First of all, a disclaimer: I LOVE face oils. I have been using them for over 20 years, even as someone with very oily skin. They can do wonders for your skin, but for skin's sake, they are not enough! (Especially as our skin ages.)
There has been a huge move towards skincare minimalism over the last few years, which I wholeheartedly support. But the one trend that blows my mind is suggesting that a simple face oil can replace an entire skincare routine. Doing this will leave your skin wanting, and it will eventually show.
Why Just a Face Oil Isn't Enough?
Why? Because an oil won't hydrate your skin. And without hydration... just think of what a dried (de-hydrated) grape looks like - a raisin! That should give you a good visual what happens to our skin cells without water.
There is a lot of marketing out there promising "hydrating face oils" but that's just straight up lack of understanding of how skin functions and what it needs.
First hint is in the word - to hydrate means to absorb water. The word itself comes from an ancient Greek word hydro = water.
Hydration: A Non-Negotiable For Skin
Did you know that our body, and skin specifically is 64% water? A constant supply of water is needed to keep it functioning and looking its best.
Oil and water are chemically different, and as you know, they don’t mix.
To hydrate your dehydrated skin - you need water, i.e. a water-based product. But because water quickly evaporates, your water-based skincare products will also include humectants - i.e. ingredients that pull moisture into your skin and keep it there for various amounts of time (depends on the ingredient). Humectants are the ingredients that make skin plump and soft, otherwise known as hydrated. To read about humectants, check out 5 Essential Ingredients for Hydrated Skin (Plus a Legendary One!).
Oil is a different type of ingredient known as an emollient. It sits on top of skin creating a protective barrier to keep the hydration (water) in.
The Magic of Face Oils
Oils have an immense part to play in the health of your skin. They are excellent for sealing in moisture and protecting the skin's barrier. They can make your skin feel softer and more supple. But an oil cannot and will never hydrate your skin. It will protect, moisturise, soften, condition, nourish, but it needs to be paired with water-based ingredients either in an emulsion, or as a separate step such as the hydration superstar I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Beyond-Hydration Perfecting Serum.
If you are using water and oil in separate products like the / FACE Ritual, make sure the hydrating step is applied first, straight after washing your face, and followed up with an oil step like YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE Supercharged Glow Drops.
How to Keep Your Skin Plump and Happy
In summary - face oils are amazing, but not enough! If you start with skin that is already dehydrated - lacking water, lacking hydration - the oil will make it feel softer, but it will never give it that juicy plump feel that a powerful hydrating product will. And that's something we all need, especially as we get older and start losing some of that natural plumpness.
To keep your skin looking and feeling its best, it needs two main things:
- hydration - water and water-retaining ingredients like humectants, which I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Beyond-hydration Perfecting Serum is packed with
- protection - oil and other emollients and occlusives plus the wealth of antioxidants like you can find in YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE Supercharged Glow Drops.
Petra / MATER Beauty