Once deemed an extra, perhaps pointless step or just a bit too... oily, face oils are now a skincare must. But with different skin types requiring a unique mix of ingredients, when it comes to nabbing that oh-so-covetable radiance, how are you supposed to know which oil is the one for you?

'The evolution of extraction and blending technologies, as well as a rediscovery of ancient ingredients and formulae has brought us a new generation of face oils', says co-founder of Cult Beauty, Alexia Inge.

And yes, your moisturiser might be doing some hard work, but oils can give that extra boost that a cream can't do.

'Facial oils offer powerful and deep nourishment and unlike a moisturiser, they replace lost and low level natural oils (sebum) found from within our skin', says skincare expert Michaella Bolder. 'This happens through age and causes overall lacklustre and dehydrated cells.'

Best face oil
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A lover of oils for use in her famous facial massages, Bolder says there's an oil (or many) for everyone. 'There are so many magical blends of oils to suit all skin types, and carry high powered active essential oils', she says, 'with properties that offer a huge amount of benefit to the skin including all the "antis" (bacterial, oxidant, inflammatory), effective moisture retention, reducing environmental and sun damage, repairing and strengthening the skins barrier function which helps to heal sensitive skin all in one simple sweep.'

There are two types of oils: carrier oils and essential oils that have to be combined in order to work efficiently. Carrier oils are usually cold pressed from fruits and nuts. 'This gives them a strong penetrative ability that allows them to carry botanically derived essential oils deep into the skin,' says Shrankhla Holecek, founder of Uma Oils.

And what about putting oil on oily skin? 'A lot of people think an oil with exacerbate natural oils making the skin oilier than before,' says Michaella. 'This most definitely is a misconception, but there is a reason for this, as using an incorrect oil choice for your skin type can have an adverse reaction such as breakouts, congestion, oily residue, inflammation & eczema.'

How to choose the right face oil for your skin type? Follow our guide below...

best face oils
Filippo Fortis//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Everything You Need To Know About Choosing A Face Oil

Best Face Oil For Dry Skin

Our skin is composed of lipids responsible for preventing dehydration, retaining moisture and keeping toxins out, but as we age, we produce less oils that compose this layer, which is where essential oils come in play. They have a high concentration of oxygen and quickly pass through the skin's lipid barrier to prevent water loss and plump it with active ingredients more effectively.

'Dry skin needs an oil rich in omegas and fatty acids', says Bolder, 'so Grape Seed, Vitamin E, Squalane, Borage, Marula, Jojoba, Camomile.'

Best Carrier: Avocado oil is high in Vitamin E and sterolin, which softens the skin and protects from free radicals. It's also rich in lecithin, a lipid that helps deliver nutrients directly to the bloodstream and deeper layers of the skin.

Best Essential: Rose oil is active in promoting and retaining your skin's natural moisture levels thanks to its high levels of Vitamin A, which help to increase collagen production and Omega's 3 and 6, which strengthen your lipid barrier.

ELLE Edit: Face Oils For Dry Skin
best face oil for dry skin
Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil - £163

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This may look and feel ultra-luxurious but it doesn't leave behind a greasy, sticky residue like some oils. Alongside omega 3 and 6, camelia oil prevents moisture from escaping, so skin feels plump and pillowy and looks glowing. Three drops is ample.

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Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil
Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil
£24 at Cult Beauty
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This regenerative rosehip oil is a no brainer for plumping up parched skin. We like to use it at night to feed all the goodness into skin and wake to a moisturised, bouncy face. If it's good enough for Kate Middleton, it's good enough for us.

best face oils for dry skin
Trilogy Natural Certified Organic Rosehip Oil 20ml - £19.50

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A cult product for a reason, this OG oil is clinically proven to improve skin moisture by 44%. That's down the 80% essential fatty acids bottled inside, delivered in a super gentle, non-irritating formula. If you're a newbie to oils, this is a good (safe) place to start.

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This do-it-all oil is as uncomplicated as it's minimalist packaging. Suitable for all skin types, it's hefty enough to hydrate dry skin but won't leave you slip'n'sliding. As with all Aesop, it smells incredible too.

