If you are looking for a skincare product that can give you healthy and naturally glowing skin, then facial oils can be a great addition to your beauty routine. Facial oils are designed to provide your skin with essential nutrients, fatty acids, and antioxidants that repair and protect the skin barrier. Due to its thick viscosity, many people get confused over the correct application of facial oils and whether to use the product during the morning, night, or at both times. Since skin produces a lot of its oil naturally at different rates throughout the day, it is important to determine the right time to apply facial oils. When used correctly, facial oils can be great for your skin.
However, it's important to remember that oil and water do not mix. When you apply too much oil to your skin, it can actually stop it from soaking up the moisture in other products. Healthy and moisturized skin requires a balance of many factors, and while face oil has many benefits, it should be used in moderation. Facial oils work well to smooth and soothe skin while keeping essential hydration locked in.
However, they do not replace the other necessary ingredients required for a healthy moisture barrier. So while we don't recommend replacing your moisturizer with a face oil, we do suggest using one to supplement an already established skincare routine. Although the main benefit of a moisturizer is that it locks in moisture, the active ingredients that can be added to moisturizers are also a perk. For example, hyaluronic acid, an amazing hydrator, is found in many moisturizers. If you are concerned about dark spots, anti-aging, or acne concerns you'll easily find a moisturizer with the actives to address the issue.
If you have dry skin, using a moisturizer can help lock in moisture. Moisturizers also work well for those with oily skin, as they are light and don't contribute to excess oils. All three experts agree that moisturizers can be swapped out for face oils. Says Dr. Marmur, "Oils are occlusive, which means they trap moisture on the skin. Our pick for the best water based moisturizer for face is Formulyst Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer. This lightweight formula features hyaluronic acid, the key molecule involved in skin hydration.
Hyaluronic acid helps boost your skin's natural nourishing powers by attracting atmospheric moisture and transforming it into intense hydration for your skin. Even though it is a water based moisturizer, Formulyst Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer contains jojoba oil and apricot kernel oil to balance oil production. Both of these botanical oils are non-comedogenic, so you don't have to worry about clogged pores or breakouts. An oil-based moisturizer is best for those with dry skin that has a damaged barrier or lacks sebum. The oil-based ingredients will help to replenish the skin's barrier function. Many oils also contain vitamins and fatty acids that impart anti-aging benefits.
For instance, rosehip seed oil contains provitamin A, mostly as beta carotene. Beta carotene has the ability to increase cell turnover and promote regeneration in the outer layers of the skin. Over time, this can help even out skin tone and add a "glow" to the skin. So this oil-based moisturizer not only helps to replenish the skin's lipid barrier but also provides a youthful glow to skin. Skin is oiliest at midday, and then sebum secretion starts to reduce gradually. Sebum secretion is lowest in the night, just before your bedtime.
Therefore, facial oil gives the best results when they are used daily in the nighttime skincare routine as the skin absorbs all the nutrients easily. Besides, prioritising application of sun protection over facial oils during day time can help to prevent the signs of aging and pigmentation. However, if you have dry skin and struggle with patchy makeup, then adding a few drops of face oil before layering makeup could improve the overall condition of the skin and keep makeup flawless for long hours. If you've never used a facial oil before, we recommend starting with a daytime oil, like Daily Reviving Concentrate.
This antioxidant-rich oil stars sunflower oil, tamanu oil, and ginger root essential oil to help revitalize the skin. The lightweight formula also helps protect the skin from free radicals and damaging environmental stressors. Use it in your daily skincare routine for radiant, healthy-looking skin.
These natural oils are also able to work to repair and protect the skin barrier and provide lasting nourishment whenever your skin is feeling dry. So while moisturizers provide instant hydration, face oils provide long-lasting moisture with a vitamin-enriched bonus. So oils also work by helping the skin barrier seal everything in, ensuring none of your skin's water content gets lost. Rich oils packed with fatty acids are great for moisturizing dehydrated skin when moisturizer alone doesn't seem to cut it. Kim explains that some of the more common face oils—coconut, marula, jojoba, rosehip, avocado oil—fall into the calming category, popular for dry skin types looking for hydration as well anti-inflammatory benefits. The natural moisturizing barrier protects your skin from external threats such as dust, dirt, and bacteria.
However, this barrier weakens over time due to dehydration, extreme sun exposure, improper diet, and aging. That is why you need to include facial moisturizing products in your skincare routines, such as serums, facial oils, and moisturizers. It's a known fact that our skin requires water to keep its healthy glow. That's why there are many different types of skincare products on the market designed to hydrate and moisturize (there is a difference between the two, but we'll get there in a bit). We know navigating between these different products can be a bit tricky, which is why it's important to learn more about each product, its benefits, and how your unique skin type factors in. To this end, we've decided to highlight the differences between moisturizers, creams, and oils to help you pick out the right products for your regimen.
