Nourish Your Skin The Right Way
Have you ever thought that your beloved body soap might be the reason behind the cause of perpetual dry skin?
Yes, it may come as a surprise, but the common ingredients used in body soap bars can dry out your skin immensely. Mostly it’s due to sulfates and unnecessary alcohol that break the barrier of your skin, which causes moisture loss.
The easiest way to avoid this issue is by opting for soaps that are sulfate-free and alcohol-free. What if we told you there’s a better option? It can be made possible by adopting a whole body oil cleanse as a step of your daily skincare routine.
Sounds intimidating? Don’t worry, as we are here to let you know everything about the process and how it can help get healthy skin. We have also added a recipe for making your cleansing body oil with a handful of ingredients.
So, let’s jump into it!
Why Is Your Regular Soap Not That Great?
We have been using soap for years, so it can be a bit hard to believe at first that the product can be bad for us. But, time and again, it has been seen that soap can be damaging to our healthy skin.
One of the foremost ways it ruins your skin is by damaging the natural pH. [1] This makes your skin more vulnerable to bacteria growth, leading to acne breakouts and aggravated skin issues. As the skin is the largest organ of your body, the use of soap can also leave you vulnerable to pathogens.
The harsh surfactants or foaming agents present in your soap can even break down the lipid barrier of your skin. That’s why you’ll often find your skin to be dull, harsh, and itchy after coming out of the shower. As your skin loses oil, your sebaceous glands may try to overcompensate by producing excess oil, leading to the appearance of whiteheads and blackheads.
On top of that, a soap may contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients that might not be suitable for your body. SLS or sodium lauryl sulfate is thought to be a notable culprit as it can cause severe irritation on sensitive skin. [2] Some other harmful ingredients present in common soaps include Benzaldehyde and Benzyl Acetate, which may potentially trigger skin cancer.
How Can Oil Help?
Most of us know about the goodness of oil and occasionally enjoy that relaxing hot oil massage. However, much more credit is due, especially when it comes to the skin nourishing properties provided by oil. Much like massaging your scalp with oil for better hair growth, you can use certain oils to cleanse your skin for its enhanced health.
You’ll just need to pick the right kinds of oil based on your skin type and start cleansing with it. In no time, you should see improvements as your skin will be soft and supple without any breakouts.
Moreover, by cleansing your body with oil, you can remove more dead skin cells and dirt than with soap. Those who regularly do oil body cleanse note that they see glowing skin with less skin damage after a few washes than before.
It may take a while for you to see a total change, but an oil cleanse may help to repair the damages done by the harsh chemicals present in soaps.
Procedure Of Doing An Oil Body Cleanse
By now, you must be intrigued to know how the whole oil body cleanse procedure is done. Let us tell you that it’s pretty simple and really not that different from your usual shower schedule.
All you need to do is get into a warm and steaming shower. Then, take a little bit of the oil cleanser and apply it all over your body. Make sure to rub it in to dislodge the dead skin cells for better exfoliation. You can alternate between circular and linear motions for applying the oil all over your body.
Once you feel that the skin is soft and saturated with oil, take a washcloth and start rubbing the oil off your body. We recommend using a gentle washcloth that won’t be too harsh on your skin. Stop once you feel that no more oil is left on your skin.
The best part of an oil body cleanse is that you’re essentially massaging your whole body, stimulating blood circulation. So, along with being squeaky clean, you’re bound to have more radiant skin than before.
We would like you to note that oil can make bathroom tiles slippery. You should get yourself a shower mat and be careful while performing the oil cleanse to avoid any accidents.
Recommended Oil Mixtures For Different Skin Types
Even though oil body cleanses aren’t a prevalent practice, some oil cleansers are available on the market. However, we suggest making your own blend to create a cleanser that’s filled with natural antioxidants and other benefits. Before you start making the blend, it’s essential to find out your skin type.
We have tried to provide suggestions for oils that would suit different skin types. Feel free to mix and match between oils before you find the perfect blend for your skin to keep it well-nourished.
1. Dry Skin
The problems of irritated, inflamed, and flaky skin are quite common for those who have dry skin throughout the year. They often need to rely on heavy moisturizers to bring moisture into the skin. But, things go wrong when they use ordinary bar soap or shower gel to clean their body. The sulfates and other chemicals end up ruining the protective barrier, leaving the skin drier.
By starting with an oil cleanse regime, you can repair skin damage. Soon after starting oil cleaning, your sebaceous glands will also begin to produce natural oils, leading to healthy and supple skin. Here are some of the oils that can be mixed to cleanse dry skin:
- Flaxseed oil
- Avocado oil
- Almond oil
- Walnut oil
- Olive oil
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Sunflower seed oil
- Cedarwood essential oil
- Myrrh essential oil
- Geranium essential oil
- Roman or German chamomile essential oil
- Palmarosa essential oil
2. Sensitive Skin
You need to be extra careful with choosing oils for sensitive skin as it tends to get easily inflamed and irritated. A standard essential oil like tea tree can have adverse effects on sensitive skin. Your best bet would be to pick light, neutral oils that lack a tendency to react with the skin.
