The short answer: Face oil locks in moisture and stops water evaporating from the skin's surface. Apply three drops after your moisturiser, mix a couple of drops into your moisturiser, or add one to your foundation for glow. It can even help oily skin by reducing oil production.
Facial oils have become more and more popular, but introducing an oil to your skincare regime may leave you feeling a little confused.
What Are Facial Oils and What Do They Do?
Unlike most facial skincare products which are water-based, as the name might suggest, facial oils do not contain water, and are instead oil-based. Oils are what’s known as ‘hydrophobic’, which quite literally means they are scared of water. This means that water cannot pass through oil. This gives facial oils the power to ‘lock in’ moisture and prevent water from evaporating from the skin’s surface.
How Do You Use Face Oil?
The magic of facial oils is that they can be used in a number of ways, so can easily be incorporated into your skincare routine and you can personalise the application to suit you.
- To lock in as much moisture as possible, facial oils can be applied after your favourite moisturiser. Once your moisturiser has been absorbed, pour 3 drops of facial oil onto your hand and warm together in your palms. Raise your hands in front of your face and deeply inhale the therapeutic aroma. Gently pat the oil onto your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose before massaging it into your face, neck and décolleté.
- Add a couple of drops of facial oil to your favourite moisturiser to give it an extra boost.
- Get the glow by adding a drop or two of facial oil to your foundation.
Can You Use Face Oil on Oily Skin?
Despite the myth, applying facial oil to an oily complexion will not make the skin even oilier, but instead will have the opposite effect.
Oily skin is caused by the skin’s sebaceous glands over-producing oil. The skin naturally produces oil (sebum) to protect and nourish itself, and tends to produce extra oil when it feels that the skin’s surface is too dry.
To prevent your sebaceous glands from working hard and going into overdrive, applying facial oil can actually counteract this. It tricks the skin into thinking it has already produced enough sebum and therefore reduces oil production.
Which Face Oil Is Right for You?
- Purifying Facial Oil: oily, congested skin
- Radiance Facial Oil: dehydrated skin
- Soothing Facial Oil: sensitive skin
- Reviving Facial Oil: dry, mature skin
Related reading: Best face oil for acne-prone skin and Best face oil for mature skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does face oil do?
Facial oils lock in moisture and prevent water evaporating from the skin's surface.
How do you use face oil?
Apply after your moisturiser, add a couple of drops to your moisturiser, or add a drop or two to your foundation.
Can you use face oil on oily skin?
Yes. Face oil tricks the skin into thinking it has produced enough sebum, which reduces oil production.
Which face oil is right for me?
Purifying for oily, congested skin, Radiance for dehydrated skin, Soothing for sensitive skin and Reviving for dry, mature skin.
