Natural Remedies: Flaxseed Oil

I got to thinking that I have a huge plethora of natural remedies that I have yet to share. I've moved my first few posts that I had shared on GLAM to this blog to keep all these "Beauty"-labelled posts together in one place.

That said, why do I want to share, never mind write these kind of posts? There are a fair number of reasons. The first being that I'm totally a believer of "natural beauty" and I have always had a thing for reading about the ways natural ingredients can be used at home. By 'always' I mean me as a very young schoolgirl pouring over thick books of natural uses for fruits and the likes. And though I'd been mostly a tomboy for most of that time, I liked to be able to 'look good' without piling on the cosmetics so to speak. To look maximally good with minimum effort.

Anyways, with that little dip in history, I move on to the point of today's post. Flaxseed oil.

Also known as linseed oil, this natural ingredient is best known for its high percentage of omega-3. I've been taking the capsules daily when it occurred to me that the oil may have benefits being applied topically. With some research I learnt that yes, flaxseed oil is used in cosmetic products that boast the ability to produce softer and smoother skin.

The thing with each of my beauty posts is that these are remedies I test and try myself. And I fully believe they ought to be followed by anyone and everyone who seeks the specific benefit.

So what I did was poke open a flaxseed oil capsule, and massaged the oil into my face and scalp. One capsule is more than enough for this purpose. In one use, I already felt the effects: really soft and silky skin.

The thing about flaxseed oil is that it's anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, good for red skin and irritation.

WebMD.com:

"Flaxseed oil is a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid. The alpha-linolenic acid and related chemicals in flaxseed oil seem to decrease inflammation. That is why flaxseed oil is thought to be useful for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory (swelling) diseases."

I implore those of you who would be looking into using flaxseed oil to not buy cosmetic products that state they have flaxseed oil in them. Often such products are just filled with a large percentage of filler creams and a very small percent of actual active ingredient (i.e. flaxseed oil). Buying a bottle of the capsules is much more cost-efficient; you're getting the pure oil at a fraction of the cost of brand cosmetics.

I do want to remark also that there are some people who may be allergic and therefore will experience bad side effects of using flaxseed oil. If you're pregnant or use low blood sugar medication, for example, you are cautioned not to partake of flaxseed.