5 Face Oils for Naturally Clear, Flawless Skin
Acne DIY Skincare & Beauty Face Oils Natural Beauty
Can applying oil to your face actually help keep skin clear and reduce blemishes? Yes! Face oils are the best kept skincare secret to naturally clear, flawless skin. Let’s talk about how face oils help to keep skin clear and which oils are the best for reducing blemishes and scarring from acne.
I have a teeny-tiny little obsession… With oil. That I put on my face.
That’s right, I put oil on my face.
Now there was a time that I would have shuddered at the very idea.
I went out of my way to scan every skincare product I purchased for “oil-free” before giving it the green light, thinking that any oil would instantly clog pores upon contact and turn me into one big walking blackhead.
And when it came to dealing with breakouts, I saw oil as my ultimate enemy. I mean, I even wiped my face with rubbing alcohol at one point (*cringes*).
Ironically, it was in an act of acne-induced desperation that I finally gave oil a chance, and I’ve never looked back.
In this blog post, we chat all about:
P.S. Want to take all the guesswork out of it? I’ve bottled up my best face oil blends — the Body Unburdened Beauty Blends — just for you. Beauty Blend No.2 is my best-seller, formulated to gently but effectively transform blemish-prone skin.
4 Ways the Right Oils Help Keep Blemish-Prone Skin Clear
The fact is, the right face oils can work wonders for acne-prone skin.
Here’s how:
1. Certain face oils are high in linoleic acid, helping to bring balance back to blemish-prone skin
Science!
This one fascinates me the most. Studies have found that the sebum of acne-prone individuals tends to be deficient in a certain type of fatty acid called linoleic acid, and that topical application of linoleic acid can help reduce breakouts.
And guess what? Certain face oils are loaded with linoleic acid!
2. Antioxidant-rich face oils prevent sebum oxidation, a key player in blemishes and acne
More science!
A number of studies have shown that acne patients experience more oxidative stress than people with clear skin. This oxidative stress causes sebum oxidation or the oxidation of the skin’s own oil. Many researchers believe this sebum oxidation is the trigger that kicks starts acne since oxidized sebum is incredibly comedogenic (pore-clogging) and causes inflammation in the skin.
Topical antioxidants have been found to help prevent sebum oxidation and as a result decrease the frequency and severity of breakouts.
3. Face oils help to break up the gunk trapped in pores
When it comes down to it, a zit or blackhead is really nothing more than a sticky mess of oil and dead skin cells. And since like-dissolves-like (in other words, oil and water don’t mix but water and water do mix as do oil and oil), applying oil to the skin can actually help to break up this sticky mess and clear it from the pore.
4. Oils help regulate the skin’s own oil production
Applying oil to the skin can actually “trick” it into producing less sebum (its own oil). Not to mention that often, the skin will produce more sebum to counteract harsh, drying skincare products, and face oils help bring balance by deeply nourishing the skin.
Important note: excess oil production is often a symptom of hormonal imbalance (hello, androgens gone wild!). You can learn more about this and how to balance hormones naturally in my book Glow: The Nutritional Approach to Naturally Gorgeous Skin.
The 5 Best Face Oils For Acne and Blemish-Prone Skin
So which face oils help keep skin healthy, clear and as flawless as can be!?
(And NO coconut oil is NOT on the list! It breaks a lot of people out and I do not recommend it for acne-prone skin.)
PUMPKIN SEED OIL
Pumpkin seed oil is 100% hands-down my favorite face oil for all skin-types — which is why it’s in all 3 of my Body Unburdened Beauty Blends! It’s rich in the antioxidant vitamins A and C, as well as zinc. Vitamins A and C help prevent the sebum oxidation behind many outbreaks while zinc helps calm inflamed skin.
Anddddd best of all: pumpkin seed oil is especially helpful for keeping skin clear since it’s very high in linoleic acid (see above!).
GRAPESEED OIL
Like pumpkin seed oil, grapeseed oil is incredibly rich in linoleic acid, helping bring balance back to blemish-prone skin. It’s also antioxidant-rich and a very light, easily absorbed oil.
JOJOBA OIL
Jojoba oil was actually my first love. When I first started using it, all day I would look forward to bedtime so I could apply it again, knowing that I’d wake up the next morning with clearer skin (it’s a little sad but very true, and if you’ve ever been desperate for clear skin then you feel me).
Jojoba oil is a light oil that is easily absorbed. It mimics the skin’s sebum, tricking it to produce less oil, which is why it’s especially helpful for individuals with oily skin.
