I think it can take some trial and error to find the kind that works for your skin type/routine (plus, all your other products) so that it actually contributes to skin health.
— Christine
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I’ve been using oils almost exclusively for nearly 5 years, and my skin has never looked or felt better. My pores are much smaller, texture is smoother, and with the exception of some deep set lines on my forehead (which have become alot less prominent), I have no fine lines or wrinkles, which at 43 is quite impressive. I also have less breakouts than I had with commercial skin care products.
Another bonus is that I spend about $100 a year on skin care since switching to a more “natural” routine. I used “luxury” brands for years, but was never happy with the results. Of course, after reading the ingredients of several products/brands-which they don’t make easy to find-I realized they’re all packed with harsh chemicals, which many aren’t great for the skin…
Oh, what sort of oils do you use, may I ask? Your results sound phenomenal!
I’m pretty happy with my skin care and I use oils when I remember to, but I want to make it more of a habit since they are so good for your skin.
Rms face oil. Rodin and Africa Botanics for mature skin. Love love love. The dept store creams cost a fortune, and smell artificial. If you have young skin, try RMS. Just need a good eye cream. Wanted to leave Sisley, but keep coming back to that brand.
I have recently started using Rosehip Oil which has been great for my combination skin. I would love to know what you are using.
I agree 100%. When I threw out all the brand name concoctions and went to straight oil I had new skin. I only wish I had figured it out sooner.
Tricky is right, Christine! ^
Finding oils that don’t set off breakouts, but still benefit my 58 y.o. combination, oily t-zone, with a very long history of being breakout prone skin has been, and still is, a major balancing act! Rosehip oil, JM Argan Oil Light, even coconut oil (sparingly) don’t give me serious issues. But, I’ve gotten zits from using Maracuja oil as part of a nightly routine! So I will only use that one if my skin really, absolutely needs it short term.
Just received a sample of Marula oil in my Ipsy bag. Have used it twice. Now to wait and see whether or not my skin “likes” it.
LOVE! I think that to work properly makeup removers should be both oil and water-soluble. Highly purified olive oil also works great as a nighttime moisturizer. When I switched to using oil in products (started off with DHC samples), my skin improved so much. Most drug store facial care stuff is overly harsh and feeds into the mindset that you should be battling with your skin, rather than nourishing it! Thinking that oil begets oil is silly — when our skin is dried out, it over-compensates by producing more oil (same is true for facial skin as scalp). It’s like the same common myth that eating fat is the main thing that makes your body fat, when really eating dietary fats is a totally normally part of a well-rounded health regime, as long as its in moderation.
So far as I know, Clarins was the first (or at least one of the first) companies that really believed in oils for skin care (even for oily skin) and I’ve been using their facial oils probably for close to 30 years. I love facial oils and I’ve been lucky in that all the ones I’ve tried and used are great – Vasanti, Boscia, Algenist, The Body Shop, Josie Maran….my only regret is that I’ve only got one face so it is always a quandary – “which one should I use tonight/today?” I apply them directly to my face or mix them with my CC or foundation. I guess if I had to find a “complaint”, it would be that they have no sun protection (but realistically, I guess they can’t) and also, I wish the instructions were more clear about whether or not they can be used in the eye contour area.
I started using a Priming oil about a year ago and really love it. It is by Lancome and it just melts right into my skin. I use camellia oil as a first step cleanse and am enjoying that but I have tried all of the Sunday Riley oils and they all make me break out and I don’t have particularly breakout prone skin. I do use other S.R. products and really like them.
I’ve been using josie maran’s argan oil but her site offers THE WORST customer service and her prices have gone up a lot. But I don’t only use her products anymore I have been trying other skin care. There are so many oils out there right now to pick from with such high price tags it makes it hard to find out which ones are the best through trial and error only because it can become costly. I do like Argan Oil but in the past I use to hear a lot about almond oil also.
You can get argan oil at the health food store for much less cost and no shipping charges, either.
Thanks Kelly.
I am a huge advocat of using facial oils, despite my skin being oily. After you have found the right one, you will not want to be without it anymore.
