Of all the ingredients used in natural skin care today, natural oils must be the most versatile ones. The best oils for skin are the ones that moisturize the skin into its deeper layers and not only the top, nourishe it with vitamins and is beneficial for all skin colors and skin types. If the oil has some anti-aging benefits to add, like free-radical-fighting or wrinkle-removing properties, all the better.
There are a several natural oils used in skincare which fulfill these criteria. My favourite three which I want to mention today are
- Maracuja oil
- Babassu oil and
- Avocado oil
All these three are very nourishing and moisturizing, and they can be used by people of all skin types, all skin colors and by people in all climates! They are also of course completely natural and therefore safe to use.
Let's look at the different oils and their benefits in detail:
Maracuja oil
Maracuja is a kind of a passion fruit unique to Brazil and the Amazon area. Maracuja oil is also often called passion flower oil or passiflora incanata.
Maracuja oil has anti-inflammatory and healing properties and it can assist in repairing all kinds of skin damage like acne scars, signs of age or the signs of excessive tanning. This is partly due to Vitamin C, which maracuja oil is full of. For the same reason, it can make your skin brighter and lighter. The oil is also rich in calcium and phosphorus, both which are good substances for the body and the skin.
In addition to that, it's a great moisturizer. It is very high in linolenic acid, which is an essential fatty acid responsible for making your skin smooth and soft. In fact, maracuja oil has close to 80% of linoleic acid, the other acids being oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and linolenic acid.
It helps to regulate the production of sebum in the skin, which prevents your skin becoming either too oily or too dry. That means this oil can be used for any kind of skin types, even extra-sensitive, very dry or oily. In fact, often maracuja oil appears to be "intelligent," identifying your skin concerns on its own and delivering targeted nutrients wherever they are needed.
Also important for anyone with aging skin: maracuja oil contains loads of antioxidants that can reduce wrinkles and fine lines by fighting free radicals in your body!
Babassu oil
Babassu oil, also called babassu wax or babassu butter, comes from the kernels of the babassu tree. When the nuts ripen and fall down to the ground, the kernels are then gathered and cracked open by "babassu breakers" - women specialized in cracking open these kinds of nuts. The fruit meat is then removed and pressed into oil.
The babassu tree itself is native to Brazil and is considered a major economical resource there. In fact, the local people call the tree the "tree of life", and for good reason. For centuries every part of the tree has been used by the local peoples for many purposes, like making flour and medicine from the fruits, leaves woven into mats and of course the kernels pressed for oil - the indigenous people also use it to soothe skin.
It is high in lauric and myristic acids, which are both beneficial to the skin. Interestingly, these acids start to melt in temperatures that are close to the human body temperature so, when applied on your skin, babassu oil draws the heat from the skin to initiate melting. This transfer of the heat then creates a pleasant cooling sensation on the skin.
The oil is a great moisturizer, as it is rich and nutritious. Babassu oil also forms a protective, soothing invisible barrier when applied to the skin, keeping away dirt and toxins from your pores, but does not clog them.
Like maracuja oil, babassu oil is also beneficial for both dry and oily complexions, and of course normal or sensitive skin types. It's especially beneficial for aging skin, whatever the skin type. It gently moisturizes the skin without leaving an oily look, and has proven healing benefits for eczema, itchy, extra dry and inflamed skin.
In good skin creams, the oil used has been cold pressed from the babassu's nuts and is then processed further without synthetic chemicals. Then it is joined with other 100% natural ingredients to create superior skin care products.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is used all over the world for many purposes from cooking to skin care. The benefits of avocado oil for skin are several: first of all it is packed with vitamins A, D and E, not to mention lecithin, beta-carotene, potassium, antioxidants and essential proteins that it contains and which all benefit your skin and keep looking younger for longer.
In addition, the rich oil has also been proven to boost your skins collagen production. Collagen is the key essential protein your skin needs to stay smooth, wrinkle-free and firm. Without sufficient collagen, wrinkles and sagging skin start to appear. One could say these qualities make avocado oil the true "anti-aging oil". Avocado oil has also been shown to relieve the dryness and itching of skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, making it especially suitable for dryer skin types or people in colder climates, but like the other oils mentioned avocado oil also regulates the skin's oiliness, and can in fact even help oily skin normalize itself.
Conclusion
Used in combination with each other and other 100% natural, effective ingredients in skin care, these oils can help you with all kinds of problems like eczema, dry skin, wrinkles and fine lines, sagging skin, acne scars or even when you want your skin to get a lighter color. They can be used on the face as well as the body. Give them a try and see what happens!