Face oils have been touted as a must in skincare routines for some time. But does it feel like a bit of a leap of faith to try one?
If you have acne-prone skin or oily skin, it might sound counterintuitive to add a face oil to your regime. Even those of us with dry skin might be wondering whether it is necessary to add another step to their morning and evening ritual.
So, is it worth it? Will it revolutionise your skincare? Here’s everything you need to know based on actual research and science.
Benefits of organic face oil
Here’s the headline for you. Face oils can benefit any skin type and help you get a dewy complexion. Like anything in the skincare world, the trick is finding the right face oil for you.
Face oils are emollients, which means they add a protective barrier, locking in moisture and soothing. This can benefit any skin type, including sensitive skin, and skin prone to breakouts. The benefits of face oil for oily skin include balancing oil production.
For all these reasons and more, face oils have become a must in most beauty kits. From soothing to hydrating, balancing to nourishing, there’s an oil to suit any skin concern.
What is the best oil for your face?
Natural face oils are packed with good-for-you ingredients like antioxidants and acids. You can also find products with actives like retinol to target scars and discolouration. The thing to remember is that generally, face oils are non-oily or greasy, and they are readily absorbed into the skin.
And which type of face oil is best for you? Here are just a few of our favourites and how they benefit each skin type.
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Rosehip oil – known for its anti-ageing properties, the benefits of rosehip oil for your face include hydrating, fighting against free radical damage and minimising wrinkles. Vitamin A, omega oils and beta carotene are also found in rosehip oil, which all benefit mature skin and stretch marks.
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Jojoba oil - jojoba isn’t technically an oil, and it’s also most like skin’s sebum. Jojoba oil is perfect for oily skin because it can both break down excess oil and replicate it.
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Argan oil – suitable for all skin types including those with eczema and rosacea, argan soothes and moisturises. It’s also light and easily absorbs, with a powerful cocktail of vitamin E acids and antioxidants.
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Tamanu oil – it’s anti-inflammatory properties make tamanu oil a go-to for acne. Tamanu oil’s fatty acids and antioxidants also target wrinkles, pigmentation and eczema.
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Cacay oil – hooray to an oil that hydrates even sensitive skin, without leaving it feeling caked and greasy. Cacay oil is a natural, rich emollient that gives you a dewy appearance, and also has anti-ageing benefits.
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Olive oil – yes olive oil It also fights bacteria and is packed with antioxidants and vitamins. You can use olive oil in all sorts of ways, but for our face oil we’ve formulated a rich, non-greasy squalane perfect for oily skin, which softens skin and gives you a glowing look.
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Pomegranate oil – anti-oxidant rich, pomegranate oil is purported to have anti-ageing benefits and combat dry skin. It may also help protect against UV rays, inflammation, and fight acne bacteria. Extract pomegranate oil with a higher punicic acid content and it can plump skin too.
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Marula oil – hydrating, soothing and light in texture, marula oil is so versatile, in terms of uses and skin types. It can protect against fine lines, sun damage and has antibacterial properties for acne-prone skin.
How to apply face oil
Yep, one of the most confusing things about additions to your skincare routine is where they fit in. Annoyingly, there’s no one size fits all with this advice. What we can tell you is what we advise with our products.
Our organic face oils are brimming with beneficial vitamins, actives and acids, so we always recommend you add them after cleansing, and before you moisturise. This enables all the good stuff to penetrate your skin.
Some of our oils can even be used instead of a moisturiser. Just check the advice on your label before you apply it.
Face oil or organic face oil?
One final note. There are different kinds of natural face oils and there are organic face oils versus, well, non-organic.
There is a lot of noise around clean, natural and organic skincare products at the moment. Why? As we absorb a lot of what we place on our skin’s surface, it makes sense to strip out harmful chemicals. Brands that truly focus on natural and organic formulations add accountability by avoiding these substances.
References
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/emollients/
https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-oily-skin#jojoba-oil
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-oils-for-your-skin#Coconut-oil
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-oils-for-your-skin#Takeaway
https://www.healthline.com/health/tamanu-oil#purported-benefits
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789494/
https://www.healthline.com/health/pomegranate-benefits-on-skin#skin-benefits
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/clean-cosmetics-the-science-behind-the-trend-2019030416066
