۶ Natural Beauty Oils for Soft-as-Velvet Skin

Clean oils for clean skin
Dry skin is as much a facet of midwinter life as snow days and face-biting chills. There are many ways to address this: experimenting with moisturizers, opting for gentle, nondrying cleansers, even switching on a humidifier, which can aid skin by adding moisture to dry air. Or, trying single-blend body oils.
What makes single-blend oils a better choice than premade department store ones? The answer is simple: clean curation.

Branded lotions and creams often come with preservatives, dyes, and artificial fragrances — all of which may lead to heightened skin sensitivity. Armed with essential oils, you can tailor your body oils to target stretch marks, sun spots, wounds — changing up your routine daily, if desired.
You may be giving up pretty packaging, but with this DIY aesthetic you’ll gain greater control over ingredients and application.

Using the oil is easy
As to how to use them? This part’s as easy as it gets. In most cases, you’ll want to smooth a thin layer over wet (not dry) skin.
1. Safe sweet almond oil
Gentle sweet almond oil is usually safe even for sensitive skin types (though you should always test before committing to a treatment).

۲. Flexible apricot kernel oil
Another sweet, lightweight oil that can be used on the body — and hair! — apricot kernel oil is rich in vitamins like A, C, E, and K. To avoid clogged pores and acne, be sure to rinse it off your skin with warm water and gently dry with a clean towel. Apricot kernel also does wonderful double-duty for dry, damaged hair — add a few drops to a warmed-up carrier oil like almond oil, and then apply to damp hair, wrapping in a towel for at least 20 minutes. (Overnight is fine, too.)

۳. Healing sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is hugely soothing, thanks to an array of monounsaturated fatty acids and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

۴. Lightweight grapeseed oil
This light, vitamin-rich oil is used in a myriad of skin products — even those meant to be used on the face, as its polyphenols may have some anti-aging properties. Unlike some heavier oils, grapeseed oil is even safe on skin prone to breakouts.
5. Moisturizing olive oil
6. Balancing jojoba oil