oils for skin

Oils for Skin Care Part 2 with Dr. Trevor Cates

Dr. Trevor Cates: Welcome to The Spa Dr. podcast. I am Dr. Trevor Cates. Today I am sharing part two of a two part series on oils for skincare. This time I am going to be sharing five of my favorite plant-based oils for skin care and what you should be looking for when you are looking at oils for skin care. I get questions about this all the time, so I had to break these into a two part series, so please enjoy.

So now I want to share with you my top five favorite plant-based oils. These are my absolute favorite for myself personally and for patients, my followers. Okay, so the first one is cranberry seed oil and I love to choose organic. One of the things to think about with organic is that when you are using an oil from a plant, you are using a lot of that oil. You are extracting a lot from that plant, so it is best to use organic so that you are not pulling anything that might be in the plant that is not pure. So if pesticides are used on the plant, you don’t want any of that concentrated in the plant. Then it ends up in the product. So choosing organic is important.

I love cranberry seed oil because it is extremely lightweight and it is able to absorb easily without clogging your pores. This makes it great for all skin types because it is lightweight, it is easy to absorb, and it doesn’t clog pores. All of the Olivia, Amber, Sage, Emmet, Heath, all of those skin types, from theskinquiz.com, all of those can benefit from this oil. It is rich in antioxidants, It is rich in vitamin E, which we know is so hydrating and nourishing to the skin, it is also high in naturally occurring vitamin A. We know that vitamin A is also very beneficial for the skin. Phytosterol and phospholipid, nourishment our skin needs. It has a natural ratio of Omega six, Omega three and Omega nine fatty acids. We need those fatty acids for that barrier function of the skin, that lipid barrier, protection of the skin. This helps provide those essential fatty acids that we need for the skin and helps with moisture retention. One of my very favorites.

Another favorite is pomegranate seed oil. If you haven’t found this one yet, this is a really great one. It’s also packed with antioxidants and the rare Omega five essential fatty acid. We need these fatty acids for our skin. It also has regenerative effects in repairing the skin, evening the appearance of skin tone and smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. So of course one of my favorites as a woman of 47 years old, I certainly love those effects that it has.

The third oil is raspberry seed oil. I absolutely love raspberry seed oil. It is high in tocotrienols and offers the skin a broad spectrum protection from the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays. It provides us great protection to the skin. However, this is really important. This is not to take the place or it is not the equivalent of using a properly formulated SPF sunscreen. So I want to make sure that is very clear. There are many factors involved in making a sunscreen and how it works. I am not saying it takes the place of that. You still want to use that, but naturally occurring in the plant are these protective benefits.

The fourth one, this is an absolute favorite, is Rosehip fruit oil. If you are not familiar with what Rose hips are when you see the Rose plant, when it is in a cycle on the Rose itself, you will see it has this sort of a bulb like part of the plant, that is where the Rose hip comes from. It is from the Rose plant. It is not the Rose itself, but it is the Rose hip. So it’s high in unsaturated essential fatty acids. Those Omega three, six and nine, also high in vitamin A, beta carotene, lycopene, these beautiful antioxidants that are naturally occurring. Rose hip fruit oil is known for helping regenerate damaged tissue.

For skin that has been burned or stretch marks, many people ask me, what is a good oil for stretch marks? This is one of those oils. And also it helps protect against signs of sun damage, scarring and wrinkle formation. A lot of people ask about what can help with scarring. This is one of my favorites for really helping regenerate and protect the skin. The fifth final of my favorite of the plant based, I mean there are so many that I love that are plant based oils, but I will explain in a moment why I love these five in particular together.

Apricot kernel oil is the fifth one that I want to mention. Again, I love making sure that all of these are organic. Apricot kernel oil is rich in vitamins A, C and E as well as minerals and Omega six and Omega nine fatty acids. It has a really nice lightweight consistency and it absorbs fast without leaving any kind of greasy after feel, nothing sticky or greasy. So it is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive ones. I really like having apricot kernel oil as one of the base oils. It is part of an oil combination of plant based oils. One of my absolute favorites for this. And also it is soothing, repairing, revitalizing, nourishing and softening for the skin. So absolutely make sure that you have apricot kernel oil in there.

Whenever I look at a plant based oil blend, I like to look for other ingredients that are making sure that the oil stays fresh. As I mentioned plant-based oils, especially those that are unrefined, it is important to make sure that they stay stable. So a couple of ingredients that I like to look for in that I include in my products is tocopherol. It is also known as vitamin E, and at The Spa Dr. We use a mix of tocopherols made free of genetically modified ingredients by the way, is sunflower oil. We find that is the best source of vitamin E, that is what we use at The Spa Dr. It helps provide antioxidant protection to oils, keeping the products fresh.

