Dry Skin's Dirty Secret
It's the time of the year again where the snow is piled high, the winter air is dry, and our skin is chapped and scratchy. It's just a few more weeks until spring showers can refresh the outdoors and brighten the horizon! But in the meantime, what is there to do with those dry, chapped hands?
We want to let you in on dry skin's dirty secret so you'll be able to get baby smooth skin even before the first spring showers hit!
Most winters, as soon as skin feels dry, we lather on hand lotion and moisturizers. That's the typical thing to do, right?!
Wrong!
David Pollock, a beauty-product consumer advocate and author of the book Just Stop the Lies! Secrets the Beauty Industry Doesn't Want You to Know, says "skin creams can actually increase signs of aging." Emulsifiers are binding agents that allow oil and water to mix in moisturizers and lotions and leave a residue on the skin. That residue disrupts your skin's lipid barrier, allowing water to evaporate from the skin faster. "You get a fast shot of moisture that eventually fades," Pollock says. So you use more lotion, and your skin gets drier, and the cycle just continues.
Lotions and moisturizers can be expensive - especially when you have to purchase more and more to keep up with the dry skin cycle. Deborah Niemann, author of the new book Ecothrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthier Life, recommends sunflower oil to moisturize your skin! It's a more effective and less expensive option - it's a win, win!
Sunflower oil is not only a good moisturizer, but it makes for a good massage oil because it's thinner and more slippery than some of the other cooking oils you can use. It also absorbs into the skin more quickly. Simply Sunflower Oil contains an amazing 41% Vitamin E, which is fantastic for moisturizing the skin! It's also all-natural, so you don't need to worry about any chemicals, fragrances, or artificial colorings - which are found in most body lotions.
A study of 497 pre-term infants deemed high-risk for sepsis were given three times daily application of sunflower oil versus a petroleum-based moisturizer, versus standard of care to see if improving the skin barrier would prevent systemic infection. The sunflower oil reduced sepsis by 41 percent, with a 26 percent reduction in mortality, significantly better than no treatment and similar to the effect of the petroleum-based moisturizer, but at a fraction of the cost. No adverse events were reported, suggesting that sunflower oil is pretty safe, even in these most vulnerable premature infants (1).
In another study, 19 adults received olive oil on one arm versus sunflower oil on the other for 4 weeks. The olive oil caused a worsening of the barrier function and even erythema in subjects with and without a history of AD. Sunflower oil, on the other hand, did not cause erythema and preserved skin barrier function while actually improving hydration (2). So not only does sunflower oil preform better than a typical petroleum-based moisturizer, but it also soars when compared to the moisturizing benefits of other oils.
Simply Sunflower Oil is a healthy alternative for cooking, but it also has many benefits for your skin to keep in mind. This is another reason why so many natural soap companies love sunflower oil! It does extraordinary things for your skin!
To use Simply Sunflower Oil as a moisturizer, simply dab a little on a cotton pad or cotton ball and apply to the skin. You can also pour a small amount of Simply Sunflower Oil into your hand and massage it on your hands, elbows, or feet. Our 8oz bottle is perfect for keeping on your vanity, next to all your other beauty products.
If you're trying Simply Sunflower Oil as a skin moisturizer for the first time, we would be delighted to see your results! Please use our contact us page to share how Simply Sunflower Oil gave you silky smooth skin in the dead of winter!
We believe in Simply Sunflower Oil and hope it helps you kick your dry skin to the curb!
Sincerely,
Your Simply Sunflower Team
References:
1. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, "Effect of skin barrier therapy on neonatal mortality rates in preterm infants in Bangladesh: a randomized, controlled, clinical trial." <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18310201>
2. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, "Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care." <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22995032>
