The Magic of Facial Oils

No longer part of a secret society for a select few, facial oils have gone mainstream and at pricepoints everyone can enjoy. The sudden popularity of this product category has everything to do with its many benefits to a variety of skin types.

Case in point, L’Oreal Paris is the first beauty company to introduce at mass retailers, a concentrated facial oil. Our pocketbooks like where this is going. L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Glow Renewal Facial Oil. ‘Renewal’ has a blend of 8 essential oils that are lightweight, absorb quickly and boosts hydration, all the while restoring dull, dry skin to a brighter, more radiant complexion. $24.99, Available at www.lorealparisusa.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers.

As we age, the oil we need to keep our skin moisturized and wrinkle-free decreases year-after-year, so applying oils like Olive and Coconut oils – which gets absorbed beyond the lipid (fatty) layer of our skin, ultimately plumps it with the moisture we so desperately need, so we look younger, longer.

Although c. Booth Tahitian Monoi Dry Oil ($6.99, walgreens & rite aid stores and online) is marketed as a body oil (pronounced moh-NOY) – a beautifully-scented one because of the tiare flowers, it also contains coconut oil which can be used on your face and as mentioned, pumps moisture into your skin. Don’t worry, this oil is extremely lightweight.

When used in facial oils, the ingredient Argan oil decreases inflammation caused by some anti-aging products – just apply at night after all treatments. If applied before treatment products, then it helps your skin better absorb the retinols and Vitamins found in anti-aging creams. Facial oils also act as antioxidants – barriers against environmental elements. Apply in the AM before treatment products.

With luxurious ingredients indigenous to Africa comes the new brand – nyakio. The hero ingredient in nyakio Hydrating Face Oil with Kola Nut ($49, hsn.com) is Kola Nut which contains more caffeine than coffee beans and is known for it’s skin-energizing properties. ‘Hydrating’ is a non-greasy, quickly absorbed, lightweight blend of Ximenia Oil, Chamomile Oil and Trichilia Oil which hydrate, soothe and nourish your skin for up to 12 hours and leaves your skin with a healthy-looking glow. It only takes a few drops to feel a difference.

Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil ($45, olekhenriksen.com) is a lightweight, citrus-scented, anti-aging treatment oil made with 100 percent pure organic rose hips seed oil – a natural source of active Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and essential fatty acids that absorbs quickly to help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, brightens, repairs, nourishes and hydrates your skin. This oil makes love to all skin types.

While Murad Renewing Cleansing Oil ($32, murad.com) isn’t exactly a facial oil used to help absorb or plump, it’s secondary benefit after gently removing makeup and irritants is to ease dryness and restores suppleness – something that all of the products mentioned here have in common.