Vitamin E itself is known for its wound healing effects. It is itself a potent antioxidant and an excellent skin protector. So love vitamin E and that can be added into a plant based oil blend. And then Rosemary leaf extract. Of course, organic still is always great and the extract of Roseberry leaf is ideal for helping keep formulas fresh and maintaining. It also has its own benefits for the skin, helping with the skin suppleness and making it soft. I love the fact that we can use nature to help support nature. We don’t have to use synthetic ingredients to help preserve oils or to preserve any skincare products. We can look to nature with things like this to help preserve that combination.

The five that I mentioned, is what we use to create The Spa Dr. Step Four, ENHANCE Glow Boost. We carefully selected each one of these in combination together because individually they have potent effects. The antioxidants, the fatty acids and the fact that they are organic. Individually, they have these powerful effects and then when used in combination, these five together are magical when combined together. Some are a little bit thicker than others, but when you use the lighter oils in combination with the richer oils it creates with our Glow Boost, it is an amazing combination and you can see it and the richness, you can feel it in the consistency.

Now you can find these oils individually, but I do like a nice combination of oils like we have in the glow boost. Not all skincare products made with oils help your skin. I am not saying across the board, all oils are good for skin. Some oils blend well together. Some don’t., Some oils are okay to use alone, some are best to use in combination. It really also depends on the other ingredients that are used in the products. It is about the formulation, it’s about the raw ingredients and you want to make sure the plant based oils are pure, they are clean. I prefer the extra virgin, unrefined types of oils.

Now when you are working with oils, and again, not all of them work well together. Some are thicker, some are thinner and you want a combination of those when you blend them. You also want to think about your skin type. I talked about five oils that are really my favorite oils for skin and those are good for all skin types. Now when it comes to individual oils, there are certain ones that you need to be careful with to use caution with. For example, when you are looking at something like the essential oil tea tree oil, you don’t want to just use it undiluted directly on the skin. You want to use it in combination with other oils. Essential oils in general should be used in combination rather than alone when it comes to direct skincare use.

Also oils like coconut oil tend to be very thick when at room temperature. Using coconut oil alone on the skin can be difficult for certain skin types because of how thick it is. For people that tend to have oily skin, the Olivia skin types, I don’t recommend using straight coconut oil, especially on your face or areas where you tend to be oilier and where you tend to break out. Now that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use coconut oil. Coconut oil is a fantastic oil and this is something that I get asked quite often. Is coconut oil good for the skin or not? And absolutely coconut oil in the right form and the right balance is great for all skin types. It is very hydrating, it is very nourishing. It is rich and it is great because of the consistency of it. However, I don’t recommend using it straight because it can be rough for people with oilier skin instead of using it in combination with other oils.

It is also really important that you are using a pure, unrefined, extra Virgin form of the coconut oil. And organic is preferred if you can get it, when it comes to oils. Organic is always best. That is what is important to remember. It is the purity, the being unrefined, as well as being in blend in combination with other oils. Now if you are not a Olivia or an oilier skin type, you might be able to use it straight without it in a combination. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend just using it on the face. I would use it on the rest of the body. It can even be great for using as a scalp or hair treatment. But when it comes to the face, I recommend doing like we do with our step one cleanser, using it as part of a really beautiful formula.

These are things that people want to think about when blending or using individual oils. Coconut oil is one of those, but there are many others that you want to think about. Is it okay to use them individually or is it too strong? Is it too thick? Is it too sticky? Is it right for your skin type? I prefer to use the oils in combination and not just one straight oil. Now there are exceptions to that. You are doing a massage. Almond oil is great for doing a body massage and using it on the body, but I do think overall it is nice to use a blend.

Mistakes that people make are around using the wrong oils and the wrong concentrations so you don’t want your skin to feel sticky or greasy. That should not be your experience using oils. If you are finding that, then you are not using the right blend, you are not using the right oils on your skin. Certainly you can find moisturizers with oils and those are fantastic. I love that you can find moisturizers with plant-based oils and you can find the hundred percent oils or you can find moisturizers that contain all. Both are great, but be sure to look at the ingredient list and make sure that the moisturizer in particular doesn’t have any parabens, fragrance or other endocrine disrupting chemicals, hormone disrupting chemicals like these in your skincare products. Other harmful ingredients like dimethicone is one that is used in a lot of even natural skincare products as an occlusive to trap moisture in. But there are concerns about what this ingredient might be doing to the skin microbiome. All these microorganisms that live on and protect the skin can get out of balance from the use of dimethicone because of how it traps in moisture and doesn’t allow the skin to breathe the way that natural plant-based oils can.

When you are applying oils to the face, I want to give you some tips on using plant-based oils, especially when you are using them on the face. First of all, what I love to do is to make sure the oils are at room temperature. If you have been outside, if you just received a shipment and you live somewhere cold, you want to make sure that you warm the oils up at least to room temperature. If you want them a little warmer, you can also just warm them in your hands. So I have our Glow Boost here, and what I will oftentimes do is do an application in my hand, and then just warm the oils up in my hands so you can rub them together, hold them in your hands, and then you want to press them into your face so that they absorb in the areas where you want them.

