Choosing the right skin oils

2021-03-06

I’ve posted before on why Wyld products were designed only with oils and fats that are low in polyunsaturated fats (PUFA).

So what are my favorite oils then?

When choosing oils for long-term skin health, I first look at the fatty acid profiles. I’ll usually skip right over any oils that contain more than 10% polyunsaturated fats and, instead, prioritize stable oils that contains lots of saturated and monounsaturated fats.

After that I look at the research on how the oil works for skin and/or hair.

And last but not least, I look at its production processes. The method of extraction. Its history and origin. Time and time again, the highest quality and most skin-loving oils are also the ones most traditionally produced by skilled people who have a true love and respect for the oil.

So here they are…

COCONUT OIL, virgin | Cocos Nucifera
Not only is coconut oil is super moisturizing for skin, it’s also anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. Full of saturated fats, which the skin loves and needs to stay hydrated and smooth, including lauric acid. Lauric acid can replace the lipid component in skin cells, making it supple again, and treat a variety of skin conditions, most notably psoriasis. Virgin coconut oil cleanses, repairs skin and even boosts the body’s immune system.

Coconut oil has been used for thousands of years by cultures where the coconut trees grow. The oil is traditionally made via a fermentation process, which is NOT how most of the coconut oil is mass-produced today. But the traditional process has many benefits: it is a low-tech process that doesn’t swallow a ton of natural resources, it can be done on a small-scale by local producers and therefore supports their local economies and families, and of course it results in a superior product. In fact, research shows that the virgin coconut oil produced with the slow, simple, traditional method has more than double the amount of antioxidants than the raw (no-heat), cold-pressed versions (read more here). Plus it’s better for the planet and people.

OLIVE OIL, extra virgin | Olea europaea
High in antioxidants and squalane, olive oil has been used since ancient times to fight free radical damage and hydrate skin. Recent studies show that olive oil protects from photo-aging and sun damage too. Historically, olive oil has been used by the medical industry to treat wounds and skin issues. Over time, using pure virgin olive oil can reduce wrinkles, eliminate scars, reverse UV damage, lighten freckles and erase skin pigmentation.

Olive trees are native to the Mediterranean Basin. Evidence shows that olive oil was produced as early as 4000 BC! Not only as a food item, but also as medicine and skincare. While olives were traditionally hand-picked, most olive harvesting today is done mechanically – by vibrating the branches, encouraging ripe olives to fall.

Personally I have fantastic memories of traveling through the countryside of Italy, stopping at agriturismos to stay the night with farmers who lived right off their little plots of land. Olive oil was everywhere – on the table, in the medicine cabinet, in the soaps and creams. The farmers were often in their olive orchards working, so I was able to learn quite a lot about the process and all the factors that go into making the highest quality, most sustainable oil.

JOJOBA OIL | Simmondsia Chinensis
Jojoba is lovely golden oil – technically it’s a wax ester, not an oil – that closely imitates our skin’s own natural sebum, making it a perfect moisturizer for improving skin elasticity and suppleness. It was discovered and used by Native Americans in the southwest region for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Among its many benefits, jojoba oil offers long-lasting hydration and a plethora of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It’s easily absorbable, gentle and soothing. Antibacterial and anti-microbial, non-acnegenic, highly anti-inflammatory and wound-healing.

The jojoba plant is a desert shrub that produces waxy leaves and a plethora of seeds. The seeds are very oil – more than 50% of the seed’s content is oil! Native Americans collected these seeds, then used a mortar and pestle to grind them into a buttery paste. This oil paste was used differently in various tribes. Some ate the oily paste, others drank it like a coffee, while others applied it to their skin and hair, or made medicinal salves with it. Jojoba oil did not become commercialized and mass-produced until the 1970’s after western research eventually proved what Native Americans knew all along about the oil’s potential.

TAMANU OIL | Calophyllum inophyllum
Anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory oil for the skin used for centuries in the South Pacific. Tamanu oil’s unique chemical makeup of fatty acids, coumarins and xanthones are able to penetrate deep into the skin where they have been proven to reduce swelling and chronic irritation. Antibiotic compounds, such as lactone, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria while anti-inflammatory and skin-regenerating compounds heal the skin. This feature of tamanu oil makes it a powerful wrinkle fighter and an ideal choice for aging or irritated skin.

Tamanu oil is sustainably made from nuts that fall naturally and are collected by hand, left to cure in the sun and then gently pressed to yield a thick, green oil. Or ‘green gold’ as it’s often called in the South Pacific.

MACADAMIA OIL | Macadamia integrifolia
After jojoba oil, macadamia oil is the next closest match the natural sebum of our own skin, making it readily absorbable and protective. Each precious drop is SO rich with fatty acids that are perfectly balanced. Palmitoleic and oleic acids assist with cell regeneration. Linoleic acid helps skin retain moisture. And its phytosterols are protective, aid in skin recovery and reduce any inflammation or itchiness. Macadamia Oil is, in our humble opinion, one of the most underrated beauty oils that works wonders for both skin and hair.

And just as jojoba was coveted by the indigenous people of America, so is the macadamia tree by the indigenous people of Australia. The high content of oil in macadamia nuts made them desirable for food, skin rejuvenation, a binder with clays for painting, etc. among at least 12 different tribes. They invented a very refined process for harvesting the oils using only stones.

BABASSU OIL | Orbignya Oleifera
Like coconut oil, babassu oil comes from palm fruit and contains a very similar composition of vitamins and fatty acids. However, babassu is lighter and absorbs quicker into skin and hair without leaving a greasy residue. It deeply moisturizes and reduces trans-epidermal water loss to maintain hydration. Babassu oil is anti-microbial and rich in vitamin E, aiding in cell regeneration. Its saturated fat content makes it naturally anti-inflammatory, keeping skin supple and strong.

The babassu palm is very important to indigenous people in the Amazon region of South America, where the trees grow. When mature fruits naturally fall, the oil-rich seeds are extracted and cold-pressed. In the 1970s, indigenous people used the babassu palm as a way of defining community. Loggers and cattle farmers were clear-cutting babassu palm-rich Amazonian forests. The Quebradeiras de Coco are primarily women, who chanted and performed rituals in the forest to move the loggers and farmers off their trees. Eventually they were successful.

Choosing the right skin oils

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