By Ashley Mussbacher (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 8, 2014
December through February can be the worst time for your skin’s overall health and appearance. As students, our skin has to combat not only weather conditions but also stress, and by the end of winter it looks like we have aged several years: flaky spots, blotches, cracking lips, acne — oh my. Well, no more!
Here are three all-natural and relatively inexpensive oils for keeping your skin hydrated and healthy.
Almond oil
Almond oil is my personal favourite, and is great for all skin types. It’s known for its hydrating properties, as well as its ability to remove dark circles. The nice thing about this oil is that it doesn’t leave any residue on the skin, leaving the surface soft and sweetly scented without an oily feeling. It has emollient properties, which means this is one of few oils that can be absorbed by the skin. It is because of this property that spas use almond oil for massages.
And even though we don’t need it here on the BC coast during winter, almond oil provides sun protection — something to remember for summer!
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter has become a popular addition to moisturizers, and after looking at the benefits of cocoa on the skin, it’s easy to see why. Along with deep hydration and antioxidants, cocoa butter also has the capability to reduce stretch marks and heal skin irritations like eczema and dermatitis.
Unrefined organic cocoa butter has a strong chocolate scent, while refined cocoa butter is commonly used in other manufactured products. It is undetermined whether the refining process removes the nutrients from the cocoa, and whether it is better to use unrefined or not.
Avocado oil
Fun fact: avocados are also known as dragon pears, and have more properties than tasting great in guacamole.
While a tad more expensive than the other oils I mentioned, avocado oil is famous as a facial moisturizer — it’s light and has anti-aging properties. It is also great for people who suffer from eczema or psoriasis.
Regardless of budget, students can still look and feel great from beginning to end of semester. Your skin will thank you for it, no matter what you’re using.
