Face oils have gathered quite some momentum in the beauty industry. While some advocate for its use as a moisturizer, others have insisted that they do not replace your moisturizer but should be used alongside a moisturizing cream. Whatever the school of thought, they both agree that face oils are great for radiant and glowing skin.
Despite this, there is still some reservation about its use especially for those with oily and acne prone skin. According to Rachael Asakome, we fear that our face will get greasy by applying oils on them. This could be true if you pick the wrong face oil for your skin type. Once you find the face oil best suited for your skin type, you will experience a reduction in the secretion of oil by your skin which causes the acne. In her words, “The reason why we have acne is because the skin is deficient in linoleic acid which causes the skin to produce a lot of oil and break out. Applying oils with high amount of linoleic acid tells the skin that it does not need to produce any more oil”.
How Then Do You Identify Suitable Face Oils For Your Skin Type?
At this point, it is assumed that you already know your skin type. For the benefit of doubt, there are 3 main types of skin- oily, dry and combination. However, there are people who have sensitive skin types or have a skin condition such as acne or psoriasis. These things need to be put into consideration when opting for face oils.
For those who have oily or acne prone skin, the trick is to stick to non-comedogenic face oils as well as face oils with higher linoleic acid.
The word comedogenic is used to describe a product that has the tendency to cause black heads or clog the pores. There is a comedogenic scale of 0-5 which states that:
- 0 – won’t clog pores at all
- 1 – very low likelihood of clogging pores
- 2 – moderately low likelihood
- 3 – moderate likelihood
- 4 – fairly high likelihood
- 5 – high likelihood of clogging pores
What is important is that you stick to the oils that have 0-2 as their comedogenic rating. These oils are said to be non-comedogenic and as such, will not irritate your skin any further. If you have dry skin, then you can opt for the ones with 3-5 comedogenic rating.
The non-comedogenic oils definitely have more linoleic acids. Linoleic acid meaning that it is rich is omega 3 and 6. Though it is also a fatty acid, it is polyunsaturated. They are also light weight making them easy to penetrate the skin, reduce sebum production and fade scars.
Truth be told, the websites where you are about to purchase the face oils may not have this information. Thus, here is a list of popular face oils with a comedogenic rating of 0-2:
- Argan oil
- Hemp oil
- Calendula oil
- Rosehip oil
- Almond oil
- Jojoba oil
- Neem oil
Worthy of note: Though these face oils are non-comedogenic, some may work better for your skin than others. Finding the right face oil for your skin is key. That is why experts recommend a patch test before you go all in with any skincare product and that includes face oils.
If you enjoyed reading, please do not forget to SHARE and LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW as I will like to read from you. Let me know what face oils you use in your skincare routine.
With love,
Oma!
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