Beauty News

The Best Face Vegan Face Oils for Oily Skin

Sep 10, 2021 By Kinder Beauty

If you’ve never used face oil before, you’re probably a little skeptical. After all, we’ve been taught that oil is synonymous with breakouts. While this is sometimes true, the oil that causes breakouts is your skin’s natural sebum, and it only causes breakouts when there’s too much of it.

Facial oil can help balance your skin’s natural oil production, reduce breakouts, and give your skin intense hydration. When selecting a facial oil, vegan skincare options are the best. We’ll explain why and also cover why it’s essential to add them to your skincare routine.

If I have oily skin. Why do I need face oils?

Oily skin can be frustrating. No matter how many times you wash your face, the oil just returns. It can seem like your makeup slides off in just a few short hours. You might even be tempted to skip the moisturizer because you feel like your skin is too greasy.

Spoiler alert: Oily skin still needs moisture just as much as dry skin types. One of the reasons your skin may be so oily is because it is dehydrated.

Here are some of the most common causes of oily skin:

Hormones. Hormones, especially androgens, trigger your sebaceous glands to produce more oil than they usually would. When your body is cranking out progesterone and testosterone, the oil you produce is stickier and thicker than the oil your skin normally produces. It is completely normal for your skin to be a little more oily during certain times of the month.

Genetics. Your overly oily skin may be hereditary, but try not to be too mad at your parents. Oily skin normally ages beautifully because its moisture levels are generally higher. The more oil your skin produces, the fewer fine lines and wrinkles are visible. Consider it a consolation prize for the breakouts you might experience now.

Dehydration. Oily skin is often dehydrated. Whether dehydration happens because you wash your face too much or use products that dry it out, dehydrated skin goes into action to self-correct. Sebaceous glands start cranking out sebum to make up for the lack of hydration, resulting in skin that’s much oilier than it normally would be.

If you approach oily skin from a different standpoint (that it’s actually dry), you’ve got a chance to restore your skin’s normal balance. One of the best ways to do this is by using face oil.

Face oils vs. serums

Just a quick note here: Although face oils and serums may look the same, they’re two very different products. A serum is a targeted formula (that may or may not include oils, plant extracts, or lab-created chemicals) designed to target a specific skin issue.

Face oils are a more all-inclusive skin treatment product. They’ll always contain oil and are made for using all over your skin for total skin benefit. Because face oils help keep skin hydrated and balanced, they’re an ideal solution for oily skin. Here’s why.

Face oils help reduce breakouts

Face oils, especially ones that are plant-based, are perfect for soothing irritated skin. Breakouts sometimes happen to skin that has developed an irritation or allergy to another product. Many products designed to help acne-prone skin can cause serious irritation that makes a breakout worse.

Face oils help soothe the skin, calming areas of irritation and helping reduce redness. Jojoba oil and grape seed oil are both good choices for keeping skin calm and working to reduce irritation and redness.

Face oils help balance oil production

Your skin’s natural oil, sebum, may drive you crazy when it’s creating a glistening layer of oiliness on your forehead, but it’s a seriously amazing substance. Sebum is mostly made up of fatty acids that help form a protective coating on the skin.

Sebum helps lock in your skin’s moisture, gives it some protection against UV rays, and even helps protect you from developing skin-related infections. In short, sebum is a good thing. Your skin just needs a little sebum balance.

Using face oils can help settle your sebaceous glands, giving them a little time off and helping your skin find normal, healthy sebum production.

Jojoba oil is a plant-based oil that is closest to your skin’s natural sebum. Using jojoba oil on the skin can help balance your skin’s oil production, especially if you are blemish-prone.

Face oils help moisturize

We already discussed how oily skin could result from dehydration, but restoring moisture is usually a heavier task than just slathering on moisturizer. Face oils dive deeper into your pores and hydrate skin more efficiently than a moisturizer can.

Your skin absorbs the ingredients in face oil quickly and easily. Oils have emollient and humectant properties, which make them experts at keeping your skin hydrated for longer periods than a moisturizer alone.

Why should I buy vegan skincare products?

We could write an entire post on why vegan skincare products are better—actually, we did. Most of us decide to use vegan skincare because we’re looking for ethical alternatives to the products that take advantage of animals. We stay because we find out the products outperform their traditional beauty cousins.

Vegan skincare has had to make a name for itself, proving it’s as good or better than other products. As such, you’ll find most cruelty-free brands have gone to extensive lengths to create products that are better than the rest.

What are the best vegan face oils for oily skin?

Ready to oil up? Not so fast. Some vegan face oils work better for oily skin than others. While you’ll still get some benefits by using any vegan facial oil, the best for oily skin are fast-absorbing, have a slightly drier texture, and are experts in moisture-balancing.

Here are our favorites.

Trilogy

Trilogy is a known leader in clean, cruelty-free beauty. Their Certified Organic Rosehip Oil is an award-winning, cold-pressed oil that delivers intense hydration to your skin. This oil contains 80% fatty acids, making it very close in chemical makeup to your skin’s natural oil.

Trilogy’s rosehip oil also helps fade the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and helps correct areas of hyperpigmentation. It’s also packed with antioxidants that help keep your skin protected from oxidative damage.

The Dirty Lamb

The Dirty Lamb’s Ultra Day Serum is a blend of plant-based oils that works well for oily skin. Formulated with rice bran oil, hemp seed oil, Neem, sunflower, sage, and lemon oil, this serum keeps your skin hydrated without feeling greasy. We love the scent provided by the lemon oil, which gives it a spa-like vibe when applied.

Rice bran oil contains linoleic acid, which helps your skin build ceramides. Ceramides are foundational in keeping your skin properly moisturized. They help ensure your skin has proper moisture balance.

Side note: We love The Dirty Lamb’s Ultra Night Serum, too, but oily skinned mavens may need to use it only every other evening for best results.

The Jojoba Company

The Jojoba Company specializes in jojoba oil-based products. We love their Australian Jojoba, which is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals the skin thrives on to stay healthy. Jojoba contains wax esters just like sebum, making it one of the most efficiently hydrating oils you can use on any skin type.

Fun fact: You can use this oil all over your body, which makes it superb for keeping all your skin hydrated and protected from external stressors.

Jojoba oil is also rich in vitamin E, which helps naturally smooth and condition the skin. Jojoba oil is truly one of the best face oils for all skin types.

Way to glow!

Right now, your skin might feel greasy, not glowy, but you can change the narrative (and your skin) with the help of the right face oil. Don’t let your oily skin scare you from using face oils. There are many options that work well for oily and sensitive skin types.

Want to try the best new vegan facial oils as soon as they hit the scene? Sign up for The Kinder Beauty Box. It’s the easier, kinder way to discover new, cruelty-free products and discover brands you’ll love.

Go ahead, grab a lightweight oil and treat your pores to a serious hydration party. Adding face oil to your skincare routine is a solid choice for helping redirect your oily skin to a more balanced path.