Facial oil is one of the easiest steps in a routine to get right, and one of the easiest to overthink. It really comes down to two small habits: put it on last, and put it on damp skin. Do that and a good oil does the rest. Here's the routine we'd hand a friend, plus how to add a few slow minutes with a gua sha stone at the end of the day.
The one rule: last, and on damp skin
Oil seals. That's its job. So it goes on after your water-based steps, not before, and it works best pressed into skin that's still a little damp, so it traps that moisture underneath. Put oil on bone-dry skin and it mostly just sits there. Put it on over a hydrating toner and it holds everything in.
A simple routine, morning and night
- Cleanse gently, then pat your skin so it stays slightly damp.
- Add water. Press in a hydrating toner or a water-based serum. This is the step people skip most, and the one that makes the oil work.
- Warm two to four drops of facial oil between your fingertips.
- Press it into your face and neck. Press, don't rub.
- In the morning, finish with sunscreen. Oil goes under SPF, never in place of it.
How much should you use?
Less than you think. Two to four drops covers the whole face. If your skin looks shiny an hour later, use a drop less next time. If it still feels tight, add one. Your skin will let you know within a few days, so treat the first week as finding your number.
An honest note
We talk about how skin looks and feels: softer, dewier, a little less puffy. We don't make medical claims, and a facial oil or a gua sha isn't a treatment for any condition. If your skin is irritated or you're unsure, patch test first and check with a professional.
Adding a gua sha massage
A gua sha is a smooth, flat stone shaped to fit the curves of your face. People have used stones like it for facial massage for a very long time. It won't change your bone structure, and we'd be wary of anyone who tells you it will. What it does give you is a few genuinely relaxing minutes, and many people find their face looks a little less puffy and more awake afterwards. The oil is what makes it work, because the stone needs slip to glide instead of drag.
How to do it
- Start with clean skin and a few extra drops of oil, so the stone glides.
- Hold the stone almost flat against your skin.
- Work slowly upward and outward: jaw toward the ear, cheek toward the temple, brow up toward the hairline.
- Keep the pressure light. This should feel calming, never like you're pulling at the skin.
- A few passes on each side is plenty. Two or three minutes is a lovely place to stop.
None of this needs to be fancy. A few drops, damp skin, and a slow minute if you have one.
Common mistakes
- Using too much oil. A few drops really is plenty.
- Putting oil on dry skin instead of damp.
- Skipping the water step underneath it.
- Pressing too hard with the gua sha. Light and slow wins every time.
- Expecting an oil to replace sunscreen. It doesn't.
Glow Out Facial Oil
Our facial oil blends light jojoba with richer marula, macadamia and moringa, so it's easy to press in and has enough slip for a gua sha massage. Blended by hand in Markham, Ontario. From $28.
Shop the facial oil →Two or three steps, a few drops, and a slow minute when you have one. That's a routine you'll actually keep, which matters far more than owning ten products you never reach for.