Ask A Pro: Facial Oils
Facial Oils are a skincare product category that seems relatively new to the market, but it’s far from new. We’ve been using oils on skin and body for centuries, the biggest difference now is that the oils are marketed for specific skin needs and now include more ingredients than just the oil itself.
“I like my products like I like my people, non-toxic.”
A while back I wrote a blog in my Back to Basics series diving into Facial Oils, Ampoules, and Serums as they commonly get confused for each other in usage and purpose. You can check that blog out HERE, it covers a lot of the basics, whereas this blog is going to dive a little deeper into what they are and how to use them.
Essential Oils vs. Facial Oil
Before I jump in, let’s make sure we are all on the same page when it comes to what a facial oil is versus what an essential oil is.
Facial Oils are not essential oils, however, they may contain essential oils, but you wouldn’t put the essential oil on your face and be able to say you’re using facial oil. Does that make sense? If not, keep reading.
Facial Oils are mainly composed of something called a “carrier oil” or oil that can be used as a base for essential oils that cannot touch the skin directly. These carrier oils are also used as ingredients in other skincare products, like coconut oil: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride which is a combination of coconut oil and glycerin and is used commonly in moisturizers and cleansers.
You don’t need to know everything about every oil to know which one you need. That’s true for both essential oils and facial oils, what’s important is to know about what’s best for your skin, for what you need. How do you do that? Google it! No seriously! Search and lookup what is best for what you are dealing with. There are so many oils, it’s easier to search the issue you are targeting and find which of them all is best for that specific concern.
For example, let’s say you have oily skin with some breakout activity and blackheads. You aren’t sure if you should be using facial oils or essential oils, so you look it up. You might be surprised to discover that there are facial oils that act as astringents, and adding an essential oil like Tea Tree can be beneficial for the oil and the acne. I can’t put every skin’s concern in this blog as there is a limitless number to what could be going on. However, I can share some general rules of thumb when you go to choose your essential oil.
Eri’s General Rules to Oils:
Research: Anything you are putting on or in your body, you should know about. So before you go applying oils to your skin, research your specific concern. Then dive a little deeper into the oils that are recommended. Remember that essential oils when a therapeutic grade are very potent, a little goes a long way!
Patch Test: Try applying a small amount to the space right under your jawline, below your ear. This is a safe enough distance from your face but will give you a clear sign of if you are going to react or not. You can also test the inner forearm or wrist.
Buy Quality: You can find essential oils anywhere nowadays, so it’s important to make sure that you’re buying the good stuff. My business co-owner here at the Spa retails Doterra Essential Oils, check her page out and show her some support HERE
“Essential oils are the frangrant soul of the plant.”
While it is important to know the distinction between facial oils and essential oils, quite frequently you’ll use them together, or find essential oils in the ingredient list of your store-bought facial oil. Why is this? This goes back to earlier when I mentioned that facial oils are frequently used as carrier oils, or an oil base to add or blend essential oils to. I wrote all about mixing oils, carrier oils and what your ratios might be in a blog you can check out HERE. I won’t talk any more about essential oils in this blog though, it’s all facial oils from here on out!
“I’m a big believer that if you focus on good skincare, you really won’t need a lot of makeup.”
Facial Oil 101
Ok, so now you won’t accidentally apply Tea Tree oil all over your face thinking you’re using a facial oil, but still aren’t 100% clear on which of the facial oils out there you should be using, and when. So let’s break it down.
Common Facial Oils (The Base):
Jojoba Oil: This is a really common oil, and for good reason, it has loads of benefits and is relatively affordable. This little guy is produced from a local shrub (California/Arizona) and at a pH of 4.5-5.5 (also the pH of your skin’s surface) it’s perfectly made to keep your skin’s surface hydrated, yet balanced. It’s non-comedogenic, which is a fancy way of saying it won’t clog your pores, and offers skin perks like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Coconut Oil: While coconut oil offers many health benefits, it’s a pretty heavy palm oil, which means it’s comedogenic aka pore-clogging. I’ve used coconut oil as a makeup remover, just dab your cotton ball into it and wipe away. The trick is to follow it with a damp cotton ball and rinse off any excess product. That being said, that is not how you use a facial oil. However, there are other skin benefits of coconut oil if used correctly. It can be in products or mixed into moisturizer as it does provide some sun protection and is great on body skin, more on the difference between facial oils and body oils later. Rumor on the street is that it lightens skin, not sure if that’s true but I wouldn’t risk the pimple.
