The face oil versus face cream debate is as old as the hills but when you’re seeking complexion perfection, you can be forgiven for feeling a wee bit confused.
Let’s dive in and shed some light on the benefits of each. We’ll get you well on your way to deciding which one is right for your skin.
Face oils
Oils deliver a myriad of benefits and they’ve got a beautiful simplicity about them because they’re made up simply of oil (whereas creams can include a blend of oils, water and other ingredients).
Oils - usually derived from plants, seeds, nuts and fruit - contain a high concentration of essential nutrients that can work in harmony with your skin, giving you a helping hand with skin concerns like ageing, dryness, uneven skin tone and irritation.
Facial oils are also pretty nifty at keeping your skin’s barrier function at its healthiest. How? Well, the outermost layer of your skin (the stratum corneum) is made up of skin cells and lipid oils. Applying oil to your skin can help maintain the lipid barrier and address the daily damage it faces. Kapish?
For those of us with dry skin, oils can offer the soothing nourishment your skin craves teamed with an immediate glow. Yet people with oily, sensitive or problematic skin can also benefit from the active nutrient properties of face oil (you just need to make sure you choose the right oil for your skin type!).
Have you met our buddy, the Good Vibes Brightening Facial Oil? He’s a great all-rounder for normal and combination skin types and a champion at simultaneously locking in moisture, balancing sebum production thanks to five different omega oils (3, 5, 6, 7 and 9), brightening and reducing pigmentation. Jack of all trades, much?!
If your skin is dry and sensitive, allow us to introduce you to Little Miss Laugh Out Loud Nourishing Facial Oil. Powered by Jojoba Oil which has an affinity to your skin's own natural sebum, she can help with reducing the visible signs of redness, deeply hydrating, and infusing skin with replenishing nutrients.
And yes folks, oil does cancel out oil, so oily skinned folks need not fear applying them. For oily skin we recommend Black Seed Oil or the Sunrise Over C Mattifying Facial Oil.
But what about serums?
As a side note, some skincare brands call their facial oils “serums” but we don’t really agree with that here at Woohoo Skincare. To us, serums are an ultra-light, active-based product that you put on UNDER your facial oil (or cream, if you swing that way)..
Face creams
Face creams are at the other end of the simplicity spectrum. Creating a good cream is an art because you need to have the perfect balance of water, waxes, oils and along with plant extracts, clays, vitamins and minerals (although you don’t necessarily need all of those). The beauty of this is that creams can target a whole range of skin concerns that oils can’t.
Unlike oils, water-based moisturisers are like a sports drink for your skin. They have the ability to not only give your skin the oil that it needs but also the hydration.
So if your skin is dehydrated, you should definitely be reaching for a cream with some good humectants (ingredients that draw in water) in it so you can boost up your skin’s water levels.
Another nifty perk is that with creams you get a choice of lightweight or rich formulas, meaning that you can mix and match different face creams for day and night-wear.
Our Over The Moon Rich Repair Cream is the ultimate (and much loved) daily moisturising cream for normal, dry and sensitive skin. He’s deeply hydrating and super soothing (he’ll even serenade you to sleep). Vitamin B3, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Bentonite Clay, Hemp Seed and Jojoba Oils can be found inside, which moisturises, protects and improves skin tone - without leaving skin feeling heavy.
Miss Perfectly Happy Light Vitamin C Cream on the other hand is wonderfully light. Ideal for oily and combination skin types, she’s jam-packed with age-fighting, anti-oxidant and nourishing ingredients. Think Vitamin C, Pomegranate, Papaya, Green Tea and Aloe Vera teamed with Kakadu Plum and Quandong (sounds good enough to eat!).
Still stuck on which one is best for your skin? The good news is…you don’t have to choose between face cream and oil - simply enjoy the benefits of both.
After cleansing and toning, gently pat a few drops of facial oil into your skin and then apply your favourite everyday moisturiser. The other trick is to mix a few drops of face oil to moisturiser in the palm of your hand and then apply to your face. Hey presto! A supercharged skincare routine in a flash.
And don’t forget we have most of our products available in sample sizes so you can have a play with some cream and facial oil combos to see what your skin loves best without breaking the bank :)
