One common misconception about face care that comes up frequently is the belief that oils are always bad. The thought is, oils in face care products will clog pores and leave the skin greasy. If the right oils, and the right products, are used this is not the case. In fact, the right balance of oil is crucial for smooth, healthy skin. Applying the right kinds of oils will help regulate and balance the skin’s own oil (sebum) production, lock in moisture and hydration, and deliver nutrients that leave the skin soft, smooth, and healthy.
Skin care products that do not contain any natural fruit and seed oils, besides often times being loaded up with cheap synthetic ingredients, can dry the skin out. Ingredients which dry the skin and strip oil away, or prevent the skin from properly producing oil, can have numerous detrimental effects on healthy skin. The drying can even lead the skin to overproduce its own oil to try and compensate.
Keeping the right amount of oil on the skin is crucial. The oily secretion the skin naturally produces from its glands is called sebum; it is important to use oils that are close in composition to it. Oils which are close to the natural human sebum are called non-comedogenic. Non-comedogenic oils nourish and moisturize while keeping the pores clear. Avoid pore clogging, high-comedogenic oils such as Coconut and Avocado.
So what is the benefit to using non-comedogenic oils in creams or serums? As is so often the case, the “laboratory” of nature, with a wisdom that is not fully comprehendible, creates molecules that are more nutritious for the skin than anything that humans could synthetically make. These precious oils are plant allies for the skin. They lock in moisture and hydration while simultaneously delivering nutrients deep into the skin. They are flush with vitamins, essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants, and trace minerals that the skin adores. Big commercial brands often rely on synthetically derived ingredients instead because they are cheaper and better suited for mass production. By carefully choosing and sourcing each ingredient, and creating the products in a small batch, handcrafted fashion not meant for mass production, we can utilize these irreplaceable oils and all of their remarkable benefits.