Facial Oil Benefits: Blackberry Seed Oil

I have always struggled with, what I affectionately call, alligator skin. When I was a teen, I thought it was hilarious when I'd pop out of the shower with a scaly face aggravated by my use of extra hot water. Now that the period of insanity which we like to call "adolescence" has long past, I realize that scaly alligator skin poses a problem. We don't want to frighten the children now, do we?

Now, when I say alligator skin, I mean my skin gets so dry that I contract flaky patches and weird texturized bumps--not from acne or blackheads--because my face is so stinking dry!
This is exacerbated by the harsh winters in New York state, and I am here to tell you that I have found a regimen that has significantly moisturized and softened my skin. Moreover, those weird little bump friends don't come around when I use this stuff consistently. It is . . .

Yes! Blackberry seed oil. It's an earthy smelling, viscous, greenish-brown potion of wonder! It's packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Omega AND fatty acids. Put in "results" driven terms--which is what I'm after--it is supposed to deeply nourish dry skin, improve skin elasticity, and work on those pesky wrinkles (I'm looking at you Forehead Lines). And best of all, this stuff is all-natural.

As I stated earlier, this stuff has been part of my skin care regimen for quite some time. I like to use this as a night time moisturizer, but have used it in the morning as well. I like to use it at night because I apply copious amounts (4-5 drops) on my face. It does not soak in immediately if used to that extreme, but it is quite effective as an easy, nourishing, overnight, oil mask.

My dry alligator bumps are GONE! And my skin is soft and brighter looking since I have been using this oil. My forehead lines appear to have faded quite a bit. I think this is due, in part, to the fact that the oil brings back some of that moisture and elasticity to the skin.

Now before you go and say, "Julia, won't an oil clog my pores possibly causing blackheads or breakouts?" I can say that when I use this oil regularly I see a reduction in those symptoms. Apparently, I was all wrong as a teen when I religiously applied Noxzema and various other skin drying products just to protect myself from the odd pimple or two. When your skin's oil balance is off, it will create more oil for the skin surface. This can cause you to be overly oily or (like me) have areas of clogged pores because my skin was so desperately trying to maintain a balance. Adding an oil like this to your normal skin care regimen can actually help to restore balance to your skin's natural oil production.

The oil I use (linked above) is undiluted, cold-pressed, 100% Blackberry Seed Oil. Though I find it to be high quality, it is really affordable. I suggest trying out the 0.5 fluid ounce size as it will last you approximately three months. If you are thinking about dipping your toe into facial oil for the first time (great imagery, huh?), this would be a fantastic one to start with. It's not talked about as often as other oils, but I have found it to be an under-rated oil that performs wonderfully on my skin!

Do you use a facial oil? If so which one(s)? I'd love to read about it in the comments!