Beauty Myth-busting: Oils vs. “Oil-free” Part 2- Find your Holy Grail oil. ~ Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™
Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets

10/19/10

Beauty Myth-busting: Oils vs. “Oil-free” Part 2- Find your Holy Grail oil.

So after our highly scientific experiment of “Find the grease ring on the paper bag”, you’ve concluded that your “oil-free” products have been lying to you all along. They indeed masquerade as “oil-free” products based on a technicality. Now, before we blow this drama out of proportion, let’s evaluate: how has your moisturizer been treating you? If you’re not experiencing breakouts and you’re happy with the performance of your moisturizer, why fix something if it’s not broken? If you suspect that your moisturizer has been the culprit to your breakouts, read on.

Now that we’ve clarified that just about all moisturizers contain oil and/or oil-like fillers, let me point out that this isn’t a bad thing. In the world of skincare, the fear of oil is created by the propaganda that oil = acne. That is simply untrue. If the oil/oil-like filler in question is not comedogenic to you, you can use it to nourish and protect skin from moisture loss and environmental elements. How do you find the right oil for your skin?

Personally speaking, just about all synthetic esters and moisturizers I’ve tried break me out. They tend to leave a heavy residue that feels foreign on my skin. I prefer oils that mimic my skin’s natural oil. Natural oils really strengthen my skin and they’re much easier to wash off. After years of trying different nature-derived oils (and breaking out from some of them), I’ve found that emu oil suits me best. I can use this oil on the most acne-prone areas of my skin and it still won’t break me out. Emu oil has helped my rosacea tremendously while strengthening my skin so it’s less irritation-prone. I apply this under my mineral powder and the 2 products meld together seamlessly on my skin. Emu oil is also rumored to have sun protection abilities. I can’t say enough about this miracle oil. I bought a 2 oz. bottle of emu oil from Garden of Wisdom in January 2010, it’s now October and I still have about 70% left in the bottle!

The one downside of emu oil is that it is not vegetarian friendly. For a plant oil that is safe for most skin types, jojoba oil is a good one to try. My sister swears by jojoba oil and coconut oil for her also acne-prone skin. I’ve also been testing kukui oil once a week to see how my skin likes it. Acne-prone skin types: apply logic and use the oils in moderation. This is not because the oil will cause acne, but acne-prone has a higher chance of breaking out from any new ingredient. When it comes to trying anything new, use product sparingly, track your progress and avoid starting other new products.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for posting this; I often hear of people using oils like extra virgin olive oil, jojoba, etc to cleanse skin, but I always thought that using oil would clog up pores and cause acne. Now that I know this is not true, I think I may give oils a try.

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi Rinny,

I use the oil cleansing method everyday and I absolutely love it! When you're using it to cleanse, you can use any oil, like the olive and jojoba you mentioned. Just be sure to wash it off thoroughly with a cleanser. If you're looking for an oil to wear as an moisturizer, olive and jojoba are great to start with too. Test one oil at a time to figure out which doesn't break you out :) Let me know if you have other questions.

Farmgirl

ourthreesons said...

I've been using emu oil regularly for the last week (thanks to a previous recommendation by you) and so far I'm pretty impressed. Thankfully we have a good supply of the stuff since we used to farm emus. I think I didn't use it until now because I didn't think my acne prone skin could handle it, but so far so good! :)

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

An emu farm? How wonderful! If you go on Garden of Wisdom's website under their emu oil product page (I linked it in the article), you'll see more info on it. It's such an amazing oil :D

Farmgirl

justltee said...

I love emu oil. I use it as my night moisturizer since it can be a bit heavy for morning. I get mine at Lure Beauty in the 4 oz jar and put a bit of orange eo in it (just a tiny bit). It has worked a great deal for the tiny lines around my eyes.

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi Justltee,

I've also seen it make a difference in my fine lines :D

Farmgirl

martienn said...

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Unknown said...

i was wondering how to cleanse with oil...so i just rub the oil around and then cleanse with my normal facial wash? can i skip the step with facial wash and just wipe off the excess oil too? thanks! this was a very informative post, btw.

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi Sue!

If you don't have cleansing oil handy, the method you described is definitely one way to go about it. I would also add one step in the middle: after you massage your face with oil, gently wipe a cotton ball or tissue over face to kind of break the "surface tension" of the oil. You'll find that your cleanser will have an easier time cleansing off the oil residue. Hope that helps!

Farmgirl

Anonymous said...

Hi Brilliant Farmgirl,

Can you recommend any liquid foundation for acne prone/sensitive skin that provides medium/heavy coverage? I have my skincare routine down with GOW, but still have not found the right foundation that meets my quality standards and also coverage/beauty standards.

Please help!

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi there!

I'm struggling with the same thing myself! I'm currently using Mineral Basics's mineral concealer powder as my foundation but they are going out of business. I'm currently looking for a replacement.

If you must have liquid, this is probably the best I can find. Are you open to making a fresh batch of liquid foundation by mixing minerals and your favorite moisturizer daily?

http://www.100percentpure.com/HEALTHY-SKIN-FOUNDATION-WITH-SUPER-FRUITS-SPF-20-s/51.htm



Farmgirl

Anonymous said...

farmgirl where are youuuu? i miss your posts!

Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets™ said...

Hi there!

I'm so sorry I've been away! I will update my blog as soon as I'm able to :D

Farmgirl

usa beauty regimen said...

Farmgirl you haven't updated your beauty blog site for a while? We miss your beauty tips and tricks.