So if you have an oily area, maybe your T zone, then you avoid that area with the direct oils. And unless you feel like you can use that hydration and depending upon the oils, but just pressing into the areas where you need it, then that is a great way to use plant-based oils. Then after you press them, then you can do more of the sweeping motions and blend it in with the other products that you have been applying to your face. You can also mix plant-based oils with other products. So for example, at The Spa Dr., I often recommend people blend our step four, our plant based oil blend with step two, our antioxidant serum. Because they make a nice combination and the oils aren’t quite as thick and as strong, especially in areas like around the eye area, it is nice to do a combination.

I also think it is important to just really understand when you are using plant-based oils that it might take a little time to get used to them. If you haven’t used plant based oils, experiment with them, use them in different areas of your face, try them in combination with other products and just have fun with them and experiment with them. A lot of times people ask me about their children, so maybe you have a teenager or children in your home and you are wondering about skin care products for them. I think it’s important for educating girls early on, and boys too, educating your children about the proper use of skincare. Because at some point they are going to start using products and if you could introduce them to natural products before they start getting introduced to products by their friends, then that’s a great way to educate them and to get them on board with using more natural products, understanding how to use them.

And a lot of times teenagers are going to be more prone to acne. So again, educating the use of all plant based oils, which they absolutely can benefit from them and use them, it’s just a matter of using them properly and maybe combining with other products that will help with balancing the oil production and their skin and making sure that they understand you don’t want to strip your skin. Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, mature skin, young skin, whatever. You don’t want to strip the skin. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make because the oils that naturally occur on your skin are there for a reason. They are there to help protect your skin, help protect the barrier function of your skin, the mild acidity, the skin microbiome, all to protect the skin, keep it healthy, keep it functioning the way it’s supposed to. And when people are using these foaming stripping kinds of high pH cleansers, it’s actually damaging that natural oil production at all the protective benefits that it provides. So make sure that you educate yourself, help educate others. If you have children in your home, I have three kids I have been working on educating them. I have got a son and two girls and all of them use natural skincare products and they are also helping teach others.

I want to go through the different skin types, the five different skin types of The Spa Dr. and some tips with each one of these skin types. So we have our Amber, Olivia, Sage, Emmett and Heath, skin types. And if you don’t know your skin type, just go over to theskinquiz.com you can find out for yourself which of these you are.

Let’s start with the Sage skin type. The Sage skin types tend to be drier, and concerned about aging and the impact that maybe they are aging faster than their friends, around them and they are seeing more of that. What we want to do with plant-based oils is to make sure that we are using them to hydrate and protect and nourish the skin. These are fantastic for Sage skin types. So you shouldn’t be afraid to use a plant based oil directly and straight on your face and all areas of your skin. But again, if you have any oily areas, you can skip those areas. Maybe it’s around your nose. If you tend to be oiler there, then you could just skip that area. Or if you tend to still have areas at the T zone, you can blend those with other products. But Sage skin types, just do so with the oil blends and doing them straight.

I recommend the plant based oil as your final step and you can cleanse first. I do like oils in cleansers. Oil based cleansers are fantastic for Sage skin types. And then following with your serum, your moisturizer, and then ending with your plant-based oil blend, like we have at The Spa Dr. With the Amber skin types, it’s going to be similar where you are going to want to use it as a fourth step after you have done the cleansing, the serum, the moisturizer. And doing that as a fourth step. You can blend the step four with the other steps, like with your plant-based oil, with other steps to give you extra hydration, extra glow. But for the Amber skin types, what you want to notice is an evening of your skin tone and the antioxidant.

Antioxidants are so important for the Amber skin types, both internally and externally. So you are getting those in plant based oil blends. So just make sure you use those liberally. Use plenty of it around your skin. What you don’t want to feel is that your skin feeling oily or sticky or greasy afterwards. You should not experience that after using a plant based oil. If you are, then you are using the wrong plant-based oils or you are using too much or maybe you are noticing in certain areas so then you can change and modify the way you’re using it.

Olivia skin types are going to be more of the oilier skin types. You do want to be mindful of using smaller amounts of plant-based walls in your oilier zones or skipping, if you are very oily and you are breaking out, then you want to skip using the oils just in those areas, but you can still use it in any areas that are dry or that areas that aren’t oily because they do help with balancing the natural oil production in your skin when you’re using the right kinds. If you are a Olivia skin type, you don’t want to be using coconut oil straight on your face. That is an example of one. The oils that we have at The Spa Dr., they are great for Olivia skin types of really all skin types. That is why I picked the oils that we have in there. So you just want to be mindful of which oils you are using and where, but you still want to use them. You don’t want to miss out on the benefits of plant based oils.

