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, Lauren. Good question – all of these oils are absorbed very nicely with the exception of castor oil, so should be fine under your makeup. The good news though is that castor oil is typically used in oil cleansing method blends! Have fun and good luck 🙂
Thanks for the feedback and info, Chestnut! 🙂
I love that coconut oil isn’t on your list! It breaks me out too, and doesn’t ever makes sense to put on acne prone skin. Since acne feeds off of fatty acids, and coconut oil is chalk full of it, its literally like you are feeding your acne… no good. (words form a licensed cosmetologist) not to say it doesn’t work for some people, but if you’re acne prone, stay away!
Love the list!! Thanks for sharing (=
Well I don’t do OCM – I use oils as moisturizers. But apricot kernel oil is VERY moisturizing. And shea butter is amazing as well. Good luck!
I love the COM, but notice with the winter weather and heat…my skin is extremely dry. Also, I am in full menopause and have dry, sensitive skin, anyways? I did a search on your site and couldn’t find any OCM recipe for mature skin. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your site!!
I’ve ordered all 5 oils, but have not begun to use them. I wear makeup, so I’m wondering which to use to remove my makeup at night and when to use the others? I know the possibilities are endless, but I’m new to the oil cleansing method and was wondering if you had some tips that may help me create an oil cleansing routine with the oils.
Hey Nadia,
What oils would you prefer me to use on my normal/dry mature skin? I have dried many and that are lots I cannot seem to get where I live!
Thanks,
Thelma!
Hi, Dawne! Great question. Argan oil very moisturizing, not dry!
Hi Nadia,
Just wondering – how can you tell if an oil is a ‘dry’ oil or not? I’m specifically wondering about argan oil and if it’s one of the ‘dry’ ones?
Would love to hear your thoughts,
Dawne
Hi!
I am a complete newbie to the oil scene but I have been using organic (or as close to) for a little while. All of my skin/body/hair care is from lush but I am still having problems with acne! (Never had a pimple until my 19th birthday and now they are EVERYWHERE)
So my question for you is: I just recently went and purchased all of the above mentioned oils and I have made your go too face oil for acne prone skin but how and when should I use the other oils purchased? (Hemp, rose hip, and castor) Also, do you have any good recipes to help with body acne?
Thank you,
Which is the best oil for melasma..
Hi, Nanou! So happy to have you as a new reader 🙂 It is likely the same… in the ingredients does it say “hemp seed oil”? The Nutiva brand hemp seed oil, for example, just says “Hemp Oil” on the front/main label but says “hemp seed oil” in the ingredients.
That was an awesome opening to an article
hi Nadia,I just discovered your blog it’s wonderful!! I was we wondering if hamp oil and hamp seed oil are the same?? I ordered some from amazon and it turned out to be hamp oil not hamp seed oil !!!! thank u
I get cystic acne on my jawbone area. Once I start getting a flare up, it spreads like wildfire. I’ve read that excess sebum production is partially to blame. Would jojoba oil cause this to be worse, since it mimics sebum? Do you have any oil suggestions for me, being almost 40, dealing with very oily skin, cystic acne, and fighting wrinkles? Thank you.
I have been very interested in essential oils for sometime now and I have compiled quite a selection of my favorite oils 🙂 Many from Aromaforce, Now,and Young Living companies.
Question: I just purchased my first Ylang Ylang (Aromaforce) and I was wondering if this oil needs a carrier oil when applied to face as a moisturizer. It’s a very nice smelling oil, but you don’t need much (on my wrists as perfume).
Thanks
You may want to try grapeseed oil. I need to update this post with my new favorite oils, but grapeseed sinks into skin really well so its great for oily skin and acne as well. But as with all things, what works for one may not work for another so it can be trial and error. Best of luck!
Hi…..my daughter and I have really oily skin. She has really bad acne and I have large pores, few wrinkles, and discoloration on my face….please help.
I link to the oils I use throughout the post.