Behind the Mirror: Empties: OILS

I know I haven't posted in a while, but this doesn't mean I have been idle. I have this post to prove that. Currently I am fighting with a pretty nasty acne and I hope to report about my "adventure" soon.

I have learned that oils come in a multitude of consistencies – heavy, light and everything in between. There are also essential oils, oils that are the product of pressing a certain plant or seed or fruit and there are oils that are the result of mixing a plant extract with another oil (usually called a base).

The majority of oils are good for hair, face and body. You don’t need to have very dry skin to use oils, there are oils that can be used also by persons with oily skin (I am one of those) to help regulate the sebum "production". I will present you some of the oils I have been using since my latest Empties post and what my experiences were with them.

MACADAMIA NUT OIL

It is a light oil, that penetrates the skin very fast. It is a lovely oil for body, face and hair. I used it mainly combined with other oils massaged into my skin after shower. I discovered this oil when I prepared myself a body lotion to help heal the stretch masks – the macadamia nut oil being the main ingredient to help with the healing process, because one of his main characteristics is that it helps healing the scars and other skin ruptures. It should be also very good for the hair, however I discovered that my hair needs a strongly hydrating oil.

I also used it combined with green tea essential oil in face massages after gommage, because it is good for oily skin like mine.

I am not that crazy about its smell, actually it makes me queasy and I usually add some tea tree essential oil to mask some of the scent, but I can still feel it. Now don’t imagine it is a very strong smell, it is only a mild smell, but I am funny like that about scents.

LOGONA BIO ALOE + VERBENA OIL

Besides aloe and verbena, it also contains sweet almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil and soybean oil. I used this oil after showers and I liked it, however I wasn't very impressed. I think the jojoba, sweet almond and olive oils were slightly diluted. After using my own home made mixtures out of 100% natural oils, I got the feeling that the oils were diluted in this mixture. On the other hand the smell of verbena is AMAZING.

ALOE VERA OIL

This is an oil that can be used by all skin types. It helps with the cellular restructuring process and heals any irritations and allergies. It is actually aloe vera extract mixed in soybean oil and vitamin E. I used it after gommage, because it helped calm the skin and repair the cells. I also used it to calm after hair removal process appearing rashes.

I used it mixed with other oils (macadamia oil) to apply after staying in the sun.

GRAPE SEEDS OIL

Everybody went crazy after the Caudalie oil, but I am wondering how many knew, that it is based on grape seeds oil. The grape seeds oil helps keep the skin looking young and fresh. It penetrates the skin fast and keeps it hydrated. It also helps it fight against the free radicals that cause it to age and diminish its elasticity.

I used it mainly in the evenings on my neck area in slow massage movements. And I was amazed to discover some 3-4 months later that the skin looked much better. I also used it combined with green face clay for face masks.

RASPBERRY SEED OIL

This oil is a thick oil and should be used combined with other oils. I used it mixed with the macadamia one, aloe vera and the grape seed oil. It has a natural SPF of 6 and I used it mainly in the evenings after going in the sun and also after being to the beach in the after sun oil I mentioned above. When I added this oil, the consistency of the oils mixture got much thicker, but still it penetrated the skin fast and it helped keeping it hydrated.

CASTOR OIL
I got this bottle about a year ago and have been using it ever since in mixtures with powder henna, directly on the ends of the hair and on the lashes in the evening after make-up removal and after I applied the around the eye skin care. I feel this oil really helps keeping my eyelashes flexible and healthy after being coated in mascara the whole day and it also  keeps them from falling off. In the same time it helps keeping my long hair from getting dry and damaged.
This is a very heavy oil, like a thick syrup if you want, and it coats the hair completely and enters deep into the root and body of the hair. The end result is a stronger hair and less falling off. In the same time it keeps the skin from drying and has slight antimicrobial effect.

I bought all oils except the Logona mixture oil (which I bought from Life Care) from elemental.

Smile. It is good for the skin.