Can you use an oil when you have oily skin?

If you thought that oils were just for dry skin, think again! While obviously, some oils are not recommended for oily skin as they can aggravate sebum production, others are actually able to regulate sebum production and restore the skin’s complex balance. Oils contain powerful, natural active ingredients that can help to fight skin problems, but it’s essential that you know which ones to use. We’d like to make things clearer for you… 

When your skin is in good health, it acts like an immune-defense organ that prevents microorganisms from entering the body and protects against environmental aggressors. You can immediately tell when someone’s skin is in good health: it’s soft, smooth, supple and radiant, and catches the light. 

The skin is made up of 70% water, so it needs to be constantly hydrated. When its moisture levels are optimal, it’s able to cope with everyday factors that could otherwise throw it off balance. However, when skin lacks moisture, it can soon reflect negative lifestyle habits, such as alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, overly rich or greasy food and other excesses. As a result, irregularities appear. And if you have oily, blemish-prone skin, these irregularities can get a lot worse.

Now is the time to mention a very important substance: sebum. Despite what you might think, sebum isn’t your enemy. In fact, it helps to keep skin hydrated and forms a film on its surface that protects against daily aggressors. But when there’s an imbalance, the sebaceous glands start to produce excess sebum, giving the face a shiny appearance. Pores become larger, and as sebum builds up the pores become clogged, leading to blemishes, spots and blackheads. 

Listening to your body, being careful about what you eat, and making sure you get enough sleep are all things that you need to do, of course, but it’s also essential that you act directly on the skin with the appropriate skincare products.  

Forget all those misconceptions. While oily skin may not need to be nourished, it does need to be hydrated! And if it isn’t hydrated properly, this could encourage the skin to produce even more sebum to compensate, making the vicious circle of oily skin even worse.  

Make sure you choose your skincare products carefully. Many products designed for oily skin can be quite harsh, and end up leaving the skin extra sensitive, so it’s best to use natural, certified-organic skincare products that will be gentle on your skin and adjust to its needs.  

It’s easy to recognize oily skin: the face tends to be shiny, while the skin feels thicker and more resilient. Don’t confuse oily skin with combination skin. Even though both share similar characteristics in terms of how they feel, combination skin is only shiny in the T-zone.  

Botanical oils offer a beautifully natural way to get your skin back to good health, even if it’s oily! They can be used pure, diluted, or as an active ingredient, depending on your skin concerns.   

It’s perfectly understandable to be a little apprehensive about using an oil on skin that’s already oily. But there’s no need for concern, as oils won’t stimulate sebum production when they contain the right, targeted active ingredients!  

At Absolution, we believe in the amazing powers of botanical oils. These plant-derived oils have medicinal properties, and we’re convinced, without a doubt, that you can trust them to look after your skin (and health!). 

When you have oily skin – and especially if it’s blemish-prone too – it’s essential that you find the right cosmetic products to address its needs. The use of overly abrasive or unsuitable cosmetic products is often one of the main causes of clogged pores. When your sebaceous glands are unbalanced, they produce too much sebum. And because your skin only needs so much sebum, any excess remains on the surface and ends up blocking pores. Dead cells build up and oxidize, causing irritation, redness, blackheads and spots. 

Before choosing a botanical oil for oily skin, you must take into account the oil’s comedogenic rating (from 0 to 5) and skin-sensitization rating. Each oil has specific characteristics that determine whether it’s comedogenic or allergenic, so it’s crucial to find out this information before using it. For example, jojoba oil has a comedogenic rating of 0 and can be used by all skin types, while wheat germ oil has a rating of 5, making it highly comedogenic. As for skin sensitivity, some oils are photosensitizing and shouldn’t be applied during the day. This is the case with St John’s Wort macerated oil, for example.

Oily skin needs a botanical oil that helps to control sebum production and has a purifying action, so it will regulate the skin. Those that are recommended for oily skin are light and fast absorbing, so they don’t leave a greasy film behind. Oxidation causes an oil to lose its initial properties and makes it more comedogenic. Ideally, you should use oils that reduce the feeling of thick skin. 

At Absolution, we only use pure, organic botanical oils that are known for their calming and rebalancing properties. They sink easily into the skin, leaving it nourished and moisturized – but without leaving a greasy film. 

Jojoba botanical oil: Both softening and protective, Jojoba oil helps to prevent loss of moisture from skin cells. It has a sebum-regulating action (helps to control sebum production), is suitable for oily skin (even if it’s sensitive), and helps to maintain skin’s suppleness and elasticity.  

You’ll find it in La Crème de Santé– a cream that’s ideal for skin that needs to be moisturized, balanced and regulated. Suitable for both men and women, this moisturizer is enriched with prebiotics and botanicals, which deliver ingredients to the skin that are essential for it to function properly and remain radiant.  

Chaulmoogra botanical oil: frequently used in Asian medicine, Chaulmoogra oil contains fatty acids that are known to soothe irritated and damaged skin. It also helps to even out skin tone, making it very useful to help erase any remaining traces of spots!   

You’ll find it in La Cure Peau Nette – our program for temperamental, blemish-prone skin. Made with natural purifying and balancing ingredients, this product works to purify and balance the skin, relieve redness, tighten pores and restore skin flora in just 15 days.  

Pracaxi botanical oil: this rare oil from the Amazon region contains one of the highest concentrations of behenic acid, as well as fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic and lignoceric acid, with emollient benefits. It has excellent healing properties, helps to improve skin suppleness and replenish the skin’s lipid reserves, and is also very effective at fighting acne!  

You’ll find it in La Crème Douce Démaquillante, which cleanses, removes makeup and softens the skin. It removes toxins and traces of pollution, and helps to restore skin’s natural balance, without upsetting it or increasing sebum production.   

Sesame botanical oil: rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, this oil works to restructure, regenerate and maintain good skin hydration. Rapidly absorbed, it doesn’t leave a greasy film. Sesame oil also acts on the skin’s nerve cells to soothe irritations.   

You’ll find it in Addiction, our does-it-all facial oil, rich in Evening Primrose, Argan and 24 plant oils, which works to maintain hydration, nourish, smooth, regenerate, regulate, and more! It’s excellent for soothing dry and sensitive skin, restoring balance, and detoxifying combination, oily and blemish-prone skin with long-lasting results…  It’s one of our best-sellers, and no bathroom should be without it!