The first natural beauty habit I adopted was putting oil on my face. Back in 2010 Meredith talked me into it with her glowing recommendation of argan oil (USA / Canada) and the gift of a small bottle of the awesome stuff. I questioned her about all the things we think we know about putting oil on our faces—didn’t her face turn into an oil slick? Didn’t she suffer from horrendous acne? She excitedly told me that none of these things had happened, and that her skin was wonderfully happy, and so I tried it. And I loved it. And I’ve been putting oil on my face ever since. Here are some of my favourites.
Favourite All-Around Oil: Argan Oil
I have been known to frequently wax poetic about argan oil (USA / Canada), and I won’t hesitate to do it again. Pressed from the kernels of the Argan tree that grows in northern Africa, this oil is the first natural beauty ingredient I fell in love with. It smells lightly nutty, but I find I don’t notice the scent at all these days. Rich in Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada), it encourages healing. I’ve had it heal up zits and blemishes significantly overnight. My mother swears it helps with her fine lines. It feels rich and wonderful on the skin, yet absorbs quite quickly. A few drops go a long way for a refreshing boost of moisture. While many people love coconut oil for moisturizing their face, I find argan oil (USA / Canada) to pack a far stronger moisturizing punch—in this dry climate coconut oil works only marginally better than water.
Favourite Fast-Absorbing Oil: Rosehip Oil
This vitamin rich carrier oil is great for healing and combating scars, and it also absorbs into the skin unbelievably fast. It’s often called a “drying” oil as it sinks in so quickly that it leaves the skin feeling dry to the touch (it doesn’t dry the skin out, though). It’s a great choice for blending with heavier oils to lighten them up and reduce the absorption time (as well as adding a hefty dose of vitamins A and E to the mix). As a word of caution, though—I have found Rosehip oil to go rancid faster than most carrier oils, so buy it in small bottles and use it quickly.
Favourite Healing Oil: Tamanu Oil
This cloudy, nutty smelling oil packs a great healing punch, especially when blended with argan and/or rosehip oil. It absorbs quite quickly, leaving behind a dusty/nutty/green scent. The healing powers of tamanu oil are well known to the indigenous peoples in the countries where tamanu grows in Southeast Asia, and it’s been used for hundreds of years on everything from burns and stretch marks to scratches and bug bites. I like to blend it with rosehip oil, but it’s also fantastic neat. It’s also great all over the body, not just on the face.
Favourite Rich Oil: Evening Primrose Oil
This omega and linolenic acid loaded oil is really rich (read: oily on the skin). Evening Primrose Oil is anti-inflammatory and soothing. It’s great for dry and/or mature skin, but I’d recommend diluting it in something lighter, like argan oil (USA / Canada), rosehip oil, or camellia seed oil for daily use.
Favourite Anti-Acne Oil: Argan Oil
I know argan oil (USA / Canada) is already on the list, but I feel like it deserves a second mention here. Whenever I’m regularly using argan oil (USA / Canada), my skin is better than when I’m not. It helps prevent new zits and helps old ones heal. I love it.
Favourite Silky Oil: Camellia Seed Oil
This luxurious oil is made from the seeds of the same plant that gives us tea, and it’s been used for hair a skin care in Asia for centuries. It’s wonderfully smooth and silky when applied to the skin. Camellia seed oil delivers great moisture, encourages healing, and is rich in Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) and antioxidants, making it great for skin care, but it’s also fantastic for hair—try massaging a drop into dry ends before going to sleep.
So, those are my favourites. What are yours?
Love this list of face oils.
Do you have an opinion on Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil for mature face skin?
Should it have made the list?
Here is one passage on the oil: Sea buckthorn oil is well-known today for its healing and rejuvenating effects on the skin. When used topically, it’s a great natural cleanser and exfoliator. It can also help heal burns, cuts, wounds, sunburn, rashes, and other types of skin damage. Using sea buckthorn oil daily helps slow down the signs of aging by nourishing the tissues in your skin and body.
Even though this question is address to Marie, I want to put my 5 cents into it too 🙂 Yes, it is awesome oil to be used for many ailments and can be used on a face too. But if you saw it you may know it has very dark, rich orange color, which makes number 1 reason to not use it undiluted on a face (unless you want to look like an orange, literally). Another reason – it is too heavy for face and will leave oily feeling, so high dilution is recommended.
