Although plums are not the first fruit that I will grab out of the produce section, I must admit that I can get down with some from time to time. As I was trying to figure out why this seems to be the time of year when they pique my interest the most, I realized that they are in season between July and October (which means I tend to see them more in the store). Ah, so maybe that’s also why I’m such a fan of plum cobbler, plum salsa (hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it!), and, as of this year, plum oil, too, right when the seasons are ready to…shift.
To tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure how I got sold on plum oil — all I know is that since I’ve been using it (especially on my skin), I have been seeing a major difference. So, if you’re looking for a new oil to try as the weather prepares to get cooler in temperature, give me a minute (or two) to give you some solid reasons why you should definitely add plum oil to your natural beauty regimen.
What Is Plum Oil?
Getty Images
Okay, so plum oil is pretty much what you think it is: it’s oil that derives from the kernels of plums. And since plums contain nutrients like vitamins A, multiple forms of B, C, and E, potassium, copper, and magnesium, along with fatty acids, anti-inflammatory, and hydration properties, it’s fast becoming a must-have oil for many popular beauty and cosmetic brands.
Not only that, but many also consider plum oil to be a “gourmet oil” for cooking and baking because it has virtually no flavor, contains zero trans fat, and it has a high-temperature point for frying. Believe it or not, some people even make homemade ice cream with plum oil (no joke). You can check out a recipe here.
As far as where to purchase plum oil, let me just say off the rip that it’s not the cheapest oil in the world. Oh, but it is so worth it! As far as the brand that I personally use, it’s called Liquid Gold, and merchants on Amazon tend to sell a four-ounce bottle of it for like ten bucks (or 128 ounces for a little under seventy bucks). Walmart claims to carry a different kind of plum oil online (here); I’ve never purchased the brands that they carry before, but I’m just putting that out there as an FYI. I can totally vouch for the brand that I use, though — it’s light, deeply penetrating, and gives my skin a healthy glow.
That being said, let’s get into why I think plum oil is the ultimate beauty oil for the fall season and beyond.
How Plum Oil Benefits Your Skin
Getty Images
What first got me into plum oil was that I was looking for a sealant oil for my skin; meaning, I was looking for a lightweight oil that I could apply to my skin right when I got out of the shower so that I could “lock in” hydration and not have to apply any lotion (I haven’t used lotion in years at this point). What sold me on plum oil is what it did for my back. My skin is particularly dry back there, and so, between how moisturized my back felt along with how plum oil seemed to fade any discoloration I had without breaking out my skin in the process — yeah, that made it a fan favorite right out the gate.
I’m not alone. Plum oil is well-known for reducing oxidative skin stress, repairing damaged skin cells, balancing sebum production, and helping to heal acne and the marks it leaves behind. Plum oil also stimulates the production of collagen (so that your skin is able to look younger longer) and it doesn’t clog pores in the process. So, if you happen to have oily, combination, or acne-prone skin, this is the oil for you.
How Plum Oil Benefits Your Hair
Getty Images
Since plum oil won’t clog up your pores, this means that it also won’t clog up your hair follicles, which makes it a great oil if you’re looking for one that will help to prevent dry scalp or if you want a base for a hot oil treatment (which are always awesome because they can increase blood circulation to your scalp, revive dry and brittle hair and help to strengthen the roots of your hair over time).
Other ways that plum oil does wonders for your hair is if you happen to have tresses that are color-treated or you tend to apply heat on a semi-regular basis, the linoleic acid and vitamin E that’s in plum oil can add hydration to your hair, protect it from thermal heat and even reduce your chances of encountering split ends. Personally, although I’ve just recently been using plum oil on my own locks, I have noticed that my ends feel softer when I put some plum oil on them at night.
I’ve also used it as an oil that I’ve applied to my hair before shampooing it, and it’s so much easier to detangle as a direct result. Yeah, more and more, plum oil and I are becoming the best of friends.
How Plum Oil Benefits Your Nails
Getty Images
Something else that plums have in them is stearic acid. It’s a type of fatty acid that retains moisture, helps to reduce eczema-related symptoms, and reduces inflammation. On your nails, this all can be beneficial because the oil can help your nails from drying out, keep your cuticles soft (raggedy cuticles are the whole worst!), and help to keep your nails strong and flexible (so that they won’t be so prone to breakage). My recommendation would be to rub a bit of pure, warm plum oil on your nails and cuticles every other night before turning in.
_____
Now, I’m hoping that it goes without saying that if you’re allergic to plums, plum oil is something that you should take a pass on. For everyone else, though — if, like me, you can get down with snacking on a plum sometimes, why not take it up a notch and invest in some of this oil for the sake of your skin, hair, and nails? For the longest, my favorite beauty oil has been rosemary… Oh, but plum oil is gaining on it — and that is really saying something!
C’mon sis, try a bottle. If it doesn’t work out, hit me up, and I’ll let you know where to send it to me, chile (I’m not kidding either!). Something tells me that you’ll enjoy it, though. Just in time for fall.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by FG Trade/Getty Images
RELATED
Again, the answer never changes because, if there is one thing that Shellie Reneé Warren is gonna get, it’s 6-8 (sometimes nine) hours of sleep. However, since my chronotype (check out “Ever Wonder What Personality Traits Make Someone A 'Morning Person'?”) means that I like/prefer to write in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes I will sleep for the night for five hours and take a nap in the day. And y’all, that is just fine with me because I am well aware of the fact that napping does everything from give me more energy, heighten my alertness and even make me more creative to decrease stress levels, strengthen immunity, and reduce my chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
My problem is I will oftentimes go “overboard” with my daytime zzz’s. What I mean by that is, in order to get the most out of a nap, they say thatyou shouldn’t sleep for longer than 25 minutes or so; otherwise, you could wake up feeling sluggish (I don’t but…). Also, it can make resting, soundly, at night a bit of a struggle.