And then Emmett and Heath skin types. I am going to group those two together because usually Emmett and Heath skin types have more sensitive, more reactive skin. So I completely understand this as an Emmett skin type, growing up I had a lot of eczema, irritated skin hives, itchy bumps and rashes and all kinds of issues with my skin. So I understand. I was really reactive to skin care products. I am not as reactive as I used to be now because I’ve improved the barrier function of my skin. I’ve actually nourished my skin. I have helped create that really great foundation for my skin from both inside and outside. So from the inside out you could get a lot of support and education around this and my book Clean Skin From Within because that is the whole thing that I talk about in the book is how to nourish your skin from the inside out, but also what you are putting on your skin will help with over time reducing your sensitivity and you still might be reactive to certain things, but you will find out for yourself.

Always do a skin patch test if you tend to have more sensitive skin. That is particularly important for our Emmett, and Heath skin types. You could do just a little on the inside of your jaw, that is a great place to do it because that area of your skin is more like the area of your face. You could also test on the inside of your wrist or your forearm. That is also a place where we have delicate skin. But this right here, on the inside of your jaw, this is definitely going to be more like the skin on your face. So you put a little bit of the product, wait 24 hours, look for any signs of redness, irritation, itching, anything that you might have. If you don’t have a reaction in 24 hours, then you are probably fine to just put it on your face.

You might start with a thin application and then see how you do with that and then use more. If you start with a skin patch test and this is fine, then you can also go here on the forearm. And if that is fine, again, you are good to go. If you have a reaction, then you might be allergic to something that is in the product. It does happen that sometimes allergies occur with natural products. It happens with all skin care products, whether it is synthetic or natural. You can have a reaction to products. It is good to know if you have that. Always good to do a skin patch test with all of the skin types, whether you are Amber, Olivia, Emmett, Heath, Sage, any of the skin types you want to notice a healthy glow. What you don’t want is to feel greasy or sticky. That is not what you want from plant-based oils. If you are experiencing this, you are using the wrong type, you are using the wrong amounts, then you can adjust and play with it, enjoy it.

What you do want to notice is that when people are using the right plant-based oil blend, whatever your skin type, when it’s used properly, what you want to notice right away, you will notice your skin feels more hydrated, it will feel softer and you will feel more hydrated. And if you are noticing that areas are really oily, maybe just adjust where and how you are applying the oils. And then over time what you should notice is that your skin tone should become more even. You will notice the smoothness of your skin, you will notice less redness, irritation, the smoothing out of fine lines. And that can take 30 days. You will start to notice more improvement after 60, 90 days, but keep using the products because consistency is key and it does take time with natural products. It is not a quick fix, like when you go in and get some sort of procedure in your dermatologist’s office, with a treatment, it is going to be different.

Natural skincare products take time because you are building this really important essential foundation for your skin. That natural barrier function of the skin. It needs the essential fatty acids. It needs these nutrients to help support the mild acidity of the skin, the skin microbiome that barrier function of the skin. And so over time your skin is going to be healthier, it’s going to be less reactive, it’s going to be more balanced. And so of course you want to be doing this both from the inside out and on the outside. And plant based oils are a really great way to help build up that skin barrier function.

Now people often ask me, where do I get these? Where do I shop for these? And there are plenty of places to find good plant-based oil blends, your local health food store, your local whole foods. Something like that could be a good place to find plant-based oil blends. When you are looking for them. Make sure that they are organic, that they are super clean and a reputable brand that you know is testing for impurities that has good quality control. Believe me, it is really important because as a manufacturer myself, I know what skin care companies can get away with and it is really up to the manufacturer to follow these guidelines.

While the FDA and FTC, they certainly have guidelines for skin care manufacturers. They are not stringent. They are particularly not stringent when it comes to things like natural and clean. The word natural, the word hypoallergenic actually has no regulations around that. There are no criteria that people have to meet in order to use the word natural or hypoallergenic. That is just a marketing claim. So it really depends upon the company and their practices. And I know that with my company we have really strict quality control.

We look at all the ingredients that come in and we test all the raw materials when they come in for purity, stability that they are what they say they are. We test these things. And then when we finish the product, we test them again. And we have practices that we maintain. We look for organic, we look for wild crafted, we look for free of genetically modified ingredients. We look to make sure that we are not having impurities and all of this is important. And we also want to be free of any common allergens and all of that. So it is important to work with or find oils that come from a reputable source that they are doing this kind of thing. It is not always easy to know. A lot of times you will find a brand that you love and then they get bought up by a bigger company. And the practices that they had initially maybe aren’t quite the same.

So education is key and that is why I wanted to do this video to help you understand that all of this, the organic, the clean, the quality control, you find that at The Spa Dr. You can find really pure, clean plant based on oil at The Spa Dr., We have done the work for you. You can really believe me that we use clean, pure, organic, the perfect combination where we formulate very carefully with our products that contain oils and all natural ingredients. And so we have oils in our cleanser, our moisturizer, we have our step four Glow boost and we have our daily essentials, which is the four step system.