Contrary to popular belief, most oils and oil-based moisturizers will not clog your pores and cause breakouts. The theory with using oils on breakout-prone skin is that they actually help balance your skin's sebum production, and help your skin's own oil flow more freely . If you have oily or acne-prone skin, the most important thing to look for when choosing an oil-based moisturizer is "non-comedogenic", which means it will not clog pores. Examples of non-comedogenic oil-based ingredients include jojoba oil, linoleic acid, argan oil, and grapeseed oil.
And when your favorite facial moisturizer fails to deliver that extra hydration, sneaking in an extra layer of a moisture proves to be a necessary step. While adding a facial oil into your skincare regiment may seem like an intimidating addition, the natural absorbing and enriching ingredients may be just what your skin needs. Take it from makeup artist and co-founder of Votary skincare, Arabella Preston, who famously helped guide Kate Middleton on achieving her own wedding makeup and is a strong advocate for natural facial oils. From the proper application techniques to the benefits of oil cleansing, here Preston shares why facial oils should be your new vanity go-to. For people with dry and combination skin types who want to use both an oil and moisturizer simultaneously, Rouleau says that many people actually apply them incorrectly. Most people know that skin care products should be applied from lightest to heaviest, but not many people actually know what "lightest to heaviest" means.
Face oil can be disastrous for your skin if you are using the wrong one. While face oils with lighter formulations are best for oily skin types, thick formulations are recommended for dry skin types. People with acne-prone skin must refrain from comedogenic oils rather use those oils that detoxify the face and kill acne-causing bacteria such as jojoba, squalene, and tea tree oils. People with combination skin types can opt for argan, green tea, hemp seed, or jojoba oil as these have a light texture and don't make the face look greasy.
Can you use face oil instead of moisturizer Beauty routine — the sort of regimen that women and men used thousands of years ago to groom in the ancient kingdom of Egypt and the Greek and Roman empires. Today, a combination of extracts — coconut, jojoba, almond, hemp, avocado, rosemary, ylang ylang, argan, and others, depending on each brand — are blended to accomplish a sorta-scientific miracle. With oily skin, these natural ingredients trick your skin into thinking it already has enough oil, shutting off sebum production and closing down the shine factory. In dry or blemished areas, the soothing plant materials also help to lock-in moisture by forming a protective barrier, while also cleaning out or refreshing pores to end irritation and quell redness. These traits make face oils great for dry, oily,orcombination skin as they balance, detoxify, and mattify with just a minuscule amount of liquid.
If you're on the hunt for an oil to add into your routine, Levin recommends squalene, marula, or jojoba oil, since they can help with redness and won't clog pores, given the molecule size. These natural oils will not only condition skin, but they're also packed with essential vitamins. Gohara mentions mineral oil-based products like Vaseline are also a great choice for most skin types.
Oils to avoid in skincare are argan and coconut oil, since the molecule size is larger and therefore may contribute to acne . González says that layering the two is really all about the products themselves, their ingredients, and your skin type. "For example, layering a serum and moisturizer can be very helpful for those with very dry skin," she explains. Our top-rated Powerful-Strength Vitamin C Serum is one of our best-selling facial serums. This lightweight formula contains 12.5% vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to instantly boost radiance and smooth the skin's appearance.
With regular use, it helps reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles and minimize the appearance of enlarged pores for firmer-looking skin. This potent formula is suitable for all skin types and can be used morning and night for a healthy-looking glow. Face oils may hold the secret to achieving healthy, radiant skin—no matter what your skin type (yes, even those of you with perpetually oily skin!). Jam-packed with nutrients like vitamin C, essential fatty acids and antioxidants,they penetrate the skin to transform and protect—helping to build a resilient skin layer known as the lipid barrier. Learn the correct way to apply them and how to choose the right oil for your skin type.
Look for oils rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins A and C, lycopene, beta-carotene and antioxidants, suggests O'Brien. "If face oils are new for you and you are unsure where to start or how your skin will react, I would suggest a single-ingredient natural oil like rosehip, seabuckthorn and black seed," she says. She specifically sings the praises of rosehip oil as it's high in linoleic acid, very hydrating and absorbs quickly, so it works well for all skin types.
For example, where should oil go in your skin-care routine? Except that every day in beauty forums and on Instagram, people are debating it. The idea that your products should go on "thinnest to thickest" needs to go home, it's drunk. Or understand that their creamy moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid is in fact thinner, molecularly speaking, than their runny rosehip oil? Repeat after me; oils will never be serums and oils should always be last. Our skin naturally produces an oil known as sebum, and while many people think sebum is responsible for a healthy moisture barrier, it's a little more complex than that.
Extracted from the seeds of wild rose bushes, rose hip seed oil has seen a surge in popularity and is increasingly found in facial skincare products that tout moisturizing, anti-aging benefits. Though botanical oils can lock in moisture, they don't contain humectants, meaning they can't add hydration back to your skin. For dehydrated skin, look for a moisturizer with natural humectants like hyaluronic acid, silver tremella extract, and honey that will draw water into your skin. Your moisturizer should also have natural emollients like botanical oils that lock in moisture.
