DIY Facial Oils

When making your own facial (or body oil) it’s important to know what the benefits of the oil are. In this post I highlight as many oils I could find the most information on. There are tons more oils but I tried to pick the ones with the best benefits. Some are great for oily skin and sensitive too! 

Key Terms

• Comedogenic Ratings: The comedogenic rating is how likely a product is going to clog pores / cause acne / irritation. 0 is the lowest and 5 is the highest.
• Antioxidant: An antioxidant helps with free radical damage. Free Radical. damage is unstable cells that cause skin to age pre-maturely. 
• Oleic Acid is high in omega-9 fatty acids and is better for dry skin types.
• Linoleic cid is high in omega-3 fatty acids an is great for oily skin types (but all can use).
• Linolic Acid is high in omega-6 fatty acid.
• GLA is gamma-linolenic acid, considered to promote healthy skin growth & is anti-inflammatory.
• Ellagic acid helps brighten skin and helps with UV damage.

The Oils

• (Sweet) Almond Oil: anti-inflammatory, fatty acids, moisturizing, hydrates, antioxidants, vitamin E, nourishing, smoothing, help fade dark circles, help reduce stretch marks, oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for dry skin
• Apricot Kernel Oil: vitamin E, fatty acid, antioxidant anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, hydrating, oleic acid, soothing
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for combo and dry skin
• Argan Oil: moisturizing, hydrate, softening, vitamin E, fatty acids, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, oleic acid, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 0
• Best for all skin types.
• Avocado Oil: vitamin E, moisturizes, antioxidants, soothing, humectant (hydrates skin longer), anti-bacterial, oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 3
• Best for acne prone, dry skin
• Baobob Oil: (rich oil) moisturizing, antioxidants, helps skin elasticity, fatty acids 3/6/9, fast absorbing, great for touch skin texture, linoleic acid, oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for combo and dry skin
• Black (Cumin) Seed Oil: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, firming, nourishing, moisturizing, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for irritated ( eczema, psoriasis) combo and dry skin
• Black Currant Seed Oil: inflammatory, linoleic acid, very sensitive skin friendly, helps with sun damage, moisturizing, helps with skin texture, GLA
• Comedogenic Rating: 0-1
• Best for irritated (rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) skin, all skin types
• Black Raspberry Seed Oil: plumping, fast absorbing, antioxidants, vitamin e, nourishing, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for  all skin types
• Blackberry Seed Oil: vitamin c, antioxidant, softening, helps with pores and blotchy skin 
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for acne prone, oily skin types (all can use)
• Borage Seed Oil: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, stimulate natural ceramides, soothing, GLA, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for combo skin
• Camellia Japonica Seed Oil: antioxidant, fast absorbing, skin balancing, soothing, helps with wrinkles/fine lines, vitamin e, evens complexion, moisturizing, hydrating, heals acne scars, oleic acid (depends brand to brand), non comedogenic even though high in oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types, even oily
• Camellia Oleifera Oil: antibacterial, antioxidant, redness reducing, moisturizing (rich), helps with wrinkles/fine lines, oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2-3
• Best for combo and dry skin
• Coconut Oil: hydrating, moisturizing, rich, helps with flakey skin, anti-microbial
• Comedogenic Rating: 4
• Best for very very dry skin
• Cranberry Seed Oil: moisturizing, nourishing,  omegas 3,6,& 9, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for combo skin
• Emu Oil: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, oleic acid, softens skin, moisturizes, redness reducing, antibacterial 
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for irritated skin (eczema, psoriasis, rosacea) and dry skin
• Evening Primrose Oil: antioxidants, skin soothing, moisturizing, hydrating, helps with skin elasticity, helps with skin texture, astringent, GLA, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for acne prone skin, combo / oily skin 
• Goji Berry Oil: firming, vitamin E/B1/B2/B6, smoothing, moisturizing, antioxidants, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Grapeseed Oil: antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, astringent, help fade dark circles, firming,  moisturizing, vitamin e, antimicrobial, anti-histamine agents, linoleic acid 
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for acne prone skin and all skin types, esp oily
• Guava Seed Oil: antioxidant, helps with stretch marks, helps with pore size, help with post acne scars, helps with skin elasticity, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Hempseed Oil: antioxidants, soothing, moisturizing, softening, anti-inflammatory, balancing skin oil production, helps with skin irritation (eczema, psoriasis), vitamins A/B1/B2/B3/B6/C/D/E, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 0
• Best for acne prone skin, all skin types
• Jojoba Oil: closest to human sebum/oil, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, helps acne, hydrating, moisturizing, vitamin E, balances oil production, antioxidant
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for all skin types
• Kiwi Seed Oil: helps with flakey skin, softening, moisturizing, antioxidants, linolenic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Maracuja Oil (Passion Fruit Oil): vitamin a, antioxidants, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types, including inflamed skin & acne prone
• Marula Oil: antioxidants, moisturizing, helps with UV damage, conditioning, brightening, helps with skin elasticity  helps with fine lines, oleic acid, great alternative to coconut oil
• Comedogenic Rating: 3
• Best for dry skin
• Meadowfoam Seed Oil: very hydrating, great alternative to jojoba oil, helps with pores
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Pomegranate Seed Oil: antioxidants, helps with skin pH balance, helps with skin elasticity, vitamin C/B/E, anti-inflammatory, hydrating, help heal acne/scars/wounds, ellagic acid, omega-5 
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for irritated skin (eczema, psoriasis), all skin types
• Pumpkin Seed Oil: firming, helps with acne, hydrates, helps fade post acne scars, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 2
• Best for all skin types
• Red Raspberry Seed Oil: antioxidant, moisturizing, natural spf, anti-inflammatory, linoleic acid 
• Comedogenic Rating: 0
• Best for all skin types
• Rosehip Oil: help fade acne scars/discoloration, helps with stretch marks, antioxidants, vitamin E & A, anti-aging, helps fight photo-aging/UV damage, fatty acids (help damage skin cells), even skin tone, radiant glow, helps with fine lines, hydrating, moisturizing, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Safflower Seed Oil: anti-inflammatory, stimulate production of ceramides, fatty-acids (omega-6), helps with pores, hydrate, moisturizing, linoleic acid  **different from the cooking oil
• Comedogenic Rating: 0 (if it’s a high linoleic acid version)
• Best for all skin types, including oily skin
• Sea Buckthorn Oil: vitamin a/c/e, moisturizing, reinforce skin barrier function, anti-inflammatory, softens, hydrates
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for irritated skin (rosacea), acne prone skin, aging and dry skin
• Strawberry Seed Oil: soothing, antibacterial, antioxidant, helps with elasticity 
• Comedogenic Rating: 1
• Best for all skin types
• Sunflower Oil: skin balancing, vitamins a/d/e, moisturizing, hydrating,  helps with acne, linoleic acid or oleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 0 (linoleic acid) / 2 (oleic acid)
• Best for acne prone skin (0), irritated skin, and all skin types
• Watermelon Seed Oil: antioxidant, helps with elasticity, helps with pores, linoleic acid
• Comedogenic Rating: 0 
• Best for oily skin types