Is the popular online trend of “using oil to nourish the skin” really useful or just a waste of money?

In winter, the weather is dry and the skin is tight, so moisturizing becomes an important issue. Many people know that moisturizing requires "hydration", but have you heard of "oil replenishment"?

In recent years, the concept of "using oil to nourish the skin" has become very popular. Is it really useful? Let's talk about it today~

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“Use oil to nourish the skin”, what is “oil”?

Before discussing "using oil to nourish the skin", we must first clarify what the "oil" here refers to.

First of all, don’t go to the kitchen to look for skin care products. If you say you want to use lard or rapeseed oil for skin care, that’s definitely wrong. The “olive oil skin care” that was popular on the Internet for a while is also not correct. Because studies have found that the oleic acid structure of olive oil can damage the skin barrier function.

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There are two common types of oils used in skin care:

1

Vegetable oil

For example, coconut oil, jojoba oil, etc., are rich in fatty acids that can moisturize the skin and reduce dryness and tightness. These oils can help soothe the skin and improve skin texture during skin care.

2

Mineral oil

Especially Vaseline, which is a particularly effective moisturizing ingredient that mainly plays a sealing role and can greatly reduce water loss.

In addition, there is an organic compound - dimethicone, which is not a classic oil substance, but has moisturizing and skin conditioning effects. It can form a protective film on the skin surface, reduce water evaporation, and provide a smooth touch. It is commonly used in shampoo products and hand creams.

Ingredients of a hand cream. Polydimethylsiloxane is another name for dimethyl silicone oil, but they are actually the same substance. Image source: taken by myself

Also, you can review the knowledge points covered in the past two days. Although glycerol has the word "oil" in its name, it is not actually oil. It is a polyol compound, a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting viscous liquid with the chemical formula C3H8O3.

What is the principle of “using oil to care for the skin”?

Is it really useful?

Some people may ask, "oily skin" is a problem for many people, so why is there a method of "using oil to care for skin"? We can use a very vivid metaphor to explain~

Human skin itself has a lot of oil (or "lipids"). Skin cells are like bricks, and oil is like the mortar between brick walls. When the skin is dry, the oil will also decrease. Using additional skin care oil can help us restore the stripped lipid layer . When the lipid layer is restored and the skin barrier is rebuilt, it can prevent moisture loss to a certain extent, avoid further dryness and a series of problems later.

However, it should be noted that even though some oils have moisturizing effects, in many cases, they are not suitable to be used alone for moisturizing, especially pure or highly concentrated plant oils.

The specific reasons are as follows:

1. Oils themselves do not contain water, they cannot directly increase the moisture content of the skin, in other words, they cannot directly provide "hydration" to the skin. If you rely only on oils, your skin may still feel dry or tight, especially in extremely dry environments.

2. Excessive use of oil may aggravate acne, cause Malassezia folliculitis and other problems , because acne is related to oily skin, and Malassezia, which feeds on oil, will more easily accelerate its reproduction.

3. Certain oils (such as mineral oil or heavy vegetable oil) may not be easily absorbed by the skin and stay on the skin surface for a long time, causing the skin to feel greasy and heavy.

4. Oils have limited protective effects on the skin . Although oils can form a protective film on the skin surface to prevent moisture loss, they do not provide additional maintenance functions such as moisturizing, repairing or anti-oxidation. Therefore, using oils alone may not meet the skin's comprehensive moisturizing needs.

Therefore, if you want to achieve the ideal moisturizing effect, it is definitely not enough to simply rely on skin care oil to "nourish the skin with oil". Instead, you should choose the right moisturizing product based on your skin type, environment and actual needs.

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How to choose moisturizing products?

A good moisturizing product should not be limited to whether it contains oily substances, but should focus on its functions, such as providing sufficient moisture to the skin, preventing moisture loss, and keeping the skin soft, smooth and healthy.

By searching the literature, we have sorted out and summarized the following 5 tips for selecting moisturizing products:

1

Know your skin type

➡️Dry skin:

Dry skin often lacks sufficient moisture and easily feels tight and dry. For this type of skin, it is very important to choose products containing highly effective moisturizing ingredients , such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, etc. Products containing plant oils or wax ingredients (such as jojoba oil) are also suitable for dry skin, which can help lock in moisture and nourish the skin.

