Essential Oils: Skincare, Bodycare and Haircare

When I first started getting into beauty, never did I think I'd be turning to oils for everyday use. After all, I have oily skin so thought that oils would just not work in my skincare routine and surely a hair oil would just make my hair greasy? But a few years on, I've grown a lot wiser to what products do and don't work for me and now these oils are what I reach for on a daily basis. They help to keep my skin and hair in check and here's why they've gained an essential status in my books...

Skincare:  The Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renewal Cleansing Oil is something I use morning and night. It is the perfect 'first-step' cleanser, in that you massage it onto dry skin and it can remove even the most waterproof of mascaras - the longer you take to massage the oil, the more radiant your face appears. I mentionned this in my How to Get Glowing post, as for me I really notice the difference in my dull, oily skin and although the cleanser moisturises the skin, this is not a heavy feeling - if anything the skin is left feeling refreshed. The fragrance to this is also really refreshing and is reminiscent of the 'Satsuma' range by The Body Shop, making this citrusy oil a subtle wake-up call in the morning. The smallest drop of this stuff goes a long way, and after loving this so much, I've added the Glow Boost Skin Serum from the range onto my never-ending beauty wish-list.

Bodycare: Okay I'd be lying if I said I used this everyday, but I do have good intentions when it comes to using my Bio-Oil. With repeated use I have noticed my scars, stretch marks and keratosis pilaris on my upper arms (a.k.a. "chicken skin" - but that's a gross name so I prefer its technical name), have faded with the help of this oil. There are multiple uses to this, on top of the above it can also be used for uneven skintone, aging skin and dyhydrated skin too and used as an after-sun treatment or bath oil. It has a lovely fruity and floral scent to it, combining lavender oil, rosemary oil, calendula oil and chamomile oil, meaning that Bio-Oil is full of a load of calming ingredients and vitamins to help soothe problem areas of the skin. As this is very oily, I've found it to take a couple of minutes for it to dry and it's because of this that I don't use it daily, as more often than not I'm in a rush in the morning. 

Haircare: I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say it feels as though the L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil was sent down from heaven to fulfill all my hair needs. Having battled with frizz since my early teens, I've gone through a whole lot of serums and creams to tame and protect it from heat but nothing has worked as well as this. A good two pumps is enough to give a bit of shape and definition to my long waves/curls and banish my frizz (wooooo). Again this oil has many uses to it in that it can be used as a nourishing pre-shampoo treatment, before styling to protect the hair and as a finishing touch for softness and shine and no more frizz! If you couldn't tell already I love the stuff and one 100ml bottle lasts for ages.

What do you consider to be your essential oils? Do you have any recommendations for what could be used instead of these products?

Charlotte x