Liquid Gold: What Is The Secret Of Oils (for The Face And Not Only)

A few years ago, a friend of mine, a successful Moscow lawyer, married a successful American lawyer and left for faraway Portland - a place where people not only knit scarves themselves, but also dye threads with calendula and mushrooms, which they themselves collect during their hikes. A friend honestly tried to fit into the situation and set foot on the path of needlework and gathering, but did not give up positions on only one item - skin care. Despite a rather happy life in the city, where faded flannel and rough shoes are considered outerwear, she categorically refused to change her moisturizer for oil. But time and place did their job.

There is no chance - beauty oils have literally taken over the world. Zoe Kravitz (like Irina Shayk) praises the softening power of coconut. Chloe Grace Moretz thanks olive oil for a perfectly even complexion. Miranda Kerr calls rose seed extract her main beauty weapon, and Emma Stone always keeps a little Argan Oil on hand. In a word, resistance is useless, and all we have to do is to merge into the "oil" stream. By the way, despite the change in landmarks, my friend looks great, and this is also a reason to take a closer look at cosmetic oils.

Base oils

There are two types of oils: base oils and essential oils. Both are plant raw materials, but with rare exceptions (for example, cedar), different plants are used. And the production methods differ significantly from each other. Base oils (bases) are obtained by pressing nuts, fruits and seeds. The most famous representatives of this class are grape seed oils, wheat germ, avocado, shea butter. They can act as guides and assistants for their ethereal "colleagues", and as completely independent cosmetic units. Covering the outer layer of the epidermis with a thinnest veil, they slow down the evaporation of moisture from the skin and help cell membranes retain water. Light substances such as jojoba, argan and hemp oils work best on the skin. The small weight of the molecules contributes to their rapid penetration and good absorption.

Heavier "players" such as coconut, safflower and almond oil also retain moisture in the tissues, but, alas, they are not easily absorbed and therefore can clog pores (especially if the skin is oily). By the way, the heaviest representative of base oils, petrolatum, is obtained from oil. Dermatologists call it “cosmetically inelegant”. However, in the composition of preparations for dry chapped lips, this "heavyweight" has proven itself quite well.

Another indisputable advantage of "liquid gold" is its purity (or even sterility). Bacteria can grow in water, but not in oil. Therefore, the need for preservatives disappears by itself. However, the lack of H2O can be a problem for some skin types. “Applying oil to dry skin is like wrapping a dry sponge in plastic wrap and waiting for it to become wet,” explains Pavel Roshchin, professor, dermatocosmetologist. - First, you need to get moisture from the outside, which is easy to do using lotion and moisturizer, and then you can proceed to buttering, which will fix the "drinking reserves".

Essential oils

Now let's talk about essential oils. These volatile (they can evaporate) aromatic compounds are extracted from the stems, leaves, and flowers of plants. Interestingly, the deliciously smelling fruits we are used to (strawberry, apple, pineapple, mango, watermelon, banana) do not contain essential oils. So aromatic substances with these smells are 100% synthetic products (and you should not deceive yourself).

The most common method for producing "esters" is steam distillation, which involves heating the feedstock, condensing the vented steam and pumping off the oil. As a result of such manipulations, the finished product comes out rich in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Today the team of the most stellar beauty participants looks like this: tea tree for antibacterial action and fight against acne; mint for toning, and ginger and cedar for tissue strengthening; rose for rejuvenation, rosemary to cleanse pores and even tone.

How to use the oil

Agree, all of the above is consistent with the spirit of the time: environmental friendliness, naturalness, safety, efficiency, return to the roots, in the end. Not to mention the wealth of choice. Almost every brand has in its assortment face and body oils, and this is not to mention the beloved hair oils.

But do not rush and throw away creams, serums and masks that have served us faithfully for so many years.

“The oil component is not enough for full facial skin care,” says Olga Tsyganova, a cosmetologist-dermatologist of the highest category, head of the cosmetology and rehabilitation department at Doctor Plastic. - Oils are good for dry skin, but in no case should we forget about the moisturizing factor, which is definitely not found in them. Facial creams essentially come in two main forms, water-in-oil and oil-in-water, each of which contains molecules that provide hydration. As for oily skin, it is quite enough for it and its own sebum, but at the same time there is often a violation of the hydrolipid protective mantle, for the restoration of which oils alone are not enough. The drugs that solve this problem usually include ceramides and alpha lipoic acid. You can't do without them here. Moreover,in the case of oily skin, oils can increase the risk of inflammation, which is very undesirable. So fashionable cosmetic oils are a good choice as a complement to basic care, but definitely not the only one.”

Face oils:

Delicate nourishing face oil, Weled

A photo:

Much of what has been said about facial care also applies to hair oils. Anna Shevchenko, dermatocosmetologist, trichologist at the Kraftway clinic, does not advise looking for salvation in them from all troubles. “It's important to understand that hair shaft and scalp care are two different things,” she explains. - Oils are ideal for taking care of the appearance of curls. They smooth the scales and partially restore the hair structure. But with the scalp, everything is much more complicated. Firstly, the oil does not affect hair growth in any way and does not stop hair loss. This requires complex formulations that increase blood circulation and stimulate dormant follicles. Secondly, many of the problems with which people come to trichologists are associated not so much with the condition of the skin as with more serious things. For instance,dandruff (which is sometimes tried to "soften" with oil) is most often caused by fungal diseases. That is why it is simply pointless to deal with the consequences in this case, you need to eliminate the cause of the unpleasant phenomenon. For this reason, healing serums and lotions are most often used in scalp care, not just cosmetic emollients.”