The weather is turning, the night's are pulling in and there's a hint of central heating in the air. Whenever a new season rolls around, we pull out our knitwear, cosy coats and thoughts inevitably turn to shaking up our skincare regime. As we wave goodbye to our summer glow and minimal routines, the colder months require a little more maintenance to maintain our bouncy visage. Enter the face oil.
Long before they were enveloped in fancy packaging and hailed by celebs alike, face oils were the original skincare product. Used by the Ancient Egyptians, they blended a variety of plant-based oils including castor, olive, and sesame oils (the latter two being reputed favourites of Cleopatra herself). Luckily, not much has changed and while formulas may have become more sophisticated, the results of glowing skin have remained. Contrary to popular belief, face oils aren't only for the dry-skinned among us – they're also perfect for mature, oily and even blemish-prone skin types when the right ingredients are selected.
Known to deeply nourish the skin thanks to their fatty acids, while trapping water and strengthening the skin's barrier to protect against environmental aggressors, face oils can be a potent tool in your beauty arsenal to address all manner of skin woes. Still not convinced? Here are three reasons you need a face oil in your daily regime.
Your skin is lacklustre
Skin feeling a little 'meh'? While we relied on a little dose of skin-loving vitamin D during summertime, autumn and winter can deliver dull, dry skin. Cold weather can cause lost levels of natural oils (sebum) within our skin, which contributes to a lack of skin glow. But luckily, this is where face oils can help. A natural carrier oil (derived from plants, fruit or nuts) has strong penetrative abilities, which can help nourish and repair your skin by strengthening the skin barrier, while also reducing pigmentation and even addressing sun damage. The result? That summer glow, all year round.
Your skin is mature
As we age, our hydration levels decline, leaving us with dry and dehydrated skin, which make fine lines and wrinkles more prominent over time. So, by keeping the stratum corneum (the outer layer of skin) intact, the skin is better protected and hydration is kept in the skin, instead of the environment stripping water out.
A good quality face oil rich in antioxidants and plant oil components (such as triglycerides, tocopherols, sterols, phospholipids, waxes, squalene and phenolic compounds) not only ups moisture levels in the skin, it also fights free-radical damage thanks to the antioxidant-rich formulas, thereby keeping skin looking its best (our Willowberry Nutrient Boost Face Oil is loaded with antioxidants).
And if that wasn't enough, oils also easily pass through the lipid layers of our skin, preventing water loss and creating that satisfying plumping action you can see straight away.
Your skin is dry or oily
Yep, that's right, face oils are perfect for both ends of the skin spectrum thanks to their ability to adapt to specific skin types. While it seems counterproductive to put oil on already oily skin, face oil actually helps to balance sebum production (your skin’s natural oil), as it signals to your skin that there is already enough oil on the skin.
Natural oils are also loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help to protect and restore spot-prone skin. For best results, look for face oils that are very light and easily absorbed (like our Willowberry Nutrient Boost Face Oil), rather than thick, rich oils, which would be too much for oily skin.
As well as the nourishing benefits of natural oils, face oils also act as a sealant to help hold water in your skin, making them a double-whammy for parched and thirsty dry skin, especially in the colder months when wind, cold air and central heating play havoc with our visage.
Article by Jessica Harris
Willowberry is 'Nutritious Natural' skincare for grown-ups for your best skin. Launched in 2017, Willowberry is an award-winning independent British brand that has gained a cult following. Loved by top make-up artists, the streamlined, highly effective range protects skin’s natural barrier function to nourish and transform grown-up skin, with indulgent formulas that feed the skin and soul.