It’s no secret that most skin types can benefit from the use of oil. Oils:
- imitate the skin’s natural sebum
- are emollient
- create a protective barrier
- offer healing properties, like enhancing skin repair
My wise mom draws a comparison between leather and our own skin saying that using oil keeps leather supple and looking new, preventing cracks and lines and shielding it from external conditions like heat or cold. How true for our skin too!
But how do you know which oils work best for your skin type? Some oils can actually exacerbate skin issues when they are the wrong ones. Leave it to Michelle Czolba of Wildly Natural Skin Care to simplify the matter. She narrows down the search to two questions that allow you to discover the right oils for you. She originally posted these questions here and gave me permission to use them. Thanks so much, Michelle!
Questions
1) In the middle of the day, how does your skin feel to the touch?
A—oily, I have to wash/dab my face off
B—dry, I usually need to apply moisture
C—it feels fine and I don’t do anything midday
D—parts of my face feel oily, while other parts are dry or normal
2) What is your usual body temperature?
A—I always run cold and need extra clothing, warm drinks and turn the heat up.
B—I am usually hotter than others around me and like to keep windows open.
C—It changes but I generally stay around normal temperature.
Answers
- A=oily; B=dry; C=balanced; D=combination
- A=cold; B=warm; C=normal
Now that you have your combination of oiliness and temperature, find which oils are best suited for your type below.
Graphic credit: Joy Steinberg
*Dry and Cold skin—-the following oils are recommended-—apricot kernel, olive, pomegranate seed, sesame oils, and shea butter
*Dry and Hot skin—-the following oils are recommended—-almond, castor, and olive oils
*Dry and Normal—-almond, apricot, castor, olive, pomegranate, sesame oils, and shea butter
*Oily and Cold skin—-the following oils are recommended- coconut, plum, rosehip, and sesame oils
*Oily and Hot skin—-the following oils are recommended- grapeseed, jojoba, and rosehip seed oils
*Oily and Normal-—-rosehip seed, plum, coconut, jojoba oils
*Balanced and Cold—-sesame seed oil
*Balanced and Warm—-almond oil
*Combination and Cold—-experiment with the ‘Dry and Hot’ & ‘Oily and Hot’ oils
*Combination and Warm—-experiment with the ‘Dry and Cold’ & ‘Oily and Cold’ oils
*Combination and Normal—-experiment with the oily and dry oils from above.
*Balanced and Normal—-may not need anything on your skin! You can try any of the oils mentioned and see if they give you results, however, your skin is about optimal.
My Results
I found Michelle’s list to be extremely helpful in demystifying oil use. I couldn’t figure out why everyone else was raving about coconut oil for the face, yet I would break out whenever I used it on my face. That’s because I’d classify myself as ‘Combination & Cold,’ but you can explore coconut oil use further in this post here.
I hope you find the info here useful. See more at: Wildly Natural Skin Care.
Here are four recommendations for single ingredient cold-pressed organic oils:
Indie Lee Squalane Oil, $32.00
Eatseed Pumpkin Seed Oil, $12.99
Kahina Giving Beauty Argan Oil, 100 ml, $82/$36
Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil, $40
Mountain Rose Herbs carries a wide selection of both certified organic and conventional carrier and essential oils. It’s a wonderful resource.
You can also find Michelle Czolba on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Awesome Sarita!! Glad the info is so useful. I also love to switch up with the seasons and find what works for me in the summer doesn’t in the winter. Right now I’m on an argan oil kick 🙂
Lovely, Michelle! We can do another post on argan oil whenever you’re ready 🙂 You gave great information in a simple and helpful format. Thanks so much for letting me share it. I’ll continue following your insights for more! XO
I have normal oil production, but my skin is so clogged! Almost every pore in my face is clogged. What do you recommend?
Hi Caroline! How frustrating. Before answering, or asking Michelle to answer since I’m no diagnostician, I’d need to know more about you to get a fuller picture. Can you let me know a bit more about what you’re currently using on your skin. What is you skin regimen? How’s your dietary intake? (Certain foods could be triggers.) Are you drinking enough water? What are the climate conditions where you live? If you don’t wish to answer here, feel free to contact me by email at [email protected]. Just let me know that you sent an email so that I can be on the lookout for you! Thanks so much. XO
Hi Caroline! For some reason I didn’t see this comment before, so I apologize. Sometimes there are other underlying issues that cause clogged skin. Usually I look at diet, stress, and other lifestyle issues (hormones, other imbalances) that may be clogging pores. For a great deep cleanse, I love Shea Terra’s Rose Hips Black Soap both as a cleanser and a mask. It’s amazing! Hope this helps.
Excellent info! Apparently I swing between combination cold & balanced cold, which is interesting as I love to use sesame oil, rosehip oil & shea butter! ox
Isn’t it interesting when we naturally gravitate to the right treatment for ourselves, when we listen deeply and quietly to our needs? I find it so fascinating! Thanks so much for reading & commenting. How fun to see you here, Dana! XO
this makes things so easy! I didn’t some of my favourite oils on the chart, but it was interesting to note which ones were suited for me. What oils are best for you?
hope you’re having a great day! xo
Hello, Lovely Sonja! I agree that some oils are not here, and I asked Michelle of Wildly Natural to include a few more, but that’s all she could give me for now. If you check out her method of determining the properties of each oil, she really spends a considerable amount of time with each one, analyzing them for energetic properties as well as the oil profile. She has shared with me that argan oil is a nice neutral oil that’s suitable for most skin types. In her course, which I have, she lists more oils with full detail. Meanwhile, I fit the combination/cold category. Jojoba oil and almond oil are great for me. Much as I LOVE oil blends, they honestly don’t usually love my skin. I’m finding that the simpler formulas suit me best. Always fun to see you here! XOXO
Great post Sarita! I love also using oils blends = max effect on the skin ! 🙂
x
Essential oil also stimulates microcirculation in the skin, naturally flushing away toxins and impurities. However, caution in its use should be noted.In my opinion Defense Pure Essential Oil is a reliable option.
Sarita – Thank you this is wonderful. I was wondering where some of these carrier oils would fall into the categories? I have Kukui Nut Oil, Moringa Seed Oil, Seabuckthorn Berry Oil, and Tamanu. I’m guessing that Kukui would be a replacement for the Jojoba? And the Seabuckthorn could be traded out with the Pomegranate Seed? And not sure on the other two Moringa Seed Oil or the Tamanu. Any suggestions on swapping in any of these would greatly be appreciated!! I have access to lots of Kukui Nut and Moringa Oil and would like to use them more.
Hi Reta,
Sea buckthorn is very light and dry so I wouldn’t suggest it as a sub for pomegranate. Tamanu perhaps could be used in a similar way though. Moringa has similar properties to olive or argan oils. Kukui nut is a neutral oil and would work instead of almond or sesame.
Hope this helps!!
peace + blessings,
Michelle
Hi Reta, Just saw this now. I’m sorry that I missed it, but I’m happy that Michelle could help answer your question. She’s incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to natural skincare and oils. Thanks for your comment! I’m so happy that you found it helpful. XO
Thank you so much for providing this helpful post. It explains why I keep trying other oils only to return to olive oil.
Isn’t it amazing when your skin tells you exactly what you need? It’s great to find the right fit when it comes to oils. Thanks for your comment. XO