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Is facial oil good or bad? 15 benefits of facial oils put to the test
Posted by Lara Schimweg on
Everyone is talking about facial oils. They are said to have many positive properties: they are said to provide moisture and replace creams, serums and cleansers. Some even claim that oils have a natural sun protection factor. What is the truth behind these myths? Spoiler: some of them are true, but many are not.
Some people fear that oils are even bad for the skin. Is there any truth to this?
Many supposed benefits of facial oils are actually misconceptions.
To benefit from all the advantages of facial oils, it is important to select and combine the right oils.
Pure, unprocessed vegetable oils even have some disadvantages for the skin.
Contents
Why is facial oil good?
We hear the following benefits again and again when it comes to facial oil. We'll go through each one one by one and question whether the benefit is really a benefit.
Does oil moisturize?
It is often said that pure oils are ideal for the skin because they are so moisturizing. However, this is not the case. Moisture means water combined with moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, PCA, sugar, etc. But oils are just fats. So how is an oil supposed to moisturize?
But how does the claim come about that pure facial oils are so moisturizing?
This is a small misunderstanding. (Some) oils can actually lock moisture into the skin and slow down moisture loss. The fat layer prevents the skin from losing even more moisture. Provided you choose the right oil.
However, what you should keep in mind with all pure facial oils is their drying effect if used incorrectly. You heard right. Pure oils can dry out your skin if you apply them to dry skin. It is precisely the lack of moisturizing effect that becomes the problem here. Because oils act like a cleanser and wash out oil from your skin if you apply them to dry skin. This would lead to even more moisture being lost. So pure facial oils should always be applied to damp skin. The minimum is water, but not ideal. It is best to apply a moisturizing skin care product, such as a cream or serum, to your skin before applying an oil to your skin.
With serum (e.g. our serum spray ) and oil you can get close to a cream in just 2 steps.
But oil at least prevents moisture loss?
That's partly true. Unfortunately, not every pure oil can retain moisture in your skin. Light oils rich in linoleic acid or jojoba oil , for example, cannot retain enough moisture in the skin. These oils make sense if you want to supply your skin with certain fatty acids. Pure olive oil can even cause your skin to lose more moisture.
In conventional cosmetics, mineral oils are often used to keep moisture in the skin. Mineral oils keep moisture in the skin extremely well. The best example of this is cold creams and Vaseline for dry skin. Unfortunately, mineral oil is harmful to the environment and is not always suitable for sensitive skin. Mineral oil is a trigger for rosacea . Silicones can be used for combination skin. These have little to do with the structure of the skin, but are usually better tolerated than mineral oil. However, people with rosacea often do not tolerate silicones or only tolerate them in small quantities.
Instead, natural cosmetics use unprocessed plant oils and rich plant butters to keep the skin moist. These are not as effective as mineral oil or silicone. This is why natural cosmetics often use a lot of fat. Unfortunately, not all skin can tolerate unprocessed plant oils and fats because the skin is not structured like a plant. You should keep this in mind when switching to natural cosmetics . Unprocessed plant oils can also be food for acne bacteria and are also one of the triggers for rosacea.
Squalane is almost as good as mineral oil when it comes to its moisture-retaining effect. Squalane can be extracted from olive oil or sugar cane and is therefore an ideal replacement for vegetable oils and butters in natural cosmetics. But that's not all: Squalane occurs naturally in your skin in a similar form to squalene and thus integrates seamlessly into your skin layers. Since the amount of squalene in the skin decreases with age, skin care products containing squalane are useful to compensate for the loss.
It is a very well tolerated oil that can also be used by people with sensitive skin, acne or Rosacea . That's why we use squalane in our creams and in our Human Glow facial oil .
Can oil replace a cream?
No, a pure plant oil cannot replace a cream because, as described above, it does not provide moisture. You would have to combine an oil with a serum or another moisturizing product to get anywhere close to the effect of a cream. Even with pure squalane, you will lack moisture.
Suggestion:
Bright Head – Serum spray for hydration and Squalane or Human Glow to lock in moisture.
Can oils make a cream richer?
There are some plant oils that can make your cream richer in no time. A few drops on or over the cream are usually enough. Depending on your skin type and current skin condition, different oils make sense as additions.
Dry skin types benefit from oils that are rich in oleic acid. For dry skin that is not prone to breakouts, vegetable oils can be a good addition. However, if the skin barrier is weak, oleic acid can weaken the barrier further. So be careful if you have sensitive skin, especially if you have neurodermatitis, rosacea or psoriasis. If you use active ingredients, oleic acid can transport the active ingredients deeper into the skin. This can be an advantage, but also a disadvantage for sensitive skin. You can find a large proportion of oleic acid in organic marula oil, almond oil or avocado oil, for example. However, the proportion can vary greatly depending on the harvest. Tip: If you have dry skin, you could use a few drops once a week so that you don't put too much oleic acid on your skin.
If your skin is prone to spots or you have concerns about unprocessed plant oils, then squalane could be the oil of your choice. Squalane, extracted from olive oil or sugar cane, is an oil that is suitable for all skin types.
Facial oils provide the skin with vitamins and antioxidants
You can add a few antioxidants to your skin with different plant oils. Unprocessed oils contain a lot of them, depending on the type. These work against the free radicals and skin stress that your skin is exposed to in everyday life. It is best to use kernel or seed oils.
Can oil replace an active serum?
There are two answers here, depending on the product:
1. As described above, pure plant oils usually naturally contain vitamin C, E or A. However, you cannot compare the effect with a serum that is enriched with vitamins. For example, the proportion of vitamin C in marula oil is much lower than in a vitamin C serum . In addition, the vitamin C is not as stable as in a serum. Another example is rosehip seed oil, which is often advertised as a natural retinol. However, the natural vitamin A content in rosehip seed oil is far too low to protect you from skin aging to the extent that a retinol serum would.
With a pure plant oil you can give your skin natural vitamins and antioxidants. However, you shouldn't expect them to work like vitamin serums. With a marula oil you probably won't be able to lighten pigment spots. And you probably don't need retinol. Pure plant oils are more of a supplement. With their natural vitamins and antioxidants they act like a small shield against environmental stress. Your skin can benefit from the various fatty acids. At least if you choose the right oil, use it correctly and your skin tolerates unprocessed plant oils. Otherwise your skin could become unnecessarily dry or irritated.
2. Oil mixtures: It makes sense to dissolve certain vitamins in pure oils because they can then be better absorbed by the skin. And some vitamins are deliberately dissolved in oils so that they are better tolerated. An oil serum with added active ingredients can work just as well as a water-based serum . This of course also depends on the active ingredients. Some active ingredients are water-soluble and therefore cannot be used in a purely oil-based product.
Tip: Active ingredients dissolved in oil are milder than those dissolved in water. Therefore, oil serums can be a good idea for sensitive skin.
Is oil cleansing the mildest cleansing?
This is a widespread opinion. This statement is too short and general. It is true that pure plant oils are wonderful at removing dirt, grease and make-up. This works according to the principle of "like dissolves like", i.e. oil dissolves grease and everything dissolved in it. Nevertheless, pure plant oil is not ideal for gentle facial cleansing . The so-called "oil cleansing method" can lead to spots, underlayers and, in the worst case, acne. Pure oil cannot be removed from the skin with water. This means that every time you cleanse, a layer of grease mixed with dirt and make-up would remain. This would be the perfect breeding ground for acne bacteria to multiply.
Ready-made oil cleansers are much more useful. In theory, these work in a similar way to pure oil, but they also contain emulsifiers. These ensure that you can wash the oil completely off the skin. No greasy film remains. This type of cleaning is mild. However, it is not necessarily best for every skin type. Some skin types react sensitively to oil cleansers with unprocessed vegetable oils.
Facial Cleansing: The Foundation of Your Skincare Routine
Sugar surfactants and neutral fats are just as mild, if not even milder, ways of cleansing the skin. Neutral fats dissolve makeup, dirt and sunscreen. They do not feed acne bacteria. The mild sugar surfactants, like the emulsifiers in oil cleansing, mean that you can wash everything off easily.
Don't get me wrong: every cleansing is a small intervention in the natural function of your skin. Unfortunately, make-up, sunscreen, etc. cannot be washed off with water alone. That's why a gentle daily cleansing in the evening is very important. However, pure plant oils are just as unsuitable as harsh cleansers with harsh wax substances such as sodium laureth sulfate (SLS).
Here you can find our mild facial cleanser for very sensitive skin . Game Changer combines an oil cleanser with a very mild surfactant cleanser with sugar surfactants. This gives it a "creamed effect" and ensures that your skin retains exactly the amount of oil it needs. This means you need less cream.
- Tags: Glow, Hautpflege, Inhaltsstoffe, Naturkosmetik, Oel, Pickel, Rosazea
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