ADD A LUXURY TOUCH TO YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE WITH THE BEST FACE OILS
Face oils are an underappreciated skincare saviour. As well as being perfect for adding a boost of hydration to dry skin, they can also nourish and calm irritated skin, take the energy and anger out of acne-prone skin, and regulate oil production in oily skin.
Old habits die hard, and it’s only in recent times that optionally adding oil to your skincare routine is something encouraged rather than frowned upon. But, ask any dermatologist about the benefits of beauty oil and they’ll invariably wax lyrical about combating dryness, reducing redness and creating the perfect canvas for your makeup.
So, if you’re not currently incorporating one of the best facial oils into your skincare regime, it could be the ideal antidote to your skin woes. Face oils are not to be dismissed so quickly: No matter what skin type you have; we guarantee there’s a face treatment oil for you.
RMS Beauty: Best overall face oil
It’s virtually impossible to fault RMS Beauty’s Beauty Oil. From the understated bottle to the nutrient-rich oil inside and the incredible effects your skin will feel as soon as you’ve blessed your face with it a few times. Blending all of the best oils for a lightweight yet concentrated finish, this miracle bottle is prepared to fight any and every battle on your behalf.
A quick application of wildcrafted Brazilian Buriti Oil, firming rosehip and antioxidant-rich jojoba will do the face oil equivalent of brushing all of your worries under the carpet. There are some face oils that hydrate and some face oils that fight the signs of ageing. There are others that promise to balance your complexion. And then there’s this Beauty Oil, which seamlessly does all of the above and then some.
Augustinus Bader: Best luxury face oil
Those days when your hair looks sleek and well maintained, your eyeliner matches perfectly and you’re wearing your favourite outfit? Augustinus Bader’s The Face Oil will bring on the feeling of all of the above happening simultaneously. Throw in a gloriously sunny day, a free coffee from your favourite spot and the last meeting of the day cancelled and you’ll feel a similar sort of glee. This premium face oil might have a higher cost than others but it’s well deserved.
Combining TFC8 – a complex of amino acids and vitamins – as well as Babassu, Argan, Hazelnut and Karanja oils, it manages to sink deeply into the layers of your skin while feeling almost weightless immediately after application. A quick one-off application has the ability to brighten your day; longer term usage promises to also brighten your skin, reduce pigmentation and promote elasticity.
Honest Beauty: Best value face oil
Face oil might seem like a luxury addition to your toiletry bag but some of the best options come without the scary price tags attached. Enter: Honest Beauty’s Organic Beauty Facial Oil. A mixture of premium quality pure seed and fruit oils including apricot, avocado, jojoba, lavender and lemon peel, this moisture-rich face oil replenishes skin almost immediately without being overbearing or sitting on top of the skin.
It also comes with a gentle scent of botanicals, infused with a beautiful bouquet of rose, ylang-ylang and clove oils that’s reminiscent of your favourite afternoon at the spa. Better yet: Honest Beauty is also a vegan skincare brand, and this face oil is free of parabens, silicones, paraffins, dyes and synthetic fragrances, which makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin. Add this award-winning bottle into your standard makeup routine for an elevated upgrade without breaking the bank.
Nuori: Best natural face oil
Proving once and for all that it’s possible to inject a burst of moisture into your skin without resorting to unnatural ingredients, the Perfecting Facial Oil by Nuori isn’t an exaggerated name for this product.
This is a bottle that does it all no matter what sort of skin you might have: its unique formulation means it effortlessly blends in with your skin’s natural lipid balance, whether you have oily or dry skin. Once it’s figured out your skin’s natural level of oil, it works to nourish, hydrate and balance from the inside out. Get into a routine of using this facial oil and expect to start each day feeling a little brighter and fresher, thanks to this oil’s vitamin E and beautiful rosehip scent.
Lancer: Best moisturising face oil
Although you might think the whole point of a face oil is to add moisture to your skin, it’s important to choose a high-quality oil made up of small molecules in order to penetrate the top layer of skin. Choose an oil made up of too large molecules and you might discover the opposite problem: blocked pores and blemished skin. Lancer’s Omega Hydrating Oil with Ferment Complex manages to hit the sweet spot of bursting through that top layer of skin with a silky-smooth formula.
Beautifully hydrating, this is a lightweight cream that’ll sink into your skin almost immediately, adding a dose of both turmeric and a Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex to really make you glow from within. Suitable for all skin types, this is a face oil you’ll buy for yourself before quickly gifting to everyone you know at any opportunity.
Uma Oils: Best anti-ageing face oil
Uma Oils produces the sort of face oils that you’ll read about, lust after, hint at for the perfect birthday present and then eventually give in and buy for yourself. And then, once your skin has greedily sampled it, you’ll find yourself stuck in the best sort of curse: repurchasing again and again for the magic seemingly tucked away inside each bottle. The Absolute Anti-Aging Face Oil comes with perhaps a higher-than-average price tag: but it’s an example of a small but mighty skincare product that you can use sparingly forever.
Combining neroli, rose, geranium and lavender among many others, this face oil hits straight at the target to fight off the signs of ageing with a gorgeous scent along the way. These botanicals are also grown and hand-harvested on the brand’s 100-acre estate, which are then combined with frankincense essential oil, juniper berry and vitamin C-rich orange to create an all-in-one miracle product.
Votary: Best face oil for acne-prone skin
There are gambles in life and then there’s using a face oil when you already struggle with acne-prone skin. But avoiding oils can actually make skin that loves to stay in attack mode even worse. Acne-prone skin is often a sign that your oil to water ratio is off, which means that adding a healthy supplemental oil might seem counterproductive but could actually be a straightforward solution to overactive glands.
The best face oil for acne-prone skin, Votary’s Blemish Rescue Oil, contains Tamanu and Salicylic, which together do the job to moisturise your skin while keeping irritated skin out of the picture. Tamanu works to calm angry skin from the inside out while a powerful 2% Salicylic Acid Concentrate does the job to heal existing scars and signs of damage. The molecular makeup of this oil also helps to keep skin clean and disinfected without being overpowering. The best oil for acne: it’s a one-stop shop to improve your irritated skin.
ELEMIS: Best face oil for dry skin
You’ll want a face oil that delivers an instant burst of hydration if you’re someone who suffers from dry skin. A skincare staple for those whose oil glands are known for acting a little lazy, a high quality face oil can make all the difference when it comes to replacing taut, flaky skin with something supple and rejuvenated. ELEMIS’ Superfood Nourishing Face Oil is the perfect choice for anyone with dry skin, somehow managing to smooth and hydrate your face while adding a subtle, radiant glow.
Lightweight and non-greasy, you can apply a few drops in the morning and go about your daily life without even remembering you’ve applied an oil to your face. Broccoli, rosehip, flaxseed and daikon radish might not sound like the most delicious combination to put on your skin but this mixture of nine superfoods does the job when it comes to plumping and enhancing your face.
The Final Word
This almost effortless last step in your skincare routine can make a huge difference to your face long term. Not only do face oils add an extra layer of protection from the effects of the outside world, they also encourage your skin to flourish at its best level. The best face oils will create a barrier to protect the skin and will help to reduce water loss this way. And, of course, there are the specific benefits that each oil details: brightening, hydrating, anti-ageing, toning, smoothing and more.