Veronika…I can’t disagree with any of your points. As an old guy I feel I need some small amounts in any face cream I make sure to the stated benefits. But you are very wise to add the cautions of dilution and discoloration…. Which are undesirable side effects.
It’s great to see a man blending his own oils. I can’t wait to try this one on my “mature” face.
Thanks Paula. I got DYI and Marie’s site last year after caring for my wife who broke her ankle and was off her feet for 90 days. After a month of running the house and washing her foot nightly my hands were a mess and all her expensive hand creams didn’t calm down the chapped and red hands.
Then I found Marie’s site and began to experiment with beeswax (from our own bee hives) along with other ingredients. Now my wife, her friends and I are all hooked on my DYI potions to treat a variety of conditions and ailments. While I am now studying for certification as an aromatherapist (to make sure I don’t do anything harmful)…I mostly follow Marie’s recipes and advice…she is very creative and inventive.
Thanks for being such a loyal reader and DIY companion, Jess 🙂
🙂
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Perfect for that oh-so-hot Oompa Loompa look 😉
Yo seabuckthorn seed oil is the bomb. The berry oil has a lot more oleic acid than the seed oil so it’s better suited for dry/aged skins that aren’t acne prone. Seabuckthorn seed oil is more expensive and hard to find but it doesn’t make your skin orange and can be used by itself.
Thanks!
It’s important to remember that there is a difference between seabuckthorn berry oil and seabuckthorn seed oil. The berry oil will leave you looking like an oompah loompah if you put it on your face; the seed oil, not so much. (A difference I learned the hard way.) The seed oil is substantially more expensive than the berry oil. About two years ago, I abandoned my prescription drug regime for my rosacea in favor of 4 drops of seabuckthorn oil spread lightly on my face morning and night. After an initial week-long flare up at the beginning, both my redness and acne-like bumps have disappeared.
Thanks, Jackie!
Thank you Jackie for your advice….experience is the best teacher.
🙂
Thanks, Jess! I must admit, not being an owner of mature skin, I have only tried Sea Buckthorn Berry oil for acne. It’s also worth noting that many of the characteristics you’ve listed are present in other oils that are less expensive (or at least less orange). Rosehip would probably be my top choice in that regard—”Extra Virgin Rosehip Oil is also suitable for treating burns, scars and stretch marks… Rosehip Oil contains a high amount of … vitamin A and essential fatty acids which promotes collagen and elastin levels to increase and assists with cell regeneration. It promotes healthy skin and, can be used to treat burns, sunburns, wrinkles, stretch marks and eczema.” Just my two cents, though!
I agree with your favorites because they match mine. A new-ish one you might love as I do is Prickly Pear Cactus seed oil. Lots of hype out there; I personally use it and love it!
OOh, neat! I’ll have to keep an eye out for Prickly Pear Cactus seed oil—I’ve never seen it anywhere 🙂 Just what I need, another oil!
I’m a lover of Argan as well, but I have recently fallen in love with Broccoli seed too. I also love the sea buckthorn, but it MUST be seriously diluted…as in a single drop to a tablespoon or more of other oil to avoid looking ridiculous. lol
Ah yes, silky smooth broccoli oil—it’s also awesome for hair!
I have been using Olive Squalane oil as a night treatment for about 5 to 7 years. I am 60, and my skin looks very good for my age. Jojoba is another favorite. I apply the oil to my face immediately after washing – while my skin is still very wet – just lighly massage the oil into my skin.
I somewhat recently got my first bottle of Olive Squalane and have been enjoying playing with it as well 🙂 It’s a miracle this list doesn’t look more like a glossary!
I have been using straight squalane oil on my skin as a moisturizer since my bottle of other moisturizer was destroyed by my children and I didn’t have time to remake it. The squalane oil leaves my skin feeling like velvet.
Oooh, beautiful! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I was just going to say that I love Broccoli Seed oil as well. I alternate between Argan and Broccoli, they are my favorites.
Ooh yes, I’ve got some broccoli seed oil as well and I just love the way it feels on the skin. It’s so hard to keep this list short!