MCT: MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, and while Coconut Oil may contain some MCT, proper MCT oil is more concentrated and non-comedogenic, so safe for all skin types. It has no aroma, making it a perfect base for essential oils, and nourishes the skin with lauric acid, found in MCT that provides antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits to the skin. You could literally use this straight on the skin and find a lovely bottle of it available on my skincare shop HERE
Almond Oil: Surprisingly beneficial for your skin as well as your whole body health as explained by Natalie Butler, N.D L.D
Almond oil is full of vitamin E, and it’s a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. The antioxidant-rich oil is known for its free radical fighting abilities. It’s also anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity.
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Almond oil has been used for centuries to soothe the skin and treat minor wounds and cuts. It has been used in ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic practices to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
More than soothing dry skin, almond oil can improve complexion and skin tone. It’s highly emollient, which means it helps to balance the absorption of moisture and water loss. Because it is antibacterial and full of vitamin A, almond oil can be used to treat acne. Its concentration of vitamin E can also help to heal sun damage, reduce the signs of aging, and fade scars.
Pretty impressive oil right? You can see why this also is a very commonly used base for facial oils. Remember, as long as you can ensure its quality oil, you can always make your own.
Rosehip Seed Oil: This is an exciting oil for many reasons, the first one being that it contains Vitamin A, and if you recall back to my Ingredients 101 blog on exfoliants, Vitamin A is in the retinoid family and an amazing anti-aging exfoliating ingredient. That does mean you need to be sparring when using this oil, but expect good results! It also brightens skin, fights acne, supports collagen production, hydrates the skin, and calms inflammation. Probably not great for drier skin, but combo to oily skin types this is your best friend!
Safflower Oil: While it’s been around for a while, there isn’t much research on this one as a skincare ingredient. It does have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits and appears to be non-comedogenic, but after reading about the last two oils, this one seems kinda…meh.
Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil, aka linseed oil, has been in use since the beginning of human existence. Its skin properties range from deeply hydrating skin, calming down psoriasis, to even smoothing out wrinkles. It’s safe to apply directly to the skin, or you can blend this with another oil like MCT or Rosehip. Something I get asked a lot about is Rosacea, and while I cannot diagnose nor treat it, I did find this interesting factoid about Rosacea and Flaxseed Oil:
While there is no research to suggest that flaxseed oil can reduce rosacea symptoms, there are a number of anecdotal reports that claim, when applied topically, the oil can help reduce the appearance of the skin condition.
4 Benefits of Applying Flaxseed Oil to the Skin, livestrong.com
Now, I know that when you search the words “facial oil products”, you’re going to see a lot of skincare products that maybe have one or several of these oils, plus a whole bunch of other ingredients. In this blog series, I am not going to break down the other ingredients found in facial oils, but I will have a blog all about that coming soon in my “Ingredients 101” series.
“Face oils can have many potential benefits, but their overall purpose is to serve as an extra level of protection for your skin.
’If you think of the skin as a brick wall, the skin cells are the bricks and the oils and lipids are the mortar, which holds the bricks together in place and prevents anything from seeping through. Face oils are considered a type of emollient, which means they help strengthen the outer layer of your skin — the stratum corneum — by softening and sealing it, preventing water loss,’ Dr. Noelani González, director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West in New York City.”
Hopefully your head isn’t swirling with everything you just learned! As of right now, you have the understanding of what facial oils are, how they differ from essential oils, and which ones are on the market and what their skin benefits are. But how do you use them?
