4 Things you Need to Know About Face Oils

With the winter months drawing in, it’s the perfect time to start adding a face oil into our daily skincare regimes. However, many of us are to hesitant to use them either because they have oily skin or are unsure how face oils can benefit their skin.

Even in today’s world, where many of us are well-versed in skincare ingredients and rituals, certain myths and misconceptions persist. Here, Tracey Ryan - Codex Beauty’s Master Formulator - sets the record straight on what facial oils can, and can’t, do for your skin

CODEX BEAUTY Bia Facial Oil £86

Myth: All Facial Oils Are the Same—And Make You Breakout

Fact: “There are so many differences between oils—from the viscous, thick and surprisingly drying, like castor oil, to the fatty and nutritious, like avocado oil, to thin and fast absorbing, like kiwi seed oil,” says Ryan. Selecting the correct one for your skin type and needs is key. “In our Bia Facial Oil we have chosen mostly thin, short oils, including kiwi seed, prickly pear and rosehip, that are light, fast-absorbing and give the skin a beautiful primed appearance without clogging pores.”

Myth: Applying Oils Will Make Your Skin Oilier

Fact: Cleansing with oils can actually help balance your skin and prevent it from being too oily. “The theory is based on the scientific principle that fatty compounds dissolve similarly fatty compounds,” says Ryan. “When you cleanse with Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil it easily breaks down and removes excess sebum, along with makeup, from skin.” It doesn’t feel like an oil either—since the formula contains a natural emulsifier it turns into a light milky liquid when combined with water. “Another benefit of cleansing with oils is that they do not overly strip the skin of healthy, necessary oils and thereby help with moisture balance,” adds Ryan. “In clinical trials, we found 88 percent of test subjects experienced a 8 percent decrease in trans-epidermal water loss after four weeks of using our Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil £67, which is deemed highly significant.”

Myth: Facial Oils Don’t Do Much

Fact: “In addition to cleansing and protecting the moisture in our skin, facial oils also contain antioxidant constituents, anti-inflammatory compounds and essential fatty acids that help protect, calm and nourish skin,” says Ryan. “So there are a lot of benefits!”

Myth: Oils Moisturize Your Skin

CODEX BEAUTY Bia Day Cream £67

Fact: “Oils do not introduce moisture to the skin, they help to seal in the moisture already present in the skin by stopping it from evaporating from the skin’s surface,” says Ryan. In order to actually add moisture you’ll need to use a hydrating moisturiser, such as the Bia Day Cream £67, which has sodium hyaluronate—"a small molecule hyaluronic acid derivative that attracts water deep into the skin,” explains Ryan. The Bia Facial Oil helps lock in this hydration. “In a clinical trial we found that 100 percent of test subjects measured a 168 percent hydration increase at four weeks using our facial oil with a moisturizer,” Ryan says.