Finishing Touches: Facial Oils & Sunscreen

Posted by R'Chel Plank on 12/10/2022 to Skin Care

While many will be content for moisturizer to be the last step in a skin care regime, there are a couple more products that can make a big difference to keeping facial skin as youthful appearing as possible. Facial Oils and Sunscreen...let's find out about the benefits!

This was originally posted on our interim blog at catspawfarmblog.com on 12/29/2021

Facial Oils

If you're still leery of using oil on your face, I would like to offer my post on Acne and skin oils. Facial oils are beneficial for skin and do not cause acne when formulated properly.

Your facial oil can have a lot of potential benefits depending on the ingredients and their overall purpose is in protecting the deeper levels of dermal tissue. I say potential benefits because many oils contain intrinsic antibacterial, anti-oxidative, and healing properties.

Facial oils promote a healthy glow and this is even more important for mature and dry skin. As we've learned already, aging is responsible for less natural oil production and that all on its own can exacerbate the look of fine lines. Antioxidants in Facial Oils boost collagen production and increase skin's elasticity, too.

One more bonus perk for Facial Oil - It can also help foundation apply more smoothly and consistently (plus you'll most likely use less of it!) Makeup brushes and sponges glide across skin easily after applying Facial Oil so help prevent clumps or streaks. If you're looking for more of a sheer effect simply mix a few drops of your Facial Oil and (liquid) foundation and apply both at the same time.

Properly formulated high-end oils with fatty acid profiles similar to the composition of skin can also pull grime from pores, giving them a smaller and less noticeable appearance. Additionally, many oils have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce redness from rosacea and environmental irritation.

If you apply Facial Oil as the last step in an evening skin care routine they are soaked up overnight and create an ultra-soft complexion in the morning.

Sunscreen

I have a love/hate relationship with sunscreen. I love what it is designed to do: protect skin from the damaging effects of UV. I detest the ingredients that are in most sunscreen products. And…and this is the biggie - any product sold in the US is regulated as a drug because it makes a drug claim - and any product that is for helping to prevent sunburn or decreasing the risks of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun is classified as a drug. WTF?

What this effectively does is to create an entire class of skincare that no one is allowed to openly create unless the product goes through FDA compliance testing. That costs a lot. A lot a lot.

So…let's chat a bit about the difference between mineral and synthetic sunscreen ingredients anyhow. There are only 2 mineral sunscreens (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) and both are referred to as physical blockers. They work on the uppermost layer of skin to both absorb, and to deflect and scatter sun's rays.

There are more than 30 synthetic sunscreen ingredients, all of which work by absorbing into the top layer of skin, scattering and deflecting UV rays and converting them into heat to "deactivate" them.

There are some carrier oils that have natural UV protection. Those oils are Carrot Seed Oil, and Red Raspberry Seed Oil. Both of these are in a Moisturizer I make called Shady. I have been known to add zinc oxide to my own lotion as well to create a personal sunscreen without synthetic ingredients (hint hint). Zinc Oxide leaves a slightly chalky residue and that's ok when the alternative is burning and blistering.

My Personal Skincare Routine (from submitted Qs)

I don't mind at all when customers ask me what my personal skincare regime is. I oil cleanse in the shower with OCM All Skin or OCM Mature Skin formula. Rose Water is my go-to toner. SeaHag Serum is my standard humectant. If my skin feels at all tight or inflamed I reach for Chamomile Serum next, and then Facial Elixir. Sometimes I like a little Rose & Aloe in the eye area and other times Argan Aloe Eye Serum. Hyaluronic Acid mixed with liposomal Vitamin C for brightening. Fresh Face Moisturizer (or Shady Moisturizer if I'm going to be outside most of the day) followed by Summer Bouquet Facial Oil. In the evening I cleanse with a micellar water and follow it with Daily Botanical Moisturizer in Mature Skin formula. I actually recommend DBM Mature to anyone over the age of 30, 25 if they're exposed to the extremes of the environment. Why? Because it's packed full of botanicals that skin needs to stave off the effects of aging.