The Best Face Oils for Dry Skin
Using oils on skin isn’t a new concept—it’s been practised for thousands of years—but modern-day research on plant oils have revealed fascinating insights into how some of them work and what they contain that gives such beautiful results.
We've examined the most compelling research on the best oils for skin and have the details (plus product recommendations) on 10 non-fragrant oils we find fascinating. Once you see the difference these oils make on dry, flaky, dehydrated skin, we’re confident you’ll find them just as effective.
Note: All of the plant oils we describe below are suitable for sensitive skin, even skin prone to rosacea.
Sunflower face oil
What is sunflower oil?
Sunflower oil comes from the seeds of the colourful sunflower plant. It’s a rich source of the fatty acids linoleic acid as well as oleic and palmitic acids.
How does sunflower oil work?
The fatty acids in sunflower oil are naturally attracted to other lipids (fats) that make up the skin’s barrier. Their compatibility with these lipids makes them a welcome relief for dry, compromised skin.
Who is sunflower oil best for?
Sunflower oil is great for anyone experiencing mild to moderate dry skin. It works well with other oils and emollients and is often included in face and body moisturizers.
What skin benefits will I see using sunflower oil?
Sunflower oil’s benefits include smoother, softer, and more resilient skin.
You can find sunflower oil for face in a variety of products, including the RESIST Perfectly Balanced Foam Cleanser and the SKIN BALANCING Oil-Reducing Cleanser.
Coconut face oil
What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil is the oil extracted from the meat of the coconut fruit. It’s a rich source of saturated fats, including medium-chain triglycerides, which can be advantageous for very dry skin.
How does coconut oil work?
The fatty acids in coconut oil offer intense smoothing and calming benefits for skin. Coconut oil and its constituents also serve as the starting point for many cleansing agents that you’ll find in facial cleansers, body washes, and shampoos.
Who is coconut oil best for?
Coconut oil is best for dry to very dry skin. Its naturally oily feel and saturated fats work beautifully to prevent moisture loss and restore a supple feeling.
What skin benefits will I see using coconut oil?
Remarkably smoother, softer, and supple skin that, when combined with other emollients, helps skin resist moisture loss for several hours.
Coconut oil for the face can be found in lip products as well as many moisturizers for both the face and body. Dr. Beth McLellan says, “my patients like using something on their skin they know is safe enough to eat and as a bonus, it also smells good.”
Jojoba face oil
What is jojoba oil?
Jojoba oil is the oil expressed from the seeds of the shrub-like jojoba plant. It’s a non-fragrant source of several fatty acids, many of which are lighter in texture than the saturated fats found in some other oils.
How does jojoba oil work?
Jojoba oil’s fatty acids and their relatively small particle size allow them to easily absorb into the skin’s uppermost layers. As such, this plant oil tends to feel less greasy and is easy to spread over skin. It’s very similar in composition to our skin’s sebum (oil).
Who is jojoba oil best for?
Jojoba oil can be used by all skin types, except those with oily, breakout-prone skin who may find jojoba’s similarity to their skin’s own oil, that may exacerbate breakouts and display excess shine.
What skin benefits will I see using jojoba oil?
Jojoba oil for face is a star ingredient in various oil booster products and serums, such as the BOOST Moisture Renewal Oil Booster and Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm.
Meadowfoam seed face oil
What is meadowfoam seed oil?
Meadowfoam seed oil is a highly stable, non-fragrant plant oil composed of long-chain fatty acids. Approximately 60% of the fatty acids in this oil are from eicosenoic acid, a type of omega fatty acid shown to benefit skin.
How does meadowfoam seed oil work?
The eicosenoic acid in meadowfoam seed oil, along with its other components, work together as a smooth yet non-greasy emollient that soothes and softens skin. Meadowfoam seed oil’s emollient properties also help give a “cushiony” feel to products.
Who is meadowfoam seed oil best for?
All skin types experiencing dryness will benefit from this effective, highly stable plant oil.
What skin benefits will I see using meadowfoam seed oil?
One of the most remarkable things about meadowfoam seed oil is how soft it makes skin feel, leaving a protective veil of moisture that makes it an excellent addition to cleansers. In fact, you’ll find meadowfoam seed oil in Paula’s Choice Perfect Cleansing Oil.
Grape seed face oil
What is grape seed oil?
This non-fragrant, lightweight plant oil comes from grape seeds, typically those that are by-products of winemaking. Its very low saturated fat content gives this oil a lightweight, fluid texture.
How does grape seed oil work?
Grape seed oil has a high content of vitamin E, that’s one of the reasons it’s such a good antioxidant. It also contains several phenolic antioxidants (like resveratrol).
Who is grape seed oil best for?
Grape seed oil’s benefits apply to all skin types, but its lighter texture makes it especially great for normal to slightly dry skin or dry areas of combination skin.
What skin benefits will I see using grape seed oil?
Like most plant oils, grape seed oil delivers smoother, softer, more radiant skin. Its antioxidant content strengthens skin’s resilience to pollution and other environmental nasties.
Grape seed oil for face is a key player in many natural skincare products, as well as those designed for very dry skin.
Rosehip face oil
What is rosehip oil?
Rosehip oil is a non-fragrant plant oil derived from the hip and seed portion of various types of rose plants. Because the flower portion isn’t used, rosehip oil doesn’t have the familiar rose scent or the sensitising potential that fragrance has.
How does rosehip oil work?