I’ve got Rosacea with acne and oily skin. I cannot use any oil on my face. I have tried a lot of them in various lotions, but when I tried the Argan oil on my face, although it’s a great oil, I had a horrible break-out. So, of course, I had to try it again just to make sure that’s what it was and sure enough, another horrible break-out. I would preface these comments with a statement that people with sensitive skin may not be able to use any of them on their face.
Hi Judy! I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with such sensitive skin. I hope that people with highly sensitive skin/allergies/sensitivities/etc. will be considerate of their own personal situation and experiences when reviewing any of recipes or recommendations. I hope nobody with a nut allergy would use a nut oil simply because I said I liked it, etc.
Thank you for this post…it’s very timely for me. I recently switched to oil cleansing with argan oil and a little tea tree and lavender essential oils at night. I immediately noticed an improvement in make-up staying power and feely surprisingly much less oily(!) during the day. There was a bit of an adjustment with some minor acne which seemed to clear after a couple weeks. I followed some poor advice after my argan oil ran out and switched to a castor oil mix. I gave it a few weeks and it seems the acne has been relentless. I even tried my old skin care routine and felt like my make-up was melting off my face the next day. I see now I should have just stuck with the argan oil and am ordering more immediately! I’m going to try some camellia oil as well…sounds great.
Hi Glennae! I’m so thrilled oils-on-the-faces is working for you 🙂 I, too, tried the OCM—with many different blends of oils just to see what happened, haha 😉 In the end I dropped the OCM in favour of clay masks (try them if you haven’t!) as I found them to be far more effective for my skin, but I’m thrilled it’s working for you. Oil on the face is the best!
Thanks so much for the advice! I do think a clay mask would be beneficial for my skin so I’ll take a look at the recipes you have here.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and insight! I stumbled upon your blog after falling down a Pinterest rabbit-hole and I’m so glad I did. I love it!
Enjoy your impending love of clay masks, and thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me!
Glad to see rosehip second on your list. I’ve always used jojoba but never really done cartwheels over it. Been planning a rosehip replacement.
And may I just add, that latest picture you added up there in your instagram box is absolutely *lovely. Your Canada Day pic. Happy Canada Day….a day late 🙂
*you carry that red lipstick well. Not I sadly :'(
Thanks, Cristie! I hope you fall in love with rosehip oil 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful post! I love manny of these oils you wrote about. Argan, rosehip, tamanu, and evening primrose! I combine my argan and rosehip for day use and use tamanu and rosehip at night. I find that when I apply first thing after a shower, they absorb much better! Or, if I apply with a little rosewater and the oils in my hand and rub them together and apple, that works well too!
I have heard about Sea Buckthorne oil being one with some staining power too like others here have posted. I tried a tester at my healthfood store (Sibu) and it did stain my hand! What are your thoughts and suggestions for dilution?
I always make sure to get cold pressed, organic oils that still have their scent (including argan). If they do not have a scent they have been too processed. I love Lifeflo rosehip and Argan, Apple Valley Argan, Mountain Rose Herbs Tamanu, and evening primrose.
Happy belated Canada Day!!!
Thanks, Ashlynn! It sounds like you should give Seabuckthorn Seed Oil a go if you can find it—those who have tried it are saying it doesn’t have the oompa-loompa effect like the fruit oil does 😉 Otherwise, I’ve had good results using the fruit oil diluted, but it’s hard for me to give a recommendation on how much as I’ve found different batches can vary widely in pigmentation. I’d recommend starting with a 1:1, doing a patch test, and adding more of the diluting oil as required.
You guys should read this
https://montecho.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/sea-buckthorn-fruit-oil-vs-seed-oil-do-you-know-the-difference/
Thanks!
Good Link Pikachu…I have both oils.
As the article states, maybe the thing to do is use both in a diluted recipe with other oils Marie has suggested.
Didn’t mean this topic to take up so much space, was just raising the question.
The trick going forward will be to formulate something that helps without the side effects of staining.
🙂 Let me know what you end up with!
I Love all these oils!!!! Tho, I have yet to try Tamanu oil. Other favorites for me, are meadowfoam seed, pumpkin seed, hemp seed…. And for summer raspberry seed for it’s apparent sunscreen properties. I like mixing them all together! Switching it up! Every batch is always different! 🙂
Hey, I wonder if Buckthorn oil with it’s orange tint, could make a sunless tanner for my legs? It’s a thought….. Love your site from a neighbour Canadian (Ontario)
Hi Sophie! Those are all great oils 🙂 It was so hard to keep this list short!
