Oils extracted from plants are truly a vital part of our beauty regimens. Oils are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fats that contribute to the overall health of our skin. Plant-extracted oils like grape seed, argan, olive, raspberry seed, and many more help soften, heal, and protect our skin from extrinsic aging. Unsurprisingly, using oils for skin and hair care dates back centuries, all the way back to ancient Egypt! If you’re not using an oil in your skincare or haircare routine I promise you’ll be excited to add one after reading this article.

scrub me secret: The comedogenic scale is a scale used to rank how likely it is that a specific ingredient, such as oils will clog pores. Oils with a comedogenic rating of 0 are said to be the least pore-clogging while oils with a comedogenic rating of 5 are said to have the most pore-clogging properties. You can easily google an oil to check its comedogenic rating. This scale is best used as a loose guideline since a lot of past research done on the comedogenicity of a product is not human-tested research. Nonetheless, the scale is still a helpful tool.

Esthetician-Approved Oils for Skin

How Does the Skin Abosorb Oil?

Due to the scientific makeup of our skin and skin barrier, we are able to absorb oils through the layers of our skin. Our skin has something called a phospholipid bilayer that actually absorbs oils and fats much more so than water.

Grapeseed Oil

I love grape seed oil as a facial oil for so many different skin types! This oil has a low comedogenic rating (1 out of 5); meaning it’s less likely to clog pores for congested and oily skin types. Grape seed is rich in vitamin E which has healing and skin damage-reducing properties due to its high antioxidant content.
Using a facial oil that contains grape seed oil is helpful for anti-aging, softening skin, and clearing complexion by healing blemishes and small abrasions.
Use facial oil as a pre-cleanse before my facial wash, for face massage, and to nourish my skin in the evening as the last step of my routine.

scrub me secret: I think I was late to the game on grape seed oil, or maybe it just wasn’t highlighted at all as a beauty product ingredient up until a few years ago. But either way, my original nourishing serum facial oil formulation didn’t contain grape seed oil. When I started learning more about this ingredient I knew I had to upgrade my facial oil by adding in grape seed.

Jojoba Oil

Something that is always said about jojoba oil is that it mimics our skin’s natural sebum. This is because the fatty esters in jojoba oil resemble the makeup of our own sebum (skin’s oil). This makes it a great facial oil because it can help balance, soften, and protect our skin without causing breakouts. Products with jojoba oil are especially nice to use on top of serums and/or moisturizers in the evening.
Use facial oil as a pre-cleanse before my facial wash, for face massage, and to nourish my skin in the evening as the last step of my routine.

Raspberry Seed Oil

I first used a facial oil that contains raspberry seed oil about 3 years ago. I immediately LOVED it. No, it does not smell like raspberries but it does have an extremely lightweight feel and penetrates quickly into the skin. It’s another antioxidant and vitamin E rich oil, meaning it’s great for both preventing aging and reducing free radical damage. I like to use it for face massage and for adding softness to my skin.
Use facial oil as a pre-cleanse before my facial wash, for face massage, and to nourish my skin in the evening as the last step of my routine.

scrub me secret: While both grape seed and jojoba oil are fairly easy to find as a stand-alone oil or in a facial care product, raspberry seed oil is a bit less common. I like the Ice Queen Face Oil from the Skinny Confidential and Savor Raspberry Seed Serum.

Oils and butter for your body:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil ranks at a 2 out of 5 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it’s still fairly lightweight but a bit heavier than some of the facial oils I listed. It’s amazing how this oil extracted from olives can contain so many anti-aging, healing, and protection benefits. This is a great body oil for all skin types, even acne-prone ones. Since this oil is super healing, I find that it can be helpful for clearing acne and acne markings. It’s also great for giving your body an overall glow and soft feel.
I like to use olive oil or shea butter after exfoliating with dry brush gloves or after a shower.

Shea Butter

Shea butter is a raw ingredient that has fats just like oil does but instead is a firm, creamy texture. Shea butter is found in nuts that grow from a shea nut tree.
Shea butter is great for use on our bodies because it contains nutrients and fats that aid our skin in retaining moisture and protect it from moisture loss. While shea butter is a bit too heavy for use on our faces, it is helpful for healing cracked/dry skin, eczema, and inflamed skin. It can also protect our skin against new stretch marks.

scrub me secret: The Scrub Me whipped shea butter is a product I’ve been making for over 10 years now! Sales of this body butter always go way up in the colder, winter months. That’s because everyone’s skin is losing moisture due to dryer and cold air. The shea butter is so helpful for remedying that.

Oils for Healthy Hair

How Does the Hair Benefit From Oil?

Depending on the type of oil used and the nature of your hair, oils can be helpful for coating and strengthening your hair or for adding softness and shininess. Some hair types will absorb the fats and nutrients from the oils more easily than others. High porosity hair absorbs products more easily while low porosity hair cannot absorb items as well.

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a really great oil to use for scalp massage. This oil provides necessary fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) as well as nutrients and antioxidants like vitamins A, E, and K, along with minerals like zinc and magnesium.
These fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients are vital for the upkeep of a healthy scalp and the stimulation of hair growth. Making it a great oil for scalp massage.

Castor Oil

Castor is another oil that’s great to use on your scalp while performing a scalp massage. This oil improves circulation which is vital for new hair growth and stronger hair. Castor oil also has moisturizing benefits for hair so it makes a nice treatment oil for dry-feeling hair.

scrub me secret: my multipurpose balm is a product that’s really versatile. I made it with oils and waxes that have the ability to heal and protect dry and chapped areas. But I also made sure to make the recipe have both pumpkin seed and castor oil so you can comb in into brows or lashes for hair growth.

Argan Oil

Argan oil has been a popular hair product oil for decades. This is because it has softening and protecting benefits for your hair. Helping it to stay shiny and healthy. Because of its high antioxidant content, it can neutralize damage caused by UV or other environmental causes. It’s also a great oil for protecting against heat damage from hair tools.
You can play around with what feels best to your hair but you could either apply some to your hair after washing and conditioning, while it’s wet or you can apply it when your hair is dry and brush it through.

I always love learning about new ingredients and skincare items. What are your favorite oils for skin? Let me know in the comments!

Oils I Like for Skin and Hair