Whether for the skin or hair, beauty oils are slowly making a name for themselves. Their makers say beauty oils can improve complexion, soften brittle hair and contain a range of healthy and useful vitamins and nutrients. But how much of that is true?
The first thing to recognise is that beauty oils are not a new creation. They have been around a long time and were mainly used as texturing-ingredients for body lotions and creams. Many of the oils are parafin-, silicone- or lanolin-based.
There are a number of parafin oils, all of which are made from crude oil. Silicone is a completely synthetic oil that is best known for its use in hair products. Both parafin and silicone have fallen into disrupute in recent years because they frequently dry hair out. They are also non-degradeble and thus have a negative impact on the environment. Lanolin on the other hand is a natural product made from sheep's wool. It's often used in cosmetics because it helps skin to regulate its moisture content.
Plant-based oils have recently begun to play a greater role in the cosmetics industry. That's largely to do with the image they have of being natural products, as well as being kind to the skin, according to dermatologist Joerg Fraenken. "The increased use of plant oils is a positive development because they complement the skin's natural oils and help skin to regenerate."
Dermatologist Professor Volker Steinkraus agrees. "These oils contain a high level of unsaturated fats such as linoleic acid." Many beauty oils are very good at moisturising and are excellent at softening both hair and skin. "Oils that form a film lock in the moisture and help keep the feeling of suppleness."
But the opposite effect is achieved with people who have greasy skin. Beauty oils can lead to acne because the fat content is simply too high for that type of skin. Dermatologists also advise people who suffer from skin irritations and allergies to be cautious when using beauty oils. They recommend testing a small area of skin with the oil to see if it leads to itchyness or any unpleasant side effects.
Along with beauty oils for the skin there are also oils for the hair. Oils have been an ingredient in shampoos and hair treatments for many years but now they are being sold as stand alone products.
"The texture of modern hair oils is nowhere near as fatty as you might think. In fact they are so light that they can even be used with very fine hair without causing any problems," explains Roberto Laraia, art director at the Association of German Hair Stylists. "There are even deep cleaning shampoos that use oil to free hair of residues," he says.
Deep cleaning oils are used when hair has become stressed by insufficient rinsing after using a shampoo. Along with these new uses for beauty oils there are also the classic uses such as helping prevent dry hair and split ends. They work because the oils are not only compatible with skin, they also match the natural oils found in hair. Plant oils in particular closely resemble the natural oils that cover our hair to keep moisture in.