Forget body lotions… natural oils are the real solution to supercharging your skin health!

Your skin is one seriously busy organ! Think about it - it almost 60% of what you put on it. And while there are lots of facial products on the market that pack questionable ingredients, I'd rather you switch your body products first…

It all comes down to this - if you're trying to reduce the number of chemicals you're exposing yourself (and your family to), the best way to do it is by starting off with the products that cover a great surface area of your skin. It makes sense, right?

So let's talk about natural oil versus body lotion for protecting, nourishing and moisturising your skin…

The downside of using body lotion to moisturise your skin

First off, most body lotions contain fragrance, an ingredient that packs hundreds of different chemicals, including petrochemicals and hormone disrupters. Then there’s the emulsifier that holds the oil and water in lotions together, which is usually a lab-manufactured chemical. Some newer emulsifiers are biodegradable and non-toxic, but many, including the common “emulsifying wax” are ethoxylated and can expose you to carcinogens and mutagens.
 
Furthermore, because lotions contain about 65% water, they need to be preserved or mould and bacteria will grow in the water over time. While preservatives in beauty products are improving (hardly any natural beauty brands use parabens anymore), no preservative system is without flaws. Plus, some are highly allergenic!


 

Why natural oils are a much smarter choice for your skin

Here are just a few key benefits of using natural oils extracted from the flesh, seeds, nuts and kernels of plants to look after your skin:

• They’re pure, don’t need emulsifiers and contain no water component;
• They don’t need preservatives and are loaded with antioxidants which increase their shelf life and help prevent rancidity; and
• They have delightful natural scents rather than contain synthetic fragrances (you must just be careful when using fresh-smelling citrus oils like grapefruit and lemon as they can cause bad sunburn when exposed to UV light!).

 
So let’s put all this together, shall we? Why would you get out of the shower, dry off and then apply a product that contains emulsifier, preservatives and is 65% water to your body? It’s time to start using skin-loving natural oils instead!
 

The best natural oils to use on your skin

Some of the best oils to use to take care of your skin include vitamin E, jojoba, argan, sweet almond, avocado, flaxseed, lavender and coconut oil. You can even combine certain oils if you like to concoct your very own body oil! Try this simple body oil recipe…

 
You’ll need:

• 90 ml sunflower oil
• 60 ml jojoba oil
• 30 ml sweet almond oil
• 1 tsp natural vitamin E oil
• Optional: 5-10 drops lavender essential oil

 
What to do:

1. Combine all of the oils in a glass bottle then shake well.
2. Apply to wet or dry skin, dance naked and enjoy!

Tags: skin, skincare, skincare tips, skin health, skin health tips, natural oils, hydration, moisture, natural oils for skin, beautiful skin, healthy skin