The scariest thing this Friday the 13th shouldn’t be using oil on your skin. Believe me, I used to think oil was evil for my acne. Like, one drop and I’d wake up with a new breakout.

But let me tell you, not all oils are created equal. Previously, when I would pick up a product that said ‘oil’, an intruder alert alarm would go off in my head: “AVOID AT ALL COSTS!”

Now, I don’t want you to get confused here…there are definitely oils that are major offenders AND do warrant that alarm bell to go off. But, and I emphasize in their purest forms, there are safe oils out there: sunflower seed oil, hemp-seed oil, grapeseed oil, rosehip oil, rosemary oil, and watermelon seed oil.

Let me work some magic on you… Let’s take it back to basic chemistry. Remember the phenomenon ‘like dissolves like’? Apply this logic to your skin. If you have oily skin, an oil-based cleanser will draw out excessive oil, allowing you to dissolve said oil with your second cleanse. If we are using drying acne products (still love), it is imperative to keep your moisture barrier healthy.

Bringing it back to our hero oils:

Sunflower seed oil: helps with skin barrier function and repairing lipid structure in skin.
Hemp seed oil: anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oil effects on acne.
Grapeseed oil: high in antioxidants, moisturizing, and reduces redness.
Rosehip Oil: anti-inflammatory, skin-repairing, and scar-fading.
Rosemary Oil: antioxidant, antimicrobial properties.
Watermelon seed oil: lightweight hydration, barrier-supporting fatty acids, and helps balance oil in acne-prone skin.

Again, I want to reiterate, not all oils are acne-friendly. Most are actually very heavy and high in oleic acid, therefore, more likely to clog pores for our acne-prone babes. But, when you use a lightweight, linoleic-acid-rich oil, it can help repair your barrier, calm inflammation, support healthy sebum production, and reduce irritation.

So, when you’re scanning ingredient lists and see an oil, don’t immediately discard the product. Some oils are actually GOOD for you! Crazy, I know…It was hard for me to wrap my mind around it at first too. All you need to do is: choose the right oil, patch test, and DON’T OVERDO IT.

Blemish Babe Tip: The oils to absolutely avoid at ALL COSTS include: coconut oil, cotton-seed oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, soy bean oil, shark liver oil (aka squalene), or castor oil.  While this list isn’t exhaustive, these are the evil oils most commonly put in skincare. Disagree with me? Meet me in the chat, let’s debate.