Best Face Oil For Oily Skin

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, oils can help balance your natural oil levels, without stripping your skin.

'Oily skins need light and absorbent oils such as Jojoba, Rosehip, Ylang Ylang, Tea Tree, Squalane, Kukui, Buckthorn,' advises Michaella.

Best Carrier: Jojoba oil resembles the actual molecular structure of your skin, delivering nutrients sub-dermally, while tricking your skin into thinking it has produced enough oil.

Best Essential: The drying agent within Clary Sage oil works with your skin cells to regulate sebum production without parching it. Studies have also found that this oil helps women maintain hormonal balances, which can be the cause of increased oil production throughout your menstrual cycle.

ELLE Edit: Face Oils For Oily Skin
best face oils for oily skin
Votary Clarifying Facial Oil - £65

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Known for their incredibly nourishing Super Seed oil, Votary know a thing or two about how to harness the best out of natural goods. This formula is clarifying but NOT drying, helping to clear toxins and impurities whilst hydrating at the same time. Pat onto the whole face to help control sebum production and unblock bursting pores.

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best face oils for oily skin
Elemis Superfood Facial Oil - £45

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This lightweight oil feeds superfood ingredients into your skin that help to rebalance when things are taking a turn for the shiny. Rich in anti-oxidants (from broccoli seed oil) and nutrients (from flaxseed and daikon radish), it won't leave a film on the skin and actually sits wonderfully under make-up. A little drop goes a long way too.

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best face oils for oily skin
Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil - £48


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This Jurlique offering is filled to bursting with a dream team of nurturing oils for maximum perkiness. Jojoba mimics the oil your skin produces naturally, preventing your glands from going into overdrive. No oil slicks here, people.

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face oils for dry oil sensitive skin
Paula's Choice CBD Oil + Retinol - £47

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If your skin has a problem, Paula will have a solution. In this case, if the problem is skin that needs rebalancing without compromising anti-ageing, this could be the help you need. The soothing and skin-supporting CBD balances the hard-working retinol, for a smoother, stabilised surface.

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Best Face Oil For Acne-Prone Skin

A lack of lipids on the surface of the skin can impair the water barrier function, resulting in bumps and rough skin texture. This, combined with excessive sebum production, forms a blockage within the hair follicle, resulting in a spot or cyst. But, essential oils can help regulate your skin's pH balance, heal existing damage, and stimulate cell renewal – ridding your complexion of unwanted toxins while maintaining a healthy lipid barrier.

Best Carrier: Grape seed oil controls your skin's natural oil producing functions to help balance the pH levels of your skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in antioxidants to protect and vitamin C to help heal.

Best Essential: Clove and Tea Tree are naturally antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, antiviral and anti-bacterial. Sandalwood and Lavender soothe inflammation and reduce redness, while Orange oil is high in vitamin C, which helps both prevent and repair skin breakage.

ELLE Edit: Face Oils For Acne Prone Skin
best face oil for acne prone skin
Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil - £68

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Tea tree oil in Sunday Riley's cult facial oil purifies pores prone to harbouring bacteria while vitamin C from the added apricot uncovers brighter, more resilient skin. Since the tea tree is delivered in a nourishing formula, it won't dry skin out like those tea tree products you used as a teenager.

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best face oil for acne prone skin
Disciple Skincare Dreamy Skin Retinyl Oil - £35

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Formulated for stressed-out and tricky skin, this contains a concoction of ingredients to make your skin happy including retinyl (a pure form of vitamin A) to boost collagen and renew the skin, essential oils to reduce inflammation, and rosehip seed oil which is packed with skin-soothing fatty acids. It, helpfully, smells divine too.

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best face oil for acne prone skin
UMA Deeply Clarifying Face Oil - £108

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Developed to help skin recover from breakouts, the purifying clove and grape seed oils help to clear and rebalance, and tea tree focuses on sebum production and congestion. The formula is nourishing too, but doesn't put heaps on moisture onto congested skin. It's 100% natural AND organic too.

