Posts Tagged ‘palm oil’
Some bugs you want on your face.
Some bugs are good on your face. Others, not so good.
On its own, the oil (sebum) we secrete through our skin has no antiseptic power. We need helpful bugs to convert it into antiseptic fatty acids. Without them, we are exposed to invasion by harmful bacteria and fungi, and we can suffer breakouts and worse.
When we deplete our natural oils, the good bugs don’t have anything to work with. This can happen naturally, as we produce less sebum over time. We can also deplete our natural oils by dissolving them with products that contain alcohol and other harsh ingredients. That’s one of the ways extra dry skin develops.
Coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil are all treated the same way as sebum by beneficial bacteria that live on our skin. They are broken down into fatty acids that protect our skin from marauders. It’s one of the reasons these oils are so healing. And that’s why I use them on my skin and in my products.
This is in addition to their moisturizing and softening benefits. Quite a deal, really.
More about the difference bacteria can make to your skin.
