No matter where you skin is at, there’s a plant oil that you can use to help your skin.
So many people fear oils because of outdated skincare advice your Mum might have given you, and it has stuck with you ever since. “Oils are bad! They’ll make your skin oily. You should buy oil-free products for your skin.” (No offense meant to the Mums, but the skincare industry has learnt a lot since then.)
We wholeheartedly disagree! Once you have found the right oil for your skin (or combination of oils), we’re pretty sure you’ll come over to our side of the fence.
The best oils for your skin won’t make your skin oily, cause breakouts, or clog pores. Believe it or not, putting oil on your skin can actually balance the amount of oil your skin produces, making oily skin less oily, and making dry skin less dry.
Your skin has natural lipids (or oils) as part of its makeup and they are VITAL for healthy, balanced skin. So it makes complete sense to restore your skin’s natural oils with something from the plant kingdom, especially since as we age and our natural lipid levels drop.
No oil = dry skin = more visible wrinkles
We are more than a little oil obsessed and at the last count we use 18 different plant oils in our products. Aaron’s fervour for oils could easily see him fill a whole day researching and coming up with ways to use them in new products.
What makes plant oils so good?
Good plants oils are nutrient goldmines. They are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids including the lesser known omega 5 and 7.
Other great benefits are that
- A little goes a long way so they can be more economical than you realise
- Your skin absorbs oil better than water
- They strengthen your skin’s barrier function and prevent moisture loss (i.e. less wrinkles!)
- They do just as good work for your hair
- They deliver the good stuff which is necessary to repair, rebalance, retexture and protect your skin. That’s why they are often the star ingredients in moisturisers.
On a more whimsical note, there’s a real elegance to cold pressed plant oils because they’re so close to their natural state when you put them on their skin. Just how Mother Nature intended – they haven’t been modified by chemical processes or stem cell extraction. To make the oil, a flower or seed has just been pressed or ground to release the oil. And your skin loves it.
Our all-time best oils for skin
For us, picking a favourite oil is like picking your favourite song. It depends on your mood and what you need at the time. And usually it’s not just one oil that your skin needs, but a blend of oils. Here are some that we would put in our hall of fame as the best oils for skin.
Hemp Seed Oil
It has the perfect balance of omega 3 to 6 for your skin, and is the only plant to contain vitamin D. It is has a very similar structure to your skins own lipids so it doesn’t clog pores while being able to penetrate cells and provide hydration and lubrication. This capability and hemp oil’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it the perfect oil for whatever condition your skin is in.
Best for: all skin types
Find it in: Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm, Perfectly Happy Light Vitamin C Cream, Good Vibes Facial Oil.
Chia Seed Oil
The health benefits of Omega 3 are well known, and your skin especially thrives on Omega 3. Now you wouldn’t be very popular if you rubbed yourself with a salmon (especially on a hot day) so chia seed oil is a much better option. It is the richest botanical source of omega 3, which maintains moisture levels and encourages collagen and elastin creation, supporting your skin’s structure, shape and texture. It’s a great source of Vitamin B3 and zinc which make an ideal choice for everyone, including people battling acne prone skin.
A product containing 4% Chia seed oil was used on patients with kidney disease during a study and they found that it dramatically helped skin hydration and reduced itchiness.
Best for: all skin types
Find it in: Good Vibes Omega Facial Oil and TLC Intensive Repair Oil
Macadamia Oil
Macadamia Oil is high in Omega 7 (palmitoleic acid) and when it comes to helping the skin, Omega 7 mixes it with the best. Omega 7 provides key building blocks for skin, hair and nails. It’s quickly absorbed by your skin and helps beat wrinkles, dryness, loss of skin elasticity, and other signs of ageing. It can also boost collagen production and protect your skin against sun damage, toxins and environmental stress.
Best for: dry skin
Find it in: Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm, You Crack Me Up! Lip Balm, 3 Cheers Cleansing Oil (coming soon!).
Camellia Seed Oil
This our go to oil because it has all the benefits of olive oil but it soaks in like a dream due to its high levels of oleic acid. Oleic acid has the ability to penetrate deep into the stratum corneum to enhance the effects of collagen and elastin. No wonder the Geisha’s kept it as their beauty secret. It’s also high omega 9, phyto squalene, Vitamin A, B, E, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and calcium.
It’s one of the closest Holy Grail oils we have found because it helps the broadest range of people and skin concerns.
Best for: all skin types
Find it in: Blissed Out Body Oil, Laugh Out Loud Active Jojoba Oil, Good Vibes Omega Facial Oil and TLC Intensive Repair Oil
It’s a good time to hit pause on the Best Oils for Skin Hall of Fame otherwise we will be here all day. As much as we love talking about it we don’t want to take up your whole Sunday 
We did want to sing the praises of Tamanu Oil but we will save that for another day. It deserves its own post especially as we may have some exciting news about it very soon.
The most important thing we hope you take away from this is that oils are GOOD (whether you have oily skin or dry skin). They can make your skin strong, plump, healthy, and give it a gorgeous glow.
If you haven’t found the best oil for your skin yet, you might want to try our Sample Packand do some experimenting!