We have other products too, we even have body products that contain pure plant based oils. And you can really see that if you look at something like our Glow Boost and I am just going to put some in my hands so you can see how rich the color is of the this oil and you saw it start to drip off my hand because my hands are warm and, and that is what they are supposed to do. It is supposed to be thin, it is supposed to move, it is not supposed to be super thick and that color is there. And I know you can’t smell it as this is a video, but I love the nutty, sweet scent of our plant based oils. And that is what you should experience. It should not smell rancid. It is a clear oil and may not have all these antioxidants and nutrients that you can benefit from using plant based oil blends.

Women love our products, and they give us incredible feedback and men love them too, but most of our customers are women and people of all ages, all skin types, love our products. And if you are looking for all of this, if you are looking for plant based oils and a really great blend and ones that you can trust that they are going to have the purity, the quality and the results that you are looking for, go to The Spa Dr. Store, get the Glow boost or step four or even better get the entire daily essential system. It is a four step system. All that you need for daily use, using it twice a day. It has those plant based oils that are so beautiful, like my favorite oils like Rosehip oil, pomegranate seed oil, raspberry seed oil and also things like sea buckthorn oils, coconut oil, argon oil. These are all really pure, nourishing for the skin. So I hope you have enjoyed these tips today. If you have other questions, which I am sure you will, just let us know, we are happy to answer your questions and I really hope you enjoy the glow that these facial oils bring to you.

I hope you enjoyed part two of the two part series on oils for skincare and have gotten all your questions answered when it comes to oils and skin and if you have any other questions, you can always comment below the podcast at thespadr.com. Also, I invite you to take the skin quiz at theskinquiz.com and find out what messages your skin is trying to tell you about your health. What skin personality type are you? Are you an Amber, Olivia, Sage, Emmett, or Heath. You can find out at theskinquiz.com and I will see you next time on The Spa Dr. podcast.

Oils for Skin Care Part 1 with Dr. Trevor Cates

Dr. Trevor Cates: Welcome to The Spa Dr. Podcast. I am Dr. Trevor Cates. Today I want to share with you part one of a two part series I’m doing on oils for skincare. I received a lot of questions about these, so I wanted to break it into a two part series. Today is part one, so please enjoy.

Let’s start off talking about what our skin does naturally and the oils on our skin. Our skin does produce its own oils including sebum. And the oils that are on our skin are important, for a number of reasons. The oils naturally produced in our skin, help maintain the barrier function of our skin and help minimize water loss. So this helps the skin be healthy and hydrated. And one of the things that is really important to remember about our skin is that it is one of the biggest functions of our largest organ, is to protect our bodies from the outside world. And so our skin has these built in mechanisms to help with that function. So some of the things that it does is it has this mild acidity that helps protect it from the environment around us. And also it has what’s called a skin microbiome. The skin microbiome is made up of micro organisms that live on and help protect the skin. And when that breaks down, that’s when we have problems with our skin. When that barrier function of the skin that protects breaks down and is not functioning properly, that’s when we have problems with our skin. So it’s really important to build that back up so that we can have that protection. And so what happens is there are a number of things that impact the natural oil production with our skin. Part of that is genetics and also some of it is lifestyle. The lifestyle choices we make. So with genetics, you probably know that people in your family, and some people will notice people around them and their families have oilier skin. Other people have just dryer skin. And our lifestyle will also play a role in that. How much physical activity you got. Of course, if you are perspiring that helps produce more sebum production, and those sorts of things. Also, where in the world you live in, and the level of humidity and the heat also can impact how much oil production your skin creates naturally. Your hygiene practices, if you are using a lot of drying types of cleansers and things that remove the oils, it actually could, even though your genetics are oilier skin, you actually can end up with dry skin because of hygiene practices. Of course you want to use the right hygiene practices that support the natural oil production while keeping it in the right balance.

