The Best Face Oils (for Every Skin Concern)

Soothe dry, sensitive skin.

Dry weather can leave your skin in need of some serious moisture, especially if you have eczema or rosacea. Oils serve as barriers, protecting your skin against irritants. Some oils even soothe inflammation and help rebuild the skin’s strength and immunity.

Borage oil

Borage oil is one of your best bets for alleviating eczema. It’s high in gamma-linolenic acid, a nourishing essential fatty acid. Borage oil also promotes skin elasticity and has itch-reducing properties.

Use it: Borage oil makes an excellent facial moisturizer, but it can also be used anywhere on the body or scalp. It’s so therapeutic that it’s even been incorporated into the fabric of undershirts to help soothe childhood eczema.

Camellia oil

Camellia oil is another calming oil that’s effective on rosacea and many other inflammatory conditions. Camellia is the same flower that green tea is made from and shares its antioxidant properties, which help combat free radical damage. This oil can also strengthen skin tissue, making your complexion more resilient and robust.

Use it: Camellia oil has a wonderful silky texture that makes for a light moisturizer and a good base for makeup.

Moringa oil

Moringa oil is super moisturizing, imparting a glow to skin without being overly oily. Its moisturizing and smoothing qualities may have to do with moringa oil’s high levels of oleic acid (a type of omega-9 fatty acid).

Use it: Use moringa oil as a natural moisturizer one to two times daily when skin is really parched.

Beat breakouts for good.

Surprise! Face oils can be used to treat acne too. Acne-prone people tend to fear oil because there’s a common misconception that oil causes blemishes and clogged pores. In fact, many oils have the ability to regulate your oil glands and decrease skin’s oiliness.

Argan oil

Argan oil possesses potent antibacterial properties. Along with regulating oil secretions, argan oil guards your skin against infections, working to prevent breakouts.

Use it: Apply argan oil daily to help control sebaceous (oil gland) activity.

Neem oil

Neem oil is another clarifying oil with powerful antiseptic actions. Neem is a plant indigenous to India, and its oil is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine to treat infections and inflammation. Its antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties make it an excellent option for breakouts and other skin infections.

Use it: Undiluted neem oil doesn’t have the best smell (think burned diesel fuel and peanut butter), so look for skin care products that include neem as an ingredient. You can also try adding a drop of pure neem oil to your moisturizer.

Get that youthful glow.

Oils are excellent for antiaging, as they nourish and soften your skin as well as create a barrier that locks in hydration.

Avocado oil

Avocado oil is ideal for antiaging, as it’s richer and heavier than most other oils. Avocado oil is incredible for repairing skin and combating aging caused by everyday damage.

Use it: Avocado oil is best used over a hydrating, water-based serum, as its heavier texture seals the light serum into skin tissue, making it more effective in protecting the skin.

Evening primrose oil

Evening primrose oil can provide support for women’s bodies as they transition into menopause and soothe any accompanying skin changes. It may also be effective for treating hyperpigmentation and UV damage, as well as diminishing age spots.

Use it: Evening primrose oil can be applied topically and taken orally for its hormone-balancing properties (consult your natural health practitioner for dosage advice).

Ditch dark spots and sun damage.

Hyperpigmentation is an especially difficult skin condition to treat. Conventional bleaching agents and peels can have negative effects like the potential to cause further damage and sun sensitivity. Some skin-lightening chemicals have even been identified as possible carcinogens.

Rosehip oil

Rosehip oil has been touted as a miracle skin care product by the likes of former Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr and actress Rose Byrne. The rosehip fruit’s high vitamin A and C content aids skin repair and reduces scarring, and rosehip oil has been shown to reduce pigmentation.

Use it: Rosehip oil is best applied on damp skin for maximum absorption. Twice daily, apply two to three drops directly to problem areas and massage gently until absorbed.

Tamanu oil

Tamanu oil is famed for its wound-healing actions and scar-fading properties. It’s derived from the nut kernels of the tropical tamanu tree.

Use it: Tamanu oil may be applied directly to the skin or mixed with other skin products. Use it to treat uneven skin tone, especially for fading skin marks and scars.