It might seem strange, but the water-based skincare products (like creams, lotions, gels and some serums) you’re using could be doing your skin more harm than good.
Don’t get me wrong, our skin needs both water and oils/fats for optimal health. But to understand why the type of product we apply to our skin matters, we first need to understand the different types of skincare products available, as well as how our skin works (for instance did you know our skin is designed to repel water and water-based substances!?).
In the topical beauty world, skincare products generally fall into two categories: water-based skincare & anhydrous skincare (aka oil-based skincare).
You can tell if a product is water-based or anhydrous by looking at the ingredient label.
It’s these anhydrous skincare products that have come to be known as Waterless Skincare in the beauty world today.
And due to the structure of our skin, it’s becoming increasingly evident that the water-based skincare products we’ve grown accustomed to using could be doing our skin more harm than good.
Let me explain…
The outermost layer of human skin, the epidermis, is often described to be structured like a brick wall1, 2, 3.
Without the mortar, a brick wall has no structural integrity and can fall apart rather easily leaving it weak, and susceptible to the elements as well as attack from foreign invaders.
It’s the same for our skin...
Without the lipid's (mortar) holding our skin cells (bricks) together, our skin becomes weak, vulnerable to the elements and attack from foreign allergens, irritants, microorganisms, chemicals and UV rays1, 2, 3.
But unlike mortar, skin lipid's not only functions as the glue holding our skin together, but they also serves as an effective nutrient delivery system.
As a complex mixture of natural oils/fats, the skin's lipids can absorb and transport fat soluble vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants deep within the skin.
Further, because our skin’s lipid layer is abundant with potent antimicrobial compounds, it naturally functions as an effective and broad acting antimicrobial agent1, 3, 4.
What’s even more impressive though is that the fatty lipid layer is also what makes our bodies watertight5.
The stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis) consists almost entirely of dry, dead skin cells & lipids (the bricks and mortar). And because water and oil don’t mix, this fatty lipid layer only allows fat/oil-based substances to pass through in significant quantities6.
In fact, it’s this fatty lipid layer that makes our skin impermeable to water, and water-based substances, and stops us from dissolving and turning into a big soggy mess when we go swimming or take a bath/shower.
Miraculously, as our skin is designed to limit water passing through it in either direction, it’s this fatty layer that also protects us from dehydration1, 4, 6, 7 - ie our skin also helps keep the water we consume inside our bodies.
This then begs the question - if water is unable to penetrate the skin effectively, doesn’t it make sense that water-based skincare products (which can be composed of over 90% water and water-soluble substances) aren’t effectively absorbed by the skin either?
Accordingly, and contrary to what most mainstream cosmetic companies would have you believe (find out why here), this means that any water, or water-soluble substance required by the deeper alive layers of skin for optimal function is primarily obtained from within… and not from the products you apply.
What then happens to your skin when you apply water-based skincare products?
Since they can’t effectively be absorbed by the skin, water-based skincare products tend to sit on top of the skin until the molecules either evaporate or are washed away – taking some of the skin’s natural lipids away as well.
Over time, just like a mortarless brick wall, eroding too much of the natural lipid barrier (mortar) away compromises the skin’s natural defences. This can lead to weak, dry, malnourished, flaky and itchy skin that’s prone to infections, inflammation and other skin conditions1, 2.
Plus, much like dehydrated fruit, dehydrated skin never appears plump and healthy either. Rather, dehydration tends to enhance the visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, whilst also making the skin appear dull and lifeless.
Like most of our bodily functions, once compromised our skin works to repair any imbalances1. And if the lipid layer of the skin is deemed inadequate, the skin works overtime to counteract this by producing more lipids.
As time goes on, if continually stripped of its natural lipids, our skin becomes accustomed to producing excess quantities of these lipids… resulting in oily skin - which why your skin can feel dry and oily at the same time.
Like what happens in a dry pond or creek bed, this is when problems such as breakouts, acne and inflammation can develop. Dirt, irritants and microorganisms (like bacteria and fungi) can get trapped, accumulate and replicate in the cracks, which leads to clogged pores and a plethora of other skin conditions.
"water-based skincare products can be composed of over 90% water"
Go waterless (skincare that is)!
Since only oil/fat-based compounds can be sufficiently absorbed by the skin, we need to be feeding, nourishing and supporting our skin from the outside with fat/oil based anhydrous (aka 'waterless') skincare products…
And keeping it hydrated from within by drinking plenty of water.
Waterless skincare products are generally composed with 100% of the ingredients our skin needs, loves and instinctively knows how to utilise. This means that you aren’t wasting your money on cheap fillers (aka water) or unnecessary and often harmful synthetic additives like artificial preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners and fragrances.
And as little goes a long way, you’ll use less, spend less, and see better results 😉 WIN WIN!
But what’s even better… it’s knowing your decision is go waterless is also helping the environment.
