Natural Oils for Beauty

The use of natural oils from different plants and nuts have been in practice for hundreds of years. Choosing to use something that is naturally derived from something that grows from the Earth offers many benefits to a person’s skin and hair. By choosing to use products that are all natural, a person can be assured that there are no synthetic fillers or by products going into their skin. Many of these products are 100% cold pressed, meaning that no heat is added to the collection of the oils. The oil is pressed directly from the nut or plant and is bottled.

There are many different natural oils to choose from. Argan oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and almond oil are just a few of the many oils that a person can find. These natural oils contain many vitamins and minerals and essential fatty acids that are good for a person’s skin and hair.

Argan oil is lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin and hair. It is a great moisturizer and can be used on all areas of a person’s body, on the ends of hair, as a hair mask, massaged into cuticles, on the bottom of dry feet, rough elbows, and more. It contains high quantities of Vitamin E. It is found only in Morocco and is harvested from nuts that grow on the argan tree.

Olive oil is best known for it’s use in cooking, but a person can use olive oil in beauty as well. It is especially beneficial to those who have dry skin. Rub some organic extra virgin olive oil into the feet, knees, cuticles, as a hair treatment on split ends or on a dry scalp. This oil contains vitamin E and vitamin A. want some great olive oil skin care products? Check out DHC (also see our DHC Review)

Coconut oil is an oil that is perfect for those with rough and dry skin. This oil is lightweight and absorbed into the skin quickly. Coconut oil is great to use as an after bath moisturizer all over the body. It is a great scalp treatment as well. Massage some extra virgin organic coconut oil into the scalp and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse well and cleanse hair as normal. It is great for cracked heels, dry elbows, lips, or anywhere extra moisture is needed.

Almond oil is mild oil that has many uses for beauty. It is a great moisturizer and can be used directly on the face and entire body. It is great to use on the hair and adds shine and luster. It is especially good for people who have dry skin and hair.

These are just a few oils as an example of what great health benefits natural oils will do for a person. There are so many other natural, great oils with many different uses that offer great skin and beauty benefits. Just remember to get them in their purest form-organic cold pressed.

These are just a sample of the health benefits and the daily uses of choosing to use natural oils in a beauty regime. A person can use oils to protect their skin from the elements. These oils contain many antioxidants and prevent free radical damage. There are many beauty uses for these oils such as hair and scalp treatments, makeup removers, body scrubs, where you mix natural oil and sugar together and apply to the skin, rinse off, and then also as a moisturizer. These oils provide many vitamins and nutrients that a person’s skin needs and requires. Plus, since they are grown and found in nature, they are bound to be good for a person as well.

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I am a big DHC Skin Care fan, so I keep getting new items from them to try. My latest favorite is DHC Eye Bright .  This is a gel eye cream that depuffs and brightens using caffeine, revitalizing Isodonis japonicus (a Japanese botanical), and licorice extract. The gel also hydrates and soothes with sodium hyaluronate and cucumber.

The gel has a nice cooling feel to it when it is applied. Put it in the fridge for even more depuffing! I really like Eye Bright in the mornings when my eyes are puffy and I need a quick pick me up.

Read here, for more reviews of DHC products, makeup, and skincare items!

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DHC skincare is a Japanese skin care and cosmetics company.  I have been a long time fan of DHC skincare products, especially their Olive Oil cleanser (read previous DHC review), but until recently, I had not tried much of DHC’s Makeup. So I decide to change that and sent in an order.

I decided to try out a combination of DHC foundation and makeup products to see how well I could achieve a look using them that would hopefully lessen the appearance of my melasma, but without using a full coverage foundation. I found  a good mix for that. These item also contain Coenzyme Q as an anti-aging ingredient. So you can get some double duty action out of them!

First off, I applied  DHC Q10 Moist Color Base. This product comes in several varieties:

• Pink: Lends a rosy glow to diminish yellow undertones
• Apricot: Adds warmth to liven pale, dull complexions
• Beige: Balances uneven tones for a natural neutral look
• Yellow: Ideal for moderate redness and unwanted pinkness
• Green: Helps conceal severe redness issues

I used beige, which was advertised to help even out the appearance of discoloration. I found that it worked fairly well for that. The base is a light beige tone that doesn’t really tint much, but does help lessen the look of hyperpigmentation. Despite the term “moist” in the name, It came out quite matte, which I liked since I was fairly oily at the time that I tried it.  Because of its shade, I think it would work for fair to medium skin, but those with truly porcelain skin or with brown skin might not find it very useful. The base acts quite well as a basic makeup primer, but if you want a true silicon primer, try out DHC Velvet Skin Coat instead (read review).  That one is also clear, so it works well with all skin colors.