TAMANU OIL
Tamanu oil has been used in traditional medicine for ages, specifically for its ability to speed the healing of wounds by fighting bacteria and increasing cellular regeneration. It also has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, making it ideal for acne sufferers.
NOTE: Stay away from tamanu oil if you have a nut allergy!
ROSEHIP SEED OIL
I confess that I decided to try rosehip seed oil after learning that Rose Byrne — a.k.a. hilariously awful and beautiful Helen from Bidesmaid — Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Miranda Kerr all use this oil. You have to admit, these ladies have lovely skin.
Rosehip seed oil is a dry oil that penetrates to the deepest layers of the skin where it regenerates cells, increasing collagen production. It is rich in vitamin C and the essential fatty acids, all of which are known to help heal scar tissue. It is also high in retinoic acid, which studies show reduces the appearance of wrinkles and brightens skin.
There’s no doubt about the fact that rosehip seed oil is fantastic! (Like pumpkin seed oil, it’s in each of the Body Unburdened Beauty Blends!) But a word or warning: I personally find it too drying to wear alone. Yes, an oil can be drying! And of course drying can mean irritating so be careful. So rosehip oil is best mixed with other more emollient oils.
How to use these face oils? Oh, the options are endless!
These oils can be used on their own or mixed with each other in a blend that best suits your skin needs.
Learn how to make a custom face oil blend and check out these top 10 essential oils for skincare, which make a great addition to your face oil blend.
And if you’re not a big DIYer well I’ve got you covered, my friend! After years and years of readers asking me to do so, I’ve finally bottled up my best face oil blends just for you — the Body Unburdened Beauty Blends!
Are you a natural beauty junkie too? Well you’re in the right place, my friend!
Hang around a bit and check out some of these other goodies I know your sweet little natural-beauty-loving heart will definitely enjoy!
- My Super Simple All-Natural Skincare & Beauty Routine
- The Best Face Oils by Skin Type
- The Top 10 Essential Oils for Skincare
- DIY All-Natural Clarifying & Toning Foaming Facewash
- Blackhead Busting Blackout Mask
Hi! How do you apply these face oils? Can I apply face oil in the morning? What would be the best natural face oil brands? Super thanks!
Yes, in a brown or blue dropper bottle. And these are my favorite EOs for skincare: https://bodyunburdened.com/essential-oils-for-skincare/
I used to use it day and night but now I’m pretty obsessed with Juice Beauty’s CC cream, which I now use for the daytime. I don’t wash my face in the morning, though, so in a way I do still use this morning and night!!
Nadia,
do you mix your oils in a dropper bottle? You mentioned adding an essential oil – any particulars, or whatever I prefer? Do you use it as a moisturizer for both day and night?
Thank you.
This blog is great. Thanks for the detailed overview. I have really bad acne prone skin. What sort of a face wash would you recommend?
How do you apply the use? I can see that you mention diluting the oil with a carrier oil in your article on “top 10 essential oils for skincare”. How do you do this?
Hi,
I wanted to mix my own oil for oily skin, can I mix jojoba with tamanu and roes and lemongrass?
Oh my gosh you speak my lingo! I have dealt with rosacea/dry/flaky/sensitive skin my whole life and EOs completely changed my life! (and that was even before I knew about which carriers are best suited for my skin type!)
Keep up the awesome work! Loving it!
Yay I’m so glad this has been helpful to you!! Nope, it doesn’t need to be mixed – that’s just an option you have if you want it. Even with all my blends of different oils and EOs, I still sometimes just apply jojoba straight (like if I’m having any sort of irritation). Let us know how it works for you!
You’re amazing!! I’ve only just discovered the pure beauty of coconut oil and thanks to you, will stop using it as a face moisturiser as I get oily, dry, acne prone, and I also have huge pores – the worst.
I think I’ll be running to holland and barret after work and getting myself some jojoba oil! Does it need to be mixed with anything to be used as a daily face moisturiser?
Again thankyou for all your help!
Hi. Im obsessed with face oils as well!! I wish I knew about face oils sooner, no store bought cream can do what an organic, quality oil can. I was surprised not to see Argan oil on your list, it’s fantastic!! as long as you get an organic, cold pressed, pure argan oil- the results are beyond my wildest dreams. I have mild dermatitis (due to birth control pills) and the argan oil makes it disapear because thats how soothing it is! I highly recommend it. Next im going to incorporate Barabary fig seed oil, I hear that one is amazing as well.
This is a wonderful article and so true. Thanks for sharing!
