Are you overwhelmed like us? When it comes to skincare oils, there are a considerable amount of products and the info surrounding them. Many questions are unanswered regarding choosing the right oil for our skin, luckily, Feniu’s founder Mele Feniu Olivetti is here to answer it all.
FENIU FOUNDER, MELE FENIU OLIVETTI
NOT ALL OILS ARE MADE EQUAL
While you might have recently heard that JLo credits her luminous and youthful skin to applying olive oil to her face, we must stress that not all oils are made equal. Using an oil you find in the kitchen cupboard may not give you the best results because not all oils are made equal. Take olive oil, for example; it is very thick (excellent for dehydrated skins) but can mean that for most people, it will just feel sticky and heavy and, in most cases, very oily. Also, not a great option if you already have oily skin or are prone to acne – there’s a risk that olive oil can clog your pores. Therefore, in most cases, it is better to opt for a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil.
Many great skincare oils are available on the market, so try not to turn to your kitchen cupboard when caring for the skin (unless it’s to fuel your body with nutritious foods)!
YOUR SKIN LOVES WATER-BASED AND OIL-BASED PRODUCTS
While you might feel like your skin is already getting a good amount of hydration from things like serums and moisturisers, you might be surprised to find that your skin loves a combo of both water-based and oil-based products. If right now you’re using water-based products exclusively, adding in an oil can help to seal in the moisture. You want to finish off your skincare regime with an oil for an optimal regime.
OILS DON’T HYDRATE THE SKIN; THEY SEAL IN MOISTURE
Oil products are commonly touted as ‘hydrating’, but in actual fact, they are not hydrating at all. This is a bit of a grey area because while they help with the hydration process, they can lock in moisture instead of hydrate. It’s almost like adding a seal all over your face or body that traps the moisture in there.
IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN, YOU CAN USE A SKINCARE OIL
Contrary to popular belief, people with oily or acne-prone skin can use a skincare oil (and will often benefit from it)! While we can see why this is a common misconception (it seemingly makes no sense whatsoever to apply an oil to oily skin), the truth is that people with oily skin typically have an imbalance in their oil flow. This means that their skin is likely overproducing oil, and applying an oil can help to regulate this. The overproduction of oil can happen for several reasons, one of them being that you might be stripping your skin of its natural oils during cleansing or exfoliating and therefore working hard to counteract it. This is when introducing a skincare oil can actually help to regulate the oil flow. Consider introducing a skincare oil once a week at first and see how you go. We love Feniu’s Tongan Coconut Oil which can be used on the face and body.
YOU CAN COMBINE AN OIL WITH YOUR MAKE UP
If you’re trepidatious about introducing an oil, try adding a drop or two to your foundation for an overall glow. The key here is being cautious of how much oil you use. Typically, we wouldn’t recommend applying more than one or two drops for the face (because you don’t want to end up looking like an oil slick). If you’re still worried, try adding a drop or two on your face in the evenings before bed. You’ll then find that the oil has absorbed into your skin overnight, and you’ll wake up with a luminous glow.
OILS ARE THE LAST STEP IN YOUR SKINCARE REGIME
It is essential to know that the oil goes on last (or right before you apply your sunscreen). As mentioned earlier, oils lock in moisture, but they also lock in all of the other products. If you use it earlier in your regime, other skincare products cannot penetrate through that oil barrier. So you’d be wasting your time – and money – by applying a water based product like a serum or moisturiser on top of an oil.
