Face Oil

When your hair suffers from chemical and environmental damage, you can help restore vitality by applying a hot oil treatment. Well, when your face becomes dry from the Winter or even from too much sun, I find that applying a facial oil is a helpful solution for replacing moisture loss and for filling in fine lines and wrinkles. I've found this terrific plumping facial oil recipe from Liz Earle that I think you'll love — the smell alone will send you over the moon! You'll need:

For step-by-step instructions on how to make your own facial oil, read more

It looks like oil is all the rage for skin, but if you're not interested in cleaning your face with it, there are still other ways to take advantage of its benefits. Since I had mixed results with oil-based cleansers, I was looking forward to experimenting with oil in a different type of product.

Caudalie Purifying Concentrate ($39) is a face oil specifically for oily skin. You apply it after cleansing and leave it on, like a serum, and can apply a moisturizer on top if you like. It supposedly purifies the skin and reduces excess oil in your pores using grape seed, catnip, lemongrass, hazelnut, and carrot oils. The idea behind using these oils to purify is that their molecules are small enough to penetrate your pores, rather than getting stuck in and clogging them. The product comes in a tiny bottle with a dropper that makes dispensing the recommended six droplets a snap.

The first thing to note about this product is the smell. It's clean, tart, and faintly lemony. Very refreshing and in no way overpowering. It takes a while to sink in — at least 20 minutes. Until then, your face does indeed feel like an oil slick. For this reason, I would not recommend this for the morning, unless you have 20 minutes to kill before applying your makeup.

Besides that, I have no other gripes with this product. The smell is addictively intoxicating, and while I won't be using it in the morning, it is now a staple in my nighttime routine. When it finally does settle into your skin, your face feels soft, smooth, and hydrated. My skin has been feeling and looking more supple in the morning, and the breakout I was anticipating has yet to arrive. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't, because I don't want to give up this product!

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

I hope that you've found my series on face oil to be helpful. When a new genre of skin care comes out, tons of new products launch, and it can be really difficult to determine which ones are worth checking out. These are big-ticket items that can become quite costly considering the rare essential oils and concentrated ingredients, but you might find them worth it. If you have any further questions or your own favorite face oils to share, please leave a comment!

• Re-Balancing and Rejuvenating Facial Oils, Part I
• Re-Balancing and Rejuvenating Facial Oils, Part II
• Re-Balancing and Rejuvenating Facial Oils, Part III
• Darphin Tangerine Aromatic Care

Welcome to the last installment of my three-part series on face oils. I hope you've learned a little bit about how important it is to keep your skin hydrated, nourished, and balanced. Hopefully, after reading about some of these products, you've conquered your fear of applying oil to your face. If I've left any of your favorites out, please let me know what they are!

Trilogy Rosehip Oil ($20) is what this company believes may be the answer to perfect skin. I haven't tried it, but I am certainly intrigued. It is believed that rosehip contains the nutrients and essential fatty acids necessary for great skin health. It's great for those with normal, dry, mature, sun-damaged, and sensitive skin since it also smooths away fine lines and restores the skin’s moisture balance.

For two more rebalancing and rejuvenating facial oils, read more

Yesterday I brought you the first installment of my series on face oils. These gentle and fast-absorbing products are a relatively new way to increase hydration as well as re-balance and rejuvenate dry winter skin. Here are three more products to check out.

Neal's Yard Organic Orange Flower Facial Oil ($60) helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, eliminate toxins as well as balance the moisture levels in the skin. It is made from mandarin, pomegranate, primrose, ylang ylang, neroli and macadamia seed oil. After continued use, the result is soft, supple and balanced skin. Use morning and/or evening and massage into the face and neck.

For two more re-balancing and rejuvenating facial oils, read more

I can understand why the thought of applying oil directly to your face might seem a little bit scary. After all, we've been told that oil-free products work best to keep your pores clear and to help keep oily skin matte. But try to strike this information from the record for a moment so that you can learn a little bit about a few non-comedogenic facial oils. These nighttime treatments are a great way to help replenish the moisture level of your skin during these dehydrating winter months.

A little while back I talked to you about Darphin's Tangerine Aromatic Care Oil. I've been using it religiously and the stuff is so amazing that I wish I could drink it! Here are a few more facial oils that are suitable for all skin types. While they are especially fab for those of you with dry skin, they won't make oily skin greasier. They work to hydrate the deeper levels of your skin with brilliant results.

Ole Henriksen Black Currant Complexion Oil ($32) helps calm red/irritated skin as well as shield skin from the drying effects of cold weather and wind. It contains vitamin E to moisturize; lemon, cypress and clary sage to energize; and tea tree oil to fight off bacteria that can lead to blemishes.

To use, cleanse and tone skin and then apply a light layer to the face and neck in the evening before bed. Massage into your skin and follow with a lotion of your choice.

For two more re-balancing and rejuvenating facial oils, read more

The latest creation from French skincare brand Darphin looks like a bottle of citrus-y goodness, but it's so much more than that. Tangerine Aromatic Care ($75) is an anti-aging oil designed to give your skin a dewy, radiant finish and a more supple texture. Not surprisingly, it smells delicious and calming, and it makes my skin feel really soft. This product also has me even more convinced that the thing about oil being bad for your skin is just a myth.

Tangerine Aromatic Care is made with rich and natural ingredients, such as vitamin C to help produce skin cell renewal and collagen, antioxidants to protect skin from free radicals and environmental damage, and essential oils of tangerine, carrot, and orange to help to tone and tighten your delicate facial skin.

To apply, just place four to five drops of oil on your fingertips and gently massage them into your neck and face in small outward circles. Be sure to take deep breaths and relax your facial muscles. The oil absorbs very quickly upon contact and leaves your skin feeling unbelievably soft and smelling fresh.