Oil for bathing: “Oil in water: It doesn’t mix – I remember that much from chemistry class. The ‘Lavender Bath’ by Dr. Hauschka. The trick: A so-called sulfated castor oil base makes the oil water-soluble. I sink into the slightly milky floods, my skin already feels tender when I stroke it under water.
“Even under water my skin feels very soft.”
And the wonderful scent of lavender (which of course you have to like) gives me a pleasant feeling of bed-heaviness almost immediately.” Tip: You can do without lotion after the oil bath. Do not rub off the damp skin, just dab it gently with a bath towel.
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Oil is not just oil
Beauty experts speak of “light” and “heavy” vegetable oils, which are more or less greasy and are therefore absorbed at different rates. Light oils include wild rose, hemp, broccoli seed, evening primrose and grape seed oils. The heavyweights include olive, avocado, macadamia nut and argan oil. Drying oils have been refined using a high-tech process in such a way that they do not appear greasy and are absorbed in a flash.
Shower oil: “Will that help my dry, irritated winter skin?” It’s going to be rinsed off right away – that’s my first thought when I reach for the ‘Sensitive Shower Oil F’ from Eubos. How pleasant! On damp skin , it transforms into a fine emulsion that even foams a little. This is achieved by adding mild surfactants. i.a. contain soybean and safflower oil with valuable fatty acids that are supposed to strengthen the skin barrier. And chamomile extract with calming bisabolol.“Who would have thought: wonderfully relaxed skin – even the next day.”
But neither preservatives nor colorings. It works: Nothing tightens and itches anymore. Even the next day my skin is still nice and supple.” Tip : You can also use the shower oil to wash your hands. Saves the lotion afterwards.
Oil in the hair: “Since I walked around for days at an Ayurveda cure in southern India with a fat head that wasn’t impressed by any shampoo, I’ve become cautious: First, I just knead a homeopathic dose of ‘Fructis Miracle Oil’ from Garnier into mine damaged ends of hair. Breathe a sigh of relief after blow-drying: nothing smacks, no more traces of dryness and split ends. The tips look freshly cut. The secret why the product is wonderfully nourishing without an oil crisis: In addition to nourishing argan oil, it also contains ‘weightless’ silicone oils that only cover the hair with a fine protective film.” Tip: The oil also protects well against heat, for example from a hairdryer or straightening iron. Used sparingly, it also brings fresh shine to dry hair.
“My strawy ends look like they were freshly cut by the hairdresser.”
Body Oil: “As a kid, I used to have to put oil on my rough upper arms. It was pretty slippery and smelled strongly of lemon. Accordingly, I cautiously approach the new ‘Nutriextra Beneficial Care Oil’ from Vichy. The pump sprayer is practical, with which the silicone-free mix of nine vegetable oils, eg cell-protecting rice bran oil and nourishing passion fruit seed oil, can be sprayed onto the skin in well-dosed amounts.
Oil for self-mixing
Rose facial oil: The fragrance has a balancing effect on the female hormone system. To do this, mix 40 ml of jojoba oil, 10 ml of evening primrose oil and 3 drops of essential rose oil and massage your face with it. Good mood bath for dull winter days: Mix 20 ml jojoba oil with 3 drops each of neroli, bergamot and lime oil. Add a cup of cream or an egg yolk as an emulsifier and pour the mixture into the running bath water.
“A fine protective coat that smells warm of summer and sun”
The scent is also surprisingly pleasant: not lemon, but subtly flowery and woody, but also a bit like summer and sun. I only need a little, it spreads easily and doesn’t shine a bit. A feeling as if the skin had a very thin protective coat on.” Tip: massage into the slightly damp skin after the shower. This way it absorbs the care substances better.
The oil specialist: “The souvenir of my puberty are fine, silvery-white stretch marks on my thighs. That’s where Delta Pronatura’s ‘Bio-Oil’ should help – with sunflower and soybean oil, which contains lots of vitamins A and E.
“How nice! My stretch marks are much less noticeable now”
I consistently massage twice a day. Mirror test after two weeks in the extremely uncharming light of a changing room: the skin appears smoother and more even. Sure, the stripes aren’t gone, but they’re less noticeable.” Tip: Makes scars more elastic, prevents stretch marks.
One oil for everything: “A weekend in Madrid, just with hand luggage. Instead of face cream, hair care spray and body lotion, I just take Caudalie’s ‘Huile Divine’ with me. In the morning in the hotel I spray the oil sparingly all over my body and massage it in. Then I also run my hands over my face and the lengths of my hair. No greasy shine, the skin immediately absorbs the mix of grape, argan, hibiscus and sesame oil and radiates. The hair shimmers beautifully in the sun.” Tip: The flowery-warm-spicy scent easily replaces the perfume.
“Cares for skin and hair: This “oil multi” has to go on the journey.”
Facial Cleansing Oil: “Usually I need some lather and lots of water to feel really clean. But the ‘Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil’ from Origins is intended for dry skin. I massage a little and notice how well the make-up comes off. Then finally water!
“Clean on gentle cycle – my dry complexion likes so much smoothness”
Thanks to an emulsifier it contains, which combines fat and water, the oil suddenly turns milky and can be rinsed off the face, including make-up, without leaving any residue. My fairly dry skin feels squeaky clean afterwards, but at the same time soft and relaxed.” Tip: Even waterproof mascara can be removed without much rubbing with the oil on a cotton pad. Take out contact lenses beforehand.
Face care oil: “Ever since I suffered from acne for years as a teenager, I have avoided oil on my face. But since my skin is rather dry and sensitive today, I give Weleda’s ‘Almond Face Oil’ a chance. The oil smells wonderful at first, like almonds and marzipan. And kindly don’t throw my face into the feared oil crisis, but pull in relatively quickly.
“Oil on the face makes pimples? Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen with almond oil”
How nice: Even after four days, there is no pimple on my skin. It is certainly also due to the almond oil, which is considered non-comedogenic, i.e. does not trigger blackheads. Unlike coconut oil, for example, which some women react to with breakouts.” Tip: Let the oil sit for a few minutes before applying make-up, otherwise the foundation won’t last and cover as well.
