The Benefits of Body Oils

Photograph by Finn McCarthy, aged 7.

Feel like the recent weather has sucked your skin dry, leaving it feeling tight, dull and scratchy?  Time to soften and soothe with a nourishing body oil.

Benefits of Body Oils

Body lotions are great, but sometimes they just don’t quench and protect our skin like a body oil can.  Especially in super dry, windy, cold or hot weather.  Here’s what a body oil can do for you:

• Moisturise and replenish your skin
• Provide an occlusive barrier to further protect your skin
• Leave your skin feeling soft and silky smooth
• Help your skin to glisten and glow
• Calm the mind, invigorate the body, nurture the soul

You’ll feel wonderfully luxurious and slightly sexy after a healthy spritz of subtly scented body oil.  What it can’t do for you is take the rubbish out.  But maybe if you massage your partner with one of the Drift Escentuals Body Oils, he/she might just do that!

The Art of Blending - what to look for

Creating a great body oil is all about synergy – a fine balance between art and science.  You want the chosen oils to provide lots of nourishing goodness, but do they absorb well and feel great on the skin?  There are many wonderful essential oil fragrances, but are they the best choice for a leave-on product on the skin?  Do the oils combined complement or compete with each other?  How do I want to feel when I apply it?  Does the scent match it’s promise?

“That’s all well and good” I hear you say "but they’re just too greasy and I feel like an oil slick when I use one”.

I’ll let you in on a little secret about the science part:

• I only use plant oils that totally absorb in to the skin.  Not all do.  Sunflower and sweet almond are examples of oils that only have medium absorption.
• And I also include a naturally derived ester that helps the oils feel less greasy as well as further penetrate in to the skin.

So there you go.  The two beautifully scented body oils in the Drift Escentuals Skincare Range deliver that balance of art and science.  Here’s a brief overview of each:

Drift Escentuals Refreshingly Light Body Oil

LIght. Refreshing. Uplifting.

"An uplifting blend of plant & essential oils that energise the mind and body throughout the day".

Features certified organic oils:

• Camellia – high in oleic acid which also mimics sebum so it absorbs quickly.  Also high in tannins which give it a light, dry, non-greasy feel.

• Avocado – also high in oleic acid and is very fast absorbing, but has a heavier feel.  Lots of vitamin B & E to help with skin protection too.
• Jojoba – technically a wax so you won’t find much fatty acid content. What it can do is penetrate the skin via the hair follicles and mix with sebum; imparting a soft feel on the skin without blocking it.  A favourite in many products and massage oils because it allows the skin to breathe.
• Evening Primrose – the balancing oil that you can read about in The Facts on Facial Oils.  This too is a nice, thin, dry oil.

With a fresh and uplifting blend of essential oils:

• May Chang – has a refreshing lemony scent, without the photo sensitising properties that most citrus oils have.  Also known as the ‘oil of tranquility’ it promotes physical relaxation and mental calm.
• Rosewood – known to lift the spirits and clear the mind with its fresh, woody, soft floral scent.  It also has a tonic effect on the body improving dull, dry or oily skin.
• Carrot Seed – thought to have a rejuvenating effect on the skin giving it a fresher, firmer appearance.  It has a slightly sweet, earthy fragrance.

Drift Escentuals Cashmere Soft Body Oil

Soft. Sensuous. Comforting.

"A luxurious blend of natural plant oils wrapped in the warm scent of rose and vanilla".

Features certified organic oils:

• Sesame – a good balance of fatty acids, and is one of the highest oils for Vitamin E.  It brings a warmth and richness to an oil blend with it’s silky feel.
• Macadamia – another oil high in oleic acid but where it differs is that it has palmitoleic acid too which is excellent for chapped and weather damaged skin.
• Jojoba – more soft, silky goodness.
• Rosehip – the anti aging oil that you can read about in The Facts on Facial Oils.

With a rich and luxurious blend of essential oils:

• Rose Geranium – the great balancer of essential oils. Balances moods, balances hormones, balances skin.  Smells like a rose flower, not a nasty rose fragrance.
• Vanilla – this is actually an extract of resin, not vanilla essential oil as there is no such thing.  What it does is impart a warm, comforting and relaxing scent.
• Immortelle – also known as ‘Everlasting’ and has excellent skin rejuvenating properties.  It has a soft hay and honey like fragrance which imparts a sense of warmth and being nurtured.

Body oils are best applied after a bath or shower when your skin is still damp and warm.  To extend the indulgence, pour a glass of wine, grab your favourite magazine and rest & unwind. 

You deserve it. x