Moisturising Oils & Serums - Better than Creams or Lotions?
Dry skin isn't just a problem in winter. The sun can damage and dry it out too. Using natural oils can make it really easy to keep skin hydrated all year round. Retaining water in our body is one of the main ways to keep skin looking young, supple and wrinkle-free and natural oils are the most effective way to do this because they help to seal in moisture while our skin is damp, which keeps water loss to a minimum.
So should we ditch our lotions and creams for oils?
Lotions and creams are basically water and oil held together by an emulsifier, which depending on the brand, could be natural or synthetic. Using oil on the face and body is just a purer way to get all of the same moisturising benefits - meaning you need to use a lot less to get the same or better results.
How oils work on our body
All moisturisers work by sealing the skin's surface and trapping the body's natural water within the tissue. Oil is far more effective in sealing and moisturising than water, so the more oil your moisturiser contains the better it will work.
Using a natural handcrafted or homemade body oil or face serum that is made with pure essential oils - and not perfumes - that are diluted with carrier oils (see our article on Carrier Oils), won't contain any hidden water and has to be one of the best body treatments you can use.