Yeah trial and error is a bit true with oils. But overall, pretty good.
I like em!
I like to pat a few drop of facial oil onto my face and chest at night to really seal in everything,
I’m oily so I can’t use them in the day time/under makeup.
I hate the misconception that oily skinned peeps can’t use facial oils!
Long time reader, but I literally just made an account to rave about how much I love DHC Deep Cleansing Oil! I have combination skin, and switching to this from a foam cleanser totally eradicated my dry areas and made my t-zone much less oily. Plus, it emulsifies really well into water afterwards, so no oily residue… can’t say enough good about it. Its the only product in my routine I would never think of replacing.
I ONLY use oils on my face. I mix my own with Grapeseed, Tea Tree, Jojoba and Raspberry seed. I don’t trust facial creams on my acne-prone skin despite the ingredients and the claims.
I love my oils. I’m very dry, so they’re a no-brainer for me. I’ve tried a lot of samples and I sure didn’t love them all. It took some experimentation, but now that I’ve found good ones for my skin, I wouldn’t ever want to be without them. The only brands I’ve purchased full size in the past five years are Decleor Rose D’Orient (oil/serum), Sunday Riley Flora and Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil. And, I’ve repurchased all 3.
Absolutely love for cleansing and hydration. I’ve used oil as one of my moisturizers for years; I think I started right when Bobbi Brown released her Extra line that had a face oil.
While I love that more and more brands are releasing them, a lot of them come with some strong scents and that’s where I have problems. Not necessarily for scent being bad for skin, though that is an issue, but since oil is my final step in the evenings it’s still noticeable on my face when I go to bed (I space out my products to give them time to sink in before adding another). My husband can’t stand the way some of them smell, so I went on a hunt for ones that he didn’t wrinkle his nose at. Sunday Riley is the worst offender to him (though I think he forgot the Caudalie detox oil – horrible smell), but he’s balked at a lot of product – Chantecaille, Bobbi Brown, and Rodin, among others. I landed on La Mer and Cle de Peau as the mildest/most benign smelling options and they work well on my skin.
I am a newbee when it comes to oils. I just got my The Ordinary (mfg. Deciem.com) order today and will be using their 100% Organic Cold-Pressed moroccan argan oil tonight! Hope it doesn’t react negatively. I’m happy to hear the good benefits some of you have received. Was always curious about oils.
Love, love, love my oils. I have dry skin and live in a dry climate. Nothing helps like putting oils on once I’ve put on moisturizer.
Rant: When you already have oily skin, nothing seems to make a difference. So for me, I don’t see the point of them. Sometimes botanical oils give me an allergic reaction.
Rave: Arjan oil really seems to help with the creases under my eyes.
I currently use Paula’s Choice Resist Moisture Renewal Oil Booster and I definitely feel like it has improved the dryness of my skin! I add a single drop to my serum in the morning and evening and I find that I have little to no dry spots compared to before I added it to my skincare routine. I used to get the worst dry spots on my forehead and tried to use the oil alone just on my forehead but it feels way to greasy and messes with my makeup application, but adding to my serum and mixing them together right before applying all over my face was the perfect solution.
I think oils can be tricky in that it may be hard to find just the right amount to use to get the desired effect, plus they tend to leave a greasy texture when used on their own.
Rave: I love the way that face oil nourishes my mature aged skin. I use the Physicians Formula Argon Oil, first up out of the shower, after that soaks in then I add my serums and night time moisturiser. I wish I had this product 10 years ago…. I am 62 years old and often people mistake me as my grand daughter’s mother.
The PF Argon oil is just as good as Josie Maran’s but without the expense.
Rants – only issue is finding an oil that suits your skin. I can’t take rosehip oil as I had a reaction to it.
I swear by the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil (and am currently trying out the daytime version and also loving it) as well as The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Serum-in-Oil. I agree that it’s about finding the right oil for you. But they work wonders for my skin so I definitely recommend trying some out.
Only Shu Uemura cleansing oils and lightweight body oils.
