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!