Your Face Oil Soulmate Exists—Here's How to Choose the Best Formula

Best Face Oils

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@nitsanraiter

It's a common myth that those with acne-prone skin can't use face oil. In truth, some facial oils can benefit acne-prone skin, helping to calm irritation and fade the dreaded dark spots that arrive post-breakout. But that's not all. Facial oils can provide much-needed balance to oilier skin types by curbing extra oil production. Additionally, they quench dry skin and even balance a combination complexion. I shouldn't need to say more to convince you that adding face oil to your routine is good, but if you need more convincing, you'll want to keep reading. We've created a comprehensive list of each skin type's facial oil soulmate. Yes, it exists, and your skin will thank you. Scroll on and find out which one is yours.

What to Look for in a Face Oil

Despite what you might think, everyone can use and reap the moisturizing benefits of face oils. Use them correctly and choose a formula geared toward your skin type and concerns, and you're good to go! For example, someone with dry skin probably won't use the same oil as someone with oily skin. And yes, even folks with oily skin can use face oil. The right mixture of ingredients can actually help stabilize and regulate the skin's sebum production, which, in turn, will help curb excessive oiliness. If you have oily skin, look for an oil with oil-soluble esters, which help the oil sink into the skin and disappear. 

Those with combination skin will most likely want to use a face oil with extra hydrating ingredients that won't clog pores or cause excess oiliness—think squalane, rosehip oil, and jojoba oil. If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you'll want to avoid heavier oils like coconut, marula, palm, wheat germ, and soybean. Instead, opt for oils like sea buckthorn, olive, tea tree, and jojoba. Confused? Don't worry. We have you covered on which oils are best for each skin type. Keep reading. Your face oil soulmate is just a scroll away.

Best Overall: Furtuna Skin Biphase Moisturizing Oil

Pros: Repairs the moisture barrier and deeply hydrates dry skin. Has a noncomedogenic formula with vitamin C to brighten. 

Cons: Expensive.

Celebrity and organic skincare-focused facialists agree—they love this ultra-hydrating and nourishing oil from Furtuna Skin. It may be pricey, but its unique formulation and incredible benefits make it worth the splurge, in my opinion. It contains a medley of gentle, moisturizing, noncomedogenic oils like squalane, magnolia, and olive oil, making it great for all skin types. It also contains lactobacillus ferment to support skin barrier function and vitamin C to kickstart collagen synthesis within your skin. It does it all. I use it myself, and it's been my number one most-used oil in my rotation for months.

Customer Review: "I am obsessed with this face oil! I use it morning and night, and it works perfectly with my morning Gua Sha ritual. It doesn't leave a greasy feeling or look, just very moisturized and natural. It works great under makeup. Love how my skin glows while using this product."

The Best Face Oils for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin

Pros: Helps clarify acne-prone skin, is noncomedogenic, tea tree oil and black cumin seed oil support clear skin.

Cons: Expensive with a strong smell.

Tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and black cumin seed oil work together to combat breakout-causing bacteria. Additional strategic ingredients like hexylresorcinol and licorice help gently brighten the skin to even out lingering scars or pigmentation.

Customer Review: "I've been repurchasing this face oil for years, so I figured it deserves a review. I typically use it at night before my moisturizer and have found it works great for preventing acne and not so much for getting rid of existing pimples. At first, the clean earthy smell can be a little overwhelming if you prefer light/unscented products, but I've grown to love the scent so much that I almost can't get enough of it when applying it. It also feels super hydrating and refreshing, which is amazing for my dry skin because some salicylic acid products can feel drying. It also works amazing under makeup. I definitely recommend giving it a try in the smaller size if you're feeling iffy!"

Pros: Budget-friendly, noncomedogenic, targets photoaging and dehydration.

Cons: Strong smell.

If you're looking for one of the best oils to help keep breakouts at bay, rose hip oil gets the job done. This affordable version is one of The Ordinary's best sellers. It's organic and utilizes cold-pressed oils—a must.

Customer Review: "I love this oil. It feels really good on my skin! Since I started using this oil, I've seen a difference in how my skin looks. My skin is much more hydrated and soft after using the oil."

The Best Face Oils for Combination Skin

Pros: Serum-oil hybrid, antioxidants protect from environmental damage, strengthens the skin's protective barrier, deeply hydrates.

Cons: Use sparingly or your skin could teeter on oily.

This antioxidant serum and facial oil hybrid from Versed contains ingredients like camellia oil and sea buckthorn extract to reduce redness and strengthen the skin's barrier. It's great for those who tend to get both oily and dry because skin-nourishing ingredients like vitamin E and sodium hyaluronate provide extra hydration to the skin without leaving it greasy.

Customer Review: "Product is wonderful for sensitive, combination skin. It can be layered on top of moisturizer and does not appear greasy at all, not even on your hand. [It has a] really lovely feeling after application."

Pros: Helps balance, restore, and refresh congested, combination, and sensitive skin. Feels weightless and contains polyphenols, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants to seal in moisture and protect against environmental damage.

Cons: Expensive.

Le Prunier's plum oil does it all—hydrates, protects, balances, and soothes. It's so healing and hydrating for the skin but is also safe for sensitive skin since it contains only pure plum oil. If you tend to get oily in certain areas and dry in others, this will also help balance hydration and sebum production so your skin will keep its equilibrium.

