Looking back, I have been using natural organic oil as moisturizers for 2,3 years now. I went through a period of extreme disappointment at commercial moisturizers since they either give me irritation or not doing enough. So I almost thoroughly converted to using national vegetable oils and butters.
1. Jojoba oil. *
Intro online: Jojoba oil comes from the beans of the shrub like plant, simmondsia chinensis. This is the highest grade certified organic, cold pressed oil (actually a liquid plant wax). It is bright and golden in color and is regarded as the most favored in the carrier oil family because of its advanced molecular stability. Also makes a great scalp cleanser for the hair, and is equally wonderful for the skin because it has absorption properties that are similar to our skins own sebum.
I started with Desert Essentials jojoba oil. Then I bought a bigger bottle on mountainroseherbs.com version. Before I finished the tiny bottle from Desert Essential, I noticed that the oil is too much for my skin. If I use it for more than two days, I get bumps. I tried once on my hair before shampoo; didn’t notice anything difference.
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. ****
Way too heavy for my face. I now use it on my body after applying a layout of water. Seems to be good.
Intro online: A luxurious and deeply penetrating oil from the cold pressed organic seeds of Pomegranate fruit. This highly prized oil which is naturally high in flavonoids and punicic acid is remarkable for the skin and has numerous dietary benefits as well. Deeply nourishing to the outer epidermal layer, Pomegranate seed oil provides powerful anti-oxidant benefits for numerous skin ailments including eczema, and psoriasis and gently challenges free radicals that damage and age the skin. A great ally to have in your cosmetic creations or as a stand alone product to help nourish and develop healthy skin cell regeneration.
It’s a very thick oil. If I use it by itself, it clogs up my pores and gives me red bumps. I have been combining it with other lighter oil for the so-called anti-oxidant efffect. But I honestly haven’t noticed any benefit. Considering how easy it is for me to get irritated by it, I won’t repurchase it.
4. Rosehip Seed Oil ***
Intro online: A rich, amber colored organic oil from the ripened fruit of the famed Rosehip, also known as Rosa Mosquita. This unique oil is extremely high in essential fatty acids and has carried much respect amongst professional journals and organizations as being a great agent in the fight against dry, weathered, and dehydrated skin. It works wonders on scars and is the predominant oil used for treating wrinkles and premature aging. Can be used in all fine skin care recipes.
I am on my second bottle of it. It has a wonderful intro on MountainRoseHerbs. It’s very light and easy to absorb. Not a good moisturizer by itself, so I usually use it with other oil. Problem is that if I use it for 3 days in a row, I get little tiny red bumps. They are not the irritation or pore-clogged bumps. I suspect them to be over-nutrition bumps. I haven’t really noticed any significant benefit. No effect on scars and marks. I use it for general preventive purpose.
5. Macadamia Nut Oil ****
Intro online: This fine oil comes from the pressed nuts of the Macadamia tree. It is a priceless delight for the skin and has proven itself to be one of the best regenerative oils available. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, and closely resembles sebum (the oil naturally produced by ones skin to help protect it). Macadamia oil is a fabulous, protective oil with a high absorption rate and has been successfully used as a healing oil for scars, sunburns, minor wounds and other irritations.
Light oil. I like it because it floats on your skin. Yes, it doesn’t sink in. Most people are looking for moisturizers that sink in. I disagree. You want some absortion but if you skin absorbs all the moisturizers, who is there to protect the outer surface? I want something that will cover the surface yet not clog my pores. This oil seems to be doing that! I can apply it lightly several times a day to lock the water without getting bumps. Cannot be too much though.
6. Hemp Seed Oil*****
Intro Online: Exceptionally rich oil high in essential omega fatty acids and proteins. This oil has a pleasant nutty smell, deep green color, and absorbs well into the skin. It makes a marvelous cosmetic grade oil and because of its high nutritional value, it makes a superior quality dietary oil and one that can be used as a base ingredient for skin care recipes which require healing and regenerative ingredients.
My favorite oil!! It’s very light and never clogs my pore. It doesn’t float on my skin so I won’t use it during day time. I use it at night alone or on top of the Rose Hip Seed oil or some serums. Some nights after using it, I feel my skin gets smoother. Since there is no added silicon elements, the smoothness is natural! It’s a good light salad dressing oil also!
I am still surprised how little exposure this oil gets. It’s a really fantastic oil!
7. Shea Butter ***
Very heavy butter. The unprocessed pure butter is creamy so you can take some out of the jar but you have to rub quite a bit to apply. I have been using a spoon and a lighter to heat it up to its liquid format. But I notice it can be too heavy for my face. Unless it is a really cold and dry winter day, I don’t really use it. Then the problem is I bought too much of it. After one year, you really shouldn’t use these natural products. I have put it on my legs and foot with the coconut butter. I don’t think it is any better than olive oil though.
8. Coconut Butter **
Lighter butter. The raw butter is hard, although it does melt in your hands easily when the indoor temperature is above 65. Since I have been mainly using it during winter, I melt it with a spoon and lighter. Didn’t notice any healing effect or significant moisturizing effect. A little heavy for the face still. And since it is hard to use during the day, I cannot really use it as a daily moisturizer.
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Overall, I think it’s a good idea to use simple organic oil as your moisturizer. The commercial products just have too much add-ons. It’s hard to find one that doesn’t have petroleum (irritates my skin) or mineral oil (does nothing to lock the moisture for me), fragrance, color, emulsifier (combines water with oil, but lots of them are irritating), silicon (added to make your skin feel smooth, but a purely temporary effect), preservatives. Even worse, lots of products have alcohol in it since it makes you feel that the product has been absorbed.
I still believe that for dry skin person, you need some oil to block the water from leaving your skin. (Especially when you are in the shower. I always had a problem of getting extremely dry and irritated face after a long hot shower. I have been damping my face and put oil on before showering. That seems to cure the problem) However, there is a balance. If you put too much oil on, you will have a clogged pore problem. I notice that when the weather is too dry, I have a tendency to put too much oil on too frequently. Then I have to stop for a day for my skin to clear up. I think the best thing to do is to buy a humidifier for the night. STAY AWAY from heater!! Of course, if you work at a big office complex, you don’t have any choice but to paste protective filming on your face in the dry and hot environment.
One year after switching to natural oils, my skin started to give me lots of trouble. My skin finally stabilized after 9 months. Sadly, I have red spots left from those events and they seem to be permanent. At first, I thought I was allergic to the brand of shampoo that I had been using for a year. But after I stopped the shampoo, I still get flairs from time to time. I figured out the initial trigger is my water filter. I stopped using the water filter for drinking water and was only using it for my face. The filter got too old and had bacteria growing in it. After I stopped that, I was putting too much oil on since it was winter. Then sometimes, it is the oil that I carry with me become contaminated since there are no preservatives. I am careful with the contamination of the oils now.
At this point, I still like natural oils. I am actively looking for a non-oil or light oil based safe commercial product to be a back up of my oil routine. Haven’t found a effective and non-irritating one like the dis-continued Avon Maximum Moisture Super Hydrating gel.
In an ideal world, there will be no harsh cold wind, no blinding sun light, no annoying heater, plenty of cool mountain moisture, no long hot shower, no natural AGING! Then, I don’t need to fight this battle!