If you have dry skin, adding a facial oil to your skincare routine can be beneficial. However, if you struggle with acne or have sensitive skin, skipping the oil might make more sense--especially considering how most facial oils are formulated.
Mary Allan, skin-care formulator and founder of her own skin-care line, told Well + Good, "I was surprised by how many face oils on the market do not take into account the skin’s natural lipid ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids."
She continued, "Many plant oils are comedogenic, AKA pore clogging, and need to be formulated by skin type to avoid problems."
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, explained to Self, "“I would say that as a general rule for people who have acne-prone skin or oily skin, putting an oil on your face is probably not what you want to do.”
People with sensitive skin should also be careful when introducing new products to their routine--doing a patch test is a good start, even with essential oils.