How To Use Body Oil for Soft, Smooth Skin
Body oil is the missing key your body may very well be thirsting for. It protects, hydrates, and locks in moisture to give you soft, glowing, smooth-to-the-touch skin. To get the most out of your body oil, we’re here to let you in on some of our fave tips and tricks and all the ways you can incorporate body oil into your new and improved sexy skin lifestyle.
Summer is around the corner, and coming out on the heels of this pandemic and a foreseeable end to quarantine -- we’re all pretty thirsty. So, if you can help it, don’t let your skin go parched too. Let’s walk you through ALL the ways oil can help you out.
Oil is for Everybody
Contrary to popular belief, body oil is suitable for people with all skin types. Some may think adding oil to oily skin sounds counterproductive, but as a matter of fact, sometimes your oil glands overproduce oil when it’s not getting enough! Bodies are crazy, amiright.
Choosing The Right Oil For Your Body
First and foremost, the number one thing to look for is that the oil you choose is certified organic. This ensures that no pesticides or chemicals are in your oil. Heavy fragrances contain chemicals that can strip your skin and cause dullness, irritation, or clogged pores. Always use organic oil.
Depending on your skin type, whether it’s dry or naturally oily, or whether it’s sensitive or pretty resilient, choosing the right body oil for you may be somewhat of a trial and error process.
These are the top three fan favorites:
Sweet Almond Oil
High in oleic acid and omega-9 fatty acids, this oil penetrates deeper into the skin than others. In addition, it has soothing and calming properties thanks to its high levels of vitamin E.
Sunflower Oil
High in vitamin A and vitamin E, sunflower oil absorbs into the skin easily and leaves an especially soft finish.
Jojoba Oil
This oil, pronounced “huh-ho-buh,” is said to have healing properties -- this is in part to its essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and its emollient properties: meaning jojoba softens the skin by trapping in moisture.
Exploring All The Ways To Use Body Oil
Once you’ve decided on an all-natural body oil you and your skin both love, now you may begin to get creative with all the ways you can use it to your benefit and enjoyment. Some of the key, clean ingredients are CBD, marula oil, and patchouli oil helping to amplify and moisturize your skin.
Still Damp, Post Shower
First thing once you step out of the shower is PRIME TIME to apply your body oil. You get the most out of your body oil when you’re wet because that moisture lingering on your skin leftover from the shower is going to get locked in under that armor, remember?
Consider using a tool to make your body oil routine even more pleasurable. Massage your oil into your skin using gua-sha, the ancient Chinese healing technique of stone massaging to improve circulation, relieve tension, and encourage lymphatic drainage. The tool allows for smooth, broad strokes to promote healthy blood and lymphatic flow. Along with your empowering, loving touch, it helps balance the mind, body, and spirit -- releasing any negative or trapped energy.
Bath Soak
Dripping a few drops into your bathwater will add a thin, protective layer to your skin before washing and exfoliating. This can help protect your skin’s delicate barrier from becoming compromised by any harsh parabens or sulfates in your soap that tend to strip the skin of its natural moisture.
Alternatively, if you tend to have dry skin, you may want to consider oiling up before spending an evening in the tub watching Netflix and drinking wine. This may be something you would have never thought to do, but water also strips your body of the natural oils it needs to stay hydrated, so by wearing an oil pre-bath, you create a barrier for your skin to stay protected for a night of soaking and scrolling.
On Your Cuticles
If your cuticles are looking a bit dry and drab, or your nail lady skimped out on the hand massage, drip some drops of body oil on your cuticles to give them all the moisture they need for an easy at-home pampering.
After A Day In The Sun
Vitamin E properties present in most organic body oils like jojoba and sunflower oil are the key to reviving sunned skin. It will help regenerate your skin cells as well as soothe sensitivity and discomfort if you are sunburnt. In addition, a vitamin E rich oil will help repair the skin’s barrier while facilitating the regeneration of the epidermis.
After Dry Brushing
Dry brushing is great for exfoliating and detoxifying by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymphatic flow. It also stimulates your nervous system, which could make you feel invigorated and refreshed. To reap all the benefits of this practice, use a natural, stiff-bristled bath or shower brush, preferably with a long handle, to get those hard-to-reach places like your back. How stiff the bristles can depend on your skin’s sensitivity, so be wary of any redness or irritation...you don’t want that!
Dry brushing is a good option instead of exfoliating mid-shower stream because, for our dry skin folks - more time spent in the water could mean more moisture loss. Since you should always apply oil on wet skin, do a quick rinse after your dry brushing exfoliation regimen and slather on your oil.
For An Intimate Massage
Show your significant other how much they mean to you by giving them a head-to-toe rub down with your favorite oil. Pamper them silly and enjoy seeing them slip off into blissful relaxation at the mercy of your ever-loving touch. You can even warm up the body oil in the microwave to heighten their senses and create an experience they won’t soon forget, all the while caring for their skin.
What You Should Avoid
Here are a few no-no’s you should avoid when considering using body oil:
- Don’t use heavy oils on a hot summer night - it can cause you to sweat more.
- Don’t use heavy oils on your chest and back if you’re prone to acne - always use non-comedogenic oil like jojoba, NOT coconut or olive oil.
- Don’t apply oils before you apply face creams or topical antibiotics; since oil creates a barrier, it will stop the cream from reaching your skin.
- Don’t use oil when sunbathing; it will speed up the rate of sunburn and cause irreversible skin damage like causing wrinkles.
Why Does Body Oil Make Your Skin Soft?
So...like, what’s the deal? Why is body oil so rad? Besides it being blessed upon us by Mother Earth, in all her glory, there are some key properties and benefits that oil possesses and provides.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, found in many body oils, is easily absorbed into the skin. It’s a nutrient your skin adores for the soothing properties that help it look its best - treating acne, psoriasis, and consequences of sun exposure. Essentially, vitamin E searches your skin’s surface for harmful imposters and stabilizes them. As a result, it decreases redness, clears pores, could provide a brighter and more even complexion, and can minimize signs of aging. It also has properties that reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks.
Hydrating
Your skin’s surface is easily compromised by environmental factors like harsh soaps, detergents, and pollutants. You’ll notice the consequences of this if you experience dry, tight, or irritated skin - because these pollutants cause tiny minor cracks, leaving your skin vulnerable to breakouts, discoloration, and more. Unlike lotion, which simply sits atop the skin’s surface, oil can penetrate through the skin’s surface, filling in those cracks and restoring hydration.
Moisture-Locking
Oil is an “occlusive” - a moisturizing agent that works by forming a protective layer on the skin’s surface to prevent moisture loss. It is an armor you can provide your precious body with before going out into the world where your skin will be subject to irritants like cold air, wind, friction, and the like. In a nutshell: occlusives stop water and natural moisture from escaping and evaporating by creating a waterproof coating.
Conclusion
The ways for you to enjoy the benefits of body oil are endless, don’t pass up on all these opportunities to give your precious skin the tender love and care it deserves. Keep it hydrated, moisturized, and protected with all-natural body oil, and you won’t regret it. But however you choose to use your body oil, we are here for it.
Sources:
Vitamin E and Skin Health | Linus Pauling Institute | Oregon State University
Moisturizers: Options For Softer Skin | Mayo Clinic
The Truth About Dry Brushing and What It Does for You | Cleveland Clinic