The Beauty Department: Your Daily Dose of Pretty.

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HOW TO USE FACIAL OIL

POST & PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

I know there are those of you out there terrified of using oil on your face! Because I used to be you! I used to be an ingredient sergeant and if I saw oil listed anywhere, I ran for my life. Then I got educated. Mineral oil is pore-clogging and I avoid it like the plague. But most oils out there do not cause breakouts. Period. And the only way to come to this realization yourself is to cross over and try one.

Moreover, oil might actually work to clear up acne. Say what? Yes! Sometimes, especially if you fall under the “oily skin” type, your body is making more and more oil because you’re overdrying it. So you actually have dry skin now, which is devastating because now not only do you have acne, it’s really irritated on top of it and your face is desperate for oil. Since you’re not giving it any, it’s working overtime to create its own, hence the heavy oil production. As soon as you add oil to your skin regimen, it will calm down and produce less oil.

On the other side of the equation, there are those of us with dry skin from life, not from overdrying it (we actually moisturize it constantly but it’s never enough!). The dry winter season, using heaters in our cars (or space heaters under our desks) and not drinking enough water are all culprits. Which is why facial oil crucial to stopping the cycle of dry skin. And the most effective way to use it is after you apply your moisturizer. Why? Because if you apply the oil before the moisturizer, you’re preventing the moisturizer from penetrating into the skin cells because it can’t pass through the oil. But if you apply the moisturizer first and then pat the oil on top, the oil creates a moisture barrier, sealing the moisturizer into the skin and preventing the air from making it dissipate. And if you’re really into anti-aging, try applying facial oil over your nightly glycolic acid cream or retinol! It will lock it in and you’ll instantly feel it. Genius! Here’s how to apply it (day or night, but start with just night):

TOOLS:

Your Favorite Moisturizer — I love Tata Harper Reparative Moisturizer because it’s 100% Natural and incredibly hydrating.
Facial Oil — I used Orico Superico Facial Oil on Lacy above because it’s also 100% Natural, rich with vitamins and plant oils and super nourishing for really thirsty skin.

STEPS:

Pump the moisturizer a couple of times into your fingertips or the palm of your hand.
Rub your fingers together to warm up the product so it soaks into your skin more easily.
Spread the moisturizer all over your face and neck (please don’t forget your neck, it’s the first thing to show your age!).
Pump a couple drops of the facial oil into your fingertips or the palm of your hand.
Rub your fingers together to warm up the oil.
Pat the oil all over your face and neck. Patting places the oil on top of the moisturizer instead of rubbing and smearing them together.

I’ve tested out dozens and dozens of facial oils out there and these are my top four favorites. Click on each link to read more about their different superpowers!