Next, I applied DHC Q10 Liquid Foundation. This is a sheer foundation with Coenzyme Q10 to add anti-aging properties. I appreciate double duty products, so I liked the idea of this item before I even tried it. Once I did try it, I loved the product. DHC Q10 foundation is sheer and a bit moisturizing, making it very comfortable to wear. Coverage is sheer, so while this doesn’t cover my melasma well alone, I found that it worked well in conjunction with the moist color base.  For those wanting just a bit of sheer evening of redness and such, this foundation would be a good choice. One downside though is that the container rather small for the price point.

My favorite of the bunch was the DHC Q10 Face Powder .  In fact, this has become my favorite facial powder, replacing my previous and more expensive favorite, Laura Mercier powder. This powder has a wonderful silky feeling to it and it sits well on the skin without overly settling into wrinkles and pores. The container is also of a decent size. I love it and will be a repeat purchaser.

Items from DHC skincare are generally available only online or through mail order. You are allowed to select four DHC samples with each order and their catalog comes with samples included, so it is a good mailing list to be on!

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In Part II of my DHC skin care reviews, I promised a look at DHC Velvet Skin Coat. I do so here in comparison to a similar product. Smashbox Photo Finish foundation primer is one of those products that has cult status. The magazines rave about it and so do plenty of others. I was always happy with it too, but now that I have tried DHC Velvet Skin Coat, I have a new foundation primer, mainly because I think it fills lines a bit better. But Photofinish seems to make my makeup last better, so maybe it is a wash!  Either way, these two are a couple of the best makeup primer items out there.

Shop For Smashbox Photofinish

Smashbox Photo Finish is a  nice foundation primer. A small amount patted onto the skin feels nice and provides a nice surface for makeup. I don’t feel that it fills in lines and pores to the extent that it advertises, although it does work nicely under the eyes as a base for concealer. Mostly I love Smashbox Photofinish because it really keeps my makeup wearing well–better than most foundation primers that I have tried. For those who try Smashbox Photo Finish, proper use is important. A little goes a long way, and it will be come a sticky mess if you try to pack it on. Trust me, I have used too much before and it was not pretty! So, use just a tiny amount, and spread it evenly.

Velvet Skin Coat

I like DHC Velvet Skin Coat much more. In fact I like it so much that I plan to start using it instead of Photo Finish. Like Smashbox Photo Finish, DHC Velvet Skin Coat feels quite nice on the skin, but it is also more forgiving. It does not turn sticky or messy if a bit more is used. Second, I felt that Velvet Skin Coat did actually work at filling in some deeper  lines and pores. It is a bit thicker in consistency than Smashbox Photo Finish, which I think makes it both fill in better and easier to handle. My makeup went on nicely after use. I also had no problems using it over moisturizer and sunscreen. DHC advertises that it absorbs oil, which can be a bonus for those with oily skin. The only downside for me is that Velvet Skin Coat does not contain sunscreen. Smashbox does have a sunscreen version of Photo Finish (Smashbox Photofinish SPF 15). That is not a deal breaker for me since I religiously wear a separate high SPF sunscreen, but I like to get extra wherever I can.

DHC skincare makes a number of other products, and I love their olive oil cleanser. For my reviews of some of their other products look at DHC Skincare Review Part I and DHC SkinCare Review Part II.

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In the first installment of my DHC Skincare review, I looked at the Olive Essentials Set. In this installment, I review some of the other DHC skincare products: Rich Moisture, Extra Nighttime Moisture, Concentrated Eye Cream, Eye Bright, Facial Scrub, and Q10 Cream. I will look at Velvet Skin Coat in a final installment later this week.

DHC Mositruizer

• DHC Rich Moisture is a standard moisturizing lotion. It has a nice rich feel and good packaging. liked it fine.  However at this price point, I prefer Estee Lauder Daywear.
• I liked DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture a bit better. This is a rich overnight cream with olive oil and sodium hyaluronate. With its $30 price tag, it moisturized for me just as well or even better than some much more expensive products. I would consider buying this after my current products run out, especially if I was already making a DHC skincare order.
• DHC Concentrated Eye Cream is another one that I like quite a bit. This thick eye cream did a great job moisturizing the under eye area, and my skin there looked and felt wonderful the next morning.  It is a good eye cream for its price point.
• Eye Brightis a light gel with cucumber for cooling, caffeine for depuffing, and licorice for brightening. It felt nice on the skin and absorbed well. I am kind of a sucker for eye gels, and this one really is quite nice, especially for summer!
• The DHC Q10 Cream is a standard anti-aging cream. I personally have not used any given  co-enzyme Q product enough to see areal effect from it, but I know of others who rave about it for its antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Obviously from a sample, it would be hard to say much about this one either. It felt fine, and I liked it as a general moisturizer. If you have had previous success with Q10 or are interested in trying it, the DHC  Q10 Cream could be a good choice.
• Finally, there is the Facial Scrub. This is an apricot scrub that is pretty effective, but not quite as harsh as some other apricot scrubs that I have tried. It was OK for me, and I think fans of apricot scrubs would like it.

