Facial Oils

Facial oils are the simplest products in the skincare aisle — often just one ingredient on the label. This shelf carries the classics: organic jojoba, argan and sweet almond, lighter apricot kernel and avocado oils, plus vitamin E skin oils and emu oil. They're the multi-taskers of natural beauty: a few drops can finish a skincare routine, soften cuticles, tame flyaways or serve as a carrier for your essential-oil blends.

Each oil has its own feel. Jojoba is the closest match to skin's own oils and sinks in quickly, which makes it the usual first pick. Argan is prized for the softness it brings to both face and hair; sweet almond and apricot kernel are light, all-purpose choices; and avocado is richer, suited to skin that drinks up moisture. Vitamin E oils are thicker and typically dabbed onto small areas rather than spread across the whole face.

A little goes a long way — two or three drops pressed into damp skin after moisturizer, or blended right into it. Oils keep best capped and away from heat and light, and it's worth checking the label for cold-pressed and organic designations, which reflect the manufacturer's own certification. If you're using an oil as a carrier for essential oils, unscented options like jojoba and sweet almond are the standard base.

15 products