Face Oils 101: Everything You Need to Know About Facial Oils
Face oils may be one of the skincare world’s most misunderstood treasures. For many, even just the word “oil” sounds intimidating (and counterproductive for those of us with naturally oily skin). But the reality is that the right face oil formulation can be a complexion gamechanger.
You may have some questions before you try out your first face oil. What is a face oil? Is it right for me? How do I use it? We’re here to help you get started. Below, we’re highlighting everything you need to know about facial oils.
What Is A Face Oil?
Picture this: A potent supply of skin-friendly vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids blended into a powerhouse formula that is both luxurious and deeply nourishing. Yep, you guessed it—it’s a face oil. Compromised of plant-based oils and botanicals, facial oils are oil-based skincare products that pack a serious punch to any skincare routine with their bounty of anti-aging, hydrating, and healing properties.
With that said, it’s important to note that not all facial oils are created equal, which is why you’ll see a lot of variation in the market. The quality and purpose of a facial oil depend on the type and quality of ingredients sourced, as well as the formulation and concentration of ingredients. To reap the results of face oil, you need to choose one that’s high-performing, intentionally crafted, and catered to your skin.
What Are the Benefits of Facial Oils?
Oils have long been used for their skin and beauty benefits. In Ancient Egypt, oils like castor, olive, sesame, and moringa were used on the skin and loved by the beauty queen herself, Cleopatra. There are endless reasons why this classic skincare product is still widely used and loved today—especially now as the world becomes more aware of the potentially harmful ingredients found in many of our skincare, body care, and personal care products.
High-quality, natural facial oils are brimming with plant-based goodness that does good by your skin. They function as emollients and occlusives in your skincare routine, helping to lock in hydration and support your skin barrier.
Because our skin is composed of oils and fatty lipids – which naturally help keep our skin moisturized and healthy but can become stripped through harsh routines, products, weather changes, etc. – incorporating facial oils into your routine helps reinforce your skin barrier’s natural defenses. This ability to nourish and support your skin barrier is one reason why facial oils help soften, moisturize, protect, and prevent your skin from water loss.
Are Face Oils Right For Me?
Let's start by asking a few easy questions to determine if a face oil is right for you…
- Do you have dry skin?
- Is your skin oily?
- Are you acne-prone?
- Do you need mild products for sensitive skin?
- Are you interested in aging gracefully?
Whether you said yes or no to the questions above, the great news is that a facial oil can be the perfect addition to your skincare ritual regardless of your skin type or concerns. Here’s why.
When it comes to choosing the right facial oil for your skin, what primarily matters are the ingredients within the face oil. Regardless of your complexion woes, the right face oil will enrich your skin’s health.
Face Oils for Dry Skin
Unsurprisingly, those with dry skin benefit greatly from having a facial oil in their skincare routine. Skin that’s parched and in need of hydration thrives from the restorative, moisturizing properties of facial oils. Their emollient nature enriches dry skin with loads of benefits—sealing in hydration on the surface of the skin to prevent water loss and going deep below the skin’s surface to boost moisture and heal dryness.
Face Oils for Oily Skin
Think you don’t need face oils because you have oily skin? Think again.
Oily skin types also benefit from face oils that prioritize “dry” oils, such as hemp seed oil, because they absorb quickly into the skin and balance sebum production. While it may seem counterintuitive at first to put oils on your already oily skin, it’s important to know that oil combats oil. Remember the science lesson like attracts like? The same science applies to facial oils and oily skin.
Using light oils similar in composition to human sebum is ideal for balancing the skin’s oil production and keeping the skin moisturized, helping regulate sebum production, so your skin becomes more balanced with consistent use. Plus, lightweight facial oils are the perfect solution for packing your skin with nutrients and hydration without needing a thick layer of face cream.
Face Oils for Acne-Prone Skin
If your skin tends to be blemish-prone, you’ll want to make sure your face oil contains non-comedogenic ingredients that rate two or below on the scale of 5. For those who don’t know, non-comedogenic is a skincare term commonly used to describe if that product or ingredient is made to not cause clogged pores. That’s why our formula prioritizes plant oils such as abyssinian seed oil, hemp seed oil, and safflower oil that have a 0 rating on the comedogenic scale and benefit most skin types.
