The Best Face Oils to Use Now

Those with already oily skin might want to consider Pai Skincare, whose founder, Sarah Brown, reiterates, “You don’t need to be scared of oil if you’re prone to breakouts. It can be really beneficial in rebalancing skin that’s been stripped from over-cleansing.” Her solution is the brand’s Carbon Star, a clarifying overnight treatment with black cumin seed oil to fight bacteria and charcoal to absorb excess oil from the skin, while organic andiroba, copaiba and açaí oil complex are meant to reduce inflammation and lessen blemish scars. Ode to Self’s De Palma Hydrating and Clarifying Facial Oil tackles a similar set of issues. It contains sea buckthorn and evening primrose, but the secret weapon may be the black currant seed oil. “It works alongside jojoba and squalane to deliver moisture and nutrition, especially for extremely dry skin, and it gradually helps to even the skin tone, especially for darker tones,” says Ode to Self’s founder, Kimberlee Alexandria.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded oil for everyday use, consider Okoko Cosmétiques’s Les 16 Précieux face oil, which includes prickly pear, marula and baobab, as well as bakuchiol, white lupin and coenzyme Q10 for firming and soothing. “It works wonders on all skin types and has a light and luxurious texture,” says the brand’s founder, Oyeta Kokoroko. Mab & Stoke, meanwhile, is best known for its herbal supplements, but its Daily Defense Oil keeps skin supple for hours on end with organic rose hip, red raspberry seed, pomegranate seed, squalane and grapeseed oil. It also has calendula and chamomile to calm the skin, and sandalwood and neroli give it a heavenly scent.

Breathing in certain aromas, we know, can provide benefits of its own. A few drops of Heritage Store’s Rose Oil, made with Bulgarian damask roses, will transport you to one sort of garden, and Joaquina Botánica’s Orquídea + Vitamin C Hydrating Glow Oil — made with orchid and the superfruits camu camu, maracuja, papaya and sacha inchi, which is sourced from Peru, where it is sustainably wildcrafted by local farmers in Amazonian communities — to another. Here, too, you’ll find bakuchiol, which comes from the babchi plant, long used in traditional Eastern medicine, and, as a natural retinol alternative, is prized for keeping skin looking fresh.

Prop styling by Mat Cullen.