Best facial oils for the summer

Summer is coming up and a great way to use face oil in the summer is to mix it with water to create a light spritzer, which you can spray over your makeup to set it or even in the office to maintain hydration for the skin. If you have air conditioning at home or the weather is particularly dry, use a natural skincare oil at night before you go to sleep after you take your makeup off. You can use it on its own or seal it after with a moisturizer or mix a small drop of face oil with your foundation to create a smooth consistency for easy application and to give your skin a shimmery, dewy look. I love using the natural oils as a makeup remover in the evening. Dab a small amount on a cotton ball and use it to remove the makeup. Not only is the oil efficient in removing the makeup, it also hydrates the skin overnight that may otherwise feel dried when using alcohol swabs.

With the heat of summer come a number of less than desirable skin situations – sweat can trigger breakouts – and excessive sun exposure can lead to dry and dehydrated skin. Factor in the added complications of humidity – which can make a typical moisturizer a challenge to absorb into the skin – and you’ve got a very good case for oils. One of the quickest ways to up the decadent factor of your skin care routine—and to give your skin the moisture it craves—is by incorporating high quality facial oils as an easy and effective part of your summer skin care ritual to keep your skin looking fresh, radiant and nourished – and anything but greasy.

Although warmer weather triggers heavier sebum production from the sebaceous glands – which are mainly concentrated in the T-zone – using a face oil is a smart strategy to reduce excess sebum production because the skin recognizes that it’s hydrated and sufficiently lubricated, and then reduces its oil production. Face oils penetrate into the deeper levels of the dermis – and that’s why people have found them so effective. Face oils are also made of ingredients that act in a similar way to the skin’s sebum layer and moisture barrier – reinforcing the skin’s protective layer, and providing protection from free radicals and pollution while locking moisture in. Face oils also balance the skin during temperature fluctuations and humidity.

Botanical oils are highly concentrated with antioxidants and omega fatty acids. This is critical in the summer when our skin is constantly barraged by free radical damage from exposure to the sun and air pollution. Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants work to repair the skin barrier and antioxidants can help prevent and reverse free radical damage. 

Finally, even though it may be hot and humid outside, you're going to be spending a lot of time inside in the air conditioning, which is eventually going to dry your skin out! So if you think you're immune from dry skin in the summer, that isn't true, so keep oiling up. Face oil helps to prevent trans-epidermal water loss by creating a natural protective barrier on the skin. It's better to choose lighter formulations in the summer.

Types of Oils to Use: 

1. Tea Tree Oil: Depending on the formulation of the face oil, it can be actually be calming, soothing and even provide anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties to the skin which are beneficial for oily skin in particular. 
2. Argan Oil – this dry oil leaves skin with a radiant, healthy-looking sheen.      
3. Jojoba – a light and dry oil, it is good for anyone with acne-prone, dry or reactive skin
4. Rosehip - well known in the beauty world for its moisturizing and restorative properties. Because sunscreen can be drying, using heavier oil at night, no matter your skin type helps moisturize the skin. Rosehip oil is a bit thicker than the other oils and absorbs very quickly.