8 Natural Skin Care Oils to Pump Up the Moisture This Winter

With winter well underway, the season offers up many delights. But for many women parched, tight skin has them searching for a moisture miracle. If this is you, I’ve got a fab list of the best all natural skin care oils, guaranteed to soften dry skin and enhance your inner glow.

Sweet Almond Oil- This is light oil, with its slight nutty scent is one of my favorites. Almond oil is close to the skin’s natural oil (sebum), which allows it to penetrate quickly and provide excellent moisture. This is a great all-purpose oil and a superb base for adding essential oils.

Jojoba Oil- This is one of the longer lasting oils in terms of shelf life and is great for adding a hit of moisture fast. Jojoba is slightly thick and a little goes a long way. As it’s the closest oil to sebum, it absorbs well and really moisturizes from the inside out. Try adding a few drops to a hot bath for an all over moisture infusion!

Apricot Kernal Oil- This oil is between Sweet Almond and Jojoba oils as far as thickness. It’s great for those needing a bit more topical moisture to keep ash at bay and quench dry spots. Its texture also makes it a great carrier oil for massage oil blends.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil-If you don’t mind smelling slightly like a salad, Olive Oil is a great winter moisturizer for your body. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very moisturizing and locks in moisture after a shower or bath. Olive oil has also been known to even out the complexion and helps soften rough skin on your knees and elbows. All this and it taste great too!

If you’re a girl after my own heart and like something more exotic on occasion, I’ve got you covered. These oils found in beautiful island and desert regions have helped women in those lands maintain gorgeous skin, well into old age. Check out these treats:

Kukui-This exotic Hawaiian oil has contributed to the fabulous skin that many Polynesian women enjoy. Absorbing quickly into the skin and packed with Vitamins A, C and E, this antioxidant rich oil can truly help you age gracefully. KuKui is also great for sensitive skin and has been said to help heal psoriasis.

Avocado- a great staple of any anti-aging routine, avocado oil is packed to the gills with benefits. It has a thick, almost pulpy texture, without being to oily. Avocado oil is a powerhouse, packed with Vitamins A, D and E. Avocado Oil also helps diminish age spots and scars. Talk about skin care heaven! Avocado oil helps keep your skin healthy on a cellular level and is great for diminishing fine lines. Add this oil to your natural facial scrub for exquisitely smooth, soft skin.

Argan Oil-Hailing from exotic Morocco, Argan Oil is excellent after a shower or bath to seal in the skin’s moisture. Agran also contains fatty acids and vitamins that help your skin renew itself quickly and reduce the signs of wrinkles. 

Argan oil is also anti-inflammatory, so it calms acne and heals dry skin. This oil has also been touted to prevent stretch marks and reduce wrinkles around the eyes.

Coconut Oil- This super light oil has antioxidant properties and fights free radicals to reduce the signs of aging. It’s also antibacterial and helps treat and sooth acne prone skin. Coconut oil has also been used successfully to get relief from eczema and psoriasis. It’s also a great addition to homemade lip balms and body butters.

 A few tips when using natural oils:

• Always purchase cold pressed natural or organic oils for the best quality, as oils damaged by heat can be rancid or toxic. One of my favorite companies is NOW, which can be found in almost all health food stores, as well as Whole Foods.

• It’s a myth that oils shouldn’t be used if you have oily skin. Scrubbing your skin to death will actually make it produce more oil, in an effort to hydrate itself. Applying a light natural oil once or twice a day can help regulate your skin’s oil production.

• Natural oils can be used to remove makeup.

•  Store your oils in a cool dark place for maximum shelf life.

•  Mix and match your oils depending on the weather and how your skin is feeling at the time. In the winter your skin may crave jojoba, but in the summer prefer Kukui-experiment.

Creams and moisturizers are great, but nature’s abundant oils are often more effective, and less expensive too! Try a few of these recommendations and you may just find a new favorite.

Enjoy!