Cold Pressed Oils: Benefits, Uses, and More

Face oils have taken the beauty world by storm. The organic range of oils feel luxurious and are a great pleasure to use on those days (and nights) when you want to pamper your skin. But despite their popularity, there’s still quite the aura of mystery surrounding them. So,

let’s dive deeper into this product category and see what’s what! This may be news to you but facial oils have been around for a very long time. Ancient Egyptians reportedly used oils in cosmetics as early as 4500BC! But why should anyone use face oils?

Essentially, putting oils on your face helps lock in moisture and aid the functioning of the skin barrier. This makes them particularly useful as a part of your night-time skincare routine.

Now, depending on which oil it is that you’re using, oils can also have anti-inflammatory, hydrating and anti-acne properties. Let’s explore some popular face oils to give you a better idea of which oil does what!

Some Popular Plant Oils

Castor Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is rich in vitamins E and C. Rich in antioxidants, it fights free radicals, protects the skin from sun damage and makes the skin look radiant and even-toned. Grapeseed oil is also an anti-bacterial anti-inflammatory oil and does not clog pores, making it a popular choice for oily skin types.

Another salient feature of this oil is that it improves the skin’s texture and elasticity, making the skin feel more firm, soft, and supple.

Marula Oil

Marula oil is another popular plant oil that has numerous benefits and is a dry skin favourite. It is lightweight and fast-absorbing yet intensely nourishing and moisturising. Marula oil helps smoothen and soften the look and feel of the skin. It is known to help with acne too, making it suitable for oily skin as well.

You can even use marula oil to moisturise your lips and nails!

Neem Oil

Neem oil is rich in essential fatty acids such as palmitic, linoleic, and oleic acids, which help promote healthy and balanced skin. Neem oil is known to be particularly helpful against scalp and skin woes such as itchiness and dandruff due to its antibacterial properties.

This oil is also rich in antioxidants and helps prevent the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It also improves the skin barrier function.

Essential Oils vs Carrier Oils vs Cold Pressed Oils: What You Need to Know

If you’re new to face oils, all these terms can confuse you. So let’s break these down one by one.

First up, essential oils. So, essential oils are highly concentrated formulas that are commonly used in aromatherapy and in skincare and haircare. Given how concentrated they are, you must never apply these oils directly to your skin. Always mix them with a carrier oil otherwise essential oils may cause a reaction! They’re also very volatile and can evaporate or dissipate when they’re directly applied to the skin. Tea tree and lavender oils are two commonly used essential oils. Essential oils can contain phenols and other compounds that give them certain properties. Lavender, for example, can be quite soothing and relaxing while Tea Tree is known to help with acne.

Moving onto carrier oils. Carrier oils, as the name suggests, are used to dilute essential oils. Essentially, these oils ‘carry’ the essential oils onto the skin. Carrier oils don’t have a very strong smell either (unlike essentials oils). They’re also very stable. Olive and grape seed oils are commonly used carrier oils.

Finally, cold pressed oils are thus called because the fruits and seeds are pressed with a modern steel press to obtain the oil, without the application of external heat. They’re richer in antioxidants and vitamins as opposed to oils extracted from chemical processes, as a result.

Incorporating Face Oils into Your Skincare

Are you new to face oils? Confused about where to start and what to pick? Well, let’s sort that out. First off, in a skincare routine, there is a rule that is followed. You must go from thinnest to thickest. So, it’s cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser and then face oil.

There is a common misconception that oils are moisturizing and can be used in the place of moisturisers. That’s not necessarily true. There are different types of moisturisers. You have humectants that add water to the skin, emollients that are used to soften and strengthen the skin barrier by filling in the space between skin cells and occlusive that help seal in products. Oils are generally either emollients or occlusives.