Which Oils Are Good For Your Skin Type?

When I heard that putting oil on your face would actually help even out oily skin I was baffled. I think all of us have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of when a product just sits there on your skin, instead of absorbing quickly. I even read and heard that people were using ONLY oil to wash their faces. I am not that brave just yet. BUT after hearing the oil-moisturizer idea it time and time again, I decided to try it myself. I have spent the past month using a mango butter mixture after I wash with one of the facial bars I make. I chose mango butter because I combination skin that is mostly oily but also has dry patches. Mango butter is considered non-comedogenic and a "dry oil," in order to maximize my experience and results.

Non-Comedogenic vs Comedogenic
What does non-comedogenic mean? (trust me I still have trouble even spelling it, let alone saying it. Non-comedogenic is a fancy way to say that it doesn't clog pores. Each liquid oil or body butter has a comedogenic attached to it ranging from zero (non-clogging) to 4 (clogging). For example, mango and shea, butters are rated a 0, but coconut oil is rated a 4. This means that if you already have oily skin you should stick to oils and butters that are very close to zero. If you have dry skin you might be able to use higher ranking oils without necessarily clogging your pores.

What is a dry oil?
A dry oil sounds like an oxymoron, but all it means is that it absorbs much faster into the skin, leaving behind a "dry" feeling versus a greasy one. For example shea butter is not considered a dry oil but mango butter is because mango butter absorbs much more quickly into the skin. You may still feel a little "oily" after using any oil, but using dry oils are supposed to feel much nicer.


Now, supposedly these rules don't really apply to soapmaking because of the composition of the oil changes during the soapmaking process. However in my personal testing, as a person with combination skin, I have found that following the non-comedogenic/comedogenic oil rates, really makes a difference on whether not a facial bar is successful for me. With a combination of my facial bars and the mango butter, I have had positive results. Most days my face doesn't get oily throughout the day. I also found that my face loves it better when I use the mango butter in the morning versus at night. I have read that others have found the opposite to be true. I think it's all about your preference and your own skin: after all, we may share similar skin types, but our results may be drastically different depending on a number of factors.

Will I continue to use mango butter on my face? I am a very tactile person so it is extremely important to be aware of how a product feels on my skin. Even though mango butter is a dry oil, I still don't like the initial feels of greasiness, even though it does it job throughout the course of the day. I will continue to use it until I successfully create a facial cream (see below to see me experimenting). I think I can get over the "ick" I feel until I create something better.

Have you tried the oil method? Check out our facial bars. We are currently working on one for dry skin. Drop us a line if you would like to find out more about which oils, butter, and facial bar will be best for you.



A List of Comedogenic Oil Values


Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Skin Care Saturday: Fixing Grainy Shea Butter

 Have you ever dealt with grainy shea butter? I was horrified when I first started using shea butter. I didn't understand why it would end up with grit that felt almost like sand.

After doing some research I found out that shea butter that is melted and cooled too slowly, would end up with the grainy texture. As the warmer weather creeps up, shea butter will melt down, and depending on how warm it is, will stay in liquid form. However, when it cools back down, it will often result in grainy texture. This results in the stearic acid separating from the other fats, resulting in the grainy texture.

The easiest way to fix this is by placing the shea butter in a heat proof container, and using a heat source such as a microwave or double boiler method to melt it completely.

After it is melted, stick it in the freezer and check on it periodically until it has resolidified. Then allow it to cool back down to room temperature. If your room temperature still causes it to melt, store in the fridge or simply melt it down right before each use. You want to be careful not to over heat the butter as it can lower the quality and cause any scent to vaporize.

While shea butter can be a little bit annoying to maintain during warmer weather, the small hinderance is minuscule to the amount of conditioning and softness it gives your skin.



Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The BodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

New Product: Chocolate-Covered Almond-Cherry Soap

Chocolate craving? We have something that may give you the same euphoria without the calories. Washing with our chocolate-covered almond-cherry soap may possibly elevate you new another level of chocolate. Why eat the bar when you can wash with it?

Click here to indulge.

The Body Buffet creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap, and more for the greater Philadelphia area and beyond. 

We use local ingredients when possible and we have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

The theme behind the blog plays into the "farm to table" movement which focuses on the importance of fresh, locally produced food. Why shouldn't your bath products be fresh and local too? 

We aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.