As I’ve gotten more into skincare over the years, I’ve learned a very important lesson: DON’T BE AFRAID OF OILS! Even if you have oily skin or an oily t-zone (like me), don’t discount how oils can be beneficial for your skin. Different oils have different beneficial properties, and therefore can help the entire spectrum of skin, from bone dry to oily slick.

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Let’s start with some very important oil facts:

• Why oil works for oily skin:
  • Oil dissolves oil – Chemistry 101 tells us that like dissolves like.
  • Applying oil can also trick your skin into thinking it doesn’t need to produce more oil!
• Why oil works for dry skin:
  • Our skin naturally produces oil, but some people produce less then others (and we produce less as we age), and facial oils can help replace them.
• Oils help protect the skin by creating a lipid barrier over the skin.
• Oils provide many nutrients, fatty acids, and antioxidants to the skin.
• You need water-based products in your skincare routine as well to get maximum absorption of facial oils. This could be a water-based moisturizer or a hydrosol/plant essence water type product.
• Oils should mainly be used at night, as your skin produces less sebum at that time. This way, your skin soaks them up overnight and creates a barrier that will last through the next day.

Different oils are ideal for different skin types.

Different oils will affect each skin type differently, so you should try to determine your skin type before experimenting with oils. Common skin types are dry, oily, combination, mature, sensitive, and acne-prone. Many of these overlap or have similar qualities as well! It shouldn’t be too difficult to determine your skin type:

• Dry skin can feel tight and may become rough or flaky.
• Oily skin tends to get shiny easily and quickly and be more prone to blemishes and blackheads.
• Combination skin may get dry on the cheeks, but oily in the T-zone.
• Mature skin tends to have less elasticity (due to less collagen production) and to get dry (due to less sebum production).
• Sensitive skin is prone to redness, dryness, itching, burning and will not react well to many products.
• Acne-prone skin is pretty self-explanatory…you tend to get a lot of acne!

I consider myself to have combination acne-prone skin that is slightly sensitive. I get oily in my T-zone, but my skin is well balanced on the rest of my face. I have a tendency to get hormonal acne on my jawline, and I need to be careful with any products that may be too drying (especially face masks) for my sensitive skin. Once you determine your own skin type, you can start using products that will cater to your unique needs!

Not all oils are created equal.

Many oils can be used on the skin, but the following are the oils that I consider powerhouses for facial skin:

• Almond oil – is light and gentle and penetrates the skin very easily.
• Argan oil – is great for dry or mature skin, as it it can both condition skin and help restore elasticity. It is also non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), and helps regulate sebum production, making it helpful for oily and acne-prone skin.
• Avocado oil – is amazing for dry or mature skin. It is thick and very soothing,
• Evening primrose oil – penetrates skin deeply and is super soothing, so it works best on very dry or mature skin.
• Grapeseed oil – is very light and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), which makes it ideal for more oily or acne-prone skin.
• Jojoba oil – is actually a liquid wax, and most closely resembles the skin’s natural sebum. It is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores). It both helps moisturize dry skin and balance out our natural sebum to control oily skin.
• Rosehip oil – is known for promoting collagen production and elasticity, making it ideal for mature skin.
• Tamanu oil – is one of the best oils for acne prone skin (it even helps with acne scars!), as well as irritated skin.

Quick Guide to Oils by Skin Type

• Dry skin – avocado oil, evening primrose oil
• Mature skin – avocado oil, rosehip oil
• Oily skin – grapeseed oil, jojoba oil
• Acne-prone skin – grapeseed oil, tamanu oil
• Sensitive skin – avocado oil, evening primrose oil
• Work well for all skin types – almond oil, argan oil, jojoba oil

How to Formulate a Facial Oil

We’ve established that not all oils are created equal, so they should not be used in equal amounts! You’re basically going to want one or two base oils and then a super special oil (although this formula can most definitely be messed with by adding in more oils in smaller amounts). You can also somewhat tell by price which oils you should be using more or less of. For example, almond oil costs about $3.50 per ounce, while rosehip oil costs about $10 per ounce.

Base oils:

• Almond oil
• Argan oil
• Avocado oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Jojoba oil

Super special oils:

• Evening primrose oil
• Rosehip oil
• Tamanu oil

Sample Facial Oil Recipes

Based on the idea of base oil(s) mixed with super special oils discussed above, here are some sample recipes of facial oils for different skin types. You can also add some fun extras, like vitamin e oil or essential oils, but these are going to make up only a small percentage of your facial oil. The carrier oils are what will really shine in these recipes!

Dry or Sensitive Skin Facial Oil Recipe

• 2 parts avocado oil
• 2 parts argan oil
• 1 part evening primrose oil

Mature Skin Facial Oil Recipe

• 2 parts avocado oil
• 2 parts almond oil
• 1 part rosehip oil

Oily or Acne-prone Skin Facial Oil Recipe

• 2 parts grapeseed oil
• 2 parts jojoba oil
• 1 part tamanu oil

My Personal Facial Oil Recipe (remember, I’m combination skin that tends to be acne-prone and on the more sensitive side)

• 2 parts almond oil
• 2 parts jojoba oil
• 1 part tamanu oil

Love the idea of these facial oils, but not so into the DIY aspect? No worries, there are a ton of great facial oils on the market! But before you get duped into buying some fancy looking oil that’s really just these types of carrier oils in well marketed packaging, check out Plant Therapy’s carrier oil blends:

• Clear Complex – a blend of grapeseed oil, hempseed oil, evening primrose oil, and vitamin E oil, that “is just the thing for problem skin, especially if you have oily skin prone to blemishes.”
• DermiSoothe – a blend of almond oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and vitamin E oil, that “was created for those that suffer from rough and reddened skin.”
• Near Perfection – a blend of almond oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, tamanu oil, and vitamin E oil, that helps “reduce the appearance of marks and imperfections on the skin.” (This is the oil I based my own off of).
• Younger Glo – a blend of sesame seed oil, sunflower seed oil, camellia seed oil, rosehip oil, argan oil, and vitamin E oil, that “was created for those that wish to reduce the signs of aging, or for those with ‘mature skin.’”

I hope that, if you don’t already, you’ll consider adding a facial oil into your skincare routine! I have found that it helps a lot with acne and acne scars (which are my biggest gripe when it comes to my skin!). Definitely let me know if you experiment with making your own facial oil and how it turns out!

I’ve included my full nighttime skincare routine (including my DIY facial oil) in the video below:

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