Healing Dry Sensitive Skin

Calendula has been used since ancient times to sooth troubled skin. It’s yellow, orange and gold petals are colored by potent antioxidants called carotinoids that protect cells from free-radical and sun damage. Studies have identified nineteen different carotinoids in calendula petals. Fortunately, there are simple, highly-effective ways you can put these compounds to work to rejuvenate your skin.

They are ideal for infusion into carrier oils. I use them, for instance, in sesame oil. I fill a vessel with petals, then pour in as much organic sesame oil as will fit, and let them sit for weeks, while the healing compounds from the flowers seep into the oil. When it’s done, the infused oil makes for a healing moisturizer that I wouldn’t be without.

I prefer this kind of slow, gentle extraction method. I believe it preserves more of the healing potency of the plant. But I’ve used balms and creams containing calendula that were factory-produced and they still worked well on my skin. They would be one of the first things I would use on chapped, inflamed, or itching skin. However, since I have been using infused calendula regularly, both in a toner and my moisturizer, I’ve had no further trouble with skin inflammation.

Calendula is an ingredient to look for in your skin cream, especially if you suffer from dry skin. Dry skin is particularly vulnerable to aging. Fine lines can develop quickly when the moisture barrier (a fine layer of oil within the skin) has been compromised. And wrinkles are often not far behind. If the appearance issues are not enough, there are other annoying symptoms that can come with dryness ­- itching and inflammation, for instance – but fortunately, these, too, can be helped a lot by creams containing calendula.

Modern chemists like to isolate the “active” ingredients in botanicals that are known to have healing benefits. They then add them to other synthetic ingredients to make a product they can sell at a given price point and with a convenient shelf life. Sometimes, this approach works well, but we are just beginning to learn about the complicated chemistry of plants, and I’ve always thought there is a high likelihood that when we isolate just one compound from a plant, we might be missing a whole lot in what gets left behind. Plus, the way the “actives” interact with each other in the complex chemistry of a plant is going to be different from how they react when isolated in the sterile environment of a synthetic product.

So I favor products that contain calendula in as natural and whole a form as possible. It is also why, as much as I can, I use products made from organic ingredients.

Massage oils, skin creams, facial oils and body oils all require a carrier oil, a neutral-smelling base for essential oils and other healing oils. Many carrier oils are there simply to do the job of providing a platform for the other ingredients. But sesame oil is a carrier oil that brings its own healing and rejuvenating properties.

It is especially helpful for anyone with dry skin. Dry skin requires extra care. It is vulnerable to environmental damage and aging. Wind, sun damage and free radicals all put dry skin under constant stress, and if it is not supported, this can lead to the breakdown of skin structure that we see as “aging.” Lines appear, then wrinkles, and even sagging skin. Fortunately, sesame oil is naturally rich in nutrients, particularly vitamins A and E, that provide important building materials to help the body maintain supple skin. You can protect your skin by choosing creams, oils and lotions that contain it.

In addition to nourishing the skin, sesame oil also draws toxins out of the body. Molecules in the oil attract and attach to fat-soluble toxins lodged in the skin and pores, drawing them to the skin’s surface where they can be easily washed away with soap and water. So this is an oil for the whole body, not just the face and neck. It can be used as a purifying massage oil for the whole body.

In face creams, or used alone, sesame oil stimulates cell rejuvenation to create firmer, smoother skin. It is packed with vitamin A, a nutrient that repairs skin tissue and improves collagen production, Good collagen production keeps skin looking young by filling in fine lines and preventing the appearance of wrinkles.

Vitamin E is one of the best nutrients for dry skin, and this oil provides a rich, soothing and gentle source of vitamin E for topical use. It blocks free radicals from damaging the skin and helps to rejuvenate damaged skin, again, preventing lines and wrinkles from forming. Skin spots and blemishes can be reduced with vitamin E., which is very helpful when applied directly to the skin. But vitamin E is sticky and uncomfortable to use in an undiluted form. It can be too much to deal with. Fortunately, sesame oil is an ideal source of this vital nutrient. With all its natural vitamin E content, plus vitamin A and other healing and nourishing compounds, this oil makes a major contribution to any skin care product in which it is contained. Plus it can serve as a very serviceable carrier oil. What could be better?

Well, it does get better. You can rub this oil into small cuts, abrasions, and chapped skin, and it will relieve irritation and help to rejuvenate the damage, all the while fighting off fungal and viral infections.

And that is why sesame oil is so popular with manufacturers of natural skin care products. In my view, organic sesame oil is the way to go, ideally with other botanicals infused in it to maximize its healing and rejuvenating effects.