Also, your diet plays a role in the production of oils in your skin. There are certain foods that tend to increase sebum production. Things like eating a lot of sugar or eating certain types of fats and oily foods. And also sometimes processed foods can also speed up the production of oils in your skin. And that is not always a bad thing, but we want to make sure it’s in check. So we are getting the right kinds of oils and fats in your diet is going to help with a healthy oil production in your skin too. So you are going to have that healthier glow without creating the problems that people associate with really oily skin. So people with oilier skin oftentimes age more gracefully because they have that natural hydration in their skin. Now I know they also oftentimes struggle with acne breakouts. So certainly we want to talk about skincare oils that will help with balancing that. If your skin does not produce enough oils, oftentimes it will appear dry. You could have flaky skin, you might notice your skin aging prematurely. So again, it’s all about balance. We want to help support our skin naturally. And if your skin is sensitive, your skin might not have that good barrier function. And so that could be playing into the natural oil production in your skin. So you want to make sure that you have that really great barrier function in the skin so that you are not overly reactive. So one of the things I want to talk about are some of the common misconceptions. And one of the common misconceptions is that using oils skincare is actually bad for oily skin because it will make them oilier and make them break out more. Well actually that is not really true. The right kinds of oils for your skin can be very beneficial. Even for oily skin, and they are actually good for all skin types. So people with oily skin oftentimes will think that their skin needs to be free of oil. So they will be using cleansers that actually strip the skin of those natural oils. And that actually can be very harmful, foamy cleansers that make your skin feel squeaky clean actually can be damaging. Not only does it remove all the beneficial oils, but it damages that natural pH, that natural mild acidity of the skin and can compromise that barrier function of the skin that helps protect it from the outside world. That barrier function of the skin is so crucial to keep the skin healthy and to keep it from breaking out, to keep it from having redness and irritations, so it is really important to take care of that rather than strip the oils of the skin, we want to use the right oils to create balance. Another myth that I hear is that sensitive skin types should not use oils, but it really depends on the type of oil. Of course, with sensitive skin, we want to make sure we’re protecting that barrier function of the skin and giving you all the nourishment and needs, including having some great plant-based oils. But the thing is that a lot of times that barrier function is broken down. So we need to help support the skin and certainly with sensitive skin types, they can be more prone to reacting to certain types of oils. For example, sensitive skin types might have a problem with essential oils. So it’s always a good idea if you have sensitive skin to do a skin patch test, you can do it on the corner of your jaw and the inside here on the jaw where the skin is very similar to your face. And that way you will know if you have a problem with a certain type of oil or any skin care product. Another misconception is that you have to use the same application of oils on all skin areas. So most people know that the skin on your face is different from the rest of your body. But the skin on various areas of your face is also different. So areas around your eyes are different than your cheeks around your nose. So depending upon how much oil production you have in different areas, you want to change the way that you use oils on the skin. And it really depends on the right kinds of oils. So when it comes to areas around the eyes for example, because those don’t tend to be as dry. Oftentimes I will have people mix a plant based oil with our step two serum, or something that can help with that area. So it really depends on getting the right oil. The truth is that all skin types need oils, the right kinds of oils, skincare with oils, act as emollients for the skin, helping hydrate balance and protect the skin. And they help with a protective layer. Oils with larger molecule size act more as a clusive where they sit on the surface of the skin and don’t absorb as readily, but they trap moisture in. Smaller molecular sizes of oils can penetrate the skin more easily. So it is good to use a combination of understanding oils when to use the right oils.

When I was a kid, I grew up on an organic farm and my family used all natural products. They were really into everything. I remember we used oils on our skin, like almond and apricot oils. And I remember the smells and enjoying the way that they felt on my skin. I also recall my dad would open up capsules of vitamin E. He would open them up and put them on his face. And I know it sounds crazy because it is so thick, but he would just put it on all over his face and he would say that he felt it was helping hydrate his skin and help him keep a more youthful appearance. And actually until the end of his life, in his late seventies, he really did have beautiful, youthful looking skin for his age. So now as an adult, I started probably about six, seven years ago, I started doing more research on skincare products and looked at oils and learning about the science behind natural ingredients, including oils. And I realized that so much of what I used as a child, all of those things including vitamin E that my dad used, that the true benefits of these and that they are rich in antioxidants and the hydration, the fatty acids that help protect, hydrate and nourish the skin. The key with facial oils is using the right ones. Not all oils are the same. This is really important to understand. It’s similar to food. As you probably heard me or other people say that there are some fats and oils for our diet that are good to eat and some that aren’t healthy like trans fats and processed oils, and those are not as good as some of the pure oils like extra Virgin olive oil and avocados or avocado oils and things like that. Well for the skin, it is similar where we want to use the right oils. There are some oils that are going to be bad for the skin and some that are actually going to be much healthier and hydrating. For example, when it comes to the skin, mineral oil is an example of what you will find in many skincare products. I really recommend avoiding it. The problem with mineral oil is it comes from petroleum, which by the way is also where gasoline comes from. So there are concerns about impurities in mineral oils, so that is one of the concerns and also a lot of people react to mineral oil. Manufacturers use it in skincare products because it is cheap and it has a long shelf life, but that’s not what I want for you as a manufacturer of natural skincare products. I certainly would never use any petroleum products because I know that there are other oils, the natural oils that are much more nourishing and beneficial for your skin. So why take the risk if there are so many great plant-based oils, and make sure when you are using plant-based oils, to use the pure unadulterated plant oils, because these are the ones that are really going to help provide fatty acids and support the skin barrier function. They are going to help support the skin flora, the good bacteria, the good microorganisms that live on the skin, and keeping that healthy balance. Plant-based oils in the right balance blend can hydrate, protect, nourish the skin without feeling heavy or sticky.