I had a horrible acne flare up on my back about a month ago and I had always stayed away from oils because of my combination/oily skin. My friend recommended I used avocado oil (extra virgin from a brand called Lovacado) and the flare up improved dramatically. I was afraid to use avocado oil on my face, but when I saw the results on my back I took a chance. My acne has improved and I gave up my night cream and now I only use the avocado oil at night, it really has improved my skin and my acne is a thing of the past. Even my brown scars have improved in colour, and it’s only been 3 weeks. I’m still nervous to use in the daytime, especially to add makeup…I feel like I’m going to clog my pores. Have you used extra virgin avocado oil?
YAY! That makes me so happy 🙂
Wellll it’s not something I would recommend anyone because it probably contains some pretty unhealthy ingredients (try looking it up in EWG’s Skin Deep database), but if it’s noncomedogenic it will likely say on the product. I personally love Juice Beauty’s face lotions with SPF http://bit.ly/1zYqGqm. I’ve been using their CC cream with SPF 30 for about the past month or so and think I’m hooked for life (it has VERY sheer coverage and makes my skin glow). They all have 0 or 1 Skin Deep ranking.
Eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea are usually caused by mercury and/or copper toxicity. The gal who said she started getting eczema after her 4th pregnancy sounds like she is dealing with copper overload, since estrogen raises copper. Check out the Andy Cutler protocol for heavy metals.
I’ve been using olive oil for OCM but recently bought some organic sunflower oil, since I read it also has a comedogenic rating of 0. I love the idea of adding tea tree oil! I’m definitely going to pick up some rose hip oil!
Hello! First of all, I just want to say thank you, because I started washing my face with Jojoba oil and Rosehip oil a few months ago because of you, and I have genuinely never had clearer skin. And I have tried a million different pore cleansing, red spot removing, yada-yada-yada face washes (some of which even claimed to be made with all natural ingredients) but still, NOTHING worked until I started washing my face with your method. So honestly, thank you. My actual question is, though, is it okay if I use Neutrogena Light Weight Sunscreen on my face during the day? I wash my face with the oil at night, and usually in the morning as well, but I am just afraid that the sunscreen will clog my pores.
And if you have any suggestions as to other sunscreens, I would love to hear them! Again, thank you so much for your help.
Elise
Last Summer I had a HEAT RASH on my whole neck, upper chest, some on arms and my face first time in my life. I contacted Allergy doctor and referred me to dermatology with one month appointment later. I was told to put some RX but must avoid the sun. He did not help at all. I was about going way on vacation the next day. I decided not to take RX. I went to the salty beach. In 2010, I had very severe poison ivy, poison oak and sumac together. I become so sick and painful. I had a large orange size blister on my left ankle and many small, medium blister spread all over my body…..I put green clay but burn on my skin around blisters. Do you have any way for me to put on my body or face to avoid Heat rush? posion sumac/oak/ivy? Is any way carrier oil or oils would help me to avoid?
I put coconut oil on my face. I learned today that TYPE 0 is not good for coconut oil. I am still using coconut oil. I am trying to alternative with your oils. ARGAN?
Where do you buy jojoba? I am trying to find a good one organic, no GMO, no chemicals specific product if possible. Could you please point it out several which products of carrier oil and essential oils would be good (NO GMO, Organic, USDA, things like that).
I brought 100 perents pure essential oils. I think it may be not a real oranigc USA no gmo? I also always put tea tree oil on my body when mitisquotes or bugs bite me. I put Lavender on my nose for me to go to sleep. Is it not supposed direct to skin? But I did. Must mixed with what? to avoid direct to skin? Is it harm? I am trying to make myself with a bottle, etc but never did.( I brought two blue empty small bottles) I am so nervous about making mixed like water with essential oil to spray out the room , healthy cleaning homemake products. I have trouble with that. SO, I am trying to go ahead to buy Jojoba. I am still learning and understand.Thank you so much fo caring and loving about health , non toxics.
Do you know anything about Neem oil?
You’d probably want to stay away from the dryer oils. Jojoba is always the one I suggest starting with and then go from there!
Hi Nadia…am new in this blog…n very much curious to know about the oils as I have sensitive skin which turns red right after face wash…can u please suggest good or I say best effective breakout free oil for my sensitive skin????
Hi Nadia
I have an hormonal/adult acne, I have recently started using gerenium oil -neat on my face, I have noted that it reduces the inflammation however it gives me a burning sensation and dries out my face. I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Can you ease recommend the oils that I can use the geranium oil with to keep my skin moisturized, acne free, glowing and even toned?