I never gave much thought to face oils because I thought they were just going to leave my skin feeling greasy, heavy, and way too shiny. So I wrote them off for the longest time. But then the Who What Wear beauty team tested out a new face-oil serum for a story, and my mind was completely changed. The serum wasn’t greasy or oily at all. In fact, it was lightweight and fast-acting.
I guess I should preface all of this by saying that my skin doesn’t have too many problems other than being prone to dryness. But sometimes, it goes absolutely nuts and gets super parched, red, scaly, and all-around unhappy. In those moments, I’d normally slather on my go-to moisturizers, but now, I also add select face oils to the mix to get my skin under control. These oils are able to absorb into my skin so quickly and leave it much smoother, plumper, and more glowy. The one-two punch of face oil and moisturizer cuts my skin’s freak-out time in half, so my dry and angry skin is moisturized and happy within three to four days instead of a full week. And when I add a face mask to the routine, the healing process is even faster.
Now, whenever my friends complain about dry skin, I go on and on about the miraculous power of face oils. The thing about face oils is that there’s one for every type of skin condition, not just dryness. Some tackle hyperpigmentation and dullness. Others target acne and breakouts. And there are products that deliver some awesome anti-aging benefits.
But if you’re looking to deal with your dry-skin woes, I’ve got you covered. Take a look at the best face oils for dry skin below.
This face oil is my go-to. First, it’s formulated with 22 botanicals, so it’s clean and nourishing. Second, it just feels so dang luxurious. It soaks into my skin really quickly and doesn’t leave it greasy. My skin is always softer, smoother, and extra glowy after applying.
Versed’s oil serum was my gateway into face oils. It’s what made me a believer. Because it’s a hybrid, it feels super lightweight and a little bit more watery than other face oils (which I love). It’s so good at curing dryness, and I love that it gives the skin a radiant finish.
Made with a blend of cold-pressed super-food seed oils, Sunday Riley’s Juno face oil restores the skin’s natural moisture barrier, brightens skin complexion, and leaves it feeling oh-so soft.
A best seller and cult favorite, this hydrating and nourishing face oil contains marula-seed oil, which is rich in antioxidants and omega-6 and -9 fatty acids.
The rose-hip, jojoba, and evening-primrose oils in this facial oil give it ultra-hydrating properties. It also has some anti-aging benefits thanks to the rose hip, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The key ingredients in this formula are THC-free cannabis sativa seed oil (which is rich in omegas and fatty acids) and colloidal oatmeal. Both work to calm and soothe dry and irritated skin.
This is another face oil I like to keep in rotation. You use it overnight, so when you wake up, your skin looks and feels softer, smoother, and brighter. It’s a blend of botanical oils such as lavender, squalane, and evening primrose.
Made with nine plant oils and skin-restoring ingredients, this product was made for dehydrated, flaky skin. It’s also 100% fragrance-free, so sensitive skin types can use it without worrying.
Rose-hip seed oil targets visible signs of aging and also supports skin health. This product is 100% high-purity rose-hip seed oil.
Kinship’s lightweight and quick-absorbing oil works for all skin types, but especially for dry, acne-prone, and sensitive skin. It contains oat-based ceramides (to restore the skin barrier) and a “Kin-GLO” complex that’s a blend of oils rich in antioxidants and fatty acids.
This drugstore find is lightweight and not greasy at all. It has nourishing, hydrating, and anti-aging benefits thanks to ingredients like 10 pure precious oils, retinol, vitamin C, and cocoa butter.
You get up to 24 hours of moisture with this face oil. The key ingredient here is sea-berry oil (aka sea-buckthorn oil), which is a powerful antioxidant rich in omegas that can protect the skin from aging free radicals. Other ingredients and nutrients include omega-3, -6, -7, and -9 fatty acids, cranberry-seed oil, and grapeseed oil.
Good for pretty much all skin types, Tatcha’s beauty oil targets dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, and uneven skin tone. It’s also infused with 23-karat gold flakes to leave the skin looking extra glowy and radiant.
This formula contains maqui, which is the most antioxidant-dense fruit in the world, and other super berries like goji and açai. There’s also hydrating prickly pear and squalane oil to trap and absorb moisture.
This firming and plumping formula contains a plant-derived collagen complex and vitamins A and E. The complex creates a barrier to stop water loss, leaving your skin smoother.
If you’re dealing with acne, this medicated oil will clear any buildup, debris, and clogged pores. It’s formulated with 1.5% salicylic acid, tea-tree oil, black cumin seed, hexylresorcinol, licorice, milk thistle, cucumber-seed oil, chamomile, and neroli.
Here’s another option for oily and acne-prone skin types. Ingredients include Moroccan blue tansy to calm and soothe irritated skin, Ugandan nilotica shea butter to moisturize, and kigelia-Africana extract to clarify and firm.
Use this oil at night to rejuvenate the skin. It’s formulated with algae extracts, 1.2% retinol, and natural sources of vitamin A.
This facial oil works like a rich cream but absorbs into the skin instantly. It’s formulated to resurface the skin and hydrate and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.
There is rose-hip seed oil in this formula, which is a natural source of vitamin A and retinoic acid. It works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and target other signs of aging. It also contains nourishing and smoothing ingredients like arnica, borage, alfalfa, elderberry, meadowsweet, calendula, and neroli.
