The safflower is a plant grown primarily in the western Great Plains of the U.S. Farmers have been growing safflower for commercial use since 1957. Safflower provides three main products: oil, meal and birdseed, says the North Dakota State University's Agriculture Department. Safflower oil is used both in food and industry, and is a fairly inexpensive oil to manufacture. Safflower oil is known for its moisturizing properties on the skin, making it a good choice for people with dry skin.
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Mix 10 to 18 drops of safflower oil with one ounce of an antioxidant carrier oil. A good antioxidant carrier oil is grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil is a light oil that absorbs quickly into the skin, and its antioxidant qualities help prolong the shelf life of the safflower oil. Safflower oil tends to go rancid quickly because of its high content of unsaturated fatty acids.
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Pour the mixture into a dark glass bottle. Mix only a small amount at a time, keeping the larger amount of pure safflower oil in the refrigerator so it will not go rancid. Use the small bottle for applying safflower oil to the face.
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Wash your face using lukewarm water and soap that does not contain lye. Lye is good for cleaning, but will irritate and further dry out your skin, says Dr. Hillard Pearlstein, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Instead, Dr. Pearlstein suggests using a "super-fatted" soap, containing cold cream, cocoa butter, coconut oil or lanolin to better moisturize your skin.
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Apply a few drops of the safflower oil mixture to your face after gently patting your face dry. Make sure you cover the entire surface of your face, especially if you will be going outdoors, as safflower oil is a natural sunscreen, blocking about 20 percent of the sun's UV rays.
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Massage the oil into your skin, being careful to avoid getting oil in your eyes. Target the spots on your face that are very dry, adding a couple extra drops of oil for moisturization. You can also massage any parts of your face that feel sore or swollen, as safflower oil is known to be an anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce swelling in bruises, joints or sprains.
Tip
Leave your face a little damp when patting it dry. This will keep some water on the surface of your skin and the application of the oil will seal the moisture into your skin.
Warnings
Stop using safflower oil on your face if it causes you to break out, or if the oil clogs your pores.
