Super dry skin
Rosehip - Has a lot of healing properties and is good for various skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis, also very moisturising
Avocado - Also good for eczema, the most moisturising of the bunch
Argan - Really good for redness, has a nice smooth consistency, once again it is moisturising
Sweet Almond - Good for redness also, probably second on the moisturising scale after avocado
People with skin that needs more moisture (eg. mature skin, but also younger folk as well), or skin that is flaky and dehydrated should use these oils as they are quite thick and very moisturising.
Normal/dry skin
Jojoba - the thinnest, but still very moisturising (I use jojoba and I have fairly dry skin). Jojoba is the closest to the skin's natural sebum of all the carrier oils, making it really easily absorbed and regulates sebum production, also good for eczema and skin conditions similar to this
Sweet almond - the more moisturising of the bunch
Apricot kernel - best for sensitive skin, though I jojoba is good too, this one is just known for being gentle and non-irritating, easily absorbed
These ones would suit most skin types as they are fairly thin and you can use more or less as you need it.
Oily/combo skin
Jojoba - (read above)
Grapeseed - slightly anstingent, so it would be good for acne prone skin
Uses:
1. As a moisturiser
I use jojoba every second night (in combination with a cream moisturiser), there is a specific way that you have to use carrier oils as moisturiser, you have to first wet your face and palms, put a few drops of the oil in your hand and rub your palms together, then massage into the face. Make sure your hands are wet, it helps the oils to absorb and when I don't do this and just apply the oil straight onto my face I get break outs. Start with only a small amount and then add more if your skin is still a bit dry, you don't need much, I use 2 or 3 drops for my face.
2. Body and hand moisturiser
What's great about carrier oils is that you can buy one that suits your skin type and use that in many ways, not having to buy more than that one (though you can if you want to). So I also use jojoba as a body and hand moisturiser, it's really good as a hand moisturiser because it sinks in quickly and leaves my hands soft and smooth.
3. Makeup remover
This is my favourite makeup remover of all time, mostly because it's the only one that doesn't irritate my skin, but also because if you get it in your eyes it doesn't sting! I think that's pretty fantastic.
So how I use it is as follows: wet a cotton pad, put a few drops of the oil along the centre, wipe it across your eye several times and then take a clean, damp cotton pad and wipe off the oil.
4. Cleanser
A lot of people use oils straight as a cleanser, they use it similarly to how I moisturiser, but take it off with a toner and massage it more thoroughly, but I'm not really sure how that works as it is how I use it as a moisturiser...So I like Lush Ultrabland, it's mainly oils, but it's in more of a cream form
5. Healer
Carrier oils possess some qualities similar to essential oils (both from plants, etc.), so a lot of carrier oils have healing and mild antiseptic properties. Also they are very moisturising, so they would be good for burns.
6. Intensive moisturising mask
I use oils in my masks as well, it's not the main ingredient, but it adds to the moisturising-ness of the mask.
So my current favourite is:
1-2 tsp green clay
1 tsp manuka honey
5-ish drops of jojoba oil
7. Leave in treatment in hair
Probably my most used idea for carrier oils, just under moisturiser. Here are the results I find with jojoba oil (I like jojoba in my hair because it isn't as heavy as some of the others and is similar to the natural sebum).
- Shinier hair, but healthy looking ie. not being dried out on the inside by silicone, but looking nice on the outside
- Really, really soft hair
- If used as a deep treatment before washing, my scalp is nicely moisturised and not irritated
- Smooth hair, the oil smooths flyaways really well
- Healthy hair
- Smooth, moisturised ends - less likelihood of getting split ends
8. Carrier for essential oils
Carrier oils can also be used if you use an oil burner for aromatherapy, rather than putting the oils in water, which evaporates quickly, you can put it in a carrier oil and it will burn slower (you do need a small amount of water though, or else it might burn)
Another way that oils can be used to carry is when applying essential oils to the skin, for example, if you have bad acne and oily skin, you can use tea tree oil (I wouldn't use it often though) on the spots as tea tree oil is a very good antiseptic, antibacterial, all of that good stuff, but it can be too harsh straight on the skin and give you a rash or burns, so then you would mix it with a carrier oil before applying it to the skin. For tea tree oil, I would say about one drop of tea tree to 3 or 4 drops of carrier. Though some essential oils do not need to be diluted, like lavender, in most people, can be applied neat.
9. Lip moisturiser
If you run out of lip balm (it's not very realistic to use it on the go) then slap a few drops of a carrier oil on your lips, it works really well, but it is a liquid and thus hard to use any where other than home.
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