Add Facial Oils To Your Beauty Routine

Why are facial oils suddenly everyone’s favourite skincare hack? Anupama Bijur finds out

- Anupama Bijur

When word got out that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, uses rosehip oil, this facial oil acquired the kind of a cachet that no advertising campaign could achieve. The oil from Trilogy, the brand that the Duchess favours, sells a bottle every 20 seconds in the world. Incidentally, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr also swear by it. But why are we all of a sudden getting excited about facial oils when they have always been part of our skincare routine?

Body and facial oils lost some of their sheen with the invention of moisturisers and serums, which delivered hydration without making the skin look shiny and greasy. But the reason that facial oils are finding favour again is because of the addition of essential oils. Skincare brands have been quick to adopt traditional wisdom and add herbs and plant extracts into oils to deliver a host of benefits. For instance, Kumkumadi, a popular ayurvedic facial oil that’s been rediscovered recently, is mixed with ingredients such as saffron, Indian madder and banyan to improve complexion and reduce fine lines and early signs of age.