3 of the Best Anti-Acne Facial Oils

‘Put oil on an already oily face’, you say? For fellow acne sufferers, I am sure that this sounds like a strange concept to get your head around. But you might want to learn more about the following oils, as all of these are incredibly healing and have properties that may improve your aggravating acne situation.

This, of course, comes with a disclaimer, as we all have individual skin types, and what works for one person might not work for you. Acne is a complex medical condition and we will all react differently to treatments. Finding the right facial oil for your skin may take some experimentation. One of these three might be your oil and match.

Tamanu

This oil is extracted from Calophyllum inophyllum seeds from the Ati tree of the South Pacific. The unique calophylloids reduce stinging in the skin and help to control the growth of P.acnes, an acne causing bacterium.

The healing effects of tamanu oil will be penetrated into the skin without clogging the pores. Tamanu oil has a comedogenic rating of 2 out of 5, which simply means that it is unlikely to clog the pores.

The truth about oily skin is that it’s oily because the skin freaks out when it gets too dry and decides to churn out lots of natural oil to overcompensate. This leads to acne and clogged pores.

As tamanu oil is highly penetrating, reaching all three layers of skin (the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis), it thoroughly nourishes the skin to aid in regeneration and healing. Properties of tamanu oil include being anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal, which all work against acne symptoms.

The only thing worse than acne are the scars that it leaves behind in its path of destruction. Not only does tamanu oil have great potential for treating acne, but it may also help to heal acne scars, as it is renowned for its ability to regenerate in Polynesian culture. The indigenous Polynesians have known about the healing power of tamanu for centuries, and it’s now making its way into the Western world. It has been known to make scars and stretch marks disappear.

A recent scientific journal, published 28th August 2018, researched the oils biological activities and properties related to skin treatment for cosmeceutical regards. They stated that: ‘the skin-active effect of “tamanu oil emulsion” was investigated on human skin cell cultures showing: cell proliferation, glycosaminoglycan and collagen production as well as wound healing activity’. https://www.ocl-journal.org/articles/ocl/pdf/first/ocl180019.pdf

Any oil that increases collagen production, aids in wound and scar healing, and helps to fight acne sounds like something the skin would love.

Moringa

The Moringa (Moringa oleifera) plant is often referred to as the ‘Miracle Tree’ or ‘Tree of Life’. Native to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, it has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine: the ancient, traditional, healing system of India. The whole plant has been used for its healing power, including its leaves, bark, fruit, seed and roots.

The plant has shown up in ayurvedic texts over 4000 years old, showing that it was used as a treatment for over 300 different diseases. It was also traditionally cited as a blood cleanser, rejuvenating the body and its cells.

It’s renowned to be exceptional in its health properties, and thought to have great potential in supporting brain health, fighting free radicals, and protecting the liver. But what about the topical application of moringa oil for the skin?

More people are becoming aware of how you can use this highly nutritious oil as skin food: topical nourishment for the health of the skin. Moringa oil was used by ancient civilisations for beauty purposes too. And now people are using it in our modern day as if it’s new, but moringa oil has spanned quite a bit of time.

Fight off the aging effects of free radical damage with the 30+ antioxidants in moringa oil. These can help to protect your skin from pollution such as smog and cigarette smoke. Not only this but one drop alone contains (deep breath) vitamin A, B, C, D, E, as well as magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, silica and manganese. These provide the nourishment your skin needs to heal acne.

As moringa oil is purifying and detoxifying, you can apply it to the affected area of acne each day. This may help to clear your breakout.

Neem

Many people report improved acne when using neem, this antibacterial herb, on their skin. This is why neem is found in different cleansers and moisturisers. The Neem tree is a large evergreen tree in the mahogany family, and each part of the Neem tree has a medicinal property.

Neem’s pain relieving, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties makes it a potential treatment for conditions as well as acne, including psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema.

Using neem oil may help to control the harmful bacteria that cause acne, reduce inflammation so that the conditions symptoms of swelling, redness and soreness can be eased. This is because neem has similarities with ingredients found in medical acne treatment products.

If you suffer from acne, you are sure to have heard of the ingredient salicylic acid, found in many products. What exactly is this ingredient? It’s aspirin, and luckily for us, neem contains aspirin like compounds, helping to clear acne.

Neem may help control excessive oil in the skin, preventing trapped oil in the pores. Whilst oily skin can benefit from using neem oil, so can dry skin, a skin type not immune to acne. As neem is anti-bacterial, it can restore the skins pH level of the skin. This makes the skin moist and may help control acne in dry skin types as well.

The anti-inflammatory property of neem helps ease the pain and discomfort of swelling and redness from acne. Never underestimate the pain of a big acne lump! As well as helping to treat acne, acne marks and scars may be healed through the use of neem oil. Why not keep it simple and mash up an avocado with a few drops of neem oil? You can also apply 1 - 3 drops of sandalwood or tea tree essential oil to pack more anti-acne power. Apply this as a face mask and let the healing do its work.

And Lastly, but Certainly Not Least

Seeing a dermatologist who can suggest a full skincare routine and talk about various factors for the treatment of your particular acne is advised. A dermatologist can offer guidance, and a plan to tackle your acne head on. Your acne will not disappear with the wave of a magic wand and applying one of these oils every now and then with no regular overall skincare routine. But of course, you probably already know that. Cue: your frustration.

If you do try one of these oils, add it your routine and use it for a few weeks. Apply it to the affected area each time after cleansing to see what the results are. If you notice an improvement, keep going and see how far the oil can take your skins healing! If not, after giving said oil a long enough time period, try another oil for a few weeks.