Some of the oils we recommend also have healing properties to benefit any skin problems that might be present. Here are a handful of oils that work well with sensitive skin:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Almond oil
- Safflower oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Patchouli essential oil
- Vetiver essential oil
3. Oily Skin
It’s a common belief that oily skin doesn’t need to have any more oil or moisturizer. But, that isn’t true as putting beneficial oils on the overactive sebaceous glands may help to reduce excessive oil production. Those with oily skin types also tend to use some of the harshest soaps, which can cause permanent skin damage.
Following a regular oil cleanse routine will be beneficial in improving skin health and act as a natural moisturizer. Here are some oils that are suggested to cleanse oily skin:
- Argan oil
- Jojoba oil
- Rosehip seed oil
- Hazelnut oil
- Orange essential oil
- Tea tree essential oil
- Cypress essential oil
- Bergamot essential oil
- Lime essential oil
- Sandalwood essential oil
- Lemon essential oil
4. Normal Skin
People often have a tendency to neglect normal skin as they think it’s already healthy. Without proper care, even seemingly healthy skin can be prone to damage due to the dirt and pollutants present in our environment. Moreover, normal skin needs proper nourishment to protect its overall health like any other skin type.
Here are some of the oils that you can blend for the oil cleansing routine for normal skin:
- Argan oil
- Marula oil
- Castor oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Orange essential oil
- Ylang-ylang essential oil
- Rose essential oil
- Frankincense essential oil
How To Choose The Source Of Your Oils?
One of the foremost rules of skincare is to use the best quality oil as it usually has the most amount of nutrients. There are several ways of extracting fruit and seed oils. The standard techniques often use heat which can affect the nutrients and beneficial properties of an oil. That’s why, whenever you’re on the hunt for oils, make sure it has been extracted by the cold-pressed method. [3]
Another point of concern is adulterated oils, where an inferior oil is blended with a pure oil to increase its volume. This commonly happens with essential oils, making the product potentially harmful to your skin. Hence, when purchasing any oil, make sure to get it from a reputed company that lists its sources and extraction methods.
Recipe Of DIY Oil Cleansing Blend For Better Skin Health
This recipe is meant for purists who want to create a body oil blend similar to the one used for the face. It’s a no-fuss recipe that you can whip up in a few minutes with the help of minimal ingredients. If you’re a beginner, then this recipe will surely help you navigate an oil body cleanse regimen.
Ingredients List:
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) carrier oil or a blend of carrier oils based on the skin type
- 27 drops of essential oil to create a 1% dilution
- 100 ml glass container
Preparation Method:
All you need to do is place the carrier oils in a glass container, followed by the essential oils. Mix it thoroughly by gently shaking the bottle. Now, let the blend rest overnight before using it for a whole body oil cleanse.
Remember to have your loofah at hand as it will be of immense help in removing the oil while showering. A slightly rough washcloth also does a great job removing dirt, dead skin cells, and product build-up that has been sitting on your skin for a while.
Is It Okay To Directly Use Oils On Your Skin?
While some prefer to go straight with the oils, others have the opinion that the blend might be too heavy for their type of skin. That’s why they add a bit of emulsifier or surfactants to help the oil come off easily.
Moreover, the mild surfactants can bond with the dirt and dead skin cells present on your skin and help them to wash off with ease. Oil with added emulsifiers is especially recommended for those with sensitive or oily skin to prevent the product from sitting on their skin for too long.
Recipe Of DIY Emulsifying Cleansing Body Oil For Healthy Skin
Searching for the right emulsifier can be quite challenging as the readily available options aren’t that great for your skin. To make the process a tad easier, we present you with a recipe that uses Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, a relatively mild emulsifying agent. It can mix with oil quickly and wash off your skin without leaving any trace of oil.
Ingredients List:
- 75% carrier oil (375 gm)
- 12% squalane or fractionated coconut oil (60 gm)
- 12% Cromollient SCE, aka. Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate (60 gm)
- 1% natural Vitamin E oil, aka. Mixed Tocopherols T50 (5 gm)
- 150 drops of essential oils of your choice for a 1% dilution (optional)
Preparation Method:
Combine the ingredients inside a bottle and shake it gently to mix well. You can tweak the amount of cromollient to get a blend that washes off your skin without excessive scrubbing. Let the mixture sit overnight before using it for your oil body cleanse regime.
Final Words
That’s everything we had to tell you about keeping your skin healthy by using an oil body cleanser. Now, you’re ready to throw away the damaging soaps and start on this new regime.
Before going away, we would like you to note that getting healthy skin is much more than applying oil or soaps to your body. One of the first things to be adopted is a healthy balanced diet containing whole grains, fish oil, [4] essential fatty acids, and healthy fats.
Remember to drink six to eight glasses of water daily to maintain glowing skin. Plus, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day as a part of your morning routine and wear protective clothing to prevent sun damage and age spots. And do consult a health professional if your skin appears too damaged or dehydrated.
Until next time, goodbye, and all the best for your health!
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171909/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8917825/