Facial treatment oils usually leave me sticky, feeling smothered or cause a breakout when I’m not prone to them otherwise. I’m dry so I really wanted to like them and I’ve tried several, only using a few drops. But I’m just not a fan unless they are part of a formulation that lets them sit lighter on my skin. Hydrosols, essences and serums are some of my faves and I’ll use creams over them at night.
Rant: So many of these face oils are sooo heavily scented & fragrance isn’t great for your skin. (I’m talking about you Kiehl’s Midnight Concentrate, Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil, Sisley Paris Black Rose Precious Face Oil, etc) Also many oils are simply not the right molecular weight to actually penetrate the skin.
Rave: For my dry, parched, mature skin I use organic squalane oil as it is the most similar to your natural skin’s oil in molecular weight and size. I used to use the Mayumi brand that is derived from shark liver oil but switched to olive derived squalane oil instead as it is also slightly acidic in pH like the mantle on your skin. A personal favorite is the NZ Fusion brand that sells for about $12 for 60 mls. You only need a couple drops so it is quite affordable. If you can’t get that brand just look for any organic brand preferably in an opaque airless pump to prevent oxidation, contamination & rancidity from light and air exposure.
I’d rave all day about face oils. As with any skin care product, it took me some time to figure out which ingredients my skin likes. In general, anything with grape seed, rosehip, sunflower or carrot seem to work well for me. Everybody’s different – I know a lot of people like argan oil, but I didn’t have any luck.
My current favorites are Caudalie face oils, they smell better than the Sunday Riley & seem to work better. I’m also a fan of Fresh Seaberry oil under my moisturizer in the daytime. The bottle is giant – I think it’s lasted about a year.
I started using Indie Lee’s 100% squalane oil this winter, and I have not dealt with any crazy dryness or irritation since I started on it. My skin is a big combination, but I usually have at least one bout of extreme dryness during the winter, where everything seems to bother it, and I believe it’s the squalane that helped me avoid it this year. I’m now sort of doing a split-face test with the squalane on my left side and Jordan Samuel’s Etoile, which is a nice blend of different oils, on my right, to see if there’s any difference. Too soon to call. I use them as the last step of my evening routine. I’ve tried Acure’s marula oil, and Josie Maran both light and regular argan, and I’m kind of meh on them. I like the Indie Lee and the Jordan Samuel more.
I could rave all day about face oils! I love them! Although my fondness for face oil might have something to do with my severely dry and eczema prone skin 😉 I especially like to oil-cleanse to remove makeup at night. I’ll usually follow with some toner (or just a splash of water!) & wipe with a cotton pad. Then I’ll go in with more oil on top, with an extra drop under the eyes.
I like how face oils can be a really affordable part of the beauty routine, especially if you take well to oil cleansing. I also like how versatile they are. I use coconut oil as my body moisturizer in lieu of lotion and I’ll often use some Argan oil on the ends of my hair & on my cuticles.
Oils I’ve tried on my face are: Argan (the main oil I use for my face), Grapeseed, Olive, Coconut (usually only used for the “cleansing” part of my routine, although I’ve used it patted on lightly as a face moisturizer with success), Squalene (olive derived), and Jojoba (personally found jojoba to be not moisturizing enough for me). I try to use organic & ethically sourced oils whenever possible. I like to keep my skin care VERY natural (helps the eczema A LOT). Also, I’ve recently really been wanting to try Seabuckthorn oil!
Contrary to popular fears, I’ve never broken out from using oils. Actually, a light pat of coconut oil went a long way in reducing a breakout on my jawline a week ago. And I’d someday like to try some luxury oil blends (the one from RMS especially), but I definitely don’t think face oil needs to be outrageously expensive to work.
Pay attention to the comedogenic rating of individual oils.. google. Spot test, you can be allergic to anything. Buy pure oil, most brand name oils are a complete rip off. Check your local health food store, vitamin shop, or online… also the grocery store for very common oils like olive and sunflower. If you do choose a brand name oil.. check the ingredients. The vast majority are just cheap oils with maybe a drop of something more exotic.. or full of other ingredients such as silicones.