Facial Oils Aren’t That Intimidating

I shared with my friends how I had changed my skincare routine by using facial oils. I have, in fact, changed the way I care my skin long time ago, but they never got to know it, because we only meet once every few months!

My friends were pretty impressed by the change on my face (thanks to MVO Face Screen as I used it as a base before I applied my BB cream, so my skin might look unusually smooth on that day:) ). However, my “real man show” can’t buy my friends. They still firmly believed that facial oils weren’t for them. They told me, “It works for you, but it won’t work for me. I have acne/oily skin.”

Well, some people still think that the only thing facial oils do is clogging their pores, with oil beads, milia seeds, acne, and pimples as a by-product. I can’t say they are wrong, because they are in fact right. When used incorrectly, such as when your face isn’t properly cleaned, oil can cause acne and breakout. However, when you do things right, facial oils can be the best nourishment for aging skin. As far as my personal experience is concerned, I can vouch for its efficacy. Facial oils can benefit your skin in a couple of ways.

Maintain Water And Oil Balance

A good balance of water and oil is a prerequisite for soft, smooth skin. Missing either one can be drying for your skin. However, as I can observe, women in Hong Kong are way keener on replenishing water than oil in their skin. Oil products can never make their way into their must-have list. And I’ve never seen any beauty companies marketed their skincare products as oil-based (no matter what the actual ingredients were, that is). This, of course, has something to do with customer preference. Facial oils are like a taboo. At most, they are only a body moisturizer for dry weather.

I guess most readers of this blog are more or less into natural skincare. Using facial oils shouldn’t be something new for them. But for my oil-phobic friends, they are largely missing something very important. Facial oils aren’t meant to be against our skin. I can’t speak for those with acne skin. But for oily combination skin, using oil can actually trick your skin to believe that it has enough oil. As a result, the sebaceous gland will secrete less oil, making your skin less oily than it usually is.

Oil Dissolves Oil

Oil is a natural lubricant. If you apply oil on spots with dirt and buildup, it can draw the dirt out of the pores. I used to have big and noticeable blackheads on my nose and whiteheads on my chin, but since embarking on using facial oils on my face, their number and size have reduced significantly. I think it is in the same sense that oil cleansing method works, though I didn’t  try it personally.

Lift Your Skin

The more I grow, the more I discover that aging is not merely about having more wrinkles on your face. It can also mean changed features, which are brought about by sagging muscle. It is something that most skin products can’t help. But facial oils, coupled with proper massage technique, can do the magic. Unlike applying creams, for which a circular motion would be used, using facial oil requires massage, which can uplift your muscle. I discover that when I repeat my massage routine enough times, it can actually remove the subtle laugh lines around my mouth (prevention is the king!). That’s another secret why using oil can be anti-aging.

To sum up what I’ve said above, facial oils are not a monster. True, not all skin will love them, but don’t let your oil-phobia intimidates you. You never know what goodies you will find!

Do you use facial oils on your skin? Do you find it helpful?

P.S. My computer has been down these few days (I probably have to buy a new one… sigh), which makes me slow on my posts. I hope I could resume my usual posting next week. Right now, I’m typing on my sister’s computer.