It can seem a little confusing putting oil on your face when most of us don’t want to look oily—especially if we already happen to have oily, acne-prone, or combination skin. But it’s knowing which oils to use and which to avoid.
Organic face and beauty oils usually smell gorgeous and feel so luxurious on your skin, but why are they also good for combination/oily skin? Let's discuss more.
What Are Face Oils—and How Do They Differ From Serums?
Firstly, it’s important to understand the benefits of face oils, and what differentiates oils from serums. Facial oils are a blend of plant oils designed to address one or more skin concerns (for example, acne or irritation). However, serums are often water-based, and can feel very light and sometimes more drying on the skin. However, facial oils seem to sound thicker and more oily, but this isn’t always the case. They are typically formulated with a variety of lightweight, skin-friendly, non pore-blocking oils that help moisturise, balance and nourish the skin.
Some of the best oils to look for in face oils, when you have combination/oily skin are jojoba, calendula, tamanu and sunflower oil for example. Plant oils to avoid in a face oil would be coconut oil, avocado oil, marula, palm oil and wheat germ.
Yes, your skin already makes oil.
And it plays a really important role in keeping you hydrated by protecting the outer layer of your skin. Here’s how that works:
The one type of oily substance you have probably heard of is called sebum, which is secreted by the skin’s sebaceous glands and contributes to the noticeable oiliness on the face. But there are also other lipids (fats and oils) produced by cells in the stratum corneum (top layer of skin) , the protective outer layer of skin that functions as the skin’s primary protection against water loss. Together, the oils produced by your skin keep the layers of your skin soft, seal hydration in, and protect against allergens and pathogens by keeping the stratum corneum intact.
Any oil is hydrophobic, including the oils that your face produces, which means that they’ll keep water from escaping. And that in turn keeps your skin hydrated. Hydration is really a function of water balance, so oils help hold water in and prevent the environment from stripping water out.
How Does Oil Combat Oil?
This is a question I get asked a lot. During my 15 years working for myself as a waxing specialist, if I ever got a little wax on the floor, I couldn’t just use soap and water to clean it up, I had to use oil! Oil breaks down the wax and slips it right off the floor easily and without stripping.
This same analogy can be applied to our skin. The idea behind using an oil cleanser is that it breaks up the dirt and oil on your skin (like that wax on the floor) without stripping your skin of it's natural moisture barrier. When we strip our skin with soap or harsh products, our skin overproduces oil to make up for what has been lost —often leading to a vicious cycle of dry and oily.
Will Face Oils Clog My Pores?
If you have oily skin, adding a facial oil to your skincare routine can be intimidating (even more so if you have acne-prone skin). And I get it: The thought that adding oil could somehow help reduce oil is counterintuitive, to say the least.
After working in the beauty industry for over 15 years, I have lost count of how many people I have advised to use face oil with combination skin that have turned around and say what? No way? But they have then been so amazed at the improvement in their skin!
Additionally, up until fairly recently, common practice in skincare was to avoid oil-based products if you have oily skin.
But recent studies have shown that the right oils—specifically, non-comedogenic varieties, like Restorative Beauty Oil, can actually help regulate sebum production and balance the skin!
This is because dehydrated skin tends to over-produce sebum to compensate for the lack of moisture. This excessive oil production ultimately leads to clogged pores, more frequent breakouts, and shiny-looking skin. In other words, oily skin benefits from the use of face oils—so long as they’re the right kind of oils.
Restorative Beauty Oil is an excellent face oil to start with, particularly if you’re prone to blemishes, an oily complexion or irritation. It’s non-comedogenic formula is a beautiful blend of certified organic ingredients which work in harmony to help hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier. With regular use, this precious facial oil will help visibly reduce redness for calmer, more balanced skin.
“After just a few days of using Restorative Beauty Oil, my skin seemed to have stopped producing excess oil! I would check in the mirror every day, searching for those pools of oil in my pores, but they were gone. I also anticipated a breakout of massive proportions from the oils—but it never came. Was the cure for all my oil, oil? After two months of using the Nourish Urself Balm as my cleanser and Recovery Face Cream every morning and at night Restorative Beauty Oil, my skin is glowing and not greasy—I am beyond impressed, thanks Beth!” Joanne, Exeter