Every time I post videos of my skincare routine on my Instagram stories (@gabriellazacche), the questions I see popping the most are the ones about the face oils I use. What are they for? Why do you use them? Which is the right one for my skin type? Can you use them if you have oily skin? In which order should I use it? In this post (maybe overtrusting my scientific background), I’ll try to answer all of them!
What are face oils for?
Face oils are supposed to hydrate and moisturize the skin. Depending on the type, they can also help with signs of aging, protect against pollution or other harmful external factors, or even help fight acne and sebum overproduction.
In spite of all the (often immediate) benefits of face oils, it’s important to note that the hydration that they promote on the skin is very superficial. Most oil molecules are not thin enough to penetrate deeper layers of the skin as active ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid can, for example.
So why use them when you can just moisturize?
If you have dry skin (or are just going through Winter months), face oils will give your skin the extra moisture it needs. Plus, it will form a barrier to lock in the hydration from your moisturizer (or just the natural one from your skin).
Some oils are also very rich in antioxidants, which can help prevent those signs of aging that we hate!
More technically speaking…
If we’re to get a bit deeper here, there are roughly two kinds of acids present in face oils: oleic acid and linoleic acid. The former consists of bigger molecules (and will make their vehicle, the oil, more consistent) and is great to form that desired barrier on dry skin and keep it moisturized.
The latter consists of smaller molecules, which will make the oil thinner and runnier, and is actually amazing for oily skin, absorbing faster and not clogging pores. As a matter of fact, when the skin breaks out, it very often is lacking linoleic acid, and oils containing it can help restore balance.
So how to introduce face oils on my skincare routine?
The rule of thumb in any skincare routine is to always start with the thinnest products and work your way to the thickest. If you double cleanse, start with your cleansing oil, rinsing it with your favorite water-based cleanser, then apply your serum and your creamy moisturizer. The last step should be the face oil to lock everything in.
You can also add your face oil to your moisturizer, but for that, I highly recommend that you use both from the same brand to make sure that they will allow, or even potentialize each other’s absorption by the skin.
My favorite facial oils for oily skin
Facial oils for dry skin
Anti-aging treatment facial oils
What do you think?