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
Hey, Lindsey! Well I would definitely get a carrier oil — it’s important to dilute essential oils as many are not safe to apply to the skin undiluted. But it’s great to hear you’re loving your oils! And I don’t see why you couldn’t use those on your back too if they’re working for you.
Thank you for your amazing all natural beauty recipes, I have so many questions!!!! I have oily skin, acne prone face and back, I have no idea what carrier oil to use. Right now, I use frankensince, purification, and vetiver on my face, It’s too soon to know if it has worked. Can I use the same oils on my back? I have not been using a carrier just simply rubbing the oils on my face.
New to the oil life, but loving it!
I just started using your mixture of oils as my regular face moisturizer. And I love it!! Unfortunately it didn’t solve my winter dryness issue. I was wondering if you had any oily tips and tricks that I could use to help combat my flaky dry winter skin, while not aggravating my acne and blackhead prone skin.
Coconut oil is a major no no for me it causes so much skin irritation and breaks! Just started using JOjoba oil by Desert Essence. Seems to be working but would like to try possibly Hempseed oil next! Any thoughts on this? Also others have asked about under eye what to put any other thoughts? Also
Thanks for the fast reply. I think that the Acure brand is causing my face to break out for some reason. It’s the up scented so I think I’m going to return it and look online for something more pure or something else all together. Thoughts greatly appreciated!
do you ever use beeswax melted and mixed with oils? I have been using oils on my face since the 90s.. not regularly though… but anyway, I have been playing around mixing beeswax with different oils. the results have been great as a body ‘cream’, but I have not tried it on my face. any thoughts? oh, I’m a beekeeper so I use my own girls wax.
Argan oil is GREAT! If you find it to be too oily, mix it with jojoba, which is super similar to the skin’s natural oils and so can trick it to produce less oil.
Hello Nadia,
I wanted to know the ratio of castor oil : jojoba oil.
my skin is very patchy I wish i could benefit my skin.
Hi I was wondering if you could tell me what your thoughts are on Acure Moraccon Argan Oil for Oily, Acne, Sensitive, Aging(43) year old skin? I am super oily!
Thanks.
Hi’ I’m Kristen and I am 15 years old. I absolutely love your tips and tricks! They’re awesome and so helpful so thank you! I would like to ask a few questions and hope that you can reply to this email. I have combo/dry/acne prone skin. And I can’t find a good natural face oil. I’ve tried Argan oil but it just makes my face feel super greasy and I hate it! I’ve tried using rosehip and I really like it but it’s really dry any other recommendations? Also, Can I mix rosehip with tea tree oil and lavender together? Also, I have small fine lines under my eyes and I’m so worried and I always stress about them 24/7! People say sweet almond oil really helps for dark circles and it does help with that but it doesn’t absorbed well it leaves an overly oily residue. I’ve also tried Coconut oil but it leaves small bumps under my eye I think it’s called mililla I’m not sure but do you have any recommendations on a natural oil for under the eyes for fine line and dark circles that are suitable for my age? thank you! I would be SOO happy(: pls email me back!
Have you used and if so how would you compare sweet almond oil to avocado oil for skin? Also apricot kernel oil?
Thank you for this information! It’s really helpful, as I’ve been trying to incorporate oils into my skincare routine. For the past month I’ve been using a face oil from a brand called Crude Personal Care. It’s made up of organic sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapefruit essential oil, and ylang-ylang essential oil in it. Have you ever tried any of these oils? If so, what were your results? So far I’ve had good results, but I may try some of the oils on your list as well. Thanks! 🙂
Hi, Melissa! So happy to have you as a new reader 🙂
This is my favorite face oil blend that I use daily: DIY all-natural face oil for acne-prone & oily skin
I honestly don’t do oil cleansing, but many people do use castor oil in their oil cleansing blends. As far as I understand, after they “wash” the oil off with warm water or a wet, hot cloth, they don’t moisturize — they just let the remaining oil set in.
I love this blog and am so passionate about fixing my acne problem with oils. I just have some questions. Do you use a mix of jojoba and castor as a moisturizer?
I am going to try oil cleansing on my face but am not sure if I will also need to use a moisturizer or what I should use prior to putting my makeup on in the morning.
Thank you! and again, I love you site.
Hi! I firstly want to thank you for all your wonderful info! Im just getting into all this and your blog is one of the things that spurned me on. So thank you! Anyway I’m in the process of making the toothpaste and I have a question for you if you don’t mind. Now keep in mind, I’m an amateur when it comes to this so please forgive me if this is a dumb question hahaha. I don’t have sesame oil but I do want squeezability! I’ve been to places today with no luck, but I want to make it NOW haha. Do you think I could use sweet almond oil or hemp seed oil to replace the sesame? I have both so if one would work better than the other or neither would work at all I guess I’ll go find the sesame oil haha
Again, thank you so much!
Maddy
I’d go jojoba! It mimics the sebum in your skin and so can actually trick your skin to produce less oil. And it is very moisturizing for the drier areas.
I have really dry skin- like REALLY dry. but i also an oily t-zone area, especially around my mouth and nose that makes me very acne prone. it’s a headache trying to find things that will not dry out my already dry skin but can help control my oily, acne pront areas. so most of the time, after a good dep cleansing wash that still moisturizes, i end up using different products on different parts of my face. lol are there any essential oils/carrier oils that might be helpful with my dryness but still noit break me out? i saw your other article about skin care and think oils like rose and geanium and lavender sound great but when thinking on what carrier oil to mix it wsith, im lost! sounds like most of these would either ry my skin out more or make it more oily. what woudl you suggest?
Hello Nadia,
I found lot of information on your website,thanks for writing!
Taking an inspiration from you,i made a serum 2weeks back with 15ml jojoba oil,4drops carrot seed oil,4drops geranium oil,4drops lavender.I was having small breakouts for couple days in the starting and suddenly my skin became very dry and dull after using serum.I have acne prone oily skin and i am drinking enough water, i dint even change any facewash or moisturizer.I pickedup Rocky mountain essential oils and organic desert essence jojoba oil.Can i add rosehip oil to serum.
Thank you!
Hi!
Thanks for all the advice, but I have question about travel…
I have bought some hemp oil and rosehip oil and I am loving them, but they both require refrigeration – what do I do when it comes to travelling with them? Are they ok to be out of the fridge for a day or so of travel or will they go bad?
Thanks!
My daughter has very sensitive skin. She does get some acne but her worst problem is her face looks like it has a rash a lot of times which I’ve been told is actually dry skin. What oil would you recommend. I make a face moisturizer with coconut oil, vit E ,
Thanks for any help you can give me.