Beauty Myth-busting: Oils vs. “Oil-free”- What is better for my skin? ~ Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™
Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets

10/14/10

Beauty Myth-busting: Oils vs. “Oil-free”- What is better for my skin?

Having been acne-prone, I am all too familiar with the acne-prone mentality. For the longest time, “Is this oil-free?” was my skincare-shopping motto. I avoided "the O-word" in my skincare and cosmetics at all costs. However, through searching and researching for my ideal skincare regimen, my knowledge on oils has been revamped forever. I can no longer imagine an “oil-free” skincare routine. Read on to find out why.

Ok, here’s the thing. In the United States, when something states “Oil-free” on the bottle, it does not mean what you think it means. It is simply telling you that the product is free of animal, plant and mineral oils. Sounds great on paper, but the reality is: many “oil-free” products feel thicker and greasier than non-“oil-free” products. Why? Well, to ensure that “oil-free” moisturizers still have a nice moisturizing texture and finish, skincare companies use synthetics esters and waxes in lieu of animal, plant and mineral oils. Often times, these fillers look, act and feel just like oils. And just as often, these fillers are comedogenic whereas the some of the aforementioned oils are not.

Here’s a trick to try: take your “oil-free” moisturizers & foundations and liberally dab them on a brown paper bag (the lunch-sack variety will work). Leave the bag at room temperature for 12-24 hours. When you check the bag again, you may see oily rings around the products. These tell-tale rings are the esters and waxes in the product, they soak through a paper bag as well as any greasy lunch!

Gasp! what do I do now? Stayed tuned for Part 2 of Oils vs. “Oil-free”, coming soon!

Image courtesy of sheenasays.com (amazing blog, go check it out!)

8 comments:

Monika @ RocailleWrites said...

So true! I love your little experiment :) xxx

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi Rocaille!

How are you? I'm so glad I finally discovered the benefits of using oil on my face :D

Farmgirl

~Anne~ said...

I'm off to the do the experiment now!

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi Anne,

Let me know if your moisturizer passes the test :D

Farmgirl

Unknown said...

Wow I didn't know this before reading your post; thank you for sharing your little experiment!

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Anytime, Rinny!

Farmgirl

Delyteful Speaks said...

wow that's really insightful.. thanks for this post..

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

I'm happy you found this helpful, Mai :D

Best,
Farmgirl