Dry Cheeks, Shiny Forehead. Which Facial Oil Is Right for You?
Some kinds of dry skin make you want to put your entire face in a jar of moisturizer. Your cheeks feel rough, makeup catches on patches you could have sworn weren't there yesterday, and whatever you apply helps for a little while before that tight feeling creeps back.
One question that came up from my recent blogs was about having skin that feels both dry and dehydrated, and how that should change the products you choose. I was glad someone asked, because this is where understanding ingredients becomes useful in a very ordinary, bathroom-counter kind of way.
Maybe your forehead is shiny while you get breakouts around your chin, and other parts of your face seem determined to flake off. Or perhaps your skin has simply become drier over the years, and the moisturizer you have faithfully used for ages no longer seems quite enough.
It can be hard to know what to reach for when your skin seems to be making it up as it goes along, and your nose doesn’t get along with anyone else.
That's pretty much why I ended up making different facial oils. I love working with all these ingredients, but I am also thinking about the person who will use the finished blend. How their skin feels after washing, whether they prefer a richer texture, whether they break out easily, and what would make their routine feel more comfortable.
So, following on from our introduction to facial oils, let’s talk about choosing one when dryness is part of the picture. It feels especially relevant as winter nudges in, at least up here in New England.
Before choosing an oil, think about what goes underneath it.
We covered dry skin, dehydration, and their considerable overlap in the skin barrier blog. The key takeaway is that skin needs water, as well as the lipids that help it stay soft and retain moisture.
A facial oil provides emollience, meaning it softens and smooths the skin, and can help reduce moisture loss. It does not supply water, aka ‘hydration’. If your face looks beautifully dewy but still feels tight underneath, adding another generous helping of oil just won’t cut it.
That is why I so often recommend a hydrating serum followed by a facial oil. The serum provides water-based hydration, while the oil adds softness and helps maintain that comfortable feeling. A moisturizer can do both, and some skin may appreciate a cream alongside the serum and oil (as I do).
Next, choose a blend that suits your skin.
Aura is where I would start for many people.
Aura Daily Oil is my bestselling facial oil. If your skin needs softness and moisture support but you don't like a rich or heavy finish, this is often the first blend I recommend. It’s formulated for normal-to-combination skin.
It combines argan, camellia, jojoba, hemp, passionfruit, pumpkin, evening primrose, and rosehip oils, among other ingredients. I chose this blend to create a silky daily oil that feels nourishing while keeping the texture light.
Argan contributes to both Aura and Athena, and I particularly enjoy formulating with it. Human research supports its moisturizing benefits, including a study of postmenopausal women that found improved hydration and reduced water loss with regular topical application.
I would pair Aura with Hyaluronic Acid Serum when hydration is the main concern, or Chi when uneven tone and visible signs of aging are also on the list.
Athena is for skin that wants more richness.
Some skin needs a little more