Oil, gel or cream: choosing a texture for your skin

Many of our customers know which herbs they like, but are unsure whether to buy them in an oil, a gel or a cream. The texture matters as much as the ingredients, because it decides how a product feels on your skin through the day.

Oils, like our kumkumadi night serum and rose face oil, contain no water. They sit on the skin and slow the loss of moisture, so they suit dry and normal skin, and night-time use. Two or three drops are enough for the whole face; more leaves a shine. People with oily skin can still use a light oil at night, but often prefer it in the cooler months.

Gels, like our aloe and cucumber gel, are mostly water held in a light base. They feel cool, sink in quickly and leave nothing behind, which suits oily skin, humid weather and the hours after time in the sun. They do little to hold in moisture on their own, so dry skin may need something over them.

Creams sit in between. They mix water and oil, so they hydrate and soften at the same time. Our vetiver day cream is a light cream for daytime under sunscreen; the sandal body butter is whipped and richer, for dry elbows, knees and heels. A simple rule: gel in summer and on oily skin, cream for most people most of the year, and oil at night for dry skin or in December’s cooler air.