Dionne Brighton
Choosing the best face oils is no mean feat, as the breadth of options seems to widen by the minute. Got a skin concern? There's an oil for you. And yes, that includes the oilier-skinned among us and even those who experience acne.
In years gone by, the thought of slapping oil on one's face may have sent a shudder down skincare fans' spines. As we increasingly learn, however, not all long-held beliefs in the beauty world are correct. Laden with soothing ingredients, used on their own or on top of the best face moisturisers, the best face oils can provide robust hydration and help protect the skin.
Don't believe us? Just look at the science. A 2018 study published by the National Institute of Health, credits plant oils with having, "anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the skin, promotion of wound healing and repair of skin barrier." If you're not already using these complexion boosters, prepare to be impressed, as we've compiled this tried and tested list of the best face oils for every skin type, at every budget.
The best face oils, tested by our beauty experts
RRP: £60 Key ingredients: Carrot oil extract, fatty acids, and squalane
This facial oil does a bit of everything but is best at creating a gorgeous glow in the skin. With a complex blend of botanical extracts and nourishing oils, this formula delicately hydrates while promoting a radiant complexion. But that's not all. Infused with white lupin seed, the oil helps with collagen production for smoother, firmer skin, too. When testing, we found that it absorbed well and left no greasy residue, making it perfect for daytime wear under makeup or as a nighttime treat. If you have oily skin and try to avoid silicones where you can, you’ll love this, as the Soho Skin Face Oil is silicone and paraben free.
Buy if: You want a natural lit from within glow, hydration that lasts all day and a silicone free formula
Avoid if: You’re looking for an oil with active ingredients
RRP: £44 Key ingredients: Camellia Japonica Seed Oil (rich in omegas),
Overdone it on the actives and damaged your skin barrier? It's becoming a more common problem when accidentally mixing potent retinol with AHAs. It can happen to the best of us. If your skin barrier needs a bit of love and a lot of repair, this is the best face oil for you. It's made from 100% naturally derived ingredients, so it's suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Enriched with nourishing ingredients such as omega-rich oils and soothing plant extracts, it strengthens the skin's natural defences, restoring balance and comfort. When testing, we found this oil absorbed quickly, felt super lightweight to wear, and didn't look or feel greasy. It calmed irritated skin, too, making it a go-to solution for individuals seeking relief from redness and sensitivity.
Buy if: You want a face oil that will repair skin barrier and is fragrance-free and made from naturally derived ingredients
Avoid if: You don’t have sensitive skin, another one on the list may be better suited for you, but our testers did find this worked for all skin types
RRP: £42 Key ingredients: Rosehip oil, watermelon seed oil, lavender
If your skin needs repair and revitalisation, you will want to know about the Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil. This potent blend works hard while you sleep so that you wake up with gorgeous, glowing skin. What makes it so unique? It's infused with bio-organic botanicals and essential oils to nourish skin. Plus, it works hard to promote cell renewal, too, so the complexion is visibly more radiant come morning. During our testing, we were impressed by its ability to improve skin texture and tone and its calming aroma, which helped us drift off to sleep a little bit easier. This was particularly useful after a bad breakout for reducing acne scarring, and as a bonus, our fine lines were less prominent, too.
Buy if: You want an oil that will work overnight to improve skin texture and tone
Avoid if: You’re looking for the best face oil for day time use
RRP: £65 Key ingredients: Blood rain algae extract (antioxidant), apricot kernel oil (nourishing)
The Susanne Kaufmann Face Oil is a game-changer. It's a blend of botanical extracts and nourishing oils, all in one bottle. One of our testers said it felt like a big, warm hug every time they used it. And they couldn't get enough of how soft and radiant their skin felt afterwards. If you're into natural skincare that really works, you'll love this. It’s made from all naturally derived ingredients, including carrot seed oil. You don’t have to be dubious to whether this natural product works. This oil has been clinically proven to improve and strengthen the skin barrier, improve firmness in the skin, and reduce moisture loss. Our testers couldn’t fault it.
Buy if: You like to keep your skincare ingredients natural and want a clinically proven oil that will nourish, improve skin and give it a gorgeous glow
Avoid if: You want a face oil with active ingredients rather than one that firms naturally
RRP: £150 Key ingredients: Blue light protection, vitamin C, sweet almond and evening primrose oil
Our testers described the Revive Moisturizing Renewal Oil Triple Defence Hydrator as a superhero for your skin. The question here being, what doesn’t it do? It hydrates, protects against free radical damage, and helps to defend the skin from the impact that can come from pollution. So if you want to make sure your skin is protected, nourished and renewed, you will love this. It is infused with the brand's Bio-Renewal Peptide (which protects against free radical damage), Evening Primrose oil, and Vitamin C, just to name a few. We were surprised to find out they also managed to squeeze in a blue light protector, too, making this a great option for morning and evening use.
