Face Oil or Face Cream

When faced with a shelf or shop full of creams and oils, how do we know which one to pick? Well for starters, creams and oils do very different things to your skin. Let's discuss...

Face Oils...

Maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier by strengthening the outer layer of the skin. They soften and seal to prevent moisture loss from the skin therefore keeping the skin hydrated.

Face Creams...

Deliver moisture deep into the skin as they contain water, actives and fats. They hydrate and protect the skin.

So in a nutshell, face creams provide the moisture and face oils keep it locked in.

What exactly does a face oil do?

Basically face oils act as emollients and occlusives. Emollients help to soften and smooth the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) and occlusives sit on the skin’s surface and form a protective seal on the epidermis to prevent water loss through the top layer.

Some people are hesitant to introduce a face oil because they think it will cause breakouts and make oily skin even oilier, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Face oils can help to balance and regulate oil production, whether you have too much or too little. They can re-address the balance and strengthen the barrier function.  As with any skincare product it’s important to try a few before finding the one for you but once you’ve found it, trust me... you’ll never look back.

Applying a face cream before your face oil at night will also give the added benefit of delivering the active ingredients where you need them. If your skin is dry and flakey, you should be using both a cream and oil in your routine. Dryness is related to loss of moisture and also using too many harsh products can leave skin parched, together with environmental exposure and that’s a sure fire way to dull, dry skin.

By maintaining your skin’s natural moisture barrier you’ll achieve that natural glow and keep your skin healthy.

So remember, less really is more with skincare so instead of reaching for your 20 step routine keep it simple. Moisturisers and face oils work together to do very different things, both of which are equally important.

Check out our range of Face Oils here.