When you strip out the water, you’re not only stripping out the unnecessary wastage of water, but you’re also stripping out the waste of time, energy and resources that goes into the production of the superfluous additives (preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, etc).
Plus, as water-based skincare products are generally formulated with over 90% water and water-soluble additives, when you strip out the water, you’re also removing the requirement for large bulky containers that are heavy and unnecessarily expensive to transport.
WIN WIN WIN!!!
When you strip out the water... you also strip out unnecessary waste
Fortunately, here at Oasis Black we’ve developed our entire range of eco-friendly skincare products with entirely waterless formulations that use only organic and all-natural ingredients that the skin loves and instinctively knows how to utilise.
And because as we love the environment, we’ve also designed our packaging with both the product and planet in mind.
So, if you’re ready to stop paying for water to be added to your products, and become a Skinimalist with our nutrient dense products and time saving 2-Step routine, simply shop the links below.
]]>In addition, the UTS study showed that "there is growing evidence from modelling studies that thymoquinone, an active ingredient of Nigella Sativa… can stick to the COVID- 19 virus spike protein and stop the virus from causing a lung infection."
If you’d like to read more about the study, it’s summarised here and available in full here.
In case you weren’t aware, the Hero Ingredient for all Oasis Black products are the very Nigella Sativa seeds discussed in the UTS study - aka BLACK SEEDS. Either Black Seed oil (cold pressed, virgin, and certified organic of course) or powdered organic Black Seeds, are featured in every single Oasis Black product.
Naturally I was thrilled when I heard about the UTS study. I've been praising (and preaching) the miracles these tiny little Black Seeds can offer since I first discovered them in Morocco...
There's a good reason why I chose them as the Hero Ingredient for all my formulations.
The UTS study also discusses the current known barriers to pharmaceutical development of thymoquinone (TQ), and suggests looking into transdermal delivery (i.e. through the skin) as an option to overcome these limitations.
We know that the skin is porous and that many substances applied to it can be absorbed into the bloodstream – which is why transdermal patches like Nicotine patches work so well.
And, other studies have shown that Black Seed Oil offers enhanced percutaneous absorption properties. Meaning that Black Seed Oil is able to deeply penetrate the skin and deliver nutrients (as well as other substances) deep within the skin tissue and hence, bloodstream.
So, to me, focusing on transdermal application as the ideal delivery method for TQ (and Black Seeds’ many other amazing properties) just makes sense.
But TQ alone shouldn’t receive all the attention when it comes to Black Seeds.
Much like the Entourage Effect associated with Cannabis, I believe that there’s a good reason as to why Mother Nature combines certain compounds in the same seed/plant – they work better together than they do separately.
So instead of singling out the individual TQ compound, which could make it unstable and ineffective on its own (and possibly the cause of the limitations cited in the UTS study), I believe we should be focusing on utilising the stable, ‘whole seed’ form of Nigella Sativa instead – i.e. the minimally processed and organic, cold pressed seed oil and/or powdered seeds.
Naturally, this is exactly the methodology I employ in my product formulations – I focus on using only minimally processed, organic, cold pressed oil and/or powdered seeds to deliver the maximum benefits to your skin, in the most stable version possible.
I am thrilled to see that through studies like the above, that a natural product and traditional remedy like Black Seeds may be finally getting the recognition they deserve.
I look forward to, and welcome, further studies into the effectiveness of topically applied Black Seed Oil (and Oasis Black products) against COVID-19 as well as other diseases.
When you think back to simpler times, however, you notice that our ancestors never had such complicated routines, or products… you also realise that they didn’t seem to have the excess of skin problems that we see in society today.
So, it begs the question… Are these overloaded routines contributing to the increasing number of people with poor skin health that we’ve seen emerge in the last few decades?
Personally, as someone who has experienced the benefits of going on a skin-care diet and becoming a skin minimalist myself, I would have to say 100% yes!
"The more products and ingredients in your routine, the greater the chance of irritation, toxicity, redness, sensitivity, clogged pores, and inflamed skin”
A few years ago, well before the terms skin minimalist, Skinimalism, and skin-care diet were coined, I ditched my complicated and expensive routine because I just wasn’t seeing results.
I was doing everything the professionals told me to – I was using medicated cleansers, toners, vitamin C serums, retinols, and physical sunscreens, but would seldom be free from breakouts, red, inflamed, or irritated skin.
So, in line with the simpler paired back lifestyle I was already adopting in other aspects of my life, I went back to basics and started using just a natural cleanser and my Elixir as my all-in-one anti-aging moisturiser/serum.
And the results were amazing… so amazing that I would never switch back. Finally, after ditching my complicated routine and chemical laden products, I had achieved the healthy, blemish free, glowing, and youthful looking skin I had always sought.
Even now, a few years on, I frequently receive comments about how great my skin is and how young I look.
