The Biology of Shaving, Part 2 of 4

2.  Plant Oils and Skin

Many scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of plant oil for healthy skin. We’re going to focus on just a couple of summaries:

-          From the International Journal of Molecular Science. “Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils”

-          From the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. “Essential Fatty Acids and Skin Health”

Specifically, we going to talk about fatty acids and the beneficial role they play in healthy skin.

For our purposes, fatty acids are particular molecular compounds used by skin cells to repair, restore, and maintain the skin. They are nutrients for skin cells. Fatty acids are used by skin cells to reduce skin aging, reduce ultraviolet (UV) damage, mitigate skin cancer, promote wound healing, promote anti-inflammatory response, promote skin barrier repair, and maintain normal skin function and appearance. Pretty significant stuff. Where do these fatty acids come from? A primary source is plant oils. In fact, an absence of plant oils to the body can cause dermatitis.

Mediterranean cultures have known for centuries that olive oil has beneficial qualities to skin care. But there’s a whole lot more. In the last 50-70 years scientists have discovered that soybean oil provides vital nutrients to the skin, something that has been known within Pacific cultures for centuries. Native American cultures used jojoba oil for healing. In fact, jojoba oil is an extremely close match to the body’s own natural oil. So close that it is used in therapy for burn victims and others who’s bodies cannot produce sebum, the body’s own natural oil which is produced by sebaceous glands in the skin.

There are several different types of fatty acids, and each one has beneficial qualities for skin care. Topical application is a very effective means of delivering those fatty acids to the skin and beyond to the body’s systemic circulation. In fact, topical application of plant oils may be the most efficient route of delivery for skin repair, especially for deficiencies.

And there’s more. Canola oil provides the same particular fatty acid that soybean oil provides, critical in skin barrier repair, along with anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant benefits. Castor oil is the sole source of a unique fatty acid that can inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes acne. And it is a great moisturizer for skin. The list goes on and on, but you get the point – plant oils are vital skin nutrients.

So it might seem like a simple conclusion to reach, that an optimal shaving lubricant would be a blend of plant oils applied directly to the skin. Not only do oils nourish the skin, but oils provide great lubrication.  But not so fast. A good shave requires a lot of water applied to the whiskers. Water and oil don’t mix. Water on the face is going to repel oil. It’s going to take a lot of oil to overcome that. An oil blend is difficult to wash from a razor cartridge, especially mixed with stubble. And you probably don’t want a whole lot of oil going down the sink drain. That can cause problems.

So how to get the benefits of plant oils integrated in a water-based shave? As it turns out, that’s what soap does. Soap binds water on one end of the molecular chain and oil on the other; it literally binds oil and water together.

Is soap the solution? Well … a very, very qualified yes.

First, let’s talk about shaving.