After posting the article called, How Does Aromatherapy Work, which included a list of carrier oils, I became more interested in carrier oils and butters. Since then, I felt it was important to do more research on these carrier oils and butters, in particular, their clog pore rating.
Carrier Oils Ideal for the Face
To start with, all quality carrier oils should be vegetable oils, cold-pressed, and food grade. All carrier oils should be stored, and handled, to avoid exposure to light, air and heat as much as possible. Carrier Oils do not spoil.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil has been shown to be a great carrier oil with anti-inflammatory properties. It is absolutely lovely on the face.
Rosehip seed oil
Packed with omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, rosehip oil provides anti-inflammatory effects, which can help improve acne.
Argan Oil
Argan oil is non-comedogenic oil and known for its beauty-enhancing properties. A 2015 study on postmenopausal women found that ingesting and topically applying argan oil improved skin elasticity more than the control group ingesting olive oil.
Rosehip Seed Oil
Rosehip Seed Oil is a 2 on the comedogenic scale. If you have oily skin, this may not be the best choice for you. It is lightweight and absorbs easily. It contains Vitamin A and Vitamin E, which yield a high cell turnover and revitalize ageing skin.
What to look for in Shea butter
Shea butter that is bright white tends to be highly refined and, therefore, does not have the same amount of nutrients that unrefined pure Shea butter has.
If you’re looking for unprocessed shea butter, it should be an off white or yellowish colour. The colours range due to the country of origin.
The texture should not be hard or greasy, as the vitamin E content of pure, unrefined Shea butter provides a firm yet supple quality for this amazing moisturizer.
Pure Shea butter emulsifies quickly and easily. You’ll note this when applying Shea butter on your hands, as you gently rub in the butter it will readily absorb into the surface of the skin. In contrast, highly refined Shea butter tends to be harder to emulsify and ends up feeling more greasy.
How to tell if your Shea Butter has Expired
First and foremost- if it smells rancid, your shea butter is not good anymore. However, if you are new to Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter, you may mistake its characteristic nutty and smokey smell for rancidness. We’ll try to expand on this and go over in more detail the difference between rancid smell and smokey smell:
Rancid smell: Makes you gag, reminds you of olive oil gone bad or food gone bad. If your shea butter smells rancid, toss it. It would be putrid, you’d know!
Smokey smell: This is a burnt smell, almost like the aroma of a barbecue or burning wood. Some Shea butter batches offer a more nutty or smokey aroma than others, but all unrefined shea has a detectable smokey smell. If your shea butter smells smokey, you have the real thing!
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— a natural perspective
