4 Potent Natural Oils to Super Charge your Skin
Bamboozled by the dazzling array of super oils available, when you really only want to know what is the best oil for your skin? Super oils are the darling of organic skincare; get the right ones and they can transform your skin. Here are three of our favourites, why we love them and which are the right ones for you.
Marula Oil
OK, so marula might not look very glamorous, read, a bit brown and boring if we are being honest, but it does pack a punch. Imagine marula as an unsung heroine, brown and a bit smelly (did we mention it can be a little pungent on her own?) but with a little secret.
Used for centuries in native South Africa and Swaziland, marula oil has been used by local women to hydrate and protect their skin with its high anti-oxidant and fatty acid levels. That means marula is great for gently hydrating and the little secret? It's fabulous for reducing redness; high colour, rosacea. A 2006 study confirms that the unique makeup combines to make the oil ideal for topical application. improves skin hydration, skin smoothness and reduce redness (Gruenwald, 2006).
We combine marula in our triple duty facial oil, Radiance Essence with Rose & Marula.
Our verdict? It may not look very glamorous but it does some amazing things for sensitive, oily, and rosacea prone skins.
Blackcurrant Oil
These potent little berries, that you can still find in British hedgerows if you look hard enough, are seriously good for skin. Vitamin C packed and GLA rich, this is a superb skin hydrating oil, softening, smoothing and texture improving. For stressed skin, this sexy purple little number does the business. Dull, chapped, too much time in the sun? Eczema, dry itchy skin? Due to her essential fatty acid content and anti-inflammatory properties Blackcurrant can help sort all of these.
Blackcurrant is one of the hero ingredients in our Facial Essence with Rose & Blackcurrant.
Our verdict? This purple little beauty has proved itself time after time in the best organic skincare stakes and is great for all skin types. PS, once the oil is cold pressed from the blackcurrant seeds it comes out golden not purple. Just in case you were wondering..
Marshmallow Root Oil
The humble Marshmallow plant has been used for centuries for its soothing and hydrating action, with the sticky sap, or 'mucilage' being used as an ingredient for sugary treats. Word has it that the Egyptians came up with the sweet treat that we love, combining the sap from the marshmallow plant with honey.
We take our organic marshmallow gently macerated in sunflower oil, and she is one of the stars in our hit Intensive Balm with Marshmallow & Frangipani. The gooey stuff from the roots makes for a super calming ingredient that is particularly helpful to sensitive skin that suffers with eczema or rosacea. Marshmallow is a cheeky little ingredient though and is no one trick pony. Intensely hydrating, softening and with a unique way of helping your own skin retain moisture, this infused oil improves skin's overall radiance.
Our verdict? Ditch the sweet stuff and take your Marshmallow in your skincare, your skin will thank you.
Cranberry Oil
Rich and light, this fruity little number has a lot going for it. We are all familiar with cranberries in our drinks, but cranberry seed oil is a powerful add on to your skincare regime.
Cold pressed from the cranberry seeds, it's packed with antioxidants and is vitamin E rich which makes it a great oil for nourishing and moisturising but without that heavy, clogging feeling you can sometimes get.
It also has a unique mix of omega 3, 6 and 9 which makes it an exceptional moisturiser, absorbing really went into the skin.
Our verdict? It is a beautiful, light oil, with a naturally fruity aroma. Because of its extremely high antioxidant content, it helps fight environmental damage to your skin, is very light and is excellent when your skin is looking a little dull or tired.
Find it in our Facial Essence with Rose & Blackcurrant.
Whatever your skincare needs, I have you covered.
Have you used any of these oils? Let me know, we would love to hear!