Get your oil!
How oils give skin resilience and elasticity
By Dr. Huong Nguyen | Editor: Dr. Sabine Nunius | June 1, 2022
'An oil? But my skin is already oily...' I often hear this reaction when advising clients. Especially for oily or greasy skin, there's a persistent myth that it's best to avoid all oils. In my opinion, that's a real shame. Because: EVERY skin type needs oils, regardless of whether it's dry, sensitive, blemished, or oily. So the question isn't whether you should use oils, but rather WHICH and HOW MUCH are best for your skin.
THE COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT OILS MAKES IT
Personally, I don't like it when an oil sits on my skin for a long time after application and leaves a sticky feeling.
An oil should ideally:
1. absorb quickly
2. have an enveloping effect
3. seal or close the skin barrier
4. Contains vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents for cell protection
This means that oils with different properties must inevitably be combined to achieve the perfect result.
For TEN TWELVE, I set about developing this ideal facial oil. The result is Liquid Barrier, which combines all of the aforementioned properties. I hope it will convince even the most skeptical oil users! :-)
LIQUID BARRIER: PROTECTIVE SHIELD AND VELVETY MOISTURE IN ONE
I'm convinced that almost anyone can be inspired to use facial oil – provided the oil has the right properties. That's why I paid particular attention to this when selecting the oils for Liquid Barrier. My favorites are characterized by all of the above qualities:
1. Fast absorption
Oils with a high content of polyunsaturated lipids generally absorb quickly and leave a silky feeling. Unfortunately, they don't have an immediate enveloping and moisturizing effect. However, in the long run, they are absolutely valuable for your skin. The omega-3 and omega-6 lipids they contain, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, replenish your skin's barrier and thus give it resilience. These are present in Liquid Barrier with kukui nut oil and kahai oil.
2. Enveloping effect
The enveloping, moisture-enriching effect is primarily achieved through saturated lipids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, and phytosterols. These, of course, must be included in Liquid Barrier! My hero ingredients for this are cupuacu butter and ethyl shea butter. They contain phytosterols (plant cholesterol), which intensively strengthen your skin barrier.
3. Closing the skin barrier
Your skin barrier is made up of 50% ceramides. So, it's no question that ceramides had to be included in Liquid Barrier. I also added phospholipids. They are essential building blocks of cell membranes. Together with the phytosterols from cupuacu and shea butter and omega-rich lipids from kukui nut and kahai oil, this creates a truly powerful combination to seal the skin barrier.
4. Cell protection & anti-inflammatory
Last but not least, I didn't just select the oils based on their lipid profile. It was important to me to use oils rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. Kahai oil is the best example. It has an incredibly high concentration of natural retinol and vitamin E. Other key ingredients include cupuaçu butter with its antioxidant phenols and frankincense extract with clinically proven boswellic acids. Both inhibit UV-induced inflammation and protect your skin's own collagen.
Does Liquid Barrier combine all the qualities a good facial oil should have for me? Yes! Would I recommend it for every skin type, even oily or greasy skin? Of course! Oily and blemished skin especially loves polyunsaturated fats that absorb quickly, like the kukui nut or kahai oil it contains.
My only warning is the addictive potential! At least we on the team can't get enough of it – and we hope, of course, that we'll infect you with our enthusiasm!