So, what are you saying, Shellie? We should get quickies in? Yeah. And it’s funny that the word “quickie” would come up because just like a sex quickie can do wonders for you (and it can — check out “12 Super Solid Reasons To Have A Quickie Every Single Day”), it’s a full-circle moment when I say that something that can improve the quality of your sex life is to have a power nap (a nap that lasts between 10-30 minutes).
Wanna know how the two things correlate? Honestly, it’s no secret that sleep and sex work together to optimize both (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”). Today, though, we’re going to tap into how a nap, specifically, can have you partaking in some of the best sex that you’ve experienced in a minute. I’ll explain.
Naps Reduce Stress
GiphyIf you’re feeling super stressed out right now, you are not alone. There is plenty of data out here that says that most of us are stressed for at least a couple of reasons at a time — and that can impact your sexual health on a few levels. For one thing, it can bring about feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Stress can also throw your hormone levels off (including your cycle) which can weaken your libido. Stress can make you want to put distance between you and your partner (yes, literally).
Stress can also make it challenging to get aroused or to have an orgasm. And just what can help to decrease stress? Taking a nap. Since sleep has a way of helping you to “get off of the clock” and relax a bit, that can lower your stress levels and “reset” your body so that you are calmer — and that, in turn, can do wonders for your sex drive and ultimately your sex life.
Naps Improve Your Mood
GiphyThere is one person in my life, and fairly 80 percent of the time, she’s in a super good mood. Oh, but let that girl go without sleep, and…who is this woman? LOL. There’s research behind why this happens. When a person is sleep-deprived, it messes with their brain chemicals, and that can amplify emotions like anger, restlessness and sadness. In fact, one study revealed that people who had their sleep disrupted throughout the night, they ended up having their positive outlook on life reduced by about 30 percent.
And geeze, who wants to have sex when they’re not feeling very good? Anyway, since serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods, your sleep patterns, and your libido and sleep is what helps to keep it in balance — by taking a nap, not only can it help you to feel better, it can also increase your desire for sex (it can also build up your endurance which is also…sexually beneficial).
Naps Increase Your Focus and Concentration
GiphySomething that some of my clients bring up is how, when it comes to having sex, sometimes the flesh is willing while the spirit is weak because, although the desire for intimacy is there, so much is going on that they aren’t able to get still enough to focus on experiencing copulation with their partner. This also tracks because, when you don’t have enough rest, your brain finds itself not working in harmony and that can make it hard to do everything from approaching life with a sense of flexibility to making necessary decisions.
Certain data also reveal that a lack of rest can cause you to have a really poor attention span and not process things in context (the more you know). So, if you really want to get some yet it’s hard for you to focus long enough to make it happen, ask your bae to lie down with you and take a nap. Between the sleep and the snuggling (check out “Fall's Coming: 8 Wonderful Health Benefits Of Cuddling”) — you may wake up with your mind and body totally on the same page. #wink
Naps Can Make You Feel Better About Your Body
GiphyEven if, overall, you feel really good about your body, I think that we all have moments when we feel less attractive than others — and who wants to have sex when they don’t really feel…very sexy? Well, something else that sleep, in general, can do is increase your confidence in your body.
For one thing, if you want to lose a few pounds, sleep can actually make that happen by helping your body metabolize the glucose (sugar) that’s in it so that you can better manage your appetite. Other studies go on to share that since sleep deprivation can impact one’s mental health and emotional stability in a negative way, of course, getting enough rest would increase body positivity.
Shoot, science even goes so far as to say that insomnia can cause people to have an elevated level of dissatisfaction when it comes to their body image. Don’t take their word for it, though. Look in the mirror before a nap. Then look in a mirror after waking up from me. Do you feel better? I’d be surprised if you don’t.
Makes Your Brain Bigger…Which Could Make Your Orgasms Better
GiphyI saved the best for last by design. Now if you’re wondering how in the world a nap can improve (and possibly increase) your orgasms — oh, there is a method to the madness…trust. For starters, the saying that your biggest sex organ is your brain? That isn’t a myth. Long story less long, the brain is what houses your central nervous system and that is what controls how men and women sexually function (yes, literally).
And since the brain also releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin during sex and brain activity significantly increases in women during sexual activity (especially right before she orgasms) — well, would it trip you out to know that when you take a nap, your brain actually expands? A bigger brain (that’s healthy) can potentially intensify your sexual experiences (and your climaxes) — and who doesn’t want that to go down?
____
Like I said earlier, I never have to be convinced to get a nap in. However, if your sex life has been a bit stagnant lately, you’ve been feeling a little sluggish and you’re not sure what to do — I’m hoping that a nap can get you right.
There’s enough science to prove that it can. All you need to do is give it a shot.
Now where’s your pillow and sleep mask, chile?
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by FG Trade/Getty Images