DIY All-Natural Face Oil for Acne-Prone & Oily Skin
Acne DIY Skincare & Beauty Essential oils Face Oils Natural Beauty
This DIY All-Natural Face Oil for Acne-Prone and Oily Skin combines the best carrier oils and essential oils to keep skin clear by fighting blemishes and reducing oil production. Yes, applying oil to your skin can actually reduce the skin’s own oil production! Learn why it works + grab the recipe!
Some things are just real head-scratchers…
Like how putting oil on your face can actually make your skin less oily and less break-out prone.
It took me years of frustration and poisoning my body with chemical-laden skin care products before I finally experienced this last one firsthand.
I always thought that oil in skin care products was to be avoided at all costs.
So putting straight oil on my face? Oh heck no.
But then I got desperate. And I did it. And it worked. And now I’m hooked!
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.
So how exactly does oil help to keep skin clear?
Face oils help to keep skin clear and blemish-free in a few different ways.
1. Face oils help to regulate the skin’s own oil production
The skin produces oil (a.k.a. sebum) as a natural moisturizer. Sebum is totally natural and even necessary, but excessive sebum production can increase the risk of blemishes. Applying oil to the skin can help reduce the skin’s own production of oil.
Important note: excess oil production is often a symptom of hormonal imbalance. You can learn more about this and how to balance hormones naturally in my book Glow: The Nutritional Approach to Naturally Gorgeous Skin.
2. Face oils are rich in antioxidants, which prevent skin sebum from oxidizing
When the skin’s own oil or sebum oxidizes, it becomes extremely comedogenic or pore-clogging. More and more, this is becoming recognized as a primary cause of acne and breakouts. Most face oils are rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, which prevent sebum oxidation.
3. Face oils breakup the gunk in our pores
When it comes down to it, a zit 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. Face oils soothe and moisturize the skin
By helping to reduce inflammation and moisturize the skin, face oils help blemished skin heal more quickly and help reduce the risk of scarring.
Applying oil to my face was a total game-changer for me!
My breakouts became virtually non-existent.
Yes yes, I’m now one of those lucky ladies who gets to freak out when she gets one little zit before her period and it feels AWESOME.
Want to know the feeling? This simple face oil for acne and blemish-prone skin can help you get there!
DIY All-Natural Face Oil for Acne-Prone & Oily Skin
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons jojoba oil
- 1 tablespoon tamanu oil
- 6 drops lavender essential oil*
- 6 drops frankincense essential oil*
*This is a 2% essential oil dilution (in other words, the essential oils make up just 2% of the total final mixture)
You’ll also need a 2 oz. glass bottle with glass dropper.
Why these ingredients?
- Jojoba oil: a light oil that is easily absorbed. It mimics the skin’s sebum, tricking it to produce less oil.
- Tamanu oil: has strong anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, making it ideal for acne sufferers. It also helps regenerate skin cells, helping to heal broken skin and reduce the appearance of acne scars.
- Lavender essential oil: has powerful antibacterial properties and also helps calm inflamed skin.
- Frankincense essential oil: has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits to the skin, making it ideal for acne-prone skin. It is also a natural toner, decreasing the appearance of pores and evening skin-tone.
Directions
- Add all of the ingredients to the dropper bottle.
- Put the cap on and give it a little shake!
- Apply 4-6 drops to clean, dry skin.
Yes, it’s as simple as that!
Interested in other carrier oil and essential oil options?
Have fun and get creative! You’ll find all of the information you need in these blog posts:
- How to Make A Custom Face Oil Blend
- The Top 10 Essential Oils for Skincare
- The Best Face Oils By Skin Type
Hi Nadia,
Two questions about this oil–I’m so eager to try it.
First, I just started using Trilogy’s Rosehip Oil, and so far I really love it, but since I’m always so afraid of breaking out, it would give me peace of mind to use an oil mixture such as the one you list above that include ingredients to specifically prevent breakouts. So, would you recommend I use the two together? If so, should I layer any one specifically first? Or maybe just use one in the morning and the other at night?
Lastly, I noticed you say that the formula is a 3% dilution, so what do you dilute it with?
I guess one final question, I’ve heard olive oil is a really great Cleanser for people who were previously on Accutane, so I’ve been wanting to try DHC’a Deep Cleansing Oil, but not sure if using too many things to fight acne then when in combo with Rosehip and your oil above?
Okay now this is the final question…what do you think of Argan Oil?
If you’ve read this far thank you! Love your site.
Hey, Ashley! I use this oil in the PM. I talk about my whole skincare routine here: https://bodyunburdened.com/all-natural-skincare-beauty-routine/ 🙂
Hi Nadia , I’ll definitely give this a try but I’d like to know if this mixture is for your night time moisturizer or day time? If not please let me know what you use for your night time/ day time routine. Also I have acne marks any suggestions to add to your acne oil treatment above. Thank you
YAY! So glad to hear it, Stacey 🙂
Love this face oil. I have oily skin so I only use a few drops but it has made a huge difference in the texture and look of my skin! Thank you!
I had a question for you, I’m just starting out and would like to make this. I also saw the following on your EO page and was wondering if I could just add all these as well:
rose
lavender
geranium
patchouli
ylang ylang
myrrh
Is there adverse effect if I were to mix all these oils?
Thank you for your help!
The difference is that lavender and frankincense are essential oils whereas rosehip is another carrier oil like jojoba and tamanu. Rosehip is great with cell regeneration, so may be helpful for you. You don’t need the essential oils per se but they do carry their own benefits.
Hey Nadia! I just ordered Jojoba and Tamanu oil to create this lovely face oil! Instead of buying the lavender and frankincense I bought roseship oil. Would creating a mixture with these three be equally as effective for acne prone skin? My goals for my face are to even my skin tone, reduce oil and improve my blemishes while reducing the appearance of old acne scars. I would love to hear back! Thanks!
I use my oil blends every night! You are correct, the glass will not leach chemicals like plastic does.
Rosehip would be a good substitute (though I do love jojoba for oily skin since it mimics the skin’s natural sebum and tricks it into producing less oil). Grapeseed would also be a great sub for those with oily skin since it is on the dry side and sinks right in.
For oily skin can roseship oil be used or castor
How often do you use this? Also because its glass would oils like wild orange or orange be ok? I heard its good for oily skin but you don’t want to use with plastic
I know this post is old but was wondering if I could replace the jojoba with something less comedogenic? Maybe hemp or sunflower?
Hi! I am absolutely thrilled about your blog! I am 21 years old..possess an acne prone skin, with blemishes..sun tanned skin..I have recently quit all the commercial products!! Since I am very new to the oils..I am hesitant to spend on Tamanu oil..could you suggest another oil in its place!
Also, instead of Frankincense can I use Rosemary?
THANKS ALOT!! I am now your forever fan! 🙂
Oh gosh, is that how much it is all together?? Not often at all. Also, if you are interested in oils I’d start with maybe just 1. 8 oz of organic jojoba oil (which is a TON of oil) is about $10.
Approx- $215 is a large investment for a 16 year old girl without a job. So I was wondering how often you have to rebuy the products (with the links you provided) ?
Nadia,
I’m using an essential oil blend, with grape seed oil as the carrier. What do you recommend to combat the shiny residue? Blotting ?
Or I should say dry/aging skin? Cheeks and forehead dry; only somewhat oily on nose and chin
How about folks with aging skin? What would you change in the recipe for that? Thanks
Hi Nadia,
I have moderate acne and its localized around my mouth and lower part of my cheeks. Can I mix almond oil, lavender oil, and tea tree oil to get rid of my acne? and also have you heard of tinture root oil?