Customer Review: "I'm on my second bottle. This oil is light, absorbs well, smells delightful, improves clarity, and leaves my skin feeling smooth."

The Best Face Oils for Dry Skin

Pros: Rich in antioxidants to defend skin against free radicals, contains ceramides to repair the skin's moisture barrier and soothe dry skin, argan oil deeply hydrates, fragrance-free.

Cons: Might not be hydrating enough to use alone.

This Paula's Choice oil is rich in ceramides, argan oil, and antioxidants to soothe and comfort dry skin. 

Customer Review: "This is one of my favorite oils! It is packed full of great ingredients for your skin and is cheaper than the oil I previously bought from Sephora. I mix it with my moisturizer in the morning and at night before bed, and I have definitely noticed a difference, especially in the dry winter months. It doesn't make my face feel as greasy as some of the other oils I have tried previously, and it doesn't have that sticky feeling."

Pros: Honey provides long-lasting hydration, sea buckthorn oil curbs environmental damage, five-flower oil blend reinforces the skin's moisture barrier.

Cons: A bit heavier than other options on this list.

I'm a big fan of Farmacy products, and this facial oil works wonders for dry skin. The formula is rich in omega fatty acids, flower oils, and honey to lock hydration deep within the skin.

Customer Review: "Seriously saved my skin after Accutane. I wish I would've known about it before I went on it."

The Best Organic Face Oils

Pros: Contains noni fruit packed with over 100 vitamins and minerals. Plus, rosehip oil soothes skin.

Cons: Lighter oil may not provide enough hydration for extra dry skin types.

Kora Organics offers this organic oil packed with antioxidant-rich noni fruit and 100 vitamins and minerals. It also contains rosehip oil to soothe sensitive skin and sea buckthorn oil, which is rich in vitamins C and E and omega fatty acids.

Customer Review: "This is a holy grail skin product for sure—I've been using this for about two months now, and it has literally changed the texture and tone of my complexion entirely. I apply it at night after the Sephora brand hyaluronic acid serum/moisturizer and wake up literally glowing! Compared to other face oils I've tried, it's a lot less oily and much lighter —so if you're looking for a heavy-duty oil, this isn't it. If you want an oil that can be used daily and soaks in overnight, this is it!!"

Pros: Boosts firmness and skin elasticity, packed with omega fatty acids, conditions and rejuvenates the skin, great for sensitive skin.

Cons: Texture is thicker than other oils.

Pai's rosehip oil is a great option for sensitive skin as it contains just the oil and extract of rosehip along with vitamin E. Although it's light on ingredients, it still does the most by delivering vital nutrients to the skin, like omega fatty acids. It deeply conditions the skin, promotes a clearer complexion, boosts firmness and elasticity, and evens skin tone. 

Customer Review: "Love that the ingredients are clean and organic. Applied under my moisturizer, [it] holds moisture longer than when not used with my moisturizer."

The Best Face Oils for Sensitive Skin

Pros: Noncomedogenic, lightweight, repairs a damaged skin barrier, reduces redness, helps skin maintain hydration.

Cons: Could be too light for dry skin.

As someone with very sensitive skin, I've found it's best to opt for face oils that are noncomedogenic or one-ingredient oils like squalane, rosehip, rose oil, and so on. This squalane oil from Biossance is a great option because it's totally weightless, helps repair a damaged skin barrier, reduces redness, and helps skin maintain its overall hydration levels.

Customer Review: "Amazing product! [It] hydrates and isn't greasy once it soaks in! Love!"

Pros: Rich in antioxidants to protect against environmental damage, omega fatty acids moisturize the skin and calm inflammation.

Cons: Could be too light for super dry skin.

The star ingredients in this light yet hydrating organic oil are cloudberries, cottonseed, and meadowfoam oil. Each is rich in protective antioxidants, vitamins, and omega fatty acids that moisturize the skin and calm inflammation, making it great for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Customer Review: "Very lightweight, scentless oil that doesn't irritate my face. I've got rosacea, and [it] makes me feel moisturized all day."

The Best Drugstore Face Oils

Pros: Contains essential fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants to nourish skin while brightening dull skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Cons: The bottle is really small.

If you're a fan of Burt's Bees chapsticks, you'll love the brand's nourishing facial oil. It contains a blend of rosehip, jojoba, and evening primrose oil to provide long-lasting hydration. 

Customer Review: "I've been using this for months now [under my] moisturizer. ( I use Skin Food) I can really see a huge difference, I'm over 40, and it has plumped my skin, hydrated me, and had an effect on my face and neck. I've wasted my money in the past on so much stuff and been ripped [off], but I'll never use anything ever again. Burt's Bees has actually changed my skin for the better. You need to stick with it to see a difference."

Pros: Good for sensitive skin, well-tolerated by most skin types, seals in hydration, helps repair a damaged moisture-barrier, budget-friendly.

Cons: May not be hydrating enough for extra dry skin.

Squalane oil helps increase hydration levels in the skin, can help repair a damaged moisture-barrier, and even has anti-inflammatory properties. Good Molecules offers a great $8 formula that contains 100% pure squalane oil.

Customer Review: "Super oil is more like it! You only need a few drops to seal in your other products. I use this [twice] per day as my last step. I do not use another moisturizer, but I do not have dry skin. I love this product! My foundation glides on my face and I no longer use primer."

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.