Overall, I have been impressed with the DHC skincare products that I have tried. They also have many other products that look interesting. Take a look at the DHC website for more information.

I also tried DHC skincare Velvet Skin Coat and will cover that later this week in a post comparing it to Smashbox Photofinish.

Update: The DHC Velvet Skin Coat review is here: DHC Velvet Skin Coat

Shop for DHC

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DHC Skin Care Kit

DHC skincare makes some great olive oil skin care products. Since DHC is based on olive oil (in fact one product is solely pure olive oil), a common first thought is: Won’t DHC skincare items cause break outs? But the general reports from both the DHC skincare company and from consumers is that the products, even the pure olive oil, do not clog pores. Instead, olive oil helps to dissolve the gunk that can sink into them. This has been my personal experience as well.

The use of olive oil for skin care can be traced to the ancient Greeks, who used it for its moisturizing properties. Extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket can be used on dry skin, put in the hair as a treatment, added to the bath, and more. When used as a cleanser, it dissolves makeup quite well, including waterproof mascara.

So it is not surprising that DHC, a popular Japanese company focusing on skin care, does well with its olive oil products. I found myself with eleven different products to try when I was given a bunch of samples. Now that I have used them, I am reviewing them in two parts. Today I will cover what DHC skincare calls “The Olive Essentials Set.” The next installment will look at some of their other items.

DHC skincare has a variety of cleaners, moisturizers, and other products. But they focus their advertising on a basic regime consisting of an olive oil cleanser, soap, toner, and pure olive oil.

• DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is my favorite of the bunch. I had tried this in the past and had forgotten how much I loved it.  DHC Deep Cleansing Oil looks like oil, and initially feels like oil, but it quickly turns into a moisturizing lather that dissolves makeup quite well and rinses clean without feeling drying. It has pretty good reviews at MakeupAlley, where one reviewer noted the seeming inconsistency with an olive oil that rinses clean. Yet it does just that. I too am fascinated by it and I love how it works and feels. I am definitely buying this stuff. (2011 update-This has been my regular cleanser for years now. It simply is the best!)
• Another basic product is theDHC Mild Soap, whose ingredients include olive oil and honey. Why a soap when there is already a cleanser? The DHC literature states that the cleanser is best for people who wear makeup or have oily skin because the cleanser breaks up makeup and oils, while the soap gets rid of “finer impurities.” The soap certainly feels fine and I suppose the extra step doesn’t hurt, but I don’t know that it really is all that necessary. I felt perfectly clean using just the cleanser and rinsing well. I also tend to be lazy and hate extra steps. So for me, the soap is not a necessary product. However, people who don’t like the idea of an oil cleanser or who prefer a bar soap will find that the DHC soap cleans efficiently without an oily feel.
• The next step in the process is toning with DHC Mild Lotion. This is an alcohol free toner with cucumber and glycerin. I found it to be a pretty standard toner: Nothing wrong with it, but I found no reason to rave about it either. It worked as it should and tingled appropriately. It didn’t seem particularly drying. In reality, I just am not a big fan of any toners and don’t tend to use them. I don’t find that extra step necessary, nor do I buy arguments that it is required to properly prepare skin for a moisturizer. So, I wouldn’t buy this item, but fans of toners might be perfectly happy with it.
• Finally, there is DHC Olive Virgin Oil. This is pure olive oil that DHC skincare states is in one of the purest forms available. I have read of many people who are happy using pure olive oil on their face, whether it be the DHC product or simply extra virgin olive oil bought at the store. I know that it can be a great skin softener, that it has antioxidants, and it can help lock in moisture. But it just isn’t for me. I love the cleanser because it rinses clean. But the oil sits on the face. Yes, it absorbed after a bit, and to be fair, my skin felt quite soft the mornings after I tried the oil. But I still didn’t care for the oil on my hands, oily feeling on my face, and oil on the towels. Also, I use several specialty products that really need a different kind of moisture over them. DHC suggests that when other products and moisturizers are used, the oil can be put over those to “prevent hydration from evaporating from the skin. It does get rave reviews on the DHC site.

The upshot is that I will be buying the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which I just adore, and passing on the rest. From reading other DHC skincare reviews I suspect that my thoughts about the other products are due to my own proclivities. Plenty of people like the other products.

For those wanting to test some of the products themselves, DHC provides a Catalog upon request that includes 4 samples. The literature I was provided states that those are the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil that I reviewed here and the Velvet Skin Coat, Q10 Creme, and Concentrated Eye Creme, all of which I will review in other installments. DHC skincare also allows customers to choose up to four samples with each order. Update: once on their mailing list, you will continue to get catalogs with different samples each time.

Update: Part II is available here: DHC Skin Care Review, Part II.

The review of Velvet Skin Coat is here DHC Velvet Skin Coat Review.

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