Glow: Simple Skin Nutrition in a Homemade Facial Oil Recipe

Gorgeous skin is a noble goal. It's not as vain as you might think; it's a sign of heath and vitality (or just really good genes). And with all the wear and tear our skin suffers through day after stressful day, our skin can always use a little help. Enter facial oils. I know what you're thinking: "Oil on my face? But I'll break out and look greasy!" Or, more likely, your skin will look better than ever.

Remember our fear of fats and oil that began in the 1980s? We Snackwelled ourselves right into diabetes because fat—not sugar—was our waistline's perceived nemesis. Now we know that's simply not the case, and healthy fats like those from nuts, seeds, and olives can actually help us to lose weight and keep it off. The same goes for our skin. While we once believed stripping the oils off was the only way to prevent clogged pores, breakouts, and greasy zones, the opposite is actually true.

When you strip the skin of its oil (which it needs to keep lubricated and protected), it will make more to compensate. This can lead to imbalances in the skin causing breakouts and other issues to occur. Encouraging a healthy oil environment can help to repair damage done and give your skin the moisturizing and hydrating support it needs.

Further, oil helps to remove dirt and grime. Have you ever tried to get gum or a sticker off of a surface? Comes right off when you rub a bit of oil on it…the same is true for our skin.

What's more, the fine skin on our faces can benefit from chemicals and antioxidants in oil, which can diminish fine lines and wrinkles and help us to look younger and healthier. Lotions and creams often contain stabilizers and chemical ingredients, but oils are just that—pure botanicals that won't leave you greasy or heavy feeling. But they can leave you in shock at the sticker price! So try your hand at making your own facial oil from scratch—getting all the beneficial effects at a fraction of the cost.

What you need:

A base oil: jojoba, argan, apricot kernel, or almond will do.

Bonus oils: these are highly nutrient dense and can aid in a number of skin conditions. Sea buckthorn, tamanu, rose hip seed, or carrot seed oil all can enhance the properties of your oil, bringing vitamins and antioxidants to the skin to reduce lines, wrinkles, and acne scars, as well as enhance the skin's own healing and rejuvenating properties.

Essential oils: fragrant extracts of botanicals not only give your blend a terrific scent, they also have skin-soothing and nurturing properties as well. Lavender is very calming for skin so it's a good choice for acne-prone or stressed skin. Rose is beneficial to mature or aged-looking skin. Geranium and neroli can balance.

What to do:

In a small glass or ceramic bottle or jar (no plastic) fill about 2/3 of the way with your base oil. A good size is a one or two-ounce bottle or jar. Better to make less than have too much. You can mix several base oils if you like. ( I love mixing jojoba, argan, and apricot kernel.) Add in your bonus oils—about one tablespoon in total (even if you mix them). Then, add a few drops of your essential oils. For a one-ounce bottle, you'll need no more than 10–12 drops in total of an essential oil. Seal the bottle up and give it a good shake to mix all the oils. That's it—you're ready to apply.

If using a pump bottle, all you'll need is 1–2 squirts of your oil—enough to rub into your hands and apply on your face. (Seriously, a little goes a very long way—and even though you made this on your own, it's still not the cheapest investment!) Rub gently into the face, paying close attention to the corners of the eyes, around the mouth, the neck, and chin. Use one to two times daily.