I’ve experimented with buriti oil in DIY tanners and found it was really difficult to get a result that looked good in both natural and artificial light LOL. It has been a couple years since I’ve tried, though. If you want to give it a go I’d recommend including a browning ingredient as well so you don’t go full oompa loompa 😉
I used to love Tamanu oil until I suddenly developed rashes from using it. I think I may have gotten a bad batch 🙁
I love all the other oils you’ve posted, I do have Pomegranate Seed oil on my list. It’s actually the base oil in my serum along with rosehip Seed oil.
Thanks for this post!
You could have developed an allergy to it over time; it happens. I had something like that happen to me with a natural soap I’d been using for over a month. All of a sudden, I developed hives everywhere I used it. The soap maker was mortified and gave me a free bar of a different soap, without the ingredient I’m pretty sure caused the reaction, which is why buying handmade products from people you know is the best.
Personally, I love rose hip seed oil. I use it every night after cleansing and toning and I wake up radiant. I’ve also been using a little red raspberry seed oil in the mornings under my sunscreen lately. I prefer argan oil for my hair.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Oh dear, now I think I have to try pomegranate seed oil. Darnit, Annie! I already have way too many ingredients!
Love the list!! I do share your love for argan oil! Once I was so lazy to make a new hydrating face cream so I decided to put on argan oil in the morning and I haven’t changed it since. I love it so much!! Maybe over the summer I could mix it with rose hip oil to absorb faster, that’s a great idea! 🙂
Thanks, Georgie! Enjoy those awesome oils 😉
This is really interesting. I currently use coconut oil on my face after showers (though not so often in the summer) but I’m curious to try the argan oil. I used to use sweet almond oil but found it too heavy after I had a baby (and started showering only twice a week). I’ll have to check around to see if I can get the argan oil locally. Coconut oil is certainly easy to get my hands on 🙂
Is there any way of storing the rose hip oil so it keeps longer? How long do the argan and rose hip oils usually keep? Do you mix them together in a bottle or just add drops of each to your hand?
You can always prolong the shelf life of an oil by storing it in the fridge, but it’ll probably solidify, so you’ll have to let it come back to room temperature before you can pour it out of the bottle. I’ve found argan oil lasts quite a bit longer than rosehip—at least a year or two, assuming it’s kept somewhere cool and dark. Rosehip is probably closer to a year, maybe less (again, depending on storage conditions and the batch you have). I don’t usually use argan and rosehip at the same time, but if you were going to I’d mix them in a bottle for easier application 🙂
Do you mix all these oils together or use them separately? I happen to have all of the oils on the list and was wondering if you had a suggestion on the recipe to use?
I generally use them separately and straight, as needed, other than here 🙂
Hi Marie! What’s your take on bio/organic oils? Do you prefer them for use on face/ body? What about soapmaking? I’ve found bio coconut oil and palm oil (which is also ethically harvested) but they are 5 euros (almost 7 CAD) pricier than their counterparts from another supplier who doesn’t state whether they are organic.
Do you think it’s ok to use non organic oils in soapmaking?
Hi Sophie! I generally save my money and don’t splurge on organic ingredients for anything unless the price difference is quite negligible.
my new favorite oil is macadamia nut, i have been using it on my face and hair and it works very nicely.
Oooh, I’ve always loved the looks of macadamia nut oil, but I haven’t splurged on it yet. I’ll add it to my list once I work my way through some of my current collection!
Hi Marie and others,
Does anybody have experience with Moringa oil? In addition to fatty acids, vitamins and proteins it is said to have a plant hormone called Zeatin.
Thanks
Julio
I’ve heard great things, but I’ve never had a chance to play with it—none of my suppliers sell it, and the one place I did find it, it was very expensive!
Hi, Marie,
How do you weigh in on refined vs unrefined Argan oil for skincare?
Thanks!
Hi Donna! I always prefer unrefined where possible—less processing means more minerals and vitamins, and it’s just closer to the “original”. There are definitely times where the scent or texture of the unrefined ingredient are quite off-putting, though, so I could totally understanding jumping ship to the refined side of things there 🙂 I always use unrefined argan oil as I find the scent to be quite mild and rather enjoyable.
