It’s 2017, and we’ve officially reached peak beauty oil.
Although facial oils like rosehip have been used for hundreds of years in skin-care, these topical elixirs have only recently been rediscovered as a potent beauty ingredient— and demand is sky-rocketing.
Global sales of jojoba oil (a favorite for blemish-prone skin) are expected to hit USD 252 million by 2024, largely for its use in cosmetics and skin-care. Meanwhile, industry stats show that sales in the beauty oil category have more than tripled in recent years. Like I said, peak beauty oil.
This isn’t unjustified hype either—these substances might be completely natural, but they’re also damn effective. Tamanu oil, for example, has been used by Polynesian women for wound and scar healing and acne treatment for generations, while grapeseed oil has been widely applied throughout Europe for hundreds of years. Introducing jojoba oil to my own skin care regimen was a game-changing tweak that completely changed my complexion, and I’ve been preaching the virtues of beauty oils ever since, eventually completing a diploma in organic skin care formulation, launching my own line of customized oils, and hosting oil blending workshops throughout the US and Australia.
There are a couple of basic things the uninitiated should know about using oils in your routine. First, not all types boast the exact same benefits, however they all work in a similar way: By creating an occlusive layer over the skin, oils trap in water to keep the skin looking and feeling more hydrated. At the same time, they deliver skin-loving antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins. Always look for unrefined, cold-pressed oils to make sure you’re getting the best quality.
When you buy a beauty oil (or any skin-care product actually), the first items on the ingredients list form the bulk of a product. These will usually include a number of “carrier oils” like jojoba, rosehip, grapeseed, sweet almond, or argan. Then, super-potent essential oils, which penetrate much more deeply, sometimes even into the bloodstream, will appear in small amounts, often making up less than two percent of the total product as while they’re effective in tiny quantities, can be harmful in larger amounts. Vitamin e is often added as a final ingredient to help the product last longer.