Plant-based oils are great for all skin types, for different reasons. They help dry, mature skin because of the hydration. They provide those essential fatty acids and how they hydrate the skin, but they are also great for sensitive and irritated skin because of how gentle and soothing they can be and supporting the barrier function of the skin. And this might surprise you, but for people that have oily skin, they are also great. Plant-based oils can be great for oily skin. So for those of you who know your skin type, and I am talking about The Spa Dr. skin types, Amber, Sage, Olivia, Emmett and Heath. I get a lot of questions about how oils can help improve each of these skin types. If you are not familiar with your skin type, you can go to theskinquiz.com and find out. With Amber skin types, the right kinds of oils can be so helpful for helping with even out your skin tone, for sage skin types, the right plant based oils can also help hydrate your skin, help smooth out some of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and help with that dullness that a lot of sage skin types have. Olivia skin types, the right kinds of plant based oils can help balance the sebum production in the skin and with Emmett skin types, they can help soothe and reduce the irritation that a lot of Emmett skin types have. For me personally, my skin tends to be dry. I am 47, and my skin loves a good plant based oil blend and I tend to be more of the Emmett skin type. For those of you who know the skin types, and if you do not, then you can go to theskinquiz.com to find out what your skin type is. I love a really great plant-based oil blend, but I also understand the reactivity. So Emmett skin types tend to be more reactive and have problems with irritation and get sensitive skin. So it’s really important for me to use the right kinds of oils that are not going to be reactive. And also I understand the importance of supporting the skin barrier function both from the inside out and an outside in. And that is why I named The Spa Dr. Oil blend Glow Boost, because it helps give my skin an extra glow, even though my skin tends to be dry and I am 47, my skin is not getting any younger, it is getting older. I love having the Glow Boost which is a plant based oil blend, it is 100% oils and I keep a bottle in my purse, I apply it throughout the day, I put it on my face and I also put it on my hands, ends of my hair, because I love the way that these help hydrate and protect my skin.

If you skip plant-based oils, you are missing a really important hydration step. If you use too much of the wrong oils, you may notice your skin is too shiny and maybe it is even oilier than you like it. Maybe it feels sticky. But if you are an Olivia skin type or tend to be oily and your T zone, it is a matter of using oils properly. If you are an Olivia skin type, especially at the T zone where you get oilier skin, then you can focus on using the oils in areas where your skin is drier. Usually even Olivia skin types, oilier skin types, you still have certain areas of your skin that are dry. So you can focus on using more of the straight oils in those areas and then mix the oil with our step two antioxidant serum or something similar which is not as oily and you blend the two. So then you can use that in the other areas where your skin is oily. You don’t want to avoid oils entirely. You don’t want to strip your skin of those beneficial oils using a harsh cleanser or a foaming cleanser. You just want to make sure that you are using the right balance, that you are using a system for skin care that helps support the oil production in your skin without stripping it or without making it create more oil production.

