Are you using a Zombie face oil?

What is a Zombie face oil?

A Zombie face oil is a product that is doing very little for your skin function, or worse, it could be damaging your skin.

Have you bought a face oil that is perfectly clear, in a clear glass with a best before date of 12 mths+? It's potentially a Zombie face oil.

This oil has been highly processed to extend the shelf life.
There are exceptions, some oils naturally have a extended shelf life. Any saturated oil (solid at 20C) such as coconut oil will have a longer shelf life however these oils tend to be comedogenic (block pores) and from animal sources. There are other "oils" with a stable shelf life but aren't actually oil. For example Jojoba is a wax.

We know to avoid highly processed foods. We need to do the same with highly processed skincare and other personal care products. For skin to function optimally it requires nutrients. The very elements that are most beneficial to your skin are destroyed in commercial production of plant based oils in the quest for extended shelf life.

For Vitis V we only use cold pressed unrefined unfiltered unfermented grapeseed oil (made by us) and bottle in dark Miron glass to protect the phytonutrients from light oxidation. We batch produce in small quantities to ensure freshness. Our shelf life is 6 mths and recommend using the bottle within 2mths of opening.

The fatty acid profile and antioxidant status of any plant oil and how it was produced determines the shelf life. The more polyunsaturated fatty acids the shorter the shelf life. Polyunsaturated is the definition for a fatty acid that has multiple double bonds which causes it to be available for chemical reactions. The double bond is reactive and able to be oxidised (the transfer of electrons or oxygen) and be chemically altered. The more components susceptible to oxidation the shorter the shelf life. The less antioxidant compounds in the oil such as Vitamin E and polyphenols, the shorter the shelf life
The same components that affect shelf life are also the same components that have the most benefit to your skin. So be very suspicious of a face oil with a long shelf
In commercial plant based oil production, processes of refinement, bleaching and deodorising remove beneficial components including multiple sources of antioxidants. As a result these plant oils are clear with very little colour and odourless. They are no longer representative of the original plant material, which is why we refer to them as Zombie oil.

These oils can be subjected to a further process to extend shelf life called hydrogenation which consists of chemically adding atoms of hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids, eliminating the double bonds between carbon atoms and making them saturated (no double bond). Partial hydrogenation produces trans fat. Trans fat is the king of Zombie oils it is chemically so far away and altered from the natural plant source. Hydrogenation process is conducted at temperatures of 180-210C. Refer to the ingredient list and look for the word hydrogenated if its there you don't want to be using this on your skin.

On top of this stripped neutral oil is added essential oils or synthetic produced aroma compounds for fragrance or to mask unpleasant smells arising from the manufacturing process and storage. Hundreds of synthetic compounds can be hidden in the ingredient term parfum/fragrance. Essential oils are there for aroma. These volatile oils can be detrimental to skin function and cause sensitivities including photo-sensitivity, inflammation, irritations and contact allergies.
Then a antioxidant is added back (after removing the natural antioxidants in manufacture) to the face oil. Usually alpha tocopherol one isomer of Vitamin E is used and usually synthetic petrochemical derived as it is cheaper to produce. The Vitamin E added back is for the purpose of extending shelf life of the product and will have minimal impact on the antioxidant status of your skin.

Vitis V has a nutty toasty grapey aroma and is hazy with flecks of brown this is the polyphenols from the grapeseed super antioxidants that you can see. It is unscented and fragrance free from either essential oils or synthetic aroma compounds.

We understand that aroma and smells are evocative and emotive but the compounds that produce these aromas are not good to apply to your skin. Have flowers inside, or light a natural candle.

Please always look for cold pressed unrefined unfiltered face oil without the addition of essential oils or fragrance. It is the symbiotic relationship of the inherent phytonutrients that makes Vitis V Face Toniq uniquely essential for all skin types.

We are specifically talking about highly processed plant based oils as a posed to petroleum based oils and recommend never using petroleum based also known as mineral oils on your skin.

Want to know more? Please use our contact us page to ask me any questions about the products you're currently using info@vitisv.com.au