Winter skincare
While we would love to have winter skin like this:
Most likely, it feels like this:
I studied Natural Healing and my philosophy as a Naturopath is that “If you can’t eat or drink it safely, don’t put it on your skin either”.
In my first Winter Skin post, I talked about how I clean and exfoliate my skin: https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2018_01_04_archive.html
In this post, I'll talk about how I moisturize. I’ve been using my grandmother's special blend of oils.
Why do I use oils?
Our ancestors used base and essential oils for centuries with great success. The first documented beauty was Cleopatra, she used almond and rose oils to keep her skin supple and beautiful. Only the past 50 years or so since the cosmetic industry developed thousands of creams and lotions, using essential oils to moisturize skin became taboo. Why? Simply because selling natural oils is not profitable.
The cosmetic industry provides us with thousands and thousands of skin care products. The question is: do you want to use them if you’re conscious about your health?
Let’s talk about creams and lotions:
When you try to read and understand the long list of the ingredients on creams and lotions, I bet you give up after reading the second line.
We’re so careful nowadays with what we’re putting into our stomachs. What about our skin? Everything that we apply to our skin goes right into our body as well. The long list of chemicals can affect not only your skin but also your organs by creating yet unknown chemical bonds and reactions as well as hormonal changes. Nobody would suspect an innocent looking moisturizer 15 years from now as a cause of some of your health or autoimmune problems.
They say, don’t put oil on your skin, but the truth is that in order to make a cream, you need base oil, stabilizer, and preservative to cook it into a cream. So, you have been putting oils on your skin, just not the right ones.
The truth is that all most creams and lotions do is just strip the natural sebum and dead skin from the top layer of your skin and add a thin layer that gives you the feeling of soft and moisturized skin.
However, just staying in a dry room for a short time makes your skin dry and thirsty for moisture, because below the top layer, your skin is stripped and dehydrated.
The myth that facial oils cause breakouts and clog your pores is nothing but a myth. Quality facial oils, when used correctly, can protect and nourish your skin without clogging your pores or affect your health.
“If you can’t eat or drink it safely, don’t put it on your skin either”.
BASE & ESSENTIAL OILS PROPERTIES:
Rose oil - promotes cell turnover and has anti-wrinkle properties
Sweet almond oil - excellent antioxidant, very absorbent, emollient, softens, soothes and balances the skin. High in vitamin B17 that is known cancer preventing vitamin.
Rosehip oil - smooths wrinkles and softens dry, dehydrated skin, high in essential fatty acids
Hazelnut oil - astringent, anti-inflammatory, rich in vitamins
Avocado oil - deep moisturizer, rich in vitamins
Jojoba oil - a natural antioxidant, its absorption properties are similar to the skin’s own sebum, deep moisturizer
Vitamin E oil - anti-oxidant, smooth scars and heals acne
Geranium essential oil - balances oily skin helps heal acne, eczema, dermatitis
Lemongrass essential oil - anti-wrinkle properties, hydrating, nourishing
Lavender essential oil -balancing, rejuvenating
Neroli essential oil - helps restore skin's PH balance, rejuvenates wrinkled, weathered skin
Chamomile essential oil - soothes dry, inflamed skin, anti-inflammatory
Frankincense essential oil - rejuvenates, balances all skin types
Juniper essential oil - clears oily, congested skin
Orange essential oil - lifts and tightens slack skin, wrinkle reducer
Ylang-ylang essential oil - excellent toner, rejuvenates skin, wrinkle reducer
Apricot kernel oil - softens and protects the skin without leaving an oily residue, smooths existing wrinkles and prevents new wrinkle formation. It contains a high amount of vitamin B17 which is a cancer-prevention vitamin.
My favorite blend is still grandma's recipe:
I add a few drops of rose, lemongrass, apricot kernel, and lavender oils to a base almond oil.
I apply a thin layer to my skin, head to toe, in the shower, after I washed, and then give it a quick rinse and tap dry my skin.
I'm a writer too, I write children's books and fantasy novels.
If you have a few minutes, click on this link and take a look at my books:
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