The Facial Roller + Facial Oil
This is where your facial tools thrive! The facial rollers, Gua Sha, and pretty much any massage modality require oil on the skin for slip and glide. The great thing about facial oil is that on top of great slip and glide for your facial tools, you are also getting topical skin benefits from just the product alone.
I recently shared on my Instagram as part of my “Product Review From My Bathroom” series all about Neroli Facial Oil and using it with the jade roller. Check that out HERE.
So, you know all about the jade roller and how cool it is, but what about the other ones? How about rose quartz? Or clear quartz? Glad you asked! I actually own a rose quartz roller for home use, I keep jade at the spa because I love using it to cool down freshly exfoliated skin. The rose quartz roller provides benefits other than just being cool too, this can be a little more on the intrinsic/spiritual properties of the stone, but I still feel it works!
Benefits of Rose Quartz:
Wards Off Negativity: I like to think of this in regards to negative self-talk. If you find that it’s hard to take a compliment, but easy to say a not-so-nice word about your appearance, this might be the facial roller for you.
Increases Blood Circulation: Great for drier skin types, or a lackluster tone possibly due to cigarette smoke. If you aren’t sure how to use the facial roller, go back to the link to my IGTV video about Neroli Facial Oil, I show you how to do it there.
It’s a Heart Healer: This kinda goes back to the warding off negativity thing, but I felt it needed its own category. When worn on the body, this property is maximized, so check out Alana Mitchell’s Rose Quartz Roller Necklace and get a two-in-one facial roller and protective, healing gemstone!
Body Oils
Let’s start by understanding that the products we use on our bodies are not the same products we use on our faces. The skin on your body is tougher, most of it is covered by clothing, and leans on the thicker side.
The skin on your face is more delicate, needs to have constant support in protecting it from environmental damage as it’s constantly exposed, and thinner. These differences result in needing different products, so the body oils you’ll see on the shelves are meant for skin from the chest down.
Using products that are intended for the body on the face can result in clogged pores, breakout, or even irritated skin. Don’t worry, you aren’t being extra by having different lotions and potions for your face and your body, you’re being a smart and strategic temple groundskeeper.
When it comes to using body oils, similar to facial oils there are multiple ways to use them, here are a few of my favorites:
During Winter: I usually apply body oil on top of my body moisturizer during the cooler months. Skin topically dries out more during winter because our artificial hot air is cranked up, and the fireplaces are going. I choose cozy aromas like vanilla or cinnamon as they also provide anti-inflammatory and blood circulating benefits.
After Dry Brushing: If you haven’t tried dry brushing or don’t know much about it, check my blog on exfoliation HERE where I share how to use it. After you’ve brushed your skin, and possibly dusted off any excess dead skin if you already showered, apply body oil to the skin, let it soak in, and then apply body moisturizer. You can apply a second layer of body oil later if your skin seems a little parched.
Before A Night Out: Body oil is what gives skin that iridescent glow that you see celebrities and models have. It makes the skin look dewy, but in reality, is powdery soft. I love applying body oil before going out, it makes me feel like quite the fancy lady.
“Coconut oil is the glue that holds this body together.”
I do say this all the time, but having these things is one thing, using them is a whole other ball game. It’s funny how often when I ask people what they’re using at home, they’ll mention products they have and follow it up quickly with “but I don’t really use that regularly”.
My question to you is this; if you aren’t using it regularly, when did you buy and open it? Chances are, that product is already expired. If you’re not sure what expiration dates are for skincare, or want more on what using the expired products could mean for your skin, check out my Throw It Out Thursday blog all about expired products HERE. There’s no shame in not using every product all the time, I rotate between 4 cleansers, 2 exfoliants (sometimes more), and at least 5 serums. So yeah, some products might get a little neglected, but try to not ignore them completely, otherwise definitely don’t open them!
I hope this blog clarified a bit about facial oils, the tools you can use with them, and some ideas on how to mix essential oils when making your own facial oil. It’s a really fun product to use, but one not necessary if your skincare routine isn’t established. Get your foundation strong, have the core products you use regularly, and then add in a fun one like a facial oil.
Until next time, be good to your skin and even better to your whole self!
xx eri