Yes, some oils are good for you. I got interested in natural and essential oils when I had a really bad acne breakout last year. So, I just wanted to share my experiences and thoughts about natural and essential oils.
Some oils are better than others because they won't clog pores. Jojoba oil is one such oil. According to several articles I have read, jojoba oil is most like our natural sebum. It also has antimicrobial properties, so it protects skin from bacterial and fungi that attack the skin. I can't explain it very well, so I'll but the links to several articles at the end of the post. Grapeseed oil is another such oil with great antioxidant properties. It is also one of the oils that won't clog pores.
In addition to the benefits of the base oil, you can mix in essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated essences of the plant from which they came. Because they are so concentrated, you only need a few drops to mix in with your base oil. I bought the lavender and tea tree oil for their benefits. Lavender has antimicrobial and soothing properties, the latter being the reason for its widespread use in aromatherapy. Tea tree oil, as everyone and their dogs know, has antibacterial properties, which is why it is so commonly used in products related to acne. I bought the bottle of rose oil on a whim because I really like the smell of it. It makes me happy.
*Side note: Essential oils can blister through plastic.*
The reason why I listed these under money saving tips is that natural and essential oils can do a lot. I have used both jojoba and grapeseed oil (with essential oils) as moisturizer for face and body, makeup remover, cleanser (followed the OCM for a few weeks), acne treatment, aromatherapy, and massage. Other possible uses for natural oils include hair and scalp treatment, in shaving, healing open wounds such as sores and blisters, etc.
For the uses I got out of natural oils, I could have eliminated several products out of my routine and be content with putting at most 3 ingredients on my skin every day. The 4 ounce bottles of natural base oils cost me between $7 and $13 USD. The essential oils cost between $11 and $17 USD per bottle, which can be pretty costly. However, seeing as how essential oils are meant to be diluted into a base oil and are measured out by drops per ounce, essential oils can last a very long time.
*Side note: Essential oils shouldn't be kept for years because they can turn rancid; there are no added preservatives.*
Aura Cacia is the brand, at Wholefoods, that seems pretty user friendly. Their packaging is calming, nothing too weird, fanatical, or "out there." Wholefoods carries other brands also.
I have mentioned OCM. OCM stands for Oil Cleansing Method, which you can read about here on the official OCM website. A site dedicated to acne also mentions the OCM, which can be found here. Whether or not you believe that you can use oil to fight oil is up to you. I personally do like the OCM but only because I love my mixture of oil and I use it as a massage and mini-spa. In small 3 ounce bottles, oils are the perfect travel-friendly skincare product. Haha!
Links to the benefits of jojoba oil:
Links to the benefits of grapeseed oil:
The Aura Cacia website and info on essential oils:
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