Like minimalism in general, at a high-level skin minimalism (aka Skinimalism) is about keeping things simple using a less-is-more approach.
At a deeper level, it is also about freedom from the overwhelm, reclaiming time, and consuming less whilst focusing on the health and happiness of both ourselves and the environment in which we live.
Realising the benefits from a less-is-more approach, the Skinimalism trend is quickly gaining traction across the world with everyone from celebrities to aestheticians and dermatologists jumping on board. Let me explain why:
Sometimes, an over complicated routine laced with too many active ingredients and gadgets isn't what your complexion needs, and there are a growing number of Dermatologists who agree.
Dr. Justine Hextall, a UK based dermatologist says that “50% of those I see in my clinic have too complicated a regime that is actually damaging the skin barrier and unbalancing the natural acidic pH.”1 Echoing this sentiment is New York dermatologist Dr. Cybele Fishman who believes “people do too much to their skin and often end up harming it with all the extra steps.”
Basically, dermatologists and aestheticians concur: the more products and ingredients in your routine, the greater the chance of irritation, toxicity, redness, sensitivity, clogged pores, and inflamed skin.
Moreover, constantly bombarding your skin with complicated routines, harsh products and toxic combinations of active ingredients can overwhelm your skin, weaken its natural defences, and increase your risk of developing much more serious skin conditions.
"Finally, after ditching my complicated routine and chemical laden products, I had achieved the healthy, blemish free, glowing, and youthful looking skin I had always sought"
Less products to apply, means less time hogging the bathroom, and more time for you to spend on something else you’d rather be doing.
If you’re anything like I was, you’re probably spending a small fortune on all the single purpose products that make up your 10-step skincare routine.
Imagine all the money you could put towards something else if your routine consisted of just 2 or 3 quality products.
No more cupboards full of half used, ineffective, and chemical laden single purpose skincare products. And no more heavy toiletry bags taking up precious luggage space when travelling.
Instead, you can enjoy the sense of space and luxury that having only 2-3 products offers you, your skin, your bathroom, and your suitcase.
By stripping your routine back to basics, you’re automatically consuming less and producing less waste – which alone are big wins for the environment.
But I dare say that, like me, once you understand how great it feels to be doing your part to help our planet, this one simple change could ignite a bigger change in you too.
Understanding how much of an impact I could personally make, and realising how great the natural world is, as well as the solutions it already offers us, is what led me to do that little bit extra.
As a result, I now seek out organic, sustainable, and plastic free products as much as possible and love feeling that I’m part of the change that we and this planet needs to thrive.
Well before skin minimalism or skin-care diets were a thing, when I created Oasis Black, I did so with the goal to show people that getting back to basics and using just a few high quality, effective and all natural products is all you need to achieve and maintain healthy and youthful looking skin.
I also wanted a skincare routine that was so simple, it could effortlessly become a part of anyone’s daily regime.
Accordingly, I designed our daily skincare routine to entail just two simple steps – click here to learn what they are and how you can go on a skincare diet and start your journey to becoming a skin minimalist too.
For millennia skincare was formulated at home, from natural and seasonal ingredients which kept our skin nourished, healthy and glowing. So, why did we stop? Find out in my recent blog ‘Rediscover Natural Skincare’.
Want to make your very own face oil at home? Continue reading to learn my 6 secret steps.
To make your own face oil, you to need to first understand the two types of oils used:
Carrier oils come from the fatty portion of a plant – generally from the nuts and seeds they produce. These oils can be applied direct to the skin and make a great base for your face oil.
Essential oils come from the leaves, flowers and stems of a plant and are much more concentrated and potent. This means they can’t be applied direct to the skin. Instead, essential oils need to be diluted into a carrier oil, which can safely “carry” them into the skin.
As Mother Nature has spent millennia perfecting these plants to get the best from them, we need to ensure we use oils as close to their host plant as possible. This is why the oil extraction method is important.
For me, cold pressed carrier oils are the best as they’ve simply been squashed from their host nut or seed, with no unnecessary or unexpected chemicals used. This means these oils are in their rawest most beneficial form and as close to their host plant as possible.
In terms of essential oils, I only source steam distilled oils for much the same reason.
The origin of your oils is important too. Why? Because if the plants were farmed using a plethora of chemicals and pesticides, then it’s likely that traces of these chemicals will be present in the oils too.
Pro Tip: Obtain organic or wild harvested oils to avoid exposing yourself to toxic chemicals.
Research is the key step to formulating your own skincare. So, when it comes to deciding which oils to use in your face oil, it’s important you do yours.
With thousands of ingredients, from thousands of plants used for centuries to treat different skin conditions, you’ve got your work out for you. It isn’t as difficult as it may sound though…
For me, coming from a finance background where researching was second nature, I found this task relatively easy. In fact, being the numbers loving Excel nerd that I am, I used an Excel spreadsheet to record the results of my research. I developed an extensive list of all the different plants oils known to be beneficial for the skin, and recorded each of their properties. I also recorded their recommended usage concentrations so I knew how much of any particular ingredient I should use at a time. I still update this list today with new ingredients I come across.