Comedogenic, on the other hand, means that a product or ingredient does have the ability to clog pores and cause breakouts, which is something acne-prone skin should stay clear from. Plant oils like soybean (4-5), flax seed (4), wheat germ (5), and coconut (4) are highly comedogenic oils that may work fine on the body but are especially pore-clogging for the face if you have acne-prone skin.
If you’re unsure about whether your skincare product contains pore-clogging ingredients, you can check its ingredient list here.
Face Oils for Sensitive Skin
Even sensitive skin will rejoice in the fact that most facial oils are mild enough to be used without irritation (watch out for artificial fragrances since these can be harsh). In their truest form, face oils help moisturize and strengthen the skin barrier—which is great for sensitive skin! Fatty acid and antioxidant-rich oils are also anti-inflammatory, supporting even skin and calming sensitivity.
Face Oils for Mature Skin
If there’s one skin type that can really benefit from the nourishment face oils provide, it’s mature skin. Aging gracefully is a desire we all share, and fats/lipids and an extra boost of hydration for skin barrier protection will help us get there! Fewer natural oils, moisturizing factors, sun damage, and decreased cell renewal cause the skin to become drier with age. This means keeping your skin hydrated and moisturized is vital for skin health and suppleness.
Facial oils are also rich in antioxidants, the tiny powerhouses that protect our skin cells from deterioration caused by free radical damage. Free radical damage (from things like UV rays, oxidation, pollution, and other environmental stressors) is one of the biggest contributing factors to age-related skin conditions like wrinkles and dryness, so packing your skincare routine with antioxidants is one of the best things you can do for your skin at any age.
How to Use Face Oils in Your Skincare Routine
The actual application of a face oil is reasonably straightforward—dispense a few drops in your hands, gently rubbing your palms together before pressing the oil into the skin. (The warming process helps to activate all the goodies in your oil.) Using your hands, you can do a mini lymphatic facial massage while gently working your way around the face, neck, and décolleté to reduce puffiness and inflammation.
Apply the oil onto slightly damp skin to get the most out of its nutrients and moisturizing properties. When applying our Superfood Beauty Oil, we like to cup our hands around our nose and inhale our signature, plant-based aroma that provides an uplifting self-care experience. It’s also important to remember that less is more (you don’t want to go too heavy-handed). Four to six drops should be enough to achieve an even application; however, you may have to experiment because every face is unique!
To ensure your skin efficiently absorbs the beneficial oils (and the other products in your skincare routine), it’s important to apply your facial oil in the correct order. During the day, your face oil will be your second to last step before applying a reef safe, clean, mineral based sunscreen. Applying facial oil will be your final step at night, layered on top of your serums, moisturizers, and other products.
You can even mix a couple drops of your facial oil with your moisturizer (to make it more nourishing) or your liquid foundation (to make the coverage lighter and more glowy). The flexibility of face oils makes them so easy to incorporate into ANY routine! Even if you’re a skincare novice, facial oils are super beginner friendly and simple to use.
Finding the Best, High-Quality Facial Oil for Your Skin
Whether you’re entirely new to face oils or want a minimalistic approach to feeding your complexion, we’ve made a checklist for the best facial oil composition.
You need…
- Non-comedogenic, plant based-ingredients (cruelty-free, for the win)
- Moisture barrier healing and strengthening
- Bacteria eliminating
- Oil/sebum balancing
- Antioxidant defense
At Sacred Mama Organics, we’ve taken all these vital requirements and kept them at the forefront of our vision while testing, blending, and perfecting our Superfood Beauty Oil. We wanted to create a facial oil EVERYONE could use, regardless of gender, skin type, and personal values. Our formulations use natural and organic plant-based ingredients so you can nurture your skin and preserve the healing beauty benefits of Mother Earth.
We’re committed to sourcing only the highest-quality natural superfoods, such as watercress oil, abyssinian seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, rosehip seed oil, and more. Why? Because we know the magic of these nutrient-dense, non-comedogenic oils and the radiance they’ll unlock within your skin.
Try Superfood Beauty Oil for yourself and experience your ultimate glow.
What Our Customers Are Saying:
My face feels so soft from the time I wake up until the time I’m putting my little ones to bed. It’s that super! ~Skylar
Love the consistency of this oil. Not too thick and greasy. It’s lightweight and absorbs into my skin so easily. ~Kelly
Woke up with less redness and hydrated skin thanks to their Superfood Beauty Oil, made with hemp seed oil. ~Ally
Leave a comment