If you’re looking to simplify your skincare routine, you might give these complete organics oils a try. I’m a huge fan of facial oils and for the past six weeks or so I have been using only oils on my face as moisturizer. It might seem counter intuitive, especially if you struggle with oily skin, but moisturizing with an oil actually really works to balance out your skin. For about a month I was using just straight Maracuja oil, and that works great. But for the past two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of trying out a line of USDA-certified organic therapeutic oils – the Complete Organics line by InstaNatural. They offer four single oils (Avocado, Marula, Tamanu, and Black Cumin Seed oil). They also offer three therapeutic oils, or serums you could call them, which I’ve been trying.
- Argan and Marula with bergamot, geranium, and mandarin essential oils: Best for oily skin, balances oil production. Helps reduce the appearance of pores, hyper-pigmentation and blemishes.
- Argan and Rosehip with lavender, frankincense, and patchouli essential oils: Best for dry or aging skin. Reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration and supports collagen production/renewal.
- Argan with palmarosa, orange and geranium essential oils: Great for all skin types. Revitalizes and strengthens skin.
You’ll notice all three share a base of Argan. Argan oil is great for all skin types, absorbs relatively quickly and contains naturally occurring squalene which makes it a great skin cell regenerator and wound healer. It is also antiinflammatory and antibacterial.
All three of these formulations contain only the carrier oil/s and essential oils. Nothing more. I love this! They also all smell lovely because of the essential oils. I’ve been using all three, but find myself reaching for orange/geranium/palmarosa the most frequently as love the scent of those essential oils, but truly love the scent of all three and they all have great aromatherapeutic qualities. I like to use Argan and Rosehip at night and then alternate between the other two in the morning.
I’ve also been using the orange/geranium/palmarosa one on my hands a lot! And the ends of my hair. I’ll run out of this one first no doubt. It has really helped my hands as they got completely chafed and destroyed during moving a few weeks ago (not only was the weather freezing and dry, but handling tons of cardboard boxes, packing and unpacking etc.).
As for the amount, they suggest 2-4 drops, but I find that I like using at least 6 drops per application when using on my face. Though if massaging into your cuticles, for example, you really only need 1 drop per hand.
I’ve noticed the skin on my face has really liked these oils. For the most part (besides a few stress-related blemishes here and there, which is no surprise as I’ve been going through some major “life stuff”) my skin has been very even, clear, and calm. I also love the routine of massaging the oil into my face morning and night. It takes just a little longer than your typical cream-based moisturizer, and so creates a little facial massage session which feels so relaxing.
I’ve also used a few drops on my scalp to moisturize before shampooing, and love the idea of using to mix with a clay powder for a DIY face mask, but I’ve yet to try that.
I’d highly recommend these, though keep in mind if you’ve never used an oil as a moisturizer, it may take your skin a little while to adjust – give it at least 1-2 weeks to really adjust especially if you have oily skin and are looking to even that out naturally. *Keep in mind too, that if you are washing your face multiple times per day to “wash off the oil” this is counterproductive and will actually trigger your skin to produce more oil in response. Use a gentle cleanser free of harsh chemicals (sulfates, parabens, triclosan etc), twice per day and if necessary use oil blotting sheets.
Do you love using facial oils? I’d love to hear which ones are your favorite?