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
I use castor oil on my eyebrows and eyelashes every night since Monday. I had no clue what castor oil really is and don’t know if I got an okay one. The one that I bought is ingested for stomach problems soo I hope it’s okay to put on my brows and lashes! Sorry for all of the questions!
I tried it with coffee but it was kind of gross ha but it tastes really good with bagels and a little bit of blueberry cream cheese! I eat like a spoon or two a day. Oh and I bought grape seed oil and tea tree oil today. Do you think a mixture of grape seed oil and coconut oil would be good or coconut oil and tea tree oil? Also if I just use tea tree oil as a spot treatment do I need to dilute it or anything? Thanks!
Yes, coconut oil is one of the best oils to cook with! Some people even it it by the spoon full for its benefits 🙂
I’ve been using only coconut oil to wash my face for a month now. Seems to even out my skin and reduce blackheads but I still have some breakouts. I think I may combine it with rosehip. I’m not sure if I’m using enough or too little though I just put it on my face enough to fill in every spot and then pat it with warm water. On a random note I have also been consuming coconut oil by cooking with it. It’s suppose to be super healthy for you! I am also 25 with combination skin if that helps anyone.
On my bod, yes. On my face, no. Do you like it?
YAYYYYY!! That makes me so happy 🙂
Most often I just splash some warm water on my face in the morning before applying the oil, or layer more oil on my dry skin (don’t touch it at all) – especially with this drying winter air! Maybe that will do the trick for you? Also a little exfoliation may help if your skin has cleared a but and you don’t think it will irritate it.
hey i wondering have you ever tried grape seed oil?
So I have been doing your oils for almost a month and I feel like my pimples have decreased so much although it is a bit drying maybe I’m using it to much? I was using you clarifying and toning face wash at morning and night and doing the blend that you make also morning and night! Is this too much? When you get up in the morning do you wash then do the blend or only wash at night ? And I have used some raw Shea butter but it still seems like I have a lot of dry patches. My pimples have defiantly decreased though 🙂
Hmm I don’t know what the consistency would be like but if you try it, please let us know how it works out!
Hi Nadia!…thanks so much for your insights & wisdom!…do you think its ok to combine jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and aloe vera gel together to make a moisturizer?
I did! https://bodyunburdened.com/diy-natural-face-oil-for-acne-prone-oily-skin/
But the beauty of oils is the opportunity to play mixologist 🙂 based on your personal skin needs.
HI! I came across your blog and appreciate you posting on the oils. I am slowly making the switch to oils and want to know if you ever made your DIY recipe post for my everyday moisturizer? I would love to know what you did. Thank you!
I started using jojoba oil when I realized my regular moisturizer was giving me clogged pore bumps under the skin. Once I got ride of the existing ones, I’ve noticed FAR less (like 1 vs about 8 when I finally “woke up”). I put it on after I cleanse, leave it on for a bit and then splash a bit of water on and dry lightly if it feels like too much. I love this oil!
Okay, help? Based on the high linoleic % (super for oily/acne-prone skin) in Prickly Pear Seed Oil (aka Barbary Fig Seed Oil) I am most interested in trying it. But prices are all over the map! I have seen 1 oz. bottles for $29…up to $99…and all specify “organic”. Everyone says that “cheap prickly pear oil” is actually not cold-pressed from the seeds but rather heated seeds and macerated pulp and flowers version. But in reading the production method for each of these various products, all descriptions say “cold-pressed from seeds”. Is it appropriate to assume a 1 oz. bottle @ $29 is low-quality? Or does the $99 bottle just have a bigger company name behind it…the Crème De La Mer of Prickly Pear seed oils??
Hi I bought jajoba and rosehip oil..could you tell me which oil to use where and when
Life changing information, thank you! I too am addicted. Brand new with EOs and oils in general and I’m jumping in head first learning as much as possible!
Tea tree can actually be used neat (undiluted) on the skin – it’s one of the few EOs that can!
Best of luck to you!! Fingers crossed X
His Nadia! How do you use the rosehip oil on your face? Also, how can you tell is an essential oil is good quality?
You said you use Tea Tree for spot treatment? some people say not to use straight essential oils on your face cause it can cause sensitivity to those oils? have you ever heard this? I just ordered everything in this article cause Im 28 and sick of breaking out. Thanks for all the info
Just discovered your blog and immediately tried the baking soda, lemon juice and tea tree oil exfoliator…felt great! I’m very new to all of this and just bought my first few essential oils, etc. Can you give some indication of what would be the best way to start and which of your DIY combos to start with? I wouldn’t want to start with all of them and then not know what’s working best for me… any advice would be most appreciated! Thanks