Buy if: You don’t mind splashing out on a face oil that can do it all
Avoid if: You want something more affordable or can’t use sweet almond oil
RRP: £85 Key ingredients: Trans-retinol, blue tansy, avocado seed oil
There's a reason that the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil is often featured in lists of the best face oils. This product is not only effective but is also a handy way to cut down your evening beauty routine - as it contains retinol. One of our testers has been using this for nearly five years and swears by it. What makes the Luna oil so incredible is that it's formulated specifically for the nighttime and contains a potent, retinol-rich formula that helps to reduce the signs of ageing like age spots, fine lines, and dullness. Plus, it gently exfoliates the skin for a clearer complexion over time. It's blue, which initially surprised us, but it turns clear when massaged into the skin. We can't get enough of the scent (which we can still smell in the morning), and despite feeling quite 'oily' in your palms, it sinks in nice and fast, and the glow is real. Within a week, skin was smoother, brighter, and more supple.
Buy if: You don't get on with retinol creams, or want a retinol and oil in one, or if a vegan and sulphate-free formula is important to you
Avoid if: You want a face oil you can use during the day
RRP: £160 Key ingredients: Mastic Tree Tears (firming), Patchouli (soothes), omegas
Founded by dermatologist Dr Maryam Zamani, MZ Skin is one of the highest-performing expert-led skincare brands, and beauty editors swear by the brand's LED mask. This oil is so lightweight that it's hard to comprehend how they packed so many skin-loving ingredients in it. Filled with natural ingredients, including a blend of omegas and seed oils, this oil offers ultimate nourishment and radiance. The seed oils work to protect the skin from collagen loss, so we enjoyed using this at the end of the day as part of our nighttime routine to see our skin look more plump and radiant after a long day. Who should use this? If you want to reduce redness or restore radiance to your skin, this one's for you. It melts into the skin, so it can be used both day and night, but when testing, we found we preferred savouring this for our nighttime routine.
Buy if: You are looking for a facial oil to restore radiance and reduce redness in the skin
Avoid if: You don't want to splash out on a facial oil
RRP: £190 Key ingredients: Omegas, Jojoba oil, Black currant seed oil
Our testers found this to be one of the best face oils for minimising fine lines. After regular use, they saw their skin look more subtle and radiant. The Fresh Crème Ancienne Face Oil Elixir is one of the more expensive options on this list, but it boasts an impressive list of benefits. It nourishes, plumps and increases elasticity in the skin as well as smoothing out the look of fine lines. It’s rich in omega 7 and when used during the day, our skin was hydrated for hours. Although it can be used both day and night, we found ourselves mostly savouring this for the evening and making it a part of our self-care routine.
Buy if: Fine lines are your main concern and you don’t want to use a retinol, this is the best face oil for you
Avoid if: You want a face oil to focus on boosting glow rather than working on smoothing out the complexion
RRP: £45 Key ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, vitamin B5
Okay, this is technically a serum, but it's one of the most hydrating serums ever used and is on par with our favourite hydrating face oils. If your skin is thirsty, it will love Medik8 Hydr8 B5. The serum is lightweight yet powerful, infused with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5. It works by balancing moisture in the skin, which in turn enhances suppleness. During testing, we noted our complexion looking more plump and dewy after just one use. Plus, we loved how fast it absorbed, and we could apply one of the best foundations on top without any slip or added shine, and our skin stayed hydrated all day.
Buy if: You like your skin to stay hydrated during the day and you want something that won't ruin your makeup
Avoid if: You’re not planning on using a face oil during the day so not concerned about how it wears under makeup
RRP: £9.70 Key ingredients: Rosa Canina Seed Oil
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil is an absolute bargain that's kind to your bank account and your skin too. This product, which one member of our beauty team has used for years, seems quite greasy initially, but the skin drinks the nourishing oil in no time. It has a lovely, natural fragrance and works for all skin types. The best thing about this product is its active ingredients and quality despite being reasonably priced. Its only downfall is that it may be too simple compared to other products on this list, which incorporate more skin-boosting elements that can help shorten your skincare routine.
Buy if: You want an affordable option as an introduction into using the best facial oil
Avoid if: You want a face oil with a more complex blend of ingredients
RRP: £37 Key ingredients: Francincense, turmeric, bergamot
Frankincense is said to have super soothing properties that help aid in distressing and relaxation, making this one of the best face oils for some rest, relaxation and some 'me' time. Neal's Yard Rejuvenating Frankincense Facial Oil smells utterly heavenly, but not overpowering, and it's lovely and lightweight - yet rich - to the touch. As it contains relaxing properties, our testers found they only used this during their nighttime routine and experienced benefits to their complexion and also sleeping doing so. The oil had completely absorbed by the morning, leaving skin feeling buttery soft, and healthy also.
