My recent obsession: essential oils.
Dry, winter weather almost always means dry skin, and I think all of us want to avoid that at all costs.
Starting with Josie Maran's 100% Argan Oil, I've been trying different kinds of oils to keep my skin soft and moisturized. So far, it's working. Here is a list of the oils I am currently using:
1. Sweet Almond Oil from Muji
2. Olive Squalane Oil from Muji
3. Earthveil Deep Balm
4. Shu Uemura Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil
5. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light
6. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil
For my face, I use the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - it removes all of my makeup and doesn't dry my skin out at all. Next, I apply tea tree oil on any blemishes or problem spots so they heal quicker. Then, I apply either the Josie Maran Argan Oil (for day) or the Olive Squalane Oil (for night) - a little bit goes a long way! I use a toner after, but since it's not an oil, I didn't include it in this post. Lastly, I apply a small amount of the Deep Balm all over my face. This balm is amazing because it includes argan oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil and meadowfoam oil, which all have great skin benefits. But I only use this balm for nighttime since it contains so many different oils.
You might think, don't all these oils make your skin too oily? Actually, no because the winters in Tokyo are so dry and I have combination skin. I use very little of each product and make sure I blend it into my skin. Like I said before, a little goes a long way.
An article I found in the December issue of ELLE girl Japan about oils for skincare. Sorry it's in Japanese but I did find a lot of good information here.
Some important points:
- You can mix oils with your foundation. Just one or two drops will be sufficient for smoother application and moist skin throughout the day.
-Oils can be used not only on your face, but for the rest of your body. I use my sweet almond oil for my hands before I go to sleep.
- It's more effective to apply oil before toner after cleansing your skin (squalane oil is a great pre-oil for this purpose).
Are there any oils you use or would like to use? Let me know in the comments!
Love,
Samantha Mariko