Rosehip oil is a great source of skin-calming phytosterols plus several fatty acids, primarily linoleic and linolenic acids. Both of these acids help protect and replenish skin’s vital barrier. Rosehip seed oil naturally contains vitamin C, but much of this vitamin is destroyed during processing. As such, it’s not a reliable source of this vitamin.
Who is rosehip oil best for?
Rosehip oil benefits all skin types, but is especially good for dry, sensitive, devitalised skin.
What skin benefits will I see using rosehip oil?
You’ll see smoother, softer skin (sensing a pattern here?), along with fewer signs of sensitivity. Rosehip oil for face is often a key component of soothing moisturizers.
Olive face oil
What is olive oil?
This non-fragrant oil is derived from the leaves of the olive plant. Although primarily used as a cooking oil, refined olive oil is found in many skincare products too.
How does olive oil work?
Olive oil is rich in three key fatty acids for skin: oleic, palmitic, and linoleic. Oleic acid is the main fatty acid in the oil, and because it's monounsaturated, olive oil maintains a fluid smoothness that spreads easily over skin, helping to prevent moisture loss. The high oleic acid content of pure olive oil can cause skin barrier disruption; hence olive oil is best used in a blend with other oils and emollients. In this capacity, its negative impact on skin is abated. Olive oil also delivers antioxidants vitamin E and hydroxytyrosol to skin, the latter considered among the most potent antioxidants.
Who is olive face oil best for?
Olive oil is best for normal to dry skin. Despite its monounsaturated nature, it isn’t as light as some other plant oils, so those with oily skin will typically find it feeling too greasy.
What skin benefits will I see using olive oil?
When used in a blend, olive oil revives skin’s barrier so it becomes less dry and more radiant. Meanwhile, the vitamin E and other antioxidants in olive oil help offset the visible effects of pollution and soften signs of sun damage. Olive oil for the face can be particularly helpful in overnight masks designed to deliver intense moisture to skin while you sleep.
Argan face oil
What is argan oil?
Argan oil is a non-fragrant oil expressed from the kernels of nuts that grow on argan trees. This oil is often touted as being miraculous for skin and hair, but, in truth, it’s just one more beneficial plant oil—not the best oil out there.
How does argan oil work?
Argan oil’s fluid yet emollient texture places it between heavier saturated oils like coconut oil, and lighter oils like grape seed oil. It contains several beneficial lipids and fatty acids for skin, including oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. Like olive oil, it’s a good source of vitamin E.
Who is argan oil best for?
Argan oil can be used by all skin types but will be most helpful and aesthetically pleasing to those with dry, very dry, and dehydrated skin. Argan oil for the face can lend mineral sunscreens (which can sometimes have a powdery texture) a creaminess that makes them work for a greater variety of skin types.
What skin benefits will I see using argan oil?
You can expect smooth, radiant skin that has a lush softness and long-lasting suppleness—in other words, despite the hype argan oil tends to get, its overall benefits are the same as most of the other oils on this list.
Chia seed face oil
What is chia seed oil?
Chia seed oil comes from the tiny seeds of the chia plant. It’s primarily known as a nutritious food, but it has numerous benefits for skin, too.
How does chia seed oil work?
Chia seed oil delivers omega-3 fatty acids to skin along with phenolic acids and isoflavones, two potent sources of antioxidants. The omega-3 oils calm and hydrate while the antioxidants visibly reduce signs of aging and stress, all without a heavy, “coated” feel. Chia seed oil also contains proteins that can help bind moisture to skin.
Who is chia seed face oil best for?
Chia seed oil is great for all skin types, even for occasional use on blemish-prone skin with dry patches. Chia seed oil is also great for redness-prone skin since its omega-3s are so soothing.
What skin benefits will I see using chia seed oil?
Given the calming nature of the omega-3 fatty acids, you should see a more unified skin tone that becomes less reactive to external pollutants. And, of course, your skin will feel softer and smoother, and look more vibrant. Chia seed oil for the face makes a great complement to many skincare products, including boosting the soothing and hydrating properties of those containing omega fatty acids.
Evening primrose face oil
What is evening primrose oil?
Evening primrose oil is obtained from the seeds of a flowering plant. It has a fluid, silky texture thanks to a high concentration of the omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
How does evening primrose oil work?
The omega-6 fatty acid in evening primrose, plus other fatty acids and a range of antioxidants led by vitamin E, work to balance skin’s reactive tendencies, calming its surface to reveal a smooth, even, and younger appearance.
Who is evening primrose oil best for?
Evening primrose oil is great for all skin types, but especially good if your skin is showing signs of aging and if you’re struggling with sensitivity.
What skin benefits will I see using evening primrose oil?
In a word—calm. Your skin will take to evening primrose oil’s GLA content and, in seemingly no time, begin to look and feel more like normal skin. Because of its soothing properties, evening primrose oil for face can be a great addition to toners designed for dry to very dry skin.
Learn more about dry skin with Paula’s Choice Singapore.
Shop for skincare products online such as face moisturizers and exfoliators for dry skin types today.
References for this information
Journal of Food Science and Technology, August 2016, pages 3206–3214
AAPS Pharm SciTech, August 2016, pages 863–871
Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, August 2016, pages 59–64
Indian Journal of Dermatology, May-June 2016, pages 279–287
Annals of Dermatology, November 2014, pages 706–712
International Journal of Dermatology, January 2014, pages 100–108
Journal of Italian Dermatology and Venereology, December 2013, pages 687–691
Pediatric Dermatology, January-February 2013, pages 42–50
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 2009, issue 3, pages 152–165
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, June 2008, pages 3945–3952
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, June 2007, pages 113–118
