As I posted a few weeks ago, I had quite the shopping spree at Mountain Rose Herbs, where I purchase about 90% of all my skin care ingredients. I blindly chose a few oils that were affordable not really knowing what they were good for. Turns out, several of them are perfect for oilier skin types and known to not clog pores.
I formulated a super simple DIY acne clearing moisturizer that is non-comedogenic, will help fade acne scaring and has been proven to reduce inflammation while killing bacteria. While every skin is different, this just might be the product your skin is needing to clear itself naturally.
Acne can be a devastating thing. It can cause anxiety and frustration and when you think you’re doing everything right, you end up with more zits then ever. I feel your pain. I experienced skin issues up until my late 20’s. It seemed like even if my skin didn’t have a whopper zit on it, I had scaring and a bumpy complexion. I was on antibiotics, retin-A and used Clinque per my dermatologist. To this day I am still healing my gut from 2 years of antibiotics that did very little to improve my skin. Go HERE for more info. on antibiotics as an acne treatment.
There is so much BAD advice floating around for people that suffer from breakouts. Going to a dermatologists so often results in antibiotics, harsh creams or even acutane. The harsh reality is that healthy skin comes from the inside out. Hormones, food allergies and stress are what cause acne. While pore clogging products and bad hygiene certainly play a part, it’s not as big of a part that you are told. Go HERE for my friend’s acne journey. As I say so often, get your gut in check and you’ll be amazed what ailments will be remedied.
So, today I urge you to take a good look at your diet and stress levels. If you think your acne is hormonal then honestly, I’ve got more research to do before I can instruct you on how to balance. In the meantime, let’s make a facial oil that will balance your oil production, sooth sensitive skin, reduce redness and inflammation, heal acne scars and not further clog your pores!
It may seem counter productive to use an oil on already oily skin but often times the over production of oil is caused by an imbalance. Your skin feels like it needs to produce more oil very likely because you’ve been told to use drying products and shy away from moisturizers. You want your skin to produce oil. It’s natural and healthy and you can’t have beautiful skin without it. Using a tiny amount of a natural facial oil daily could give your skin the signal to relax on the oil production and in turn, those pores that are getting clogged with excess oil can clear.
LIKE DISSOLVES LIKE i.e. OIL DISSOLVES OIL.
Hazelnut oil is the perfect balancing oil for oily skin types. It also helps reduce pore size! It’s hydrating, gentle and rejuvenating. It has a high antioxidant content and is antibacterial.
Hemp Seed Oil rates a 0 on the comedogenic scale. It is excellent for sensitive skin and like hazelnut, it helps balance oily skin. Hemp is very healing and helps calm the redness and inflammation that come with blemishes. It contains 62% Linolenic Acid which is what makes this oil a powerful anti inflammatory and healer.
Squalane is non-comedogenic and excellent for oily skin types. It balances, heals, purifies and hydrates.
These 3 ingredients are quickly absorbed and light on the skin. However, when adding a facial oil to an already oily skin type, you MUST use only 3-5 drops in order to not over moisturize your skin.
As far as essential oils go, I added clary sage because it is extremely helpful for balancing hormones. If you believe your acne is hormone based, don’t skip this essential oil. It is an inflammation reducer, it regulates the production of oil, is anti bacterial and microbial and is helpful for healing irritated skin. Tea Tree is THE go-to anti acne essential oil. It has been compared to benzoyl peroxide which is highly effective for killing acne causing bacteria. It will kill bacteria on contact. Lavender is calming, healing and reduces redness and inflammation.
DIY Acne Clearing Moisturizer
- 3 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil (find it HERE) (optional)
- 3 drops Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- Squalane (find it HERE)
- Hazelnut Oil (find it HERE)
- Hemp Seed Oil (find it HERE)
- 1 ounce glass dropper bottle (find it HERE)
Add essential oils and squalane first. Refer to the picture for proper proportions. Shake it up!
To Use:
- Apply 3-5 drops to freshly cleansed and toned skin. Use morning and night.
More Skin Clearing Ideas:
- Consider the Oil Cleansing Method. It is a total game changer for many.
- Check out THIS toner.
- I love Juice Beauty for acne products.
- First cut out gluten, then dairy from your diet and see if there is improvement.
Below is the label I created for this DIY. I ordered mine from Sticker You because their labels are waterproof and re-stickable. Go HERE for more instructions on how to use Sticker You’s website. You could also print your own using Avery labels. I suggest THESE labels. Just upload the below picture to the Avery website to create a label from home.
Since I do not suffer from acne, I can only use my knowledge as an aesthetician and the research I do on ingredients to formulate a DIY for oily and/or acne skin types. I do know that it is a very huge misconception that oil-free products are the best when trying to reduce oily skin or heal acne. Also, when you have active acne, you have to be prepared for a detox period anytime you start to use a new product. Often times, your skin will get worse before it can get better.
I am using this as my daily facial oil and I have to say, it’s really nice because it is not greasy and soaks in quick. It works very well under my makeup as well. I added a bit of rosehip seed oil to mine once I used about 1/4 of the bottle and really am enjoying it!
Good luck and keep me posted!
xx, Jenni
For anyone out there who is scared to put oil on their acne prone skin…give it a try! Using oil on my skin (both through oil cleansing and applying facial oils) actually balanced my oil production and I became LESS oily. Sounds crazy but it’s true. I haven’t tried all of the oils in this blend (yet!) but I know hemp seed oil feels amazing and soaks right in.
Love this recipe! I have been struggling with acne for a long time and have tried just about everything. I’ve cut out most dairy but have not yet tried gluten. Does this need to be refrigerated? What’s the shelf life?
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Hi Jenni,
I think we like the same products maybe because our names sound like the same :). I really loved your blog because you share an informative post like this one. Thank you for sharing natural beauty products and giving importance to the skin from acne.
Hi Jenni,
I would like to make this for my daughter who suffers from cystic acne. However, she has developed an allergy to Tea Tree Oil, which I believe is the same as Melaleuca oil. Please correct me if I am wrong. Is there another oil you would recommend to take the place of the Tea Tree? Thanks!
Susy-Oh no! You’re right melaleuca is tea tree oil. I would omit it. If you’d like to add something else I would consider Ylang Ylang, but only add a few drops at a time. It is very strong.
I really couldn’t agree more with Jenni! Having oily skin in Singapore with out hot and humid weather can be extremely challenging! I used to envy my classmates in school who have really fair and clear skin T.T Over the years, my love for DIY products has resulted in me doing lots of research online. I would say, the one thing that made such a difference in my skin, is really Oil Cleansing Method! My facial aunty used to be puzzled as to why I have so many blackheads even though I took extra care of my skin. Later on, I found out about the oil cleansing method online. After confirming the theory with my scientist friend, I decided to make this a daily thing. I have never looked back after that! Of course, I think what helped with my skin health was my focus on overall health (Exercise, eat lots of probiotics [homemade kimchi + homemade kombucha], more veg and fruits). In Singapore, we have plenty of food choices so avoiding dairy (I do indulge in a cheese platter occasionally!) and gluten isn’t too difficult as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Jenni! To the people with acne, if there’s a will, there’s always a way! =DD
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Hi Jenni,
Can you confirm the measurements for the the oils? Squalane, hemp and hazelnut.
Thanks
Shiwani-Not sure what you mean-this is one of those recipes that I just “eye balled’ it. I have a picture showing the proportions. Hope this helps.