➡️Oily skin:

Oily skin often produces too much oil but may not have enough moisture. This type of skin should choose moisturizing products with light formulas , such as milk or lotion texture products.

➡️Sensitive skin:

Sensitive skin should choose fragrance-free, hypoallergenic moisturizing products , and avoid ingredients such as alcohol and fragrance. Ideal moisturizing products should have the function of repairing the barrier and soothing the skin, such as products containing soothing ingredients such as ceramide, glycyrrhizic acid, and oatmeal.

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2

View ingredient list

When choosing a moisturizing product, it is very important to check the ingredients. The following categories of ingredients have significant moisturizing effects:

Hyaluronic Acid: It can absorb water effectively, provide deep hydration to the skin, and increase the skin's elasticity and radiance.

Glycerin: A common moisturizing ingredient and a classic humectant that helps absorb and lock moisture on the skin's surface.

Ceramides: Helps restore the skin barrier and reduce moisture loss.

Plant oils (such as jojoba oil, etc.): can deeply nourish and lock in moisture, especially suitable for dry skin.

Squalene: It has a moisture-locking effect and is often used to repair the skin barrier.

Amino Acids: Help maintain skin hydration and enhance skin softness.

In addition, ingredients that need to be avoided include excessive fragrances, alcohol, irritating chemicals, etc. Especially for sensitive skin, avoid using ingredients that may cause allergic reactions.

3

Consider season and climate

➡️Dry season (such as winter): In cold or dry seasons, moisturizing products should choose thick, moisturizing formulas, such as moisturizing creams containing petroleum jelly and wax ingredients, which can form a barrier on the skin surface to prevent moisture loss.

➡️Humid seasons (such as summer): In a humid and hot environment, you can choose refreshing water-based products, such as lotions, and avoid using overly greasy moisturizing products (such as vaseline) to avoid increasing the burden on the skin.

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4

Brand and word-of-mouth evaluation

It’s usually safer to choose a relatively well-known brand of moisturizing products, especially those that have been clinically proven and recommended by reliable dermatologists.
Understanding other users’ reviews and feedback, especially those from people with similar skin types, can help you determine whether a product is suitable for your skin needs.

5

User experience and effect

Objectively speaking, no single product is the best. Therefore, there is no standard answer when choosing a moisturizing product, and personal experience is also very important. A good product is one that suits you (and is safe and does not cause abnormal skin reactions).

If the dryness of the skin improves after long-term use, it means that the moisturizing effect of the product is effective. On the contrary, if the skin still feels dry or tight, it may be necessary to change the moisturizing product.

Finally, to sum up, not all oils are suitable for direct use on the skin. "Oil" ≠ "moisturizing" and "skin care". The correct moisturizing strategy should be diverse and comprehensive. When choosing moisturizing products, we should abandon the obsession with a single oil and choose according to our own skin quality, environmental changes and the actual needs of the skin.

References

[1] Draelos ZD. The science behind skin care: Moisturizers. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2018; 17(2): 138-144.

[2] Harwood A, Nassereddin A, Krishnamurthy K. Moisturizers. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

[3] No, Oils can't hydrate skin and hair. https://www.allure.com/story/do-oils-hydrate-skin-hair

[4] Sagiv AE, Dikstein S, Ingber A. The efficiency of humectants as skin moisturizers in the presence of oil. Skin Res Technol. 2001; 7(1): 32-35.

[5] Humectants vs. Emollients. https://blogs.bcm.edu/2022/05/05/skin-care-104-humectants-vs-emollients/

[6] What is humectant, emollient and occlusive? https://thejojobacompany.com.au/blogs/jojoba/humectant-emollient-occlusive

[7] What are emollients, humectants, and occlusives? https://www.cerave.com/skin-smarts/skincare-tips-advice/emollient-vs-humectant-vs-occlusive

Planning and production

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, attending physician of dermatology department

Review | Feng Jun, Deputy Chief Physician, Dermatology Department, General Hospital of Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd.

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin