There are still many who avoid face oils due to the many myths that surround them. Oils haven’t had the best reputation in skincare, despite being traditionally used for thousands of years! Here we explore some of the myths and give you the rundown on whether they are true.

Face oils should not be used by people with oily skin.

Answer : Myth

Explanation : There are many different types of oils, and for most conditions, including oily and acne prone skin, there are oils that work well! Argan Pure Oil will help to control oily skin, while many other lightweight oils like Rosehip Pure Oil or Black Seed Pure Oil can be used without issue.

Argan Pure Oil is a great choice for oily and/or acne-prone skin as it both controls sebum production, controls acne bacteria, and doesn't clog pores

Face oils should not be used by people with acne-prone skin.

Answer : Myth

Explanation : Most plant oils are antimicrobial and will in fact inhibit acne bacteria. Tamanu Pure Oil will inhibit acne as well as help to lighten scars that are frequent on those with acne. Other good choices for acne-prone skin are Rosehip Pure Oil and Argan Pure Oil.

 
One of our customers after a few months (right before, left after) of using Tamanu Pure Oil

Face oils clog pores

Answer : Depends

Explanation: Different oils have different properties, you can refer to the comedegenic rating to see how likely an oil is to clog pores. For those looking for non-clogging oils, Argan oil has a rating of 0 (no chance) while Rosehip and Sea Buckthorn each have a rating of 1 (very little chance).

Face oils shouldn’t be used everyday

Answer: Myth

Explanation: Oils can be used everyday, as long as you find oil that suits you. You can also rotate between oils or oil blends depending on your skin condition.  Our skin is complicated and what affects it’s condition goes beyond the product we use, remember that when trying out a new product to consider your day to day factors as well!

 
Not all oils are the same! Experiment and see which one works for you. Talk to us anytime if you'd like some recommendations!

Most face oils have similar properties

Answer: Myth

Explanation: There are many kinds of oils, but they are not all the same. Plant oils from different plants have very different properties. If one doesn’t suit you, another might. If you have some particular condition, you might want to switch oils based on that. Too many people give up too fast on face oils because of a bad experience, but are too quick to discount other choices! When evaluating a blend, be sure to evaluate the individual ingredients and come to a conclusion.

What you eat affects your skin just as much as what you put on it. Here are a few diet tips to help you achieve that gorgeous glowing skin!

Eat less sweet things

it's always too sweet isn't it? kurang manis is the way to go!

Refined sugars are extracted from their original sources (such as sugar cane) and then put in the various sweets that we enjoy today. Our bodies absorb them into the bloodstream very quickly, way quicker than natural sources of sugar, such as fruits or honey. This creates an inflammatory response within the body that can cause various health issues, including breakouts and acne!

If you have a sweet tooth, try eating more naturally sweet foods like fruits and use natural sweeteners like honey when you need to. Always a good idea to opt for kurang manis when eating out at your favourite mamak, warung, or kopitiam as well.

Eat foods with healthy fats

ikan kembung (mackerel) has more omega 3 than tuna/salmon (look it up)

Healthy fats are great for your overall as well as skin health. Fatty acids are the building blocks of your skin cells. Because of this, not consuming enough fats could lead to dry and dull skin! Healthy fatty foods also contain many fat-soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E) that could be rare in other food sources

Good sources of healthy fats are fatty fish (mackerel/ikan kembung, anchovies/ikan bilis, tuna), avocados, omega-3 enriched eggs or free range/kampung chicken eggs, grass-fed beef/mutton, coconut milk/santan, chia seeds, flax seeds, and nuts of various kinds

Avoid dairy

cows need to be pregnant before they produce milk, thus the hormones are in the milk as well

There is significant research that shows that dairy could worsen acne or skin conditions. Most of today’s dairy cows are artificially treated with hormones (since animals need to be pregnant to produce milk). These hormones, as well as the ones naturally present in milk, could be irritants and cause inflammation, which leads to acne or breakouts. 

