! Could you share some of your recipes? And how do you apply it? Do you pat the oil on the face or do you smear it over your skin like a regular moisturizer?
Hi Sesame..Ive been using grapeseed oil for abt a month now and boy do I tell you it lighten up my acne hyperpigmentation fast…Ive been trying to get rid of my acne red spots using cinnamon n nutmeg honey treatment but that didnt work…my hyperpigmentation been there since last 2 yrs n grapeseed oil has been great for lightening it up.. I wish I was using grapeseed oil back then as a moisturiser instead of all those nasty chemical moisturiser
Oh that’s really great to know! I never experienced lightening of my pigmentation marks using grapeseed oil but I like the oil much.
wheatgerm oil is rich in vit E it is really good for scars. Most companies dont use it because it is costly.
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I see…but it’s no that great for acne prone I think cos it’s supposed to be pore clogging.
Can vegetable oil be used to lighten the skin?
I doubt oils work to lighten skin although some have UV protection in a limited way. You’ll need to use other whitening ingredients in combination.
want to know the greatest vegetable oil for the skin? just go for evoo extra virgin olive oil, it works wonders! just google to find out all its benefits compared to others, good luck!
….I’m Ussing vegetable oil all over my body , i used it before i sleep
and i can see some difference i got good results it moisturise my dry skin dahil narin sa paparating na ang summer, well I’ll like to ask po what kind of oil do you prefer for an oily and acne prone skin… I’m scared of using oil in my face specially now that my pimples and acne is gone only a little few ance marks and redness . I hesitated to use veg. oil it might bring my pimples again please do help me tnx… alot for your blog… it kind’a help me and others alot. #k8SjZc9Dxk#k8SjZc9Dxk
You can try grapeseed oil. It’s not oily and works well for acne prone too.
I’ve never tried oil on my face before….what would you recommend at the age of 56.
If your skin is dry, you can try avocado or just start with sweet almond. Alternatively try a blend from available brands made for aging skin.