Discover the (not so secret) ingredients I love and use in my Oasis Black organic botanical oils here.
Pro Tip: It’s also good practice to record what each ingredient should look, smell and feel like. Not only is this important in planning your formula, but it will ensure you know exactly what you’re looking for when you get to the sourcing stage.
After you’ve done all the research you can handle, it’s time to decide which beneficial properties you want to bring to your face oil. Look through your list and pick out those that stand out to you. Price of the oils, availability and your budget will also play a part here.
Then, write up a bit of a formula using the recommended concentration ratios you’ve recorded.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to buy the exact measurements of the ingredients you want, so you’ll likely have to buy more than you need. Keep this in mind and try choosing ingredients that will last.
You’ll also need to think about their storage needs, so you can store them to last as long as possible.
Pro Tip: Source only cold pressed and steam distilled organic ingredients. If the bottle doesn’t mention these things then it’s likely to be highly processed and deodorised - this will affect the end result.
Now for the fun part – formula development and testing!
For this step, you’ll need an accurate measuring device, funnel and bottle to mix your creation.
Pro Tip: Glass is recommended as plant oils are powerful and can break down plastics and leach them into your creation, then your skin and body.
Measure and mix your oils to the recipe you developed in your research, then test it out on your skin. If it feels too greasy or oily, or doesn’t smell or sink in the way you’d hoped, then you’ll need to make some alterations and try another batch.
Keep repeating this process until you’ve settled on a version you love - it’ll be worth the wait!
Then, ta-da! Once you’ve settled on a formula you can record it and keep making it time and time again knowing exactly what you’re putting on your skin.
Does this all sound too hard? Don’t have the time to research, source, formulate and trial your own concoctions to make your own face oil?
Lucky for you, I’ve already done all the hard work for you through years of research, development and testing of my Oasis Black Elixirs for the face and the body. Step right past these 6 secret steps and save your precious time, by simply purchasing a bottle of one of my Face & Body Elixirs.
Still want to create your own oil, but maybe skip a secret step or two? My bottle of my Nude Face & Body Elixir is for you - a blend of some of the most luxurious and nourishing base/carrier oils. You can use this as your base, and then add your own essential oils to it to make it your own.
Discover the Oasis Black organic botanical skincare range today.
Naturally, this realisation got me thinking, have we as humans with all our synthetic man-made ingredients and concoctions been doing it all wrong for the past century? And why did we stop using natural and readily available ingredients to heal, protect and nourish our skin?
Looking back on our history, it doesn’t take long to realise that up until recently, natural skincare was all we had - it was all we needed too. After all, Mother Nature has done an amazing job of providing us with exactly what our skin needs to be healthy, vibrant and youthful.
So, why did we stop using natural skincare and start using artificial alternatives? And why do we see more problem skin now, than ever before?
Keep reading to find out.
Unsurprisingly, it all boils down to money, profits and greed.
What may not be so surprising though, is that skincare companies can’t patent or trademark a naturally occurring ingredient. What does this mean for skincare companies? It means, in order to produce a unique and original product, that can’t be easily replicated, they need to come up with their own patentable synthetic versions of these ingredients. This is exactly what they did and continue to do today.
Skincare companies dissect the natural ingredients available and build synthetic imitations of them in the lab – not exactly healthy or for our benefit, is it?
Once the work in the lab is done, through clever and consistent marketing, they convince the public that natural is bad and their synthetic versions are superior.
Unfortunately, over time, this is what many of us began to believe. I too, was a victim and for a long time, was deadly afraid to use oils on my skin and believed natural meant cheap and inferior.
What makes matters worse, is that these synthetic skincare versions lack the complexity and sophistication of the natural ingredients they’re built to mimic. So, they don’t contain the same density of beneficial properties as their natural subjects.
How do skincare companies get around this? By concocting more versions, each mimicking a particular property, then using this in their advertising to state they contain XYZ.
Naturally, our bodies spent millennia evolving to utilise the beneficial properties of the natural ingredients around us. So, our skin simply knows how to process and react to these – as it was made to.
On the contrary, our skin doesn’t quite know how to process the man-made imitations - they simply haven’t stood the test of time against our skin. As a result, our skin tends to reject them and this shows up on our skin in the form of blemishes, inflammation and acne.
Is it time to rethink your skincare? Is it time to rediscover natural skincare?
Instead of consistently exposing your skin, and body, to man-made synthetic ingredients it may not know how to process or use, why not switch to what we humans have used for millennia (try our Simple 2-Step Skincare routine) and see how quickly your skin will start glowing?
All my Oasis Black organic botanical oils and creations, remain handmade by me, in small batches right here in Byron Bay, naturally.
