The use of hair and skin oils dates back centuries to the ancient Greek and Egyptians civilizations. Today, oils are experiencing a renaissance as a time-honored way to enhance and optimize skin health.

One of the most common misperceptions when it comes to natural oils—such as olive, coconut or argan—is that they replenish lost moisture in skin. In reality, oils help retain water that’s already present in the skin—inhibiting it from evaporating from the surface. Think of oils as the protective barrier against water loss in skin, which happens naturally from age or from environmental aggressors, such as sun.

While it may seem counterintuitive, oils are also effective at cleansing the skin. This is based on the scientific principle that fatty compounds dissolve similar fatty compounds. So, if you wash your face with a cleansing oil, it helps to dissolve and remove makeup, which inherently contains one or more fatty ingredients, together with excess sebum that is naturally produced by the body and is typically responsible for clogging pores.

Although the body produces its own oils, it’s often necessary to supplement with externally-sourced botanical oils. The question is which type of botanical oils should one use. The answer? It depends on your skin type.

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