“OIL-Free Skincare” IS A MADE UP MARKETING THING 

What does our skin really need?

You already know this by now, that our skin is directly related to our GUT, our GENES, overall LIFESTYLE and how we regulate our EMOTIONS.

We know skin is not just about applying lotions and potions, but SKIN is also about how you apply those LOTIONS and POTIONS. The real essence is hidden in the details. 

TOPICALLY, Skin needs two things: WATER & OIL.

Every Face Cream, Serum, Gel, Moisturizer, etc are made up of two primary ingredients: WATER & OIL. 

When you start feeding skin more of one than the other it causes imbalance. 

For example if you have Super Oily Skin, then naturally you would look for more “Matte finish”, “Lightweight”, and even “Oil-Free” products.

Now, have you ever wondered what is inside an “OIL-FREE” moisturizer? 

Surely it is not made up of water and air.

“SUE NABI a former president of L’Oreal and Lancome pointed out that the rise of “Oil Free” 

Skincare really took off in the 90’s with the rise of Silicones. Most products were Oil-In-Water Emulsions at that time, and Silicones offered an affordable yet easy way to “give the skin the feel of oils”. This was probably the time Silicones were everywhere from skincare to makeup to shampoos.

Silicones do one thing Amazingly well: as occlusive Silicones create a barrier and make your skin feel smooth upon touch. It makes scars look better or flatter. But only a hint of Silicone is needed. Unlike Plant Oils, Silicones don’t contain any vitamins or fatty acids. And the smooth look they provide washes off the next day.

Perry Romanowski, one of my personal favorite cosmetic chemists, said during one of his live sessions that “Oil-Free Marketing” is simply misleading in so many ways, because our skin already secretes its own oil: SEBUM! 

This substance locks hydration and balances’s our skin’s pH. Natural oil production is essential for maintaining healthy and normal barrier functioning.

Now this part is interesting!

Sebum is made of triglycerides, fatty acids, squalene and cholesterol…Components that are found in Plant Oils.

“If I have really oily skin, should I stay away from oils?”

Technically what’s happening is your body is producing more oils than it needs because there’s some imbalance. Your body thinks you are not getting enough oils, and it keeps producing more.

There are many reasons why this happens, including stress, hormonal imbalance, or just depriving skin from oils. 

The solution is very simple, and it’s more oil!!

If you put the right oil on your skin, your body then says ‘I don’t need more oils’, and it stops producing it! Everything in our body works simultaneously with all the communication it receives through the skin.

So, Skincare Marketers in the 90’s unfortunately said “You have oily skin, you don’t need more oil. Let’s do skincare with oil-like components and call it OIL-FREE”.

And then came the heavy refining of oils, separating different components, and mainly making sure the Aesthetic Part of the product is never compromised.

Almost all ingredients on some levels are derived from oils. This is the first and foremost thing I can tell you as a owner of Skincare Brand, who’s running a skincare lab with at least 4 in-house formulation experts. 

Instead of plainly-named oil sources, these oil-free products feature Triglycerides, Jojoba Esters, Palmitic Acid, Silicone, Petroleum and more, which all come from oils!

Even Glycerine, our favorite hydration boosting humectant, is derived from triglycerides in oils.

If you really look at JOJOBA OIL and PURE ARGAN from a chemical perspective, there is no issue with putting it on the skin. It matches 97% to human sebum.

But since these are oils and are simple and technically not too complicated, people have a negative perception towards them.

Now another interesting thing about all of this is that comedogenic ratings don’t work for these individual derived components from oils, which can lead to breakouts even more.

So discarding the full oil in favor of a singular component so it can be labeled as “OIL-FREE”, labeling oils as comedogenic ingredients, and then components that are derived from refined oils somehow become better…??

OIL-Free is a Marketing Gimmick, and unfortunately it is here to stay, because consumers with oily and acne prone skin will never read it as ”OIL FREE (but also Silicone Full)” 

People with oily skin don’t need Silicones, they need a good botanical oil that mimics the skin’s natural lipid profile, like Jojoba and other blends that will bring balanced levels of Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

Skincare should not be so overwhelming, and it shouldn’t have to be so complicated. 

Your skin should be at optimal pH balance at all times. This will ensure most of your skin concerns are automatically removed. 

But, it’s not always as simple as adopting a skincare routine and seeing some instant magical results. 

It’s more like healthy eating. You can’t just eat one fruit and expect to be healthy…In the same way, trying to apply a pure plant oil After using a skin stripping cleanser and multiple harsh actives will not have any intended results.

Water & Oil are important aspects, and skin cannot function without one another.

⁃ Hydrate your skin topically with products made with Hydrosols 

⁃ Don’t apply too many skin stripping products, focus on nourishing your skin plenty 

⁃ Don’t eat overly processed foods

Love & Light
Payal