If you're using a face oil, use it after your moisturizer, since the hydrating ingredients in your moisturizer won't absorb properly after an oil. If your skin feels dry or dehydrated, we recommend reaching for richer, emollient facial oils, such as Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This Kiehl's customer favorite contains olive-derived squalane, evening primrose oil, and fragrant lavender essential oil to help hydrate and replenish the skin.
The nighttime oil helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and improve skin texture in just one night for softer, more supple skin. Apply a few drops in the evening before going to sleep for radiant, younger-looking skin by morning. This is a very popular alternative that is very well-known, cheap and can be found at your local grocery store. Coconut oil contains antioxidants and vitamins that help your skin stay moisturized.
Many people worry about feeling sticky after applying it, but coconut oil absorbs rapidly into your skin and it leaves it feeling moisturized and smooth. Coconut Oil contains fatty acids that help reduce signs of aging, keeps dry skin moisturized, and can also help with other skin problems such as stretch marks, scars, cellulite, or even diaper rash. It can also be used as a natural SPF sunscreen as it blocks 20% of ultraviolet radiation. As you can probably guess, facial oils are oil-based liquid formulas designed to be used on the skin. They're typically formulated with non-comedogenic botanical oils and essential oils, which won't cause breakouts or clogged pores.
Facial oils often also include plant extracts and antioxidants. These rich, emollient formulas can help moisturize and soften the skin, nourish the skin barrier, and help address some skin concerns, like dryness or dullness. Serums, slather on a moisturizer packed with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, which your pores will drink right up. "Oils are really better at sealing in moisture due to their occlusive nature—they prevent the evaporation of hydration from skin to the environment," explains Dr. Nazarian. Thanks to the fact that oils are emollients, they'll create a barrier on your skin to lock in all that hydrating goodness from your moisturizer. Hough face oils offer several skin-boosting properties, they're best used in combination with a moisturizer.
Applying a moisturizer before a facial oil allows skin to soak up the nourishing ingredients in your cream. Your facial oil will help keep that hydration in and protect your skin from outside irritants. While face oils should not be used in place of moisturizers, they can help supplement them and improve the effectiveness of your skincare routine to boost skin hydration and give you healthy-looking skin. A question like "Why is my skin so dry even when I moisturize? " might've crossed your mind and you might be thinking of adding a face oil to help with the dryness.
While face oils have moisturizing benefits, does that mean you can give up your night cream altogether? At the Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts Clinics in Los Angeles and New York, we talk to people every day about their specific skin concerns. Below, our Skin Health Experts address the differences between popular moisturizing ingredients and how they affect different skin types. "I do find that a lot of people who only use oils are actually really dehydrated or their skin barrier is compromised underneath all that application of oils," adds Levin. We all all need to find that perfect balance between occlusives and humectants. If you like to pat an oil on your skin, do so after a lightweight lotion.
If you apply a humectant-heavy serum or lotion on top of an oil or oil-reach cream, all you'll accomplish is wasting product. A water based moisturizer is best for those with dehydrated skin that is in need of moisture. Ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid are often used in water based moisturizers, and they can deliver powerful hydration to dehydrated skin. You don't want to overuse a treatment oil because it will create a layer over the top of the surface, which then creates more heat to be trapped within the skin. Heat will cause more oil production and allow for bacteria to grow more quickly, ultimately resulting in a potential for increased acne. Plummeting temps and cranked-up heaters suck moisture straight from the skin.
Oils are the ideal antidote to dry, flaky skin and rough, rosy cheeks — and they can be much more effective at moisturizing than your standard over-the-counter lotions and creams. For softer skin and hair, Dr. Hanlon recommends applying a pea-sized amount of coconut oil to your driest areas. Almond oil is packed with hydrating omega-3 fatty acids, making it is a good choice for sensitive skin. Serums also tend to address a variety of skin concerns, be it anti-aging, skin brightening, or acne prevention.
Though they tend to be more expensive than other skincare products, they're full of potent ingredients and a little goes a long way. With that said, Robinson advises to always ask your dermatologist which serums are best to apply at night and during the day. The latter will never be just an oil alone, but other types of moisturizers can be — especially emulsions. If you're updated on the basics of the ideal skincare routine, you will know that it prescribes the use of facial serum, face oil and moisturizer. But, don't they all do the same thing—hydrate the skin? All three types of products are designed to nourish the skin, but in very, very different ways.
Facial oils are also an excellent way to give your skin a little bit of slip, allowing you to use massage tools such as gua sha, face rollers, and suction cups correctly. Adding facial oil to your skincare routine is also beneficial if you struggle with dry, flaky, or dehydrated skin, and using a face moisturizer isn't enough. So rather than searching for a new moisturizer, try applying facial oil to your routine and note the difference. If the right oil is used, your skin will most likely feel softer, smoother, and more protected.