Great post! I started using oil as a face wash a few months ago and have no plans of going back to any other face wash product.
I have a question! I’m currently living in Japan and oil face washes are so popular here. When I first tried it I was so surprised by how un-oily the oil was. It washes off easily, leaving only a feint moisturizing residue on the skin. There must be something in the oil face wash products to make the oil less hydrophobic. I’d love to try making my own oil face wash and I’m curious if you have any advice!
Hi Katherine! Have you ever looked at the OCM (oil cleansing method)? I wrote a post on it here for more info 🙂 That might be what you’re looking for!
Great post! Just wondering if argan oil is also suitable for application around the eyes too? Thanks for your reply! 🙂
Hi Jeanie! I have yet to find a carrier oil I wouldn’t put around my eyes 😛 I’ve been applying argan oil around my eyes for 4+ years now with no troubles, it’s totally safe.
Hi!
I’ve just found your blog and I love it. I’ve just swapped to using natural instead of store bought and I wanted to try using oil on my face- except I’ve been trying for nearly a month with different types of oils, and no matter which I try (or how much or little I use), it never absorbs into my skin. I do have slightly oily skin, but oil just seems to sit on top leaving me with slippery and shiny skin, and by the evening I end up with lots of little oil-pimples or black heads coming up.
I was wondering if you have any advice on this? Is there a sort of ‘breaking in’ period for using oil? Or is there a way to dilute it or use it so this doesn’t happen, because while I don’t have allergic reactions or anything, my skin is so oily and borderline gross that I can’t even think about putting make up on top or leaving the house!
Thanks so much!!!
Hi Lisa! What a peculiar predicament. Have you tried a “drying” oil yet, like hazelnut or rosehip? Those sink into the skin in an instant. There shouldn’t be a breaking in period or anything, since your skin naturally produces oil on its own. Also, how much are you using? For my whole face I find 2–3 drops is more than enough.
Just found your blog today roaming the internets looking at EOs. I’m enjoying it and believe you’re one of the few unadulterated bloggers — no agenda and no connection with network marketers.
I laughed at the comments about oompah loompahs and seabuckthorn oil — all I could picture was Donald Trump (!) and his orange face. Maybe that’s his face oil of choice?
Thanks, Terri! Welcome to my blog 🙂 And I LOVE the idea of Trump’s orangeyness coming from SBO 😛 Perhaps it’s what keeps him looking young and he’s just accepted that he has to tolerate the orange for the youthful benefits? LOL!
could you advise how to use facial oil based on your experience? do you use facial oil after cleansing the face?
Just massage a few drops into your skin after cleansing 🙂 Easy!
I love all of these oils as well as mango butter. Can all of these oils be combined into one amazing moisturizer for the skin? Would you recommend mixing them together or into the butter or possibly even separate? I am 40 with the sudden upsets on my skin that will not go away. I have been using oils for years on my face and then all of a sudden I cannot find the right mix. Thanks for you help.
You can definitely combine oils, but here’s the thing—if you’ve never worked with them independently, you will have no idea what’s working (or not working) for you. The chances of finding the right mix by mixing together a bunch of things I like is about the same as creating a delicious dish by mixing together a bunch of your favourite foods :/ I would recommend using one at a time and seeing how that works, learning what your skin likes, and making some informed decisions that way 🙂
Hello do oils pubescence on the face? I am very happy to see your blog. Thanx. Love.
I’ve afraid this question doesn’t make any sense. “Pubescence” is defined as “the time when puberty begins”, so… no?
Just wondering what your favourite oil for around the eyes is? Would they be the same oils on your list or different? As an older person, the fine lines and puffy bags are beginning to make a debut so I am looking for an oil good for around the eyes. Thanks in advance!
Good afternoon Cindy!
Being and olderish lady over here, I’ve been loving the combination of blueberry seed oil and prickly pear oil in my eye care routine. Both rich in skin loving awesomeness that work hard to let you rock your age! Next up would also be passion fruit oil. Have you tried out Marie’s Cacti Q10 Ageless Serum, I swapped out the squalane for argan oil and have enjoyed it plently over my water based serums.