From the simple beginnings of Morocco, to the hive of simple, natural and organic living that is Byron Bay, I truly hope that you and your skin love my creations as much as I do.
Discover how your skin can glow naturally with Oasis Black today.
Right now, as we head towards winter, I’m already noticing that my skin is craving more moisture and nourishment than it did in the warmer summer months. Luckily though, my Face & Body Elixir’s are the perfect year-round solution to my skin’s changing needs. My skin tells me when it needs more, or less, nourishment through subtle signs, and I simply adjust the amount of my elixir that I apply accordingly.
Because the natural and organic plant oils that I use in my elixir’s are ones that are all readily absorbed into the skin’s cells, upon application your skin can breathe and won’t feel congested or over moisturised, no matter the climate. Even in humid conditions your skin will absorb the nourishing plant oils used in my elixir’s, meaning you’re never left feeling greasy or over-moisturised.
On the contrary however, most man-made lotions and creams are designed to sit on top of your skin until they’re washed, rubbed or sweated off. Our bodies are simply not familiar with the man-made chemistry of these creams and lotions, and therefore can’t absorb them properly.
This is particularly evident in the hotter and more humid climates where you tend to find that man-made moisturisers just never seem to sink in. Instead, I always found that they just ended up making my skin look and feel greasy or over moisturised, and more often than not, I would just rub them off and not bother with them.
"malnourished and dehydrated skin in any climate can lead to undesired results"
Therein lies the problem though, as malnourished and dehydrated skin in any climate can lead to undesired results, such as excessive dryness, itchiness, and inflammation resulting in dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and even acne as the body overcompensates and steps up its own sebum production to counteract the dryness.
There is another issue as well. Many of the man-made creams, lotions and products sold to us for our skin have damaging silicone oils, petrochemical derivatives, and more. And unless you are purchasing a product made by a company that cares about its ingredients, even the products that make the "natural" claim will often contain GMO and non-organically grown oils, introducing more pesticide toxicity into your system. This also means that what does soak into our skin from these products, can then integrate with our internal cells and organs and affect our core chemistry in potentially damaging ways.
"our skin simply knows how to process these oils to extract their most beneficial properties"
Pure plant oils, however, can naturally deliver highly concentrated, active nourishment to your skin in a way that man-made concoctions simply can't. The molecular structure of natural plant oils is finer, and more akin to our natural skin sebum. Our skin recognizes this and is hence far more able and willing to absorb these oils into our cells.
Great for all skin types all year round, natural plant oils have been used by humans for centuries to nourish, treat and moisturise our skin. Our skin has spent millennia evolving to work with the natural plant oils available, so naturally, unlike man-made creams & lotions, our skin simply knows how to process these oils to extract their most beneficial properties.
So why would you use anything else?
After years of believing what the mainstream cosmetics companies drilled in to us growing up, at first I was petrified to use my Face & Body Elixir (a blend of organic plant oils) on my face.
As a sufferer from hormonal acne on and off since my 20’s, I spent a lot of time and money seeking solutions and treatments to my ugly breakouts. Just like most people, the propaganda I had consumed from the large cosmetics companies over the years was well entrenched in me. And at that stage, I was a true believer that oil was bad for my skin.
So, when I first considered using my elixir as my face moisturiser in my early 30’s, I was truly afraid that it could make my acne worse and that it could cause my skin to breakout even more than it already was.
"the long-term results of making the switch to my elixir are absolutely fantastic, so fantastic that I will never make the switch back"
Since having the guts to start using my elixir on my face, my skin has never been better. Don’t get me wrong, I still do get the occasional pimple now. But instead of having a chin and jawline full of breakouts that seemed to always spread and never go away, I now only get one or two pimples a month (generally around that time of the month). Further, the few pimples that I do get now are completely gone within just a couple of days.
While the long-term results of making the switch to my elixir are absolutely fantastic, so fantastic that I will never make the switch back, there was a short period of time during the initial switch phase that wasn’t so pleasant... This phase is what the beauty care industry these days likes to call "Skin purging.”
Currently, skin purging is being discussed as a reference to what some people experience when switching from one skincare product to another. Often, this is because newer product encourages the skin to renew itself at a faster rate than the previous product did.
In some cases, and at much distress to the person undergoing the purge, it can result in excessive breakouts, pimples or other blemishes as the impurities contained within the layers of the skin are also pushed out quicker than before.
For me, I was using a combination of moisturisers, retinols and vitamin C serums prior to making the switch to my elixir. Retinol and vitamin C are known catalysts in the skin turnover cycle (they also occur naturally in some ingredients I use in my elixir). This meant that my skin was already turning over at a faster than normal rate.
But, because these man-made chemical laden products also contained many other less-than-ideal “filler” ingredients, when I did make the switch to my all natural and organic elixir, my skin still reacted and “purged” out all those stored impurities. It’s worth noting, that what my skin began to purge during this process was nothing new, just the sudden appearance of everything I used to keep pushing down/hiding with the products I was using. This is the difference between purging and breaking out or reacting.