There are different types of oils used in skincare. There are essential oils or plant based oils, both unrefined and refined. There are animal based oils, and there are completely synthetic oils and there are a combination of those and they are not all made the same. So let me go through each one of those and explain how each one is made. So essential oils are heavily concentrated oils. You will notice that these oils tend to be very fragrant and so they are oftentimes used in skincare products to help create a natural scent, but they also have therapeutic value and each essential oil has its own therapeutic value. For example, you may be very familiar with lavender essential oil. It is a very popular essential oil that is used to help people with relaxation. A lot of times people will put it in their bath at bedtime to help calm down, relax, and other ones like eucalyptus essential oil, which helps open up the airways and helps people with breathing and it will sometimes be used in diffusers. It is also used in skincare products. For example, a tea tree oil is one that a lot of times people that are breaking out with acne will tend to use to help with that or it’s also helpful sometimes with fungal infections. It is important with essential oils to use them properly and carefully. And most of them, especially tea tree oil, should not be used directly on the skin and instead diluted. The other type of oil that I mentioned are plant-based oils. Now, again, essential oils are plant-based oils, but I put essential oils separately because they are very, very concentrated and you only use a few drops or maybe even one drop in an application of skin care products or they are blended already into the other types of oils. With plant based oils, you will find that these come from plants. They are typically the kernel or the seed of the plant like apricot kernel oil or pomegranate seed oil. Those types are plant-based oils. Avocado, coconut, almond, there are many, many plant-based oils. These are the ones that are used in natural skincare products that I love. But here’s the thing, you want to make sure that to get the really beneficial effects of the nutrients in these oils that are naturally occurring, you want to get the unrefined, the pure extra-virgin kinds of these oils and you want to make sure that they are organic as much as possible. Essential oils are the same. You want those to be very pure. You want them to be organic. And with plant based oils, they will use refined versions to help manage and control the scent of the product and the consistency, the texture. Because in nature, one plant can be very different from another. It can make it difficult for manufacturers to create an experience for the customer that is consistent because they might get one batch that is different from another. Just like in nature, you will find that if you have five avocados that you have gotten from five different locations and you open them up, you will find that each one of them has a different consistency. It feels different, it smells different, the oils feel different. So that is what you find with natural plant-based oils is that one batch might be different from another. So a lot of times companies will refine them to help ensure that the customers experience the exact same smell and experience from one batch to the next. But for me personally, with The Spa Dr. I really find the benefits of unrefined oil have more of those therapeutic benefits, they are going to have more of the nutrients that naturally occur in the plant. So I really prefer the unrefined extra Virgin cold-pressed oils. And I also find that it is very important for essential oils to be pure organic, and I have always preferred organic for all of these. And you could certainly look for these in your products. And another type of oil that I mentioned is animal based. Now you might be kind of surprised to hear that there are animal based oils, but there are. An example of that would be emu oil and emu oil comes from emus. So if you are vegetarian or vegan or it just does not sound right to you to be using animal based oils, that is perfectly fine. We only use plant-based oils at The Spa Dr. and we do not use any animal based oils. I have found that there is some information and in the literature and the research that emu oil can be helpful with wound healing and repair. It can be beneficial and have therapeutic value. So I do not want to skip over that one because it is one that can have some therapeutic value. There is also a completely synthetic one that again, is more of the mineral oil, the petroleum based products. And so that is not one that I recommend because of the concern of impurities, people having reactions to them. So I am not a big fan of the completely synthetic. And lastly, there is the combination and it could be a combination of any of the ones that I just mentioned. And so for me, if I know that if it includes a synthetic oil, I like to avoid those. I do not recommend any of the synthetic. When it comes to the combination of plant-based oils and essential oils, I do think there are some therapeutic benefits to that. One thing you want to watch out for oils is that they can go bad. They can become rancid when they become oxidized, when they have been sitting around, if they’re past their expiration date or maybe they haven’t been stored properly, they were heated up when they were being stored. They were indirect sunlight for a long period of time. They can go off, especially the ones that plant-based oils that are unrefined, those extra Virgin oils they can go off and really all oils can get rancid. Usually you can tell by the odor and the consistency change of the products. Especially if you notice and you get the products fresh and that bottle has been sitting around and maybe you haven’t stored it properly, or you open it up or it is past expiration date and you open it up. You can sometimes smell. I have a really strong sense of smell, so I can always feel this sense that when it goes rancid, it is very strong smelling. And so if you notice that, and if you feel like the oils may be rancid, you probably do not want to use them if they have gone rancid, but you might want to check with other people and say, Hey, do you think this smells bad too? Do you have the same experience I do? Also sometimes the oils when they go off they will get stickier. You don’t want sticky oils. You want your oils that you are using on your face to have a nice smooth consistency. You want them to absorb easily. You don’t want them to be sticky and so that is one thing that you can notice. Notice the smell, the appearance, are there any changes. Check the expiration date and it is particularly important if you are using plant-based oils that are unrefined. You can know if a plant-based oil is good by its ingredients and also you can look at it and smell it. And I want to share with you some information about plant-based oils to look for that are are good ingredients, but really you want to make sure you are looking over the ingredients carefully and you don’t want anything added in there, any toxic ingredients added in with your oil, you want it to be pure and you can check the way it smells. You can look at the color and in fact the color can show that it is really rich in antioxidants when it has that deeper richer color. Oftentimes the color and the oil means that it is rich in antioxidants. You can also smell it and the odor, the fragrance of plant-based oils is typically kind of more of a nuttier kind of smell and there should be when it is a pure oil, it should have some sort of natural odor-free fragrance to it and it should be pleasant of course. The scents, the smell really varies from one batch to another of unrefined plant based oils. We use camelina oil in some of The Spa Dr. products, in the moisturizer. And one batch might smell different to the next because If we source the camelina oil from different places or even that particular batch that we received. Even if it is from the same location, it can smell different. It could be having to do with the farming practices. It could be from the season it was grown in, the temperature, all kinds of things play a role in the way that plants grow and then the end result of what is naturally occurring. The naturally occurring oils in those plants can really vary. But if you are getting your oils from a really reputable source, then they should do that work for you by making sure that it is pure, it is clean, and it is the experience that you want to have.

I hope you enjoy the information today. Stay tuned for next week’s episode where I will share part two of oils for skin and if you haven’t already taken the skin quiz, I encourage you to do so at theskinquiz.com. Find out what messages your skin is trying to tell you about your health and what you can do about it at theskinquiz.com. Also, I invite you to join us on social media. The Spa Dr. is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. You could join the conversation there and I will see you next time on The Spa Dr. podcast.