Whats the Best Facial Oil if You Suffer From Dry Skin

Life as a dry skin sufferer isn’t the easiest.

It often feels one size too small and can be flaky and sensitive.

Fortunately, cold-pressed botanical oils are excellent for treating dry skin.

Especially those containing GLA, linoleic acid, and ß-sitosterols.

They offer deep moisturisation.

Repair your protective barrier function and help with dehydration.

This they do by reducing trans-epidermal water loss from your skin’s tissues.

So join us as we uncover the best oil to take your skin from dull and depleted to positively glowing.

Botanical Oils to Treat Dry Skin

Avocado oil

• a lovely, rich, fatty oil, which makes it extremely protective against environmental rays
• avocado is also very nutritious and has an extremely high vitamin content, making it the perfect oil for a mature, dry skin

This study (1) demonstrates avocado oil’s anti-inflammatory and barrier repair effects on your skin.

Blackcurrant Oil

• 45 – 50% linoleic acid
• 10 – 12% alpha-linoleic acid
• 10 – 15% gamma-linoleic acid
• rich in many phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids, and minerals.
• contains up to 20% gamma-linolenic acid, which is not common for many oils

Carrot Tissue Oil

• carrot tissue oil is rich in ß-carotene, which is an important antioxidant
• when this oil is applied to your skin, it behaves like a precursor to vitamin A, which helps to improve the barrier function; making it the best oil for face if you want a healing boost

Evening Primrose Oil

• evening primrose oil contains 9% gamma-linoleic and 71% linoleic acid, which is important for your skin’s elasticity and collagen, making it an important anti-ageing oil
• this botanical oil protects the skin’s barrier and adds moisture to dry skin
• evening primrose is also an excellent antioxidant, helping to neutralise damaging free radicals
• gamma linoleic acid can help to reduce acne by diluting sebum, reducing clogged pores.
• gamma linoleic also helps to treat rosacea and sensitivity by reducing inflammation;
• it also produces prostaglandins which contract blood vessels, reducing redness

Olive Oil

• this oil offers excellent moisturising benefits
• it contains anti-inflammatory properties, which is great for those with sensitivity
• it contains natural squalene, an oil that is similar to your sebum offering great moisturising
• It contains vitamin E, making it one of the best oil for face when healing your skin
• it’s also a humectant, drawing water from the atmosphere to hydrate your skin

Macadamia Nut Oil

What is not to like about this gorgeous oil, which has a natural affinity with your skin?

• macadamia nut oil is a  rich, slow-absorbing oil; perfect for a dry skin type
• it is rich in palmitoleic acid, a component of your skin that starts to reduce as you age, which is partly why skin becomes dry
• macadamia nut oil offers superior protection when blended with avocado, kiwi, and rosehip seed oil

Rice Bran Oil

• rice bran oil contains up to 35% linoleic acid and 40% oleic acid, so it offers superior moisturisation
• it has the highest amount of vitamin E in all the natural oils, containing as much as 400 mg per kg of tocopherols
• it contains squalane, one of the most common lipids (oils) produced by your skin

Sweet Almond Oil

• this is a lightweight oil that is low comedogenic
• sweet almond oil is perfect for dry skin and is full of lovely fatty acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6

Sunflower Oil

• sunflower oil contains 61 to 73% linoleic acid, another potent moisturiser
• it has about 630 to 700 mg of vitamin E per kilogram
• imparts a slightly oily protective layer on the skin that resists rancidity
• sunflower seed oil contains ceramides that are also found in your skin. They help with the adhesion of skin cells, minimising dehydration in your skin’s tissues
• it is an excellent oil for mature, dry, sensitive, and impaired barrier

Safflower Oil

• a great oil if you have dry or mature skin due to its omegas and vitamins A, D & E
• it is wonderful for cellular regeneration and has excellent skin penetration properties
• safflower oil contains up to 70% linoleic acid

Sesame Oil

• sesame oil contains up to 40% linoleic acid
• it is rich in fatty acids, vitamins B & E, calcium, magnesium & phosphorus
• it restructures and moisturises your skin
• it has a really long shelf life due to its high proportion of oleic acid

This research (2) looks at sesame oil’s influence on dry skin conditions and preventing premature ageing.

Soybean Oil

• soybean oil contains up to 51% linoleic acid and 60% unsaturated fatty acids making it an excellent moisturising oil
• it is a rich source of vitamin E, containing up to 650 mg per kg of tocopherols in the gamma-tocopherol state, which means it has beautiful antioxidant properties

Watermelon Seed Oil

• watermelon seed oil is high in omega 6 and 9 essential fatty acids
• it contains around 45 -55% linoleic acid
• it contains about 15 to 20% oleic acids, which are excellent for restoring natural elasticity to the skin.

To conclude. The naked truth

As you can see, pure botanical plant oils, like the ones used here at the Naked Chemist, have a natural affinity with dry skin.

These oils are rich in omegas, phospholipids, vitamins and moisturising lipids that are incredibly nourishing for this skin type.

Linoleic acid is abundant in many of these oils; it is an omega-6 fatty acid that your skin requires to build up its protective lipid barrier, stay hydrated, and protect itself from the elements.