Is it ok to use face oil on oily skin?

Tiff’s Tips:

• The right face oil can be beneficial to all skin types- including oily.
• Skin gets oily due to genetics, hormones or imbalances. Imbalanced skin occurs when natural oils are stripped away, your body overcompensates and produces an excess of sebum aka oil.
• Face oils are packed with essential nutrients, fatty acids and antioxidants which give essential hydration, helping to regulate the level of oil your skin produces and helps resolve imbalances.
• Remember: use what works for you. Trial and error and carefully reading ingredients labels can help you cater your routine to your specific skin.

Is it ok to use face oil on oily skin?

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably got oily skin and you’ve probably come up with aaall of the excuses as to why you can’t use face oil— (Breakouts. Blackheads. Acne. Shine you can see from space. )—but guess what? You’re wrong. Yup, wrong.

We’ve been taught from our pimply teenage days that oil is the enemy!!! We need to keep it at bay with harsh scrubs and stingy astringents, and we’ve stayed far away from enemy lines ever since. In fact, oils were a prominent villain in our shiny faced nightmares. So, when facial oils (accompanied by an overload of dew, dew, dew) become the thing skin experts started raving about, you might have found yourself questioning if they were actually just raving mad. But, here's the thing, turns out the big bad oily monster ‘aint so bad.

Perhaps the rumours were once true, however as science advances so does our skincare. We now have the ability to refine oil to create cosmetic-grade versions that are the consistency of water. What was once thick and clogging, like mineral oil, is now very emollient, doesn’t leave any residue on the skin and doesn’t clog pores.

Amazing, right? But those of us with oily skin are probably still a liiiittle bit frightened of the dreaded ‘O’ word (we’re talking about Oil here…) Fret not my glowy friend- Scientia is here to answer all your face oil questions including- is it ever ok to use face oil on oily skin?

Why does skin get oily?

To begin with, let’s get one thing straight: oil is not bad for your skin. The kind of oil your body produces is called sebum, and in the right quantities, it serves as both a natural shield and a moisturiser. However, when produced in excess, that same oil can overwhelm and clog your pores, resulting in acne breakouts, congestion, blemishes and a shiny complexion. This over production can be hormonally inflicted or genetic, but it’s also a sign of imbalanced skin. 

Imbalanced skin can occur when the skin’s natural oils are stripped away; often because you’ve been a liiittle bit naughty and are overdoing it with cleansers and exfoliants or something dietary- e.g. dairy (cheese, chocolate, lattes aka all of our favourites things). It can even just be down to the weather, or genetics. These things all make your skin thirsty. So, your body tries to fix it by producing even more sebum to compensate and that’s why your skin is oily.  (*facepalm*)

Why oily skin needs face oil

But… I already have too much shine going on- why would oily skin need a face oil?  Often those of us with oily skin think that:

• An oil treatment will make skin more oily
• Oil-free skincare options are better at balancing your skin.

These assumptions for most people however are incorrect. Turns out, the right oils can actually be very helpful when it comes to balancing an oily complexion. (Emphasis on the right- see further down.)

Often oily skin produces more oil as a defence mechanism to balance out the loss of moisture on your skin (frequently caused by harsh cleansers). The oils in a face oil however are very different that the sebum your body naturally creates. They absorb faster and lock in more moisture all whilst infusing skin with the nutrients that keep it healthy. A few drops of oil after your morning cleanse will take the place of sebum, providing the same positive benefits (hydration and protection) without the greasy texture or shine, hydrating the skin whilst regulating the oil its producing.

Because of this, the right face oil can even help clear up blemished, congested, or angry skin. It’s important to note we’re not saying replace acne treatments with any singular face oil, instead facial oil can make a great addition to your current skincare routine.

If that’s not enough... 

• Oils act as the skin’s lipid barrier. They’ll seal moisture in and ensure your skin stays protected against dryness as well as environmental damage such as super high or super low temps, and dry air.
• Oils help with ageing. As we get older natural oil production decreases and skin dehydration can cause breakouts, fine lines, and wrinkles. Using a face oil helps lock that moisture in and keeps skin healthy.
• Skin varies throughout the day. Even if you wake up with oily skin, your skin can end up dry and dull by the afternoon. Not only do face oils regulate your sebum production when you’re oily, they also soothe inflammation during your drier hours.

But can face oil cause acne or blackheads?

In most people, naturally derived oils aren't responsible for breakouts. Oils like avocado are healthy when they're applied to clean skin. It's the comedogenic oils, like mineral oils or synthetic oils, that can often cause those breakouts.

It’s important you choose the right oil for you. Read the labels and opt for products that have no added colour, fragrances, or preservatives, choose natural oils over synthetic or mineral.

So, which face oil is best for oily skin?

The crucial factor here when choosing any face oil, especially a face oil that doesn’t clog pores, is the size of the fatty acid molecules that make it up. If they’re too big to get through the skin barrier, they sit on top of the skin and don’t really do much. If they’re small enough to get through, they’re more likely to penetrate to deeper layers and have more effective benefits. For instance, research suggests that Jojoba Oil and Argan Oil can help repair the skin barrier as they actually penetrate the skin instead of forming a barrier on the surface. Looks for an oil that contains ingredients like Marula, Jojoba and Squalene, these sink in quickly and are much less likely to clog pores than something like Coconut Oil.

For a first-time user a great face oil for oily skin is something full of those nourishing beneficial oils but still feels light and sinks into the skin quickly.   

In our opinion the Dawn Elixir is an amazing place to start. Gorgeously hydrating but light and fresh, this unique blend of 23 natural oils is specially selected to revitalise and energise skin while Fresh Ginger and Pink Pepper revitalises and invigorates the mind. We love the way it sits under makeup, giving you a dose of radiance without leaving skin looking greasy or pores clogged. 

Dawn Elixir 23 Active Oils for Radiant Skin

£32.00

Rejuvenated. Radiant. Energised. Our (glowy) little secret…? We wake up with Dawn Elixir! 100% natural, supercharged active oil blend, glow enhancing vitamins A, C & E, and antioxidants banish dullness, boost radiance, hydrate tired skin, and restore balance, whilst also… Read More

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 Until next time #secretseekers...