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
Dana, is it this one? How to Make A Custom Face Oil Blend
I recently saw a recipe for a face moisturizer on your blog but now I can’t find it! It was a blog about a moisturizer you made with aloe Vera. (and the importance of moisturizing with water then sealing it with oil) you also talked about adding niacinamide and MSM… ??
Nadia,
How about any suggestions for carrier/essential oils that would be healing to chest and underarms for (breast cancer) radiation burns? There are various creams and ointments that are suggested but they are loaded with chemicals! I’d rather use something that is organic and with as few ingredients as possible.
Hi Nadia
I came across this article couple weeks ago while Googling the use of oils for face care, some thing I have been curious about for a long time. I have struggled with my skin for all of my adult life. I wash it, it feels dry and tight and like it’s about to crack off my face. I put on a light moisturizer and within a couple minutes my face would feel dry and cracking again. Couple hours later, even when using super light gel moisturizers, my skin would begin to feel oily. Often, if I could, I would wash my face mid day and repeat the process. If I tried any thing that even remotely felt oily, my face would instead feel itchy and oily and caked up. I have been fighting breakouts constantly. I can’t remember a single day when I wouldn’t have irritating break outs of one sort or another. It’s been a vicious circle, from too dry to too oily in a heart beat no matter what I tried. Your article inspired me, I could relate to what you were saying and the same night I placed an order for some oils to try: Jajoba, Rosehip, and Tamanu. The first two arrived the next day and I was excited to try them.
What happened next completely blew any expectations I had out of the water.
With first use on the first day, my skin felt great as soon as I applied the oil. It felt so comfortable. It didn’t feel irritated and dry at any point and it remained feeling great and never got oily throughout the entire day. And it gets better, by the end of the evening my skin still didn’t feel like it was getting clogged up and ready to break out. Mind.. BLOWN! It has been a little under 2 weeks and I simply had to reach out and say THANK YOU! Unless I wake up and this changes, I think you quite possibly have changed my life! <3
Well tea tree oil is an essential oil. If you have sensitive skin, you should probably dilute it in a carrier oil. I discuss this more here: The Top 10 Essential Oils for Skincare
And I discuss almond oil here: The Best Face Oils By Skin Type
Just mix them together in a dropper bottle, shake, and then apply the mixture to your skin! It’s much easier than applying them separately.
When hemp seed oi is mixed with jajoba oil, does it still need to be refrigerated? Would I need to refrigerate the mix?
I have just chanced on your blog today, and can I just say that I LOVE It! There are so many things that I want to read on. Your content is amazing and I love the topics. I will be here for regular visits to read up!.Thanks for sharing such insightful information!
I’m ordering the oils for the acne prone face oil…but you also mention that you like rosehip oil mixed with jojoba oil for less sheen. This is not added to your face oil recipe, so I wondered how much rosehip oil you use in your face oil recipe. Thanks!
Hi and Help! I’m desperate! Last November I used a Neutrogena toner and caused my face to get itchy,swollen red areas all over ; ever since then my skin hasn’t really recuperated; every time I use sunscreen the same thing happens but I must use sunscreen because I have many ugly dark spots all over my face. Today I tried putting castor oil with hemp seed oil on and the itchy painful redness started again. I tried this combination because all my life I suffered from severe acne. I am 55now so it has somewhat healed but I still breakout.
I had to rinse it off because it was getting worse. Please help me, I’m desperate!
I agree! That’s why grapeseed oil is included in my updated blog post on this topic – The Best Face Oils By Skin Type https://bodyunburdened.com/best-face-oils-skin-type/
Nice article, but don’t forget grapeseed oil. It’s by far one of the best natural oils for clear skin. Grapeseed oil is one of richest in vitamin E (7% of daily allowance per tablepoon), and 70% of its fat are in the form of linoleic acid. Studies have shown that acne patients have lower levels of linoleic acid in their skin than average. Specifically, it is naturally antimicrobial and keeps p.acnes bacteria suppressed, and it might defend your cells from UV radiation irritation as well.
Jojoba oil is pretty great as well, since it moisturises superbly yet has a comedogenic rating (pore-clogging) of only two out of 5. Both are among the top natural moisturisers for acne. Good article overall!
I love neutrogena sun block [shear] i used organic turmeric and a pitch of oil to make a face mask it works wonders. I always moisturize my face after TRY IT and especially who suffers with acne, pimple etc.
Can I mix coconut oil and sweet almond oil? My coconut oil is maybe one month old , but since I never knew the benefits of sweet almond oil , it has been down in my cabinet for a while.
I am so stupid…..for years…( I am 50 now. )…I thought I HAD to have my Dove soap , and Olay moisturizer. Plus , I have spent hundreds on expensive anti aging creams and eye serums.
Then , I started reading about 6 months ago how good natural oils are. I was just looking for inexpensive ways to make homemade stuff when I saw the article.
Thank you for posting this.
Am just getting started with the facial oils, organic coconut oil, and Apple cider vinegar as an astringent. Only one week in and I’m overwhelmed with the results. At age 59 and suffered from acne since age 16, this means a LOT!
I love your article! I have bought the jajoba oil and the hemp seed oil to balance out each other in hope of something more natural to take care of my skin. When you mix the two, what is the best method? Apply one then the other? Or at the same time? Thank you!
i have very dry sensitive fair skin. i have tried tea tree oil before and it made my skin terrible. it broke me out even more all over my face. ive heard about all these oils but im still skeptical…oh and what about Almond Oil??
Hi Nadia!
Have you ever used almond oil as well?
My cheeks have recently become very dry, red, and hot (especially after washing my face) and I’m trying to figure out what combination of oils would work best to treat my skin condition. I heard almond oil is great but I also want to try out those oils you’ve suggested. Any advice? Thanks in advance 🙂
Thank you for the tips Nadia! Been falling in love with castor oil and will blend it with above mentioned to better suit my skin needs 🙂