Skin Care, Facts Not Hype

Mineral Oil is not suitable for human use no matter what you’ve read [1][2] but can be re-purposed as a Kitchen Cutting-Board Finisher or Hair Trimmer Blade Lubricant as long as it’s Food Grade.

Substance Grades

Definition Application
Pharmaceutical Meets or exceeds standards set by regulation organizations usually to 99.9% purity. Food, drug, medicinal use; any application requiring stringent quality specifications with trace elements measured in part per million.
Clinical Purity to 95-99% often at 99%+ only allowing for harmless byproducts or naturally occurring structural remnants. Medicinal and Industrial use where purity must be consistent and during use exhibit properties virtually indistinguishable from 100% pure.
Food Safe to use in or around food. For use in food or to clean surfaces and cookware that will be used with food
Laboratory Relatively high purity, but exact percentage and nature of impurities is unknown. Educational laboratories
Technical Have a level of impurity making them unsuitable for high-purity applications but fine for industrial use. Industrial use, commercial manufacturing
Extraction grade Suitable as a solvent for medicinal plant, herbal, and botanical extraction processes. Medicinal plant, herbal, botanical extraction processes

Oil Properties, Absorption Rates, & Shelf Life

Reference

Carrier Oil Skin Types Quality Absorption Speed Absorption Ability Shelf Life
Sweet Almond All skin types Nutritive Med Med 2-3 years
Apricot Kernel Sensitive, dry, mature Repair Med Med 2-3 years
Argan Oil Dry, mature Elastic Quick Total 3 years
Avocado Oil Dry, mature Nutritive Quick Total 3 years
Black Seed Oil All skin types Nutritive Quick Total 2 years
Castor Oil Dry, mature Multiplicative Slow Small 2 years
Coconut Oil Dry, mature Repair Slow Med 5 years
Evening Primrose Dry, mature New skin Quick Total 6-12 mo
Flaxseed Oil Dry, mature Age spots Med Med 6-12 mo
Grapeseed Oil All skin types, oily Pores Slow Good 1 year
Hazelnut Oil Dry, oily Balance Med Total 3 years
Hemp Seed Oil Mature, problem skin Nutritive Quick Total 6-12 months
Jojoba Oil Any Multiplicative Med Total 5 years
Kukui Nut Dry, mature Protection Quick Total 1 year
Macadamia Nut Dry, oily, mature Anti-irritant Med Total 3 years
Melon Seed Oil All skin types Nutritive Quick Total 2 years
Olive Oil Dry, mature and sensitive Protection Med Med 3 years
Peach kernel Dry, sensitive Rejuvenation Med Med 2-3 years
Rapeseed Oil All skin types Nutritive Med Med 6-12 month
Rice Bran Oil Dry, sensiti, mature Soften Med Total 2-3 years
Rosehip Seed Problem, dry, maturesensiti Anti-Aging Quick Total 6-12 month
Safflower Oil Mature, sensitive, dry Soothing Med Total 1 year
Sunflower Oil All skin types Nutritive Med Med 2 years
Vitamin E All skin types Repair Slow Med 5 years
Walnut Oil Dry, mature and oily Toning Quick Total 2 years
Wheat Germ Mature, dry Flaky skin Med Med 2 years

UV Protection *

Fatty Acid Comparison Almond, Argan, Apricot

Fatty Acid Sweet Almond Oil Apricot Kernel Argan Oil
Palmitic Acid 4.0 – 9.0 % 3.11 % * 11.0 – 15.0 %
Palmitoleic Acid 0.6 % 0.6 % * 0.3 – 3.0 %
Stearic Acid 1.0 – 3.0 % 8.38 % 4.0 – 7.0 %
Oleic Acid 62.0 – 86.0 % 43–49 % * 43.0 – 49.0 %
Linoleic Acid 20.0 – 30.0 % 29–36 % 29.0 – 36.0 %
Linolenic Acid 0.4 % 0.83 % * 0.2 %
Eicosadienoic Acid 15.45 %

Anti-Microbial Oils

Antimicrobial can mean antibacterial, anti-parasitic, or anti-fungal (fungicidal, fungistatic) or all three.

Anti-Fungal Carrier Oils, in order

1* 2*

Anti-Fungal Essential Oils, in order

REFERENCE: Antibacterial and Antifungal activity of ten essential oils in vitro, Microbios · February 1996

Includes Candida

Anti-Inflammatory and Repair Table

Plant Oil Skin Barrier Repair Anti-Bacterial Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidant Wound Healing Skin Aging Skin Cancer
Almond Slight Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Apricot Kernel Slight Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Argan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Avocado Slight Yes Yes Yes Yes Slight Slight
Coconut Yes Yes Yes Slight Yes Yes Slight
Jojoba Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Olive No Yes Yes Yes Yes Slight Yes
Rosehip Slight Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Anti-Aging

Skin Tightening

From Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sonny O

  1. Geranium
  2. Patchouli
  3. Frankincense
  4. Myrrh
  5. Neroli
  6. Tea Tree
  7. Rosemary
  8. Lemon
  9. Bergamot

Pore-Tightening Serum

Customize this facial serum by adding the best carrier oil that suits your skin type:

Ingredients:

Method:

In a dropper bottle, add the above oils, screw on the lid and shake the bottle gently to mix them up. Store in a cool dry place.

To use, place about 2 – 3 drops of this blend on your palms, rub them together and deeply massage it onto your whole face. Use at nighttime only because lemon is photo-sensitive.

Firming Facial Gel

Ingredients: 3 tbsp pure aloe vera gel 10 drops geranium or neroli 7 drops tea tree Clean glass jar

Method: Add the aloe vera gel to the amber jar then drop in the essential oils and stir well using a popsicle stick. Store in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Use just one finger scoop on your whole face after cleansing it and patting dry.

Sandalwood Oil

Not only does it smell great it is Larvicidal, Anti-oxidant, Anti-diabetes, antimicrobial, anti-tumor *, chemoprotective *, prostate protective *, anti-inflammatory * , anti-psoriasis *, anti-acne *, and generally has many bio-protective properties * but here’s the toolbox.

Oil Healing Citations

Almond

Apricot Kernel

Argan

Avocado

Coconut

Jojoba

Olive

Rosehip