When you see the word ‘oily’ on a product you can usually think a product may make your skin look greasy, however, using oils on your skin can be beneficial in the long term. At Sweet Cecily’s we add a 15ml bottle of Almond & Calendula oil into our ‘Make Your Own Lip Balm Kits’ which we blend ourselves in house.
Throughout this blog post we will look at the separate benefits and uses of both Almond Oil and Calendula Oil.
Almond Oil
Almonds are originally grown in the middle east, and to date, California is the largest producer of almonds in the world. In the last 20 years production has doubled due to the public becoming more aware of the vast health benefits of almonds..
I find that people generally only associate Almonds as a snack, full of all the good stuff like fibre, protein, and Vitamin E, but not only are they good for you internally, Almonds can give you just as many benefits externally when they are added to skincare products. There are two types of almond oil: sweet and bitter. Here at Sweet Cecily’s, we use Sweet Almond Oil which is better suited for your skin as it contains a handful of nutrients, such as…
- Vitamin A – This is responsible for smoothing fine lines, exfoliating skin cells, and helping prevent pores from clogging.
- Vitamin E – This helps prevent winkles and skin damage.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – This can help improve balanced hydration, control breakouts, and minimise signs of aging.
- Zinc – This has anti-inflammatory properties which can be beneficial for those with acne and eczema.
By adding these nutrients to the skin, you can only imagine the benefits that Almond Oil can do for you, here’s are some of the benefits along with the nutrient which supports this.
- Reducing puffiness and under-eye circles; Vitamin A
- Improving complexion and skin tone; Vitamin A and E
- Treats dry skin; Zinc
- Improving Acne; Zinc/Omega-3 fatty acids
- Helping reverse sun damage; Vitamin E
- Reduce the appearance of scars; Vitamin E
These benefits are the reason we use Almond Oil in almost every single everything we produce! , The only products that we don’t use Almond Oil in are our face masks (which only contain French Clay), our Make Your Own Face Mask Kit (which contain Rose Water, Oatmeal & Bentonite Clay) & our Witch Hazel Toner and our Rose Water Toner.
As well as the benefits towards your skincare routine, almond oil can also help you keep your hair and nails healthy and strong. When using it as a scalp treatment, its antibacterial properties can help to balance out the yeast within our scalp and in time reduces the signs and appearance of dandruff.
Calendula Oil
The Calendula flower (also known as Marigold) originates from Southern Europe and is typically orange in colour. To make Calendula oil, the dried-out petals which contain a blend of Oleanolic acid, lupeol, quercetin, alpha amyrin and beta amyrin are infused in a carrier oil. The infusion process will last for weeks to allow the Calendula flower to steep in the oil of choice (typically olive, sunflower, or jojoba oil). The finished product can then be used in skincare products to help soothe and reduce discomfort of the skin. We use Calendula oil in all our lip balms, listed below are some reasons why.
- Anti-Inflammatory - Containing flavonoids, saponins and titerpenoids, which are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, it can sooth inflammation that is activated due to sunburn, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
- Hydrating – Due to its fatty acids in the oil, these provide nutrients helping support the outer layer of your skin.
- Moisturising – As Calendula oil is light in texture, it can easily absorb into all layers of the skin.
In our products we use Calendula infused with Sunflower oil, so along with the above key benefits, the sunflower oil also brings along its own benefits such as
- Oleic Acid and Sesamol – Both of these compounds have been found to heal wounds faster.
- Vitamin E – Noted above in the almond oil section of this blog, Vitamin E can help protect skin from free radicals and adverse effects of the sun.
- Linoleic Acid – This ingredient helps maintain the skins natural barrier, helping your skin retain moisture, making it beneficial for those with dry skin.
Adding all of these benefits to our lip balms, it makes them perfect for those that suffer with dry and chapped lips, helping them heal quickly.
Other than it being a great ingredient in your skincare products, calendula oil may benefit towards the following:
- Efficient in being used as a sun cream as Calendula has properties of being able to be used against sun protection, however more research needs to be done surrounding this benefit before it being approved as a sufficient sun cream
- Post radiation therapy, Calendula oil may be a better alternative for radiation dermatitis, rather than the currently used petroleum jelly
- During a study, a group of women who had been diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis were given calendula oil to help, after a week, the women were cured of their diagnosis, and no one suffered any side effects.
Over on our ‘Natural skincare products for oily skin’ blog, we mentioned that even if you have oily skin, it doesn’t mean you should steer clear of oily and moisturising products. Oily products can be helpful for all skin types; however, it is always important to use the products that you find are perfect for your skin and routine