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best face oil for acne prone skin
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil - £9

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As well as being super hydrating, rose hip seed oil is also well-known for it's anti-nflammatory properties, which is what you want when you've had a break out. This oil sinks it fast to help calm, treat and regenerate damaged skin, without leaving an oil-slick in it's wake.

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Best Face Oil For Sensitive Skin

Those with sensitive skin might be wary of face oils, and quite rightly. Some essential oils can cause mayhem and cause flare ups, and anything unnaturally perfumed can be irritating too. So it's important to choose oils specially formulated to keep the skin calm and protect the skin barrier.

Michaella tells us that sensitive skins need a light and calming oil without scent and rich in fatty acids to reinforce the skins barrier function - Squalane, Jojoba, Marula, Vitamin E, Rosehip.

ELLE Edit: Best Face Oils For Sensitive Skin
best face oil for sensitive skin
Biossance 100% Squalane Oil - £27

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Move over hyaluronic acid, squalane oil is where it's at in the world of hydration now. This vegan formula is 100% pure good stuff: it can be slathered all over to feed moisture into the body, but is good enough to use as a face oil too. Warm a small amount between the hands and press into skin like you would a serum. Pure, bouncy-skin giving goodness.

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best face oil for sensitive skin
Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil - £62

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The floral sounding ingredients in this oil might scare those with sensitive skin, but since they're naturally fragrant it's not filled with the often-irritating perfume that other products might be. 100% pure, this combines hibiscus to protect and reduce oxidative stress, kalahari for plumping fatty acids, kigelia to tone, and many many more. No we haven't heard of those either - but we like what they do to our skin!

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Plantastic™ Overnight Miracle Face Oil
Beauty Pie Plantastic™ Overnight Miracle Face Oil
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This 99% natural and vegan formula combines Grapeseed, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Avocado, Baobab, Rosehip, Neroli and Turmeric Oils for the ultimate face oil that's nourishing without making angering reactive skin.

best face oils for sensitive skin
Malin+Goetz Recovery Treatment Oil - £68

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If you're overdone it with the face masks and your skin is just being oversensitive, trying giving in a drink of this recovery potion. Nine natural oils are used to help nourish and hydrate, but reinforcing a damaged skin barrier is it's most powerful property. Quickly absorbed, it's great for day under makeup, as well as a soothing nighttime treatment.

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Best Face Oil for Brightening Skin

Any oil should add help add radiance to the skin if it's right for your skin type, but those that are formulated with a combination of oils - and usually left on to work with your skin regeneration overnight - can really help brighten from within.

ELLE Edit: Best Face Oils For Brightening Skin
best face oils dry oil sensitive skin
Augustinus Bader The Face Oil - £180

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Alongside a stellar base of the brand's now infamous TFC8® complex (amino acids, vitamins, and collagen boosting goodness) this luxurious bottle houses a blend of Babassu, Argan and Hazelnut oils to nourish skin. Believe us when we say, AB is worth the hype.

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best face oil for brightening skin
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate 30ml - £40

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Kiehl's has a LOT of brilliant products, so when one a bestseller, you know it's good. Applied last thing at night, the mix of oils in this delicious smelling concentrate work at your skin regenerates. When they say you'll wake to radiant skin, they mean it. For ELLE Beauty Editor Jennifer George, it's a must-have.

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best face oil for brightening skin
Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil 30ml - £61

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Utilising the marula fruit key to all of the Drunk Elephant products, the oil is high in antioxidants to promote protected and happy skin. It's a firm favourite for boosting radiance and evening out complexion, so a good one for reach for if you suffer with redness or dullness.

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best face oil dry oily sensitive skin
Emma Lewisham Supernatural Vitamin A Face Oil - £76

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This 100% natural, vegan, New Zealand born beauty harnesses Bakuchiol - a retinol alternative - to help minimize fine lines, plump skin, and add a big boost of glow. A cult classic on the other side of the world, the brand is gaining popularity here for its transformative properties.

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