Enjoy the magic of jojoba oil

Dear Betsy, Thank you for your great articles on making homemade skin care products, my mum and I always have fun trying them and they work!

Is it bad to use a face scrub everyday? I have oily skin and blackheads and using a scrub seems to help it but my mum says it is bad for me. What is your advice?

Habeeba

Dear Habeeba,

I am happy to hear you enjoy the skin care recipes, but I am afraid your mum is correct about the face scrub.

Over exfoliating will lead to dehydrated (low in water) and sensitised skin.

It can also result in your skin becoming oilier, as scrubbing it so often will remove surface traces of sebum, your skin's natural oil and your brain will get a message that there is no sebum on your skin and it will stimulate your sebaceous glands which will make more sebum and flood your skin to make up for the lack of sebum, as part of its function is to protect and balance your skin.

This same cycle, known as reactive seborrhoea, also takes place when you have oily hair and scalp and you shampoo it everyday with a strong shampoo.

Stripping away that oil just prompts your body to produce more. Instead, try using the scrub two or three times a week maximum and use a daily moisturiser which is water-based rather than oil-based.

A clay-based face mask used once a week immediately after your face scrub will help to control the sebum and build up of blackheads.

Ironically, massaging your skin once or twice a week with some jojoba oil will not result in your skin becoming oilier, but it will help to control and balance your skin's oil levels. How? I hear you ask, can using an oil make my skin less oily?

Simple, first of all jojoba is a liquid wax rather than a true oil and it perfectly mimics your skin's sebum, reassuring your brain that there is enough sebum on your skin and therefore your body will produce less.

Jojoba oil is easily absorbed by your skin and won't leave an oily or sticky residue on your face.

Try taking a teaspoon (5mls) of jojoba oil and adding one drop of lavender essential oil and one drop of tea tree essential oil and use this as a treatment at night before you go to bed.

I promise that in the morning you will wake up with a much less oily, balanced complexion.

For any readers who have a dry or sensitive skin, try adding one drop of lavender and one drop of roman chamomile or for a superb anti-ageing treatment add one drop of frankincense and one drop of geranium. Massage gently on a clean skin, over face and neck and down over your chest.

Make larger quantities (15ml, a tablespoon, maximum of eight drops of oils) and use as a luxury body oil after bathing.

Some warmed jojoba oil (30ml, two tablespoons) with eight drops of rosemary essential oil, two drops of tea tree oil and five drops of geranium oil produces an amazing deep conditioning hair treatment to stimulate growth, balance the scalp and leave a beautiful, healthy shiny head of hair.

Unlike other oils, (almond, olive, coconut etc), jojoba oil will rinse off easily and not require three manic shampoos to rid your hair of the sticky oil, which actually negates any positive results anyway, as the PH balance has been stripped and your hair is squeaky clean, full of static and sending furious messages to your brain that it has been stripped of sebum and hey presto your clean hair and scalp are soon back to their state of unhealthy imbalance.

Sorry Habeeba! What was your question again! Amazing how one question leads me on to other answers!

Anyway hope you enjoy trying out the magic of jojoba oil and let us all know what results you achieve.

BETSY SAYS RELAX...

Breathe your way to bliss ... Abdominal breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety or just help you bring your world back into focus.

Place your hand on the upper part of your tummy, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose making sure your stomach swells out and rises as you do so.

Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat three or four times. Do this anywhere, anytime - stuck in a traffic jam, on a plane journey, before you confront your boss or open your bank statement!

If you only do one thing THIS WEEK

Clear out your wardrobe, cupboards and drawers. Clutter and mess can be stressful and feng shui consultants tell us it can prevent us from reaching our potential. Apart from that, think how nice it would be to open up a drawer or cupboard and instantly find what you are looking for! Be ruthless and throw away or donate items that you have not used or worn for a year or more, this can be very liberating.