The Benefits of Oils & Butters For Your Skin

Argan Oil

Argan oil is loaded with vitamins E and A and great for your skin and hair. It helps protect your skin & hair from sun damage, fights the signs of ageing, treats acne, improves wound healing and helps fight skin infections. 

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D, E and fatty acids making it a great healthy addition to any soap or lotion. It not only moisturizes the skin, it also promotes collagen growth which accelerates healing for wounds and sunburns. Avocado oil helps calm itchy skin, heal chapped skin and replenish dry skin.

Castor Oil

Castor oil draws moisture to the skin and creates a rich lather. But it is so much more than that! It prevents wrinkles, fights acne, has antibacterial properties, it reduces puffiness and soothes sunburns. Castor oil also fights dry lips and promotes overall skin health. For all of these amazing reasons, I have castor oil in almost everything I make.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is used to moisturize dry flaky skin and to heal irritated or acne-sensitive skin. Cocoa beans which are used to make chocolate also produce cocoa butter by extraction. When cocoa butter is used in body butters and lotion bars, it can have a mild chocolate scent. That scent is lost when you use it to make soap, but not the benefits of the butter. This fabulous butter can also help prevent peeling after a sunburn!

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is used for both its moisturizing properties as well as its cleaning abilities and large bubbles. It can help reduce inflammation, heal wounds, treat acne and protect your skin from harmful bacteria. Coconut oil is a natural antibacterial, anti-fungal and full of natural healthy fats that hydrate your skin.

Coffee Butter

Coffee butter naturally contains 1% caffeine which according to many cosmetic makers, helps with breaking down cellulite. It also helps tighten and firm your skin which helps reduce wrinkles. For hair some experts believe that coffee butter can reduce excess shedding and hair loss.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil is quickly absorbed by the skin, reduces skin inflammation and eczema. Popular in face products, evening primrose oil reduces wrinkles and fine lines, treats & prevents acne breakouts, helps regulate our skins production of sebum (which causes large pores, blackheads and pimples) as well as soothing itchy dry skin while improving your skins hydration and elasticity.

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is a workhorse! Fighting chronic skin conditions of eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and dermatitis. Flaxseed oil also helps with acne and reducing the signs of ageing. It is full of healthy fatty acids that help balance your skins natural oils and helps reduce inflammation.

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil contains linoleic acid, antioxidants and vitamins E & C. Popular for face products, it is a lightweight oil perfect for oily skin. Grapeseed oil helps heal acne, tighten pores and reduce the appearance of scars. It also helps remove makeup and some people claim it helps lighten the skin. It absorbs fast into the skin and does not clog pores.

Hemp Butter

Hemp butter is high in Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids making it excellent "skin food", it also protects your skin from sun damage and UV rays. Like hemp seed oil, hemp butter is very good for dry, sensitive or sun-damaged skin.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil creates a rich lather and is filled with essential fatty acids that provide great hydration to your skin. This is another amazing oil that does not clog pores and works to balance your skins natural oil production which helps prevent acne from the start. Because hemp seed oil is a great moisturizing oil, it is perfect for all skin types.

Kokum Butter

Kokum butter is a lightweight hydrating oil that is quickly absorbed into the skin. It is rich in fatty acids that help heal dry & cracked skin and is said to help with the appearance of scars & stretch marks. Look for kokum butter in soaps, body butters, lippy, and lotions if you suffer from dry lips, elbows, soles of your feet and/or knees. If you suffer from dry itchy scalp, this oil can be rubbed into your scalp as an overnight treatment to help relieve dry flakes and itchiness. 

Mango Butter

Mango butter is filled with antioxidants which creates a bar with rejuvenating moisture for the appearance of firmer, healthier-looking skin. It contains antioxidants that help fight the signs of ageing as well as psoriasis and eczema. Mango butter is full of vitamins A, C, B6, and E as well as calcium, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It will not clog your pores and is not greasy. Mango butter can help cool a sunburn while all those healthy properties help your skin recover faster.  

Neem Oil

Neem oil is extremely moisturizing as well as full of antioxidants, it is a great addition to any face soap. On it's own or used in lotions, it has a garlic smell which is great if you are warding off vampires. Thankfully the process of saponification (turning oil to soap) completely removes this smell and you are left with a really high quality skin loving soap! Neem oil can be used to treat eczema, acne, wrinkles and dry cracked skin. It helps even out skin tone and contains vitamin E and healthy fatty acids. 

Olive Oil

Olive oil has been a staple in soap making since the beginning for a reason. It is highly moisturizing and creates a creamy lather. Throughout history it has been used to treat eczema and psoriasis. Olive oil contains vitamins A, D, E and K and acts as an antioxidant which helps fight the sign of ageing. Some people believe that using olive oil on your skin can help protect you from skin cancer. This was proven in labs when tested on mice, it has not however been fully studied for humans. Olive oil is also an antibacterial and can help fight skin infections.

Rice Bran Oil

Rice bran oil is rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and is very good for sensitive dry skin. It prevents premature wrinkles and reduces fine lines. Rice bran oil softens and evens tones skin, and works as a natural sunscreen, although does not replace the need for sunscreen. Using rice bran oil in hair products can help eliminate dandruff and support new hair growth. Used in eye creams, rice bran oil helps reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness while it fights the signs of ageing.

Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil is a fast-absorbing oil full of vitamins A and C, used by high-end luxury anti-ageing face creams. It boosts collagen which improves your skins elasticity & firmness, protects from sun damage and reduces hyper-pigmentation. Rich in essential fatty acids, rosehip oil reduces the look of scars and fine lines, reduces inflammation and irritation from eczema, dermatitis. psoriasis, and rosacea. Like rice bran oil, rosehip oil can be used around the eye area to fight dark circles and fine lines in that area. Rosehip oil is also used to naturally exfoliate your skin for a glowing, vibrant, & healthy radiance. 

Safflower Oil

Safflower oil has a high level of linoleic acid which is great for balancing the sebum levels, maintain the integrity of the outer layer of skin and prevent skin flaking. It is absorbed quickly into the skin, can be used to treat eczema and is suitable for all skin types. It can soothe skin irritations and rashes and is ideal for hydrating acne-prone skin.

Shea Butter

Shea butter is well known for being one of the most moisturizing oils and those effects are seen when used in soap making as well. It contains high levels of healthy fatty acids and vitamins which work to condition, tone and soothe the skin. Great in lotion bars as this butter remains solid at room temperature and melts and absorbs when rubbed on your skin. In lippy, it will soften and hydrate cracked dry lips. Overall shea butter helps protect skin from sun damage, soothes dry skin, improves skin elasticity and helps fight the signs of ageing.

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil full of healthy fatty acids to improve the skin. It helps improve the look of scars and stretchmarks, helps reverse sun damage, and improves acne. Sweet almond oil also reduces puffiness and under eye circles while improving overall skin tone and treats dry skin. 

Although this oil is amazing for your skin, if you have a nut allergy that includes sensitivity to skin contact with nuts, then you should avoid soaps that include sweet almond oil. It may not be an issue, however, depending how bad your allergy is, it may not be worth the risk. If you want to try a small sample, let me know, I have some that you can do a test with.