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| http://www.seedguides.info/grapeseed-oil/#Grape-Seed-Oil-For-Skin-Care |
BEAUTY OILS DO NOT "MOISTURIZE"
If you haven't noticed there's a BIG beauty oil phenomenon going on and I find consumers very confused. In fact, beauty companies are always trying to find the next exotic oil to bring to market because consumers have been brainwashed into thinking beauty oils are the ultimate moisturizer. My biggest beef with beauty oils is that beauty oils only seal moisture in the skin, they don't give skin moisture or hydrate it. For some reason the mainstream media is either misinformed or fails to leave this information out. As we age we dry up and lose our own natural oils in our skin, which causes us to lose the ability to retain moisture or for our cells to protect themselves. If you're not drinking enough water or eating enough foods with water content in them (or sweating too much out at spin class or hot yoga), a beauty oil is certainly not going to plump up the skin. Oils will just compromise the function of our skin causing us to age faster.
BEWARE OF RANCID BEAUTY OILS
In the "natural cosmetics" world MANY products are either produced out of a kitchen or lack stability/bacteria testing. It's very difficult to indicate when a cosmetic was produced or packaged before it even gets to you on a shelf. It is also very difficult to tell when an oil has become unstable by just smell or color. By the time we purchase our beauty oils they could be rancid (thus unstable) creating free radical damage when applied to the skin. While I am not a fan of Whole Foods this is where they are very helpful with their consumer cosmetic production and labeling standards.
Keep in mind Olive oil goes rancid technically within a year of production. If a beauty oil (unopened) has been on your shelf for two years throw it out! Check out more info HERE.
BEAUTY OILS CAN CAUSE FREE RADICALS
Beauty oils can help to prevent loss of moisture and add protection IF you're using the right oil, BUT the worst secret about beauty oils that people don't know is that vegetable-based oils are highly reactive and unstable. When they hit light they oxidize faster producing free radicals! Oxidation speeds up the aging process. Free radicals can break down proteins causing cellular damage or collagen damage thus even speeding up the aging process!
OTHER CAUSE FOR CONCERN:
BEAUTY OILS CAN CAUSE ACNE
Acne is an inflammatory response as well as the result of sebum (oil) and debris clogging the pore giving bacteria (P. Acne) an absolute feast. Putting the wrong oils on dry skin can also clog pores and cause adult acne. Since polyunsaturated oils oxidize easily they can add to the inflammation and provoke acne. If you have dry skin that is a result from dehydration or poor diet and not just from aging you will be prone to breakouts from oil.
BEWARE OF REFINED OR POLYUNSATURATED OILS
This goes for beauty oils with polyunsaturated fats. Many of them are refined or processed causing the oil to be unstable and also highly reactive to light. Grapeseed oil is a polyunsaturated fat and is a popular carrier in beauty oils. Sesame oil is also used in a lot of beauty products. You want to really stay away from these oils both in your foods and on your skin even though there is a lot of information that says otherwise.
OLIVE OIL IS OKAY
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, not a polyunsaturated. It still has problems when exposed to heat. It takes a high heat point (flash point) for olive oil to produce free radicals. Some studies show that olive oil might be preventative in UV damage, but I have not looked into this enough to confirm the studies. It's only coming out now that Olive oil is bad for cooking because it becomes unstable in heat. Olive oil for dipping is a whole other matter.
COLD-PRESSED ALMOND OIL IS GOOD
There was a study done on almond oil and UV radiation on mice. The results of the test can be found HERE. It states that topical almond oil was able to prevent UV damage. This is good news because almond oil is a very popular carrier oil and widely used among massage therapists. Almond oil makes a great oil at a reasonable price for the body. Add almond oil with sugar or salt and it makes an excellent body scrub. There are tons of recipes to be found all over the internet.
RAW COCONUT OIL IS EXCELLENT
What you need to look for are photo stable oils. They must be cold-pressed and unrefined.
Coconut oil is an excellent source of oil for both cooking and beauty. It has shown to also prohibit certain UV light from reaching the cells. COCONUT OIL IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR SUNSCREEN. It does not block all UV radiation. When the skin tans it means melanin is being produced because the body is protecting itself from UV radiation.
p.s. there is a fascinating article about vegetable oils being toxic HERE. The history of what vegetable oils do to our digestive tracks is fascinating!
