Yahoo Lifestyle The One Skincare Product You're Overspending On, Says Beauty Editor
With the amount of products available on the skincare market today, creating the right routine for your skin can feel like a daunting (and expensive!) task. Do you have dry, oily or combination skin? Do you need a toner, or will it dry you out further? And what ingredients should you look for—and avoid? While figuring out the specifics of your skin type is important to tailor your skincare to your body, sometimes simplicity is key. This means that you don’t need to buy every facial cleanser, moisturizer, toner and serum you see, and you certainly don’t always need the most expensive ones available. In fact, there’s one step in your skincare routine that you’re probably overspending on: your oil cleanser.
In recent years, the oil cleansing method has been touted as the secret to achieving glassy, glowy and hydrated yet clean skin. The process involves washing your face with an oil-based cleanser. Though it may at first seem contradictory to use oil on your face when the goal is to remove oil from your skin, it is believed that doing so helps dissolve makeup, leftover skincare products and excess sebum without stripping your skin of its natural oils.
Related: Body Oil vs. Lotion—A Board-Certified Dermatologist Explains the Difference
Oil cleansers can go for quite a pretty penny, and most of them are made up of some vegetable oil and filled with other unnecessary and unnatural ingredients. The oil is the important ingredient here, and luckily, there are a few options for organic, one-ingredient oils that work perfectly as facial oil cleansers. Organic jojoba oil and organic castor oil are both super nourishing to the skin and extremely affordable.
Benefits of Jojoba Oil for the Skin
Jojoba oil is produced from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) plant, a shrub native to Arizona, parts of Southern California and Northwestern Mexico. It’s commonly found as an ingredient in skin and hair care products, but it works wonders on its own, too. Organic, 100% jojoba oil can be online or in-store anywhere from Amazon and Walmart to CVS and Whole Foods. It’s super affordable and can be bought in bulk, too. A little goes a long way, so for just about $10, you should have months worth of a superb oil cleanser.
It Doesn’t Clog Pores: Jojoba oil mimics sebum, our skin’s natural oil, so it hydrates without clogging pores.
It’s Moisturizing: Humectants are substances that attract and hold water. Jojoba oil is one, so it will lock in moisture and hydrate your skin.
It Can Help Control Oil Production: It may sound counterintuitive, but since jojoba oil is so close in makeup to sebum, applying it to your face will send the signal to your skin that it’s nourished and moisturized, so it doesn’t have to produce any more oil to compensate for dryness.
It Has Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Jojoba oil has natural antibacterial properties, meaning it can help kill acne-causing bacteria on application. It’s also anti-inflammatory, which can help soothe conditions like acne and eczema.
Related:The #1 Beauty Product Every Woman Over 40 Needs, According to Celebrity Makeup Artists
Benefits of Castor Oil for Skin
Castor oil is made from the seeds of the castor bean (Ricinus communis) plant. The plant is native to East Africa, but most commercially produced castor seed comes from India nowadays. This oil is very thick in composition and can be used on its own to cleanse or mixed with a lighter-bodied oil, like jojoba or olive. Organic, 100% pure castor oil can be bought in bulk online for very affordable prices, and will last you seemingly forever.
It May Help Reduce Acne: Castor oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that may help with acne control and prevention.
It Is Composed of Beneficial Fatty Acids: Rinoleic acid and triglycerides make up the majority of the composition of this oil; they can help soothe skin and contribute to improved complexion.
It’s High in Vitamin E: Vitamin E can help reduce the appearance of scars and sun damage.
It’s Moisturizing: As a thick and fatty oil, castor oil can help improve skin hydration.
Next time you’re looking to re-up on your cleansing oil, consider going the all-natural route to save some money and simplify your skincare routine. For some (more dry) skin types, oil cleansing may be enough of a wash, but others can follow the oil cleanser up with a water-based, traditional cleanser; this is known as double-cleansing.
Up next:
Related: Skincare Experts Reveal 17 Unexpected Ways To Use Coconut Oil
Sources
Characterization, sensorial evaluation and moisturizing efficacy of nanolipidgel formulations. Int J Cosmet Sci.
A review on plant importance, biotechnological aspects, and cultivation challenges of jojoba plant. Biol Res.
Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity. Polymers (Basel).
Bioactive-Based Cosmeceuticals: An Update on Emerging Trends. Molecules.
Efficacy of castor oil cream in treating infraorbital hyperpigmentation: An exploratory single-arm clinical trial. J Cosmet Dermatol.