Buy if: You will only use your face oil at night time and a relaxing, hydrating oil that suits all skin types is exactly what you’ve been searching for
Avoid if: You like unscented products, this scent may be overpowering for some
RRP: £105 Key ingredients: Rosemary extract, chia-seed extract, Mythical Tears of Chios
This oil contains a whole heap of ingredients that are said to give your collagen production a boost. It also has bakuchiol, which is a natural skincare ingredient that's said to have all the complexion-improving properties of the best retinol cream you can buy. Unlike some offerings on this list, Cosmoss Golden Nectar is not scented - which is something we look out for with sensitive skin. It's hydrating and feels fairly thick. However, it's also surprisingly fast-absorbing and felt like a feast for my epidermis. There's no denying that this face oil gave us a glow, plus it sits perfectly on top of a retinol or as an antidote to particularly dry skin. That being said, the acne prone among our team didn't have any breakouts while using this and would 100% recommend it to anyone feeling a little dehydrated or on the hunt for skincare for dry skin.
Buy if: You want your face oil to be unscented, hydrating and boost glow
Avoid if: You prefer your skincare products to be scented
How we tested the best face oils
A selection of the oils we tested for this guide
When testing the best face oils our team considered the following factors:
- Key ingredients
- Texture
- Absorption
- Fragrance
- Value for money
What are the benefits of face oil?
As you may already have learned, face oils are a skincare product designed with moisture and hydration in mind, to create softer and better-nourished skin. Dr Christine Hall, a skincare expert and aesthetic doctor from the Taktouk Clinic explains to us that face oils are an occlusive product. "This means that they create a barrier on the outermost surface of the skin locking in everything that you have applied to your skin beforehand, but also protecting your skin from pollutants and toxins on the outside."
Plastic surgeon and brand founder of Anokha, Dr Nina S. Naidu adds that they're not only useful for locking in moisture - but often feature in the best cleansers too. "Face oils can be used to cleanse, soothe, and hydrate depending upon the specific composition," she says. "They're the ultimate way to customize your skincare regime."
Who should use face oils?
Facialist and cosmetic scientist Sarah Chapman, who founded award-winning skincare brand Skinesis says that anyone can add face oil to their skincare regime - no matter their skin type.
"It’s a common misconception that oils and even oil-based cleansers aren’t suitable for those with oily skin. Our skin produces its own natural oil – sebum – so oil is easily absorbed through the existing oil pathways and helps the skin to regulate its own production."
Dr Mazin Al-Khafaji, world leading clinician in Chinese medicine and founder of Dermatology M agrees that anyone can use a face oil and that in fact, these trusty products will complement and enhance the skin products you are using. "In combination with moisturizers, they lock in hydration, and they offer a perfect base to use before applying makeup," he explains.
How should you use facial oils?
Face oils can be used as often as twice a day as part of your everyday routine and you might want to do this if you have particularly dry skin, says Hall. "For most though, I would only suggest using it at night and perhaps even less often if you have oily skin - maybe every other night."
Naidu agrees that using face oils in the morning and evening is fine - if it suits your skin type and environment. "If you have very oily skin and live in a humid climate, evening application will be more comfortable," she suggests.
Hall adds that how, and in which part of your skincare routine, face oils are applied is important. As a rule of thumb, she suggests that they should be applied after your moisturizer as the last step in your evening routine and just before the best facial sunscreen in your morning routine.
"They are actually less hydrating than you think when used on their own," warns Hall. "So what you apply and lock in beforehand is really important."
Hall also suggests, for anybody wondering how to use a gua sha, that using the best face oils is a sure-fire way to enhance your gua sha and facial massage as they, "help to reduce pull and tugging on the skin that can lead to inflammation and redness."
Will face oils give me acne?
Putting oil onto an already congested face may seem like utter insanity, and a one-way ticket to breakout central. However, the experts say that isn't the case and that if you're on the quest to discover how to get rid of acne, maybe you actually need an oil.
"Face oils will not give you acne and in some cases can help to control it," explains Naidu. "The key is to use the appropriate facial oil for your specific concern."
Al-Khafaji adds, "it seems counterintuitive to use face oils on acne-prone skin, but some of them are eminently suitable for those experiencing can. They can dramatically improve the appearance of acne-scarred skin, as well as smooth and rebalance the skin so as to prevent further breakouts."
However, Hall believes that for some people facial oils will be too much. "I would say that the majority of people with acne-prone skin will not like using facial oils," she says. "Oils can clog pores and lead to blackheads and spots and if you are adding oils onto already oily skin you are perhaps only adding to the problem."
She explains that some oils are far worse than others and coconut oil is definitely one to be avoided. "That said there are some face oils out there that are non-comedogenic and some people find that they get on fine with [coconut oil] but I would be cautious."