Sensitivity to dairy depends on the individual, so the degree to which it may affect you varies. If you are cutting out dairy, expect results in 2-3 weeks as your body gets rid of the residual milk sugars and acids in your system. 

Eat more fruits and vegetables

go local with your veggies and fruits. not only are they inexpensive but it is also better for the environment!

No surprises here, fruits and veggies are great natural sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, nutrients that will help your body and your skin be healthy and youthful! Antioxidants will help combat inflammation while vitamins and minerals are essential building blocks for skin cells.

We recommend regularly eating at least 3 different coloured vegetables so that your body gets a wide range of nutrients.

Spices are good

no need to skimp on the spices! 😋

Most people think of vegetables or fruits as the main sources of antioxidants, but spices pack an absolute punch, and are often denser in antioxidant content! Turmeric, ginger, cloves, garlic, cumin, cinnamon - spices common in Southeast Asian cooking - are packed full of anti-inflammatory nutrients, making them great for the skin.

While having lots of spices is a good thing, consuming too much spicy (as in HOT) foods could lead to an increase in sebum production, potentially leading to oilier skin and breakouts. 

Sea Buckthorn Pure Oil is one of our favourite oils. It is one of those oils that almost everyone can benefit from, helping with almost everything including:

1. Nourish and hydrate skin, making it plump and GLOWing
2. Fade scars
3. Controls acne
4. High amount of nutrients and anti-aging antioxidants

Sea Buckthorn is a widespread shrub that grows from Europe to Asia. The berries are edible and have been used for centuries for food and traditional medicine. The bright orange colour comes from the abundant amounts of carotenoids and other nutrients. They are absolutely concentrated with antioxidants, vitamins, and all the good stuff that keeps your skin young, plump and glowing!

the gorgeous Sea Buckthorn berry

You can definitely use it on its own, but if you want to boost your routine even more, give these combinations a try! For each combo, you can use 2-3 drops of Sea Buckthorn Pure Oil and 2-3 drops of another oil.

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If oil control (either too much or too little) is what you are looking for, this is the perfect combo. Deeply moisturizes dry skin and regulates sebum production for a healthier complexion.

Both super nourishing oils, working together to provide you with a myriad of anti-aging nutrients that will leave your skin plump and glowing. Smooths skin, reduce fine lines, and helps smooth texture.

Pigmentation and uneven skin tone bringing you down? These two powerhouses will work together to give you the glow you need. Reduce pigmentation and brightens up skin for a glowy complexion.

Acne and scars don't stand a chance against these two, and Tamanu Pure Oil is (in my humble opinion, THE best oil for scars). Achieve clearer complexion with this potent combo.

going to bed with sea buckthorn <3

Thinking about adding plant oils or oil-based products to your skincare routine? While putting more oil on our skin may seem counter-intuitive, there are actually a myriad of proven benefits on using plant oils for skincare. They contain no synthetic chemicals, are friendly to the environment, and most importantly, they work!
Here are some of the benefits -- backed by scientific research -- on plant oils for the skin. Give it a read to see if plant oils are for you.

it's honestly hard to go back once you start using oils :)

Gives you plump and radiant skin

Have you always wanted smooth and plump skin? The kind that gives you that luminous glow? Plant oils are perfect to help you achieve that!

And how exactly do they do that? Plant oils are made of fatty acids (the thing that keeps your skin hydrated, plump, and youthful). Our body can only produce some of these. The ones that we can’t make are called essential fatty acids, which we can only get from our diet or from applying them on our skin. The most common ones are linoleic and oleic acid, which are abundant in rosehip oil, tamanu oil, argan oil, black seed oil, and sea buckthorn oil. These fatty acids provide nutrients, even out overall skin tone, as well as help the skin to retain moisture, leading to smooth, plump, glowing skin! 

