Why a good facial oil does not break most people out
The fear of oil is one of skincare's most stubborn myths. The truth is about which oils, in what order, and comedogenic ratings that were never meant for finished formulas.
If you grew up being told that oily skin should never use oil, you are not alone, and you were slightly misled. The right facial oil, used correctly, is one of the most tolerable things you can put on combination or even oily skin.
Your skin already makes oil
Sebum is your skin's own oil, and it is mostly there to protect the barrier and hold in water. When you strip it away with harsh cleansers, your skin often produces more to compensate. A light facial oil built on jojoba and squalane, which closely mimic sebum, can actually help signal your skin to calm down.
Comedogenic ratings are not destiny
Those "0 to 5" comedogenic ratings you see online were mostly measured on rabbit ears with pure, undiluted ingredients. A finished oil is a blend at working concentrations, and how your skin responds depends on the whole formula, not one number attached to coconut oil in a lab in the 1970s.
Order matters more than you think
On dry skin, oil goes last to seal everything in. On oilier skin, a drop or two of a light oil pressed in before moisturiser, at night, is usually all it takes. If you slather a heavy oil over everything every morning under sunscreen, of course your skin will complain.
How to try one without fear
Start with two or three drops at night, three times a week, on clean skin. Give it two weeks. Watch how your skin feels in the morning, not just how it looks at midnight. Most people find their skin softer and calmer, not greasier. If you are truly acne-prone, choose a light, non-comedogenic-leaning blend like our Calming Facial Oil and go slowly.
Rachel LaiFounder & Formulator, Nova
