Where do facial oils go in your routine?

skincare

Jan 20

Facial oils can save your skin. Finding the right oil is a topic for a different day, but if you want to simply know the best way to incorporate them, here’s what has worked for my super dehydrated and sensitive rosacean skin.

First of all, you need to know about the three different types of ingredients that make up skincare:

humectants (which offer hydration and draw water to the skin)
emollients (which offer moisture and beneficial oils)
occlusives (which protect the skin from external irritants and help prevent moisture loss)

All three of these things are found in most moisturizers, and the occlusives in them are why moisturizer tends to be the last step in your routine.

This is why most people will find better penetration of their facial oil when it is applied under the moisturizer, because the moisturizer contains occlusives which can inhibit the penetration of later skincare steps. This is especially important if you have dehydrated skin (that’s lacking water) because it allows you to have multiple steps that attract water to your skin.

Now, you can definitely add a drop or 2 or 3 of facial oil to your moisturizer and apply it that way and save a step, but my favorite way looks like this:

(after cleansing) apply an essence or facial mist
apply eye cream
apply serum of choice mixed with your facial oil
wait a few minutes for those things to sink in
apply moisturizer last, allowing the occlusives in your moisturizer to seal in all your previous steps

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but the more light layers of hydration you can get, the better, especially in the winter here in the Midwest.

So, what’s my current routine (that includes oils) in the dead of winter?