Keeps skin acne-free

Know what’s even better? Plant oils help to keep skin acne-free too! They contain healing properties that can kill acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation. They also help shed dead skin cells that can clog pores, which create pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. These properties can be observed in tamanu oil, with a study exhibiting significant healing of acne. In jojoba oil, research showed a calming effect on mild acne. 

Besides that, pores get clogged when your skin doesn’t have enough linoleic acid. As mentioned before, this fatty acid can be found in most plant oils. What’s amazing is that applying plant oils can actually help to reduce blackheads and spots. In one study, black seed oil was found to reduce pimples after 2 months of usage. This shows how plant oils can help to unclog pores and reduce acne as well!

beautiful green Tamanu oil. Still the best for scars and/or acne.

Heals and regenerates the skin

Plant oils are not only excellent at hydrating and conditioning the skin, they’re also great at giving your skin the extra protection it needs. They are loaded with fat-soluble vitamins as well as antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, which are a few of the ultimate skin-regenerating ingredients. 

These vitamins and antioxidants protect your skin against free radicals. Free radicals are  molecules that damage your skin cells. They come from the environment and the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are known sources for unwanted wrinkles. To help counter this, using rosehip oil -- which is packed with antioxidants -- before heading out of the house would be extremely beneficial. Coconut oil also contains a natural sunscreen and is known to block 20% of UV rays!

Additionally, fatty acids in plant oils provide anti-inflammatory properties, making them remarkable at treating skin issues such as eczema and rosacea. Consistency is key as regular use of plant oils help to improve fine lines, brighten skin, and fade scars.

gorgeous orange hue of Sea Buckthorn Pure Oil. literally helps with every skin condition

Balances both oily and dry skin

If you feel that your skin is deviating from normal and fluctuating between being dry and oily, it's a telltale sign that something could be off-balanced. Believe it or not, sometimes the best way to balance excessive oil is with more oil. That’s where nourishing plant oils can help! 

First off, the likely causes of imbalance could be due to either over- or underproduction of sebum on your skin. Sebum is an oily and waxy substance that is produced on the outermost layers of our skin, which helps to protect and hydrate it. It’s made up of ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol -- perfect, because all of these components can be found in plant oils.

Jojoba oil and our argan oil have qualities that regulate sebum so well that it fools your skin into thinking that it produced it itself. Research has shown that argan oil applied twice daily helps to reduce skin oiliness. Not only are plant oils gentle and effective, they also help to restore the balance of natural oils that are already on your skin!

Repairs skin’s barriers

The skin barrier acts as a security guard. Malacca wasn’t built in a day, and your skin barrier wasn’t damaged in a day, either! In other words, long term exposure to the various aforementioned environmental factors accumulates over time, chipping away at the skin barrier. Aside from environmental stressors, genetics and aging can result in a weaker barrier. 

Another thing that can weaken your skin’s barrier is the use of harsh cleansers, which causes skin to look dry and dull. Following that, skin then becomes compromised and environmental irritants like debris from haze enter the outermost layer more easily. Consequently, the skin isn’t able to absorb the nutrients that it needs, which increases sensitivity and can trigger inflammation, such as redness, dryness, itchiness, and even sensations of stinging or burning. 

This is where the soothing properties of pure oils can help, like our sea buckthorn oil. It helps to train the skin to rebalance itself and maintain the skin barrier’s functions, making your skin more resilient against premature ageing. Trust us, your skin will thank you for helping it be its best self.

this is how hydrated your skin is when plant oils

We hope that this post provides you with a quick overview of what plant oils have to offer and encourages you to try them out. For detailed information on selecting a plant oil for your skin go here. Want to figure out your skin type? Check this out.

Did you hear about our recently launched Roots Hair Care Set? What really makes this delectable duo special is a treasure trove of oils and extracts used in the making, allowing your hair to bask in our carefully formulated potions that’s sole purpose is to improve the overall health of your hair. This can only mean one thing; it’s time to refresh those Roots.

