Cold Weather and Your Skin Care
Winter weather may require an alternative to typical skin care. Here’s where – and how – fixed oils can help.
The Largest Organ
Our skin is our largest organ and is exposed to the elements. When the weather outside starts to cool down, and the winds pick up, our skin tends to get dry, itchy, flaky, etc. While what we eat can help promote healthy skin, we can also protect our skin from the elements using products that contain fixed oils (fatty oils pressed from seeds, nuts, grains, kernels, and fruiting bodies).
Fixed Oils
We are familiar with many of these fixed oils since we use them in food preparation – olive, coconut, sesame, avocado, etc. These oils are commonly high in fatty acids and natural vitamins. While fixed oils tend to lack a distinct aroma, their versatility and functionality make them a staple component of countless foods, fragrances, and cosmetics. These fixed oils can also be used in skincare preparations. Unlike essential oils which are volatile compounds that are a small molecular structure and can penetrate the upper layers of our skin, fixed oils coat and cover the skin like a protective barrier.
Natural Origins
Our fixed oils come from various parts of the planet and where the plants grow plays a big role in their chemical makeup. Fixed oils from the seeds of plants grown in tropical regions are solid or semi-solid oils (often called butters). Examples are coconut, cocoa butter, shea, and mango butter.
Protecting the Skin
When applied to the skin, the butters create a barrier for protection from the elements and help keep moisture in. The ancients regularly applied oils to their skin for beauty and protection, just as we do today. Adding essential oils can provide the slow absorption of components that can uplift or soothe our emotions as well as target physical symptoms.
FDA Disclaimer
All statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these statements has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.
Continue this conversation by emailing Molly Messmer at mollymessmerlmt@gmail.com, or contacting her via her website at http://www.mollymessmermassage.com/