For everyone who is on a more natural route for their skincare products, facial oils are the way to go.

There’s a reason why facial oils are the biggest trend right now. It’s one of the easiest ways to get hydration with minimal ingredients, and if used properly, can give your skin a glow like no other.

When I started my journey into skincare, one of the trends I resisted was using facial oils. It had been kind of shoved down my throat that excess oil on the skin = more breakouts. It seemed completely counterintuitive to use oils on my already oily, acne prone skin. But once I read the science behind how and why oils are actually beneficial for your skin, I decided to give them a whirl. And now, oils are my jam! I use them at night as the last step of my routine, and skin always looks gorgeous and dewy in the morning. The major key to making sure your oil glow up is successful is choosing which type of oil is right for your skin. Not all oils are made equally. How so? It basically all boils down to their fatty acid composition.

Let’s break it down. Oils are made up of different types of fatty acids. Simply put, fatty acids are the building blocks of oils. The two that are relevant to our skin are called linoleic acid, and oleic acid. The ratio between these two fatty acids is the determining factor in what oil will be right for your skin type.

Oils that are high in oleic acid tend to be very heavy, and are more suitable for dry, aging skin. Think olive, avocado, and almond oil.

Oils that are high in linoleic acid tend to be thinner and have a lighter consistency, which make them more suitable for oily, sensitive, or acne prone skin. Oily skin tends to have a high level of oleic acid in its sebum (Source). So how can we balance it out? By adding in some good ol’ linoleic acid. Some oils that are high in linoleic acid are grapeseed oil, rosehip seed oil, hemp seed oil, evening primrose seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, pomegranate oil and more. Not only can you use these oils to moisturize your skin, you can also use them as an oil cleanser. So, if you have oily skin and are afraid of using oils, remember: using oils that are high in linoleic acid can actually help your skin to balance itself out, resulting in clear, dewy skin with little to no breakouts.

And maybe you are wondering – “But Sheryll! What about coconut oil?” I know people praise coconut oil for all of its amazing benefits, but the truth is, coconut oil can be trouble for acne prone skin. On a scale of 1-5 for acne causing oils, coconut oil consistently comes in at a 4. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use it, but if you already have acne prone skin, it might not be the right choice for you. I personally cannot use coconut oil on my face, as I’ve tried before and it resulted in some nasty cystic acne.

Whenever you are purchasing oils, try to get 100%, pure oils, without added fragrance or essential oils. Garden of Wisdom carries a ton of oils, as well as Mountain Rose Herbs. At Mountain Rose Herbs, they actually break down the fatty acid content of each oil! Oils also go rancid quickly, so keep them in the fridge to extend their shelf life.

Do you use oils? Let us know in the comments what your favorites are!

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