Our Roots Hair Care Set includes the Clary Sage & Lemongrass Hair Wash and a multipurpose Pomegranate Hair & Scalp Treatment Oil. We’ll highlight the scientific evidence (with links!) on the effectiveness of the natural ingredients used in our hair care set. Continue on to find out more!

Hair Growth

The key ingredient of our Pomegranate Hair & Scalp Treatment Oil is pomegranate seed oil, which packs a punch of antioxidants and vitamin C to help increase blood circulation to the scalp. When there is good blood flow to the scalp, it circulates all the essential nutrients to the scalp and thus, encourages hair growth. 

Grapeseed oil contains powerful antioxidants too. In some studies, it is used as a complementary and alternative treatment (think: safe, natural and effective) for hair loss. But hey, if that fact scares you, you should know that a significant improvement by 44% of hair growth within 7 months was observed in a study among those with pattern baldness when grapeseed oil is massaged onto the scalp alongside other carrier oils such as rosemary, lavender and cedarwood - all of which can be found in our scalp and treatment oil!

Dandruff be gone!

Dandruff is caused by an oily scalp. Other times, it is due to a fungus that normally resides on the scalp and causes skin cells to multiply more quickly than usual. Dandruff can turn the skin red and scaly and produces larger flakes.

To treat this, we end up reaching for commercial anti-dandruff shampoos containing chemical agents such as selenium sulfide, not knowing that this harsh ingredient can cause allergic reactions, especially when dandruff is more severe. This leads to scalp irritation and rashes. 

We look at natural and safe methods to combat this while providing the nourishment our scalp is actually thirsty for. Pomegranate oil, grapeseed oil and lavender oil are all anti-pruritic. It basically means this trio helps soothe itchy scalps that may be caused by dandruff, psoriasis or even scalp eczema. Research has shown the successful anti-fungal properties of lemongrass oil against yeast associated with dandruff.

The extracts from Horsetail, an additional ingredient in our hair wash, is an impressive natural antimicrobial agent like the others, whereby it increases resistance to fungal infections on the scalp. Clary Sage oil as one of the few EOs in both our hair care products contribute to these benefits as well with its antiseptic properties.

Shiny and stronger hair

Every hairstylist would tell you that split ends are more likely to occur with chemically treated hair and environmental factors such as wind as well as frequent exposure to sunlight. This is due to the broken cuticle layer on top layer of the hair strand, resulting in porous and dehydrated hair.

Boosting your tresses with frequent use of penetrating oils will produce glossy locks in the long run. Derived from seeds, Sunflower oil provides a film effect and is found to absorb quickly into the hair cuticle. It helps to enhance shine and reduces friction, which prevents hair breakage. Vitamin E, known for its high lipid percentage content, helps to replace that protective layer and bring back shine. 

Besides that, castor oil contains impressive fatty acids that acts as an intense moisturizer and can increase flexibility of hair and decreases the chance of breakage with regular usage.

One such hidden gem would be the clove, a prominent ingredient in North Indian recipes and is a staple here in Malaysia producing dishes from yummy briyani to garam masala. Clove oil is nutrient-dense, containing vitamins A and C, potassium and phosphorus, when combined with other carrier oils, provide hair shaft restoration.

Another fun fact is that silicon levels naturally occurring in the human body decrease with age, resulting in hair brittleness. Horsetail extract contains a high mineral silica content, which gives sheen to strands and at the same time, improves structural integrity of the hair. 

Cease the Grease 

Struggling with an oily scalp? Nettle extract, only found in our hair wash, is not a recent discovery. It has been used for thousands of years to grow shiny, beautiful hair. It’s astringent nature calms oil production and scalp irritation.

Besides that, lemongrass oil and clary sage oil function the same way by limiting sebum produced on the scalp, and same goes with Vitamin E. When oil production is regulated, hair becomes more volumized.

As a whole, the Roots Hair Care Set contains essential ingredients for healthy scalp and hair. If you have tried out the Roots Hair Care Set, do let us know at Twitter, Instagram or in the comments below!