The Best Oils for Moisturizing Your Skin
May 07, 2024
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May 07, 2024
The Best Oils for Moisturizing Your Skin
Hydrating face oils can get a bad rap, but we’d like to set the record straight on these incredibly nourishing and effective skin moisturizers. If you’re wary of putting oil on your face out of fear of clogged pores or other undesirable effects, you can put those concerns to rest. Skincare has come a long way, and today’s face oils are backed by science—and super beneficial.
Read on for answers to common questions about hydrating oils and see our list of the seven best oils for your skin.
Can Skin Oil Be Moisturizing?
Yes, skin oils can supplement the face’s natural oils and help prevent moisture loss. Many of the best facial hydrators contain oils for their nourishing, moisturizing properties.
How Do Face Oils Work?
Hydrating facial oils often include one or more humectants, occlusives, or emollients to nourish the skin, and they work to help lock in moisture and maintain a healthy barrier. Concentrates that also contain vitamins and fatty acids help support a glowing and healthy appearance from the inside out.
Moisturizing face oil ingredients can be categorized into:
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Humectants: Examples of these ingredients include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and urea, which help draw water into the skin from the atmosphere and pull water up from deeper layers of the skin to hydrate outer layers.
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Occlusives: Including shea butter, mineral oil, and cocoa butter, occlusives form a barrier over the skin to help lock hydration into the skin.
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Emollients: These ingredients, like ceramide, cocoa butter, and lanolin, help smooth the feeling of rough, flaky, or dry skin.
Many moisturizer formulations include multiple ingredients to target dry, dehydrated skin. For instance, The SUPER Intensive Face Oil contains avocado oil to help soothe the feeling of itchy, dry skin and support a hydrated appearance. Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid helps the skin feel softer and more plump, while vegan squalane promotes the appearance of supple, moisturized skin.
When Should You Apply Face Oil?
Skincare should be applied in order of the lightest to heaviest product, so you’ll want to apply a gentle cleanser first, then your skin moisturizer, and finally a hydrating face oil.
We recommend this routine for face oil users:
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Start with The MANTLE Skin Conditioning Wash that deeply cleanses without stripping the skin, so your face oil doesn’t need to work harder than necessary.
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Apply The SUPER Hydrator to fortify your skin with intense hydration from ingredients like purified oat extract, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter.
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Massage in The SUPER Intensive Face Oil, and let the avocado oil soothe and hydrate your skin.
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Finish with the Multimodal Defender, a broad-spectrum sunscreen to help protect your soft, hydrated skin.
Doesn’t Oil Clog Pores?
It’s a myth that all face oil causes breakouts and clogs pores. You might have even been told to avoid oil-based products because they can contribute to blemishes and other skincare concerns, but the truth is much more nuanced than that.
Past studies showed that heavy, oil-based ingredients, like lanolin, were the most likely to clog pores.
We now know that many botanical oils are some of the best supplements for skin because they mimic sebum, an oil naturally produced in the sebaceous gland. That’s why we choose ingredients for our face oils that simulate the skin’s composition. These formulas help support and hydrate skin, without clogging pores.
What Skin Types Should Use Hydrating Face Oils?
Any skin type can benefit from a hydrating face oil, depending on the qualities that the oil’s ingredients are best suited to treat. Those with mature skin should look for face oils rich in antioxidants, such as jojoba. People with combination skin may see the best results from a lightweight hydrating face oil that offers ingredients like grapeseed.
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, it’s important to choose a non-comedogenic facial oil, meaning its ingredients do not have the potential to clog pores in the skin (hint: The SUPER Intensive Face Oil is one).
Those with dry skin have low sebum production, which causes flaking, irritation, and redness, which can benefit from supplemental face oils, like avocado oil.
The 7 Best Oils for Skincare
Natural oils help hydrate and fortify the skin, and plant oils are some of the best oils for skincare. These nutrient-rich oils also contain fatty acids that help retain moisture. When you shop for skincare, we recommend these hydrating oils (depending on your skin type):
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the best oils for your skin. Its vitamin E and medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) help nourish and support the skin. Plus, coconut oil’s cleansing properties are essential for a clear-looking, moisturized complexion. However, coconut oil can clog pores, so if you have oily or acne-prone skin, it may be best to choose another facial oil.
Pro Tip: Refined coconut oil (often used for cooking) has many of its valuable nutrients removed. Look for unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil for your skin.
2. Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is also high in vitamin E and an antioxidant called proanthocyanidin, which can help support an even-looking skin tone and minimize the appearance of dark spots.
Pro Tip: Grapeseed oil is relatively lightweight and may be a gentler option for sensitive skin. It also contains natural fatty acids, which can help support the skin’s moisture barrier.
3. Rosehip Oil
Rosehip seed oil is made from the seeds of rose hips, which are the fruit of rose bushes. This oil is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, which are the vitamins from which retinol is derived. Like retinol, rosehip oil can help visibly firm and smooth skin to give it a visible glow.
Pro Tip: If you have oily skin, you will likely be able to use rosehip oil. This oil is very lightweight and famed for its ability to penetrate the skin without clogging pores, so it’s appropriate for all skin types.
4. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a common ingredient in many body soaps because it’s naturally antimicrobial. Plus, it has both humectant and occlusive properties.
Pro Tip: Olive oil is comedogenic, meaning it is likely to clog your pores. If you have oily skin, it may be best to choose a lightweight oil like jojoba or grapeseed instead.
5. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is used more often in haircare products than skincare, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t beneficial for your complexion, as it can help the skin appear less oily while providing antioxidants and hydration.
Pro Tip: Jojoba oil’s composition is similar to the skin’s natural sebum, so it’s less likely to clog pores. That’s why it’s one of the main ingredients in The SUPER Intensive Face Oil.
6. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is made from avocado seeds and is a great source of antioxidants and vitamin E. It can combat dryness to help the skin feel hydrated and appear more supple. This hydrating face oil soothes irritation and helps visibly firm the skin.
Pro Tip: Avocado oil is featured in The SUPER Intensive Face Oil due to its ability to combat the appearance of free radical damage and encourage visibly glowing skin. Those with dry, sensitive, and mature skin can benefit from avocado-based face oils.
7. Sweet Almond Oil
Almond oil is full of zinc, protein, and vitamin E. Though this oil is commonly used as a carrier for more concentrated essential oils, its ingredients make it a beneficial addition to skincare routines.
Pro Tip: Like rosehip oil, sweet almond oil contains vitamins that can help promote a visibly smooth, firm, and radiant appearance. Because of this, sweet almond oil is a key ingredient in The SUPER Intensive Face Oil.
Moisturizing, antioxidant-rich face oils can dramatically enhance your skincare routine. If you haven’t tried a quality hydrating face oil, you’ll be pleased with the skin-nourishing benefits, whether you have sensitive, mature, or oily skin.
Sources:
Sebaceous Glands: Function, Location & Secretion | Cleveland Clinic
