OIL isn’t bad for you. Though your dietician might disagree.
Dry oils have invaded the beauty market and I’ve discovered that there’s a place for oil converts, even oil converts who suffer from oily skin and even oilier hair.
Detractors don’t like oil because its slick, post-application feeling leaves them, well, oily. To those people I say: Have you met dry oil?
Unlike, say, your massage oil, which often contains mineral oil which doesn’t seep into skin, leaving a greasy sheen on the upper layer of your dermis, dry oil has more potent, permeable powers.
Plant-based dry oils are designed to be absorbed, making them an efficient vessel for vitamins and antioxidants. And their skin-softening effects make them arguably a better option than most lotions.
Decleor’s Shannon Gallogly has advice for consumers on selecting a good dry oil: “Look at the first four to five ingredients in the oil and make sure they are whole and recognizable, like an essential oil. Try and find one with what I like to call ‘liquid vitamins,’ which are plant-based carrier oils that offer the skin a cocoon of protection and a delicate aroma. Rose oil and Japanese camellia oil are two great ones.” Other options include sweet almond oil and plum kernel.
Dry oils are best applied right after bathing, when skin is slightly damp and pores are open.
The resulting effect is a soft, satin, almost demi-matte finish that is hard to argue with.
I’ve discovered three new oils that I’ve taken to using almost daily—and for my minimal skincare regimen, that is saying a lot.
Hair oil
I’m prone to oily hair, something I’ve tackled by not washing it daily. Seems strange, I know. But over-washing made my roots prone to excessive oiliness. I’ve switched to lighter variations of shampoo, like Kiehl’s Amino Acid or Zenutrients’ Gugo shampoo or Argan Oil shampoo. I wash on alternate days, then do a dry shampoo like Batiste, Klorane or Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo, which my friend purchases in bulk abroad, on the following day. On the days I do shampoo, after a quick towel dry, I apply two to three spritzes of Davines OI/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion with Roucou oil throughout the strands.
A lightweight serum designed to tame frizz, it leaves hair shiny and soft, while the antioxidant-rich roucou oil fights breakage.
Body and face oil
Argan oil has been a mainstay of my beauty cabinet, a healing restorative oil from Kiehl’s that helps soothe dry skin and rough patches. But a recent discovery, Nuxe, which just launched in Rustan’s last week, is a major contender. It doubles as both a face and body oil, and has been recommended for hair as well. The silicone-, preservative- and mineral oil-free dry oil contains six plant oils (macadamia, hazelnut, borage, sweet almond, camellia and St. John’s Wort) and is enriched with vitamin E. Meant to be worn daily, it’s best applied morning and evening.
Luxury face oil
I recently made an investment in a certain cult luxury face oil. A one-ounce bottle retails for $170. (Don’t tell my mom.) Rodin Olio Lusso face oil has garnered accolades from women the world over. Created by stylist Linda Rodin, who felt that no product in the market met her needs, the elixir took a year to make and was hand-crafted by Rodin herself.
It contains 11 essential oils, including neroli, calendula flower, Arnica Montana flower extract and jojoba, among others. Evening primrose oil and jasmine perfume skin.
Designed to be worn morning and evening, layered after moisturizer, the face oil glides on like a balm, light-as-air and soothing to tired skin. After using it for only a week, two different people complimented me on my improved complexion.
“You look less tired,” she said.
“You don’t look as worn out,” someone else said.
High praise, that. Worth every penny of my “investment-grade” facial oil.