Linoleic acid in skin care: How to use it correctly

With cold-pressed vegetable oils, it depends on the fat spectra. It doesn't matter whether it's a single vegetable oil or a mixture of oils.

If you are prone to pimples and inflammation, you can use a face oil that is rich in linoleic acid because linoleic acids reduce inflammation. However, you should never use cold-pressed vegetable oils and oil blends with a lot of linoleic acid during the day. Why?

👉 Linoleic acid is super photosensitive and breaks down in contact with sunlight. It even becomes a stressor for your skin during the day because free radicals are formed. And they can cause pimples and inflammation again.

You may not see or feel when your skin is stressed. Unfortunately, inflammation can flare up quietly throughout the day.

And here we come to the crux of the matter when it comes to facial oils. There are two ways to avoid the problem:

1. Some facial oils contain a lot of linoleic acid (oils rich in linoleic acid right at the beginning of the INCI list ). That's pretty anti-inflammatory.

👉 However, you should only use such oils at night. And they must be dark packed. Many oils are sold in clear glass because it looks fancy. After a few months it doesn't look so great anymore.

2. Well-designed oil blends can also be used during the day. They are made in such a way that stable oils clearly predominate. This makes the linoleic acid light-stable.

👉 And here comes the next problem: the stable oils that would make it suitable for the day, such as jojoba oil, are nourishing but can hardly hold moisture in the skin. Therefore, pure oils or oil blends are never suitable for skin care. Oils should always be used in combination with a cream.

So if your skin is a bit greasy and therefore prone to pimples and inflammation, such a facial oil mixture will not help you. A single High Linoleic Oil along with a cream works better if the oil is dark packed and you use it in the evening.

Our tips to care for your oily skin or combination skin with linoleic acid if your skin is prone to pimples and inflammation 💚

1. Never apply pure oils directly to dry skin - this can dry out the skin and even lead to dry eczema
2. Do not use oil blends that are too low in linoleic acid
3. Only buy oils rich in linoleic acid if they come in dark packaging
4. Oils with a high linoleic acid content should only be used as a treatment oil in the evening for night care
5. If you have oily skin, use very little oil

By the way, a simple oil rich in linoleic acid that you tolerate well is sufficient if you want to reduce inflammation. Our cold pressed Organic hemp oil is a good choice, for example, because it comes packaged in black glass and has a measuring aid so you don't use too much oil. You don't necessarily need an overpriced oil mix. It also means you have fewer potentially irritating oils on your skin.

Did you know that?
Do you maybe even have linoleic acid oils or oil blends in your skin care routine? Do you know of oils rich in linoleic acid that are sold in clear glass or advertised as a day care product? Tell us about your experiences ☺️

about the author

Lara Schimweg is the founder of Xeno . She studied sports science and health research and is a trained health worker. Lara has rosacea and very sensitive skin.