It rubs the oil on the Skin
If you came of age in the late 80’s/early 90’s then (like me) you probably watched Silence of the Lambs. It was a horrifying thriller that includes themes like cannibalism, psychosis, perversion, trauma, misogyny and (among many other things) a weak attempt at telling a deeper story about feminine power within patriarchy as well as fanning the flames of transphobia. So why talk about this film at all in a journal entry about skin care? In one of the titular scenes a sadistic psychopath demands his captive (whom he refers to as “it” - further stripping away her femaleness as well as her humanity) to “rub the lotion on the skin”. The thing is - he was wrong. He wanted her skin to stay supple, soft, well hydrated, juicy and youthful. To truly achieve these desires she needed to “rub the oil on the skin”.
All dark humor aside - why should we rub the oil on the skin vs the lotion?
If you know me you’ve no doubt heard me talk about the importance of applying cold pressed oil to your skin. You’ve also probably heard me make playful fun of the “influencers” out there who put oil on their skin (sexy drips flowing down the cheeks like slow moving tears anyone?) and quickly pat or swipe it into place. Maybe gingerly rub a little around on their forehead with their limp fingertips.
When I talk about applying oil to the skin - I’m actually talking about massaging oil into the skin. Firmly, intentionally and lovingly for a fairly long period of time.
Here’s a little open secret . . . facial (and body in general) massage is key to reaping the benefits of an oil (including its herbal compounds if it’s infused with whole plants).
Not to harp on lotion, but it has a long list of questionable attributes (including: highly processed ingredients required to keep it shelf stable, an unnecessary amount of water, a narrative niche within the general marketing scam of the billion dollar “beauty” industry)
even though lotion can be massaged into the skin - it takes a very large quantity to do so in order to reap the benefits of massage. Lotion is a combination of water and oil. There is often so much water in a lotion that the initial feeling of being “moisturized” is gone within moments of application. Even though the skin loves both oil and water when they are combined they must be mechanically mixed, held together with synthetic emulsifiers and kept safe with synthetic preservatives. How about skip all the junk? Just make sure the skin is damp with water before applying oil then mechanically emulsify (massage!) right on the surface of the skin!
For those who like quick “sciency” facts . . .
A few of the many benefits of massage with quality cold pressed oil:
Fluid movement (blood and lymph)
Re oxidation of tissues
Nervous system reset
Muscular tension reduction
Relaxation
Balancing/strengthening skins microbiome/barrier
Softening the skin
Strengthening the skin
Locking in hydration
AND here’s a practical tidbit from the ancestors:
According to the wisdom of ancient beauty rituals one of the reasons oil is applied to the skin is because it requires massage. If oil is left on the surface of the skin it can easily be rubbed off, stain our clothes and linens (ends up wasting precious resources) etc. Massaging the oil into the skin minimizes messes and honors mother earth.
And for those who appreciate poetry and long for deeper meaning . . .
In Sanskrit (the language of Ayurveda) oil translates to sneha and sneha means love or to love.
Thus applying oil to our bodies is an act of love. We are literally nourishing our tissues with love when we apply oil to our skin and massage it in with intention and care.
A little bit of science and poetry . . .
The cells respond to every thought we have. Our chemistry will change based on what we tell ourselves. So let’s make it good; Be kind, be loving, tell yourself sweet things while you rub oil onto your face. You will not only see the difference, you will feel it too.
xx
N