What was also evident to me during my skin purging phase was how much younger, healthier and vibrant my skin felt almost straight away. Yes, it was being freed from all the toxic gunk it had been accumulating for years, but it also became obvious to me during this phase that my skin had not been receiving the proper nourishment it needed for many years prior either.
Thinking back to this, it makes sense to me now that all the man-made chemical laden products I was using weren’t actually providing any nourishment to my skin. After all, they were only designed to strip and turnover my skin at a faster rate, not nourish it.
Continuously stripping my skin of the nourishment it craved, also meant that my skin was working overtime to produce more of its own oils (sebum) to keep itself hydrated. Understandably, this only added to my acne battle.
During my skin purge, however, I could see my skin becoming healthier and plumper as my elixir was finally providing it with the proper nutrition it needed. And, as my skin cells were getting healthier and fatter, they began to push out all the gunk that had been storing between the cells for years (in the form of pimples) as there was simply no room for it now. This is exactly how skin purging should work.
Another bonus when you purge your skin using oils is that once the skin is adequately nourished, and all the gunk has been purged, your skin has little need to produce any of its own oils. This means that the skin stops overproducing its own sebum, and this also helps to end the vicious acne cycle.
The skin purging process for me ended up lasting about two to three weeks, and in all honesty, it wasn’t nearly as bad a I was expecting. Once the stored-up gunk contained within my skin came out, it was gone for good. Plus, the breakout’s I experienced during the skin purge were different. My pimples weren’t spreading like they tended to before, rather, once they had popped and healed, they too were gone for good.
My fears of going through the skin purging process eased quite quickly when I began to realise that my skin wasn’t actually getting any worse, instead it was getting much much better.
Today, after solely using my elixir on my skin for a number of years now, my fears have reversed. Instead of being fearful to put oils on my skin like I was in my 20’s, I’m now fearful if I have to put normal everyday creams, lotions and moisturisers on my skin and that they’ll just clog it up again. Naturally, I avoid all these products now, which is fine because I don’t have a need for them anyway as my elixir has replaced them all.
I love my Face & Body Elixir, and I love how versatile it is. It’s not only simplified my skincare routine, but it’s also given life, youthfulness and health back to my skin. I don’t worry about pimples or imperfections anymore, and apart from the one or two pimples I sometimes get each month, I rest easy knowing that my elixir is feeding my skin with the nutrients it needs to maintain its health and youthfulness each and every day.
We all know that excess sun exposure can change the skin's tone and condition to red and inflamed real fast. It doesn't require a beach trip, either, which is why so many end up with pink cheeks and coloured shoulders even in the autumn.
Sunburn is possible at any time of year, when direct sunlight has a chance to toast unprotected skin for multiple hours at a time. Think: gardening, or even just getting "back out there" for exercise as the cooler days approach, etc. It happens as UV light overwhelms the immune system, and the skin responds with an inflammation response.
We can and should take precautions, because the reality is that some of us live with less melanin, so we are naturally less able to absorb the harsh heat and be protected by design. The result? We've probably experienced the pain of a sunburn.
Instead of using over the counter medication and toxic mainstream moisturisers that yield unproven results, there is a natural and very simple, time tested regimen for both pre-protection and an emergency plan remedy: Natural plant oils.
Natural plant "oils" come in two categories... Carrier oils, which are what many people think of when you mention vegetable oils. Carrier oils are the fatty acid liquid pressed or squashed from the seeds, nuts or fruits of a plant - think olive, coconut, avocado, etc. In a way this process is similar to cold pressed juicing where the plant is pressed to release a certain compounds.
Essential oils are produced using a different process. Instead of being pressed, the plants stems, leaves or flowers are distilled gently using steam to capture the oil or essence. This is done to retain a higher concentration of the naturally occurring incredible properties of the plant. Common essential oils include lavender, frankincense, or peppermint essential oil.
Both carrier and essential plant oils are highly powerful remedies for sunburn, particularly the following superstar botanicals:
AVOCADO OIL
Within the linoleic and oleic essential fatty acids of this amazing oil, high levels of vitamin A and vitamin E come perfectly packaged to deliver moisture and essential nutrients to dry and inflamed skin. In addition, potassium, and lecithin deeply nourish skin cells at a more efficient rate than other oils. The skin is able to absorb and use these particular nutrients to make new skin cells. This is especially important with sunburned skin, as the outer layer has burned and the speed of recovery also depends on the skin's speed of creating a healthy new outer layer where many cells have been toasted.
LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL
This floral essential oil is commonly associated with calmness and relaxation. In the same way that the oil works with our mind and emotions to relax overheating nerves, the constituents of lavender are front-runners for anti-inflammation. The make-up of this oil also contains high levels of pain-reducing elements, making it a double-hit helper for the win!
APRICOT KERNEL OIL
Similarly to avocado oil, this linoleic and oleic rich oil transmits high levels of moisturizing vitamins A and E. These nutrients also help to plump skin cells and prevent moisture loss.
BLACK SEED OIL
This is one of the two highest antimicrobial (think: antivirus, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic) oils in the world. This is due to certain constituents, particularly thymol, thymoquinone, and thymohydroquinone. Yes, it's a mouthful, but these are incredibly important compounds and they help give my hero ingredient its most beneficial properties. These compounds are also associated with decreasing inflammation, which is ever so important for sunburnt skin.
However, the antimicrobial nature is additionally important to ward off potential skin infections as the skin is weaker and, as your largest organ, that weakens the entire body system.
FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL
This essential oil is one of nature's ultimate skin tonics. Not only is it a strong anti-inflammatory, but this also possesses the ability support your body's innate programming to restore, heal and increases skin regeneration.
Using any one (or a combination of an essential and carrier oils) can be highly beneficial to remedy the painful sunburn experience. These methods work with the body’s healing mechanisms rather than surface level “band-aids” such as over the counter medications or lotions. This is exactly why I have included these oils, and others, in my Face & Body Elixir.
Dry, stressed and malnourished skin has little chance in defending itself against the most common of summer’s environmental stressors, let alone the sun’s harmful UV rays. This means that the first step we need to take to protect our skin this summer, is to ensure our skin has the food and nourishment it needs to build its own defences.
Most mainstream moisturisers are designed to sit on top of the skins surface (you can read more about why here). This means that as soon as you wash them off, your skin is left dry, itchy and most likely craving moisture. Effectively, these mainstream "moisturising" creams and lotions are doing little to nourish or feed your skin, instead, they are probably drying it out.
As natural plant oils can penetrate deep in to the skin’s epidermal layers, much deeper than mainstream creams and lotions do, they can efficiently nourish and feed the skin from within. When your skin is adequately nourished and healthy, it has the best chance to defend itself against summer's additional environmental stressors.
"When your skin is adequately nourished and healthy it has the best chance to defend itself against summer’s additional environmental stressors."
What… you can use oils to protect your skin from the Sun? I thought they just made skin burn easier?
No, not necessarily. In the past few years there has been increasing interest around the use of natural plant oils for sunscreens. Whilst not all oils offer protection from the Sun’s UV rays, and not all are strong enough for everyone, there have been studies that have suggested that some plant oils can offer some broad-spectrum UV protection.
For instance, this study showed the potential for Red Raspberry Seed Oil to be used as a broad-spectrum UV protectant, and others have suggested it has an SPF of 28+.
This study found Carrot Seed Oil to have an SPF of 19, and there are also a host of other natural plant oils which have been shown to have SPF values up to 10 including Macadamia oil, Hemp seed oil, Avocado oil, Almond oil and Jojoba oil.
Deliberately, to provide your skin with that extra level of defence against the sun’s UV rays, I use all the above natural plant oils in my Face & Body Elixir.
From my own experience, whilst I was living in Morocco, I found my Face & Body Elixir to be a great all-over daily sunscreen.
In addition to my regular daily skincare routine, when I was at the beach or out in the sun, I would apply my elixir throughout the day just like you would do with any other mainstream sunscreen. Surprisingly, despite spending a lot of time in the Moroccan sun without mainstream sunscreen on, I rarely got burnt.
Upon returning to Australia however, where the sun’s rays are stronger thanks to the thinning in the ozone layer, I found that I couldn’t rely on my Elixir alone as my sunscreen anymore.
Interestingly though, compared to a previous time when I used mainstream moisturisers, my skin takes much longer to burn now. Further, the areas that I apply my Elixir to twice daily (eg my face), will take much longer to burn than the other areas of my body where I don’t apply my Elixir to as regularly (eg my back/stomach).
So whilst long term and regular use of natural plant oils can help your skin to protect itself from the minimal everyday exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays, you shouldn’t expect plant oils to work in the same way as mainstream sunscreens do - i.e. don't expect them to work immediately, upon your first application, especially if you have dry or undernourished skin to begin with.
To give your skin the best chance it has to protect itself this summer, you need to incorporate the use of natural plant oils in to your daily routine long before you step out in to the sun.
And, for extended exposure to the sun, in addition to your daily plant oil base, I recommend using a natural physical or mineral sunscreen free from oxybenzone because it's killing our reefs and has links to cancer, endocrine disruption and organ system toxicity - watch more on this below.
Known as a versatile natural “cure all” across the Middle East and deemed as “a cure for every disease except death” by Prophet Muhammed, Black Seed oil is extracted from the tiny black seeds produced in the seed pods of the Nigella Sativa plant.
]]>Known as a versatile natural “cure all” across the Middle East and deemed as “a cure for every disease except death” by Prophet Muhammed, Black Seed Oil is extracted from the tiny black seeds produced in the seed pods of the Nigella Sativa plant.
Generally known as black seed or black cumin, though still relatively unknown in the western world, civilisations across the world have been using Black Seeds, and their oil, for medicinal remedies for thousands of years. In fact, it was so revered in the time of the Ancient Egyptians, that King Tutankhamun was buried with a vat of it in his tomb.
“a cure for every disease except death”
Today, because of the many health benefits they offer, black seeds are “widely used in the treatment of various diseases like bronchitis, asthma, diarrhea, rheumatism and skin disorders. It is also used as liver tonic, digestive, anti-diarrheal, appetite stimulant, emmenagogue, to increase milk production in nursing mothers, to fight parasitic infections, and to support the immune system.” 1
Containing one of the world’s richest natural sources of Thymoquinone, Black Seeds possess an array of vitamins, minerals, proteins and a high concentration of essential fatty acids. It is thought that the combination of these and other components work in a unique synergy to give Black Seed Oil the power behind its tremendous potency and unique function.
Though the healing benefits of these tiny black seeds have not been studied extensively until more recently, it is pleasing to see that science is backing up the potent medicinal effects known and practiced by traditional medicines for centuries. Recent studies1, 2, 3, 4 have shown that Black Seeds offer the following beneficial properties:
Although western medicine dictates that further studies and clinical trials are required before being accepted as a modern medicine, given that there are very few known toxic effects1, 2, 3 associated with Black Seeds, it’s little wonder why these miraculous tiny black seeds have been used so extensively throughout history to remedy so many different conditions.
“Not only did Black Seed oil become the hero ingredient for my products, but it also became the inspiration for the Oasis Black name.”
After first learning of the tremendous healing power in these tiny black seeds, and after much research and trial and error of my own, I knew that I needed to share their magic with the modern world. From that moment, not only did Black Seed Oil become the hero ingredient for my products, but it also became the inspiration for the Oasis Black name.
Like any natural remedy, care does need to be taken when selecting which Black Seed Oil to use.
As the seeds alone offer so many beneficial properties, ideally you want an oil that resembles those seeds as closely as possible. The more an oil is processed and refined, the less beneficial properties it will possess.
Therefore, to deliver as much nutritional value as possible to your skin, I’ve deliberately chosen to only use 100% cold pressed and organic Black Seed Oil in my products.
Humans have been using natural oils and fats to moisturise their skin for thousands of years. So naturally, our skin has evolved to extract, process and utilise the most beneficial properties of these oils and fats.
However, especially in the last fifty years or so, it seems that people have simply forgotten this as they have succumbed to the corporate commercialization of emulsion-based moisturisers as we know them today.
It might surprise you to learn that most of the ingredients "developed" by today's big cosmeceutical companies, have predominantly been created to imitate naturally available substances. These companies do this with only their profits in mind. After all, it's not possible to trademark, patent or limit other companies use of a natural substance. Instead, these large corporate's discovered that they could recreate or "develop" their own versions of these natural substances, then promote them as being superior to the natural alternatives, and hence profit from them.
Unfortunately, over time, these clever marketing tactics’ have been effective in altering our perception of natural substances, including oils. Over the last few decades, we've been reconditioned to believe that the man-made imitations surpass the natural versions. So much so, that most people today are scared of using natural substances as they believe that they are inferior and have less beneficial properties than the man-made alternatives. I too fell victim to these tactics, and for many years I was scared to try natural oils on my skin. Now, however, I wouldn't look back.
In reality though, these naturally occurring substances, which mother nature spent millennia perfecting, are the superior substance as they're naturally stable, loaded with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, omega's and many other beneficial properties that our skins naturally know how to absorb, process and utilise.
The key ingredient in most of today's creams and lotions, water, is used because it's cheap and can be emulsified with oils and other ingredients to make them more cost effective. Further, as the man-made imitation ingredients are not dependent on the seasons, they can be produced cheaply, and in reliable quantities all year round. However, what many people also do not realise, is that today’s creams and lotions are also specifically designed to sit on the top layer of the skin. So once removed, your skin instantly craves more, and you're forced to use and buy more and more. This is exactly what the large cosmeceuticals have been relying on, and profiting from, for decades.
Although they're often more expensive to produce, and are subject to natures seasonal influences, oils, on the other hand, are absorbed deep down into the epidermal layers of the skin, delivering their many benefits to where they're needed most.
However, like many things in both the natural and man-made world, not all oils are the same. Some can nourish the skin, while others can clog pores or be potential irritants. Care does need to be taken when choosing the oils right for your skin. As someone with sensitive skin, I always been mindful when trying new products on my skin. After much research in to the various types of oils available and their various properties, the blend I bring to you today contains a specific selection of those oils known to be naturally powerful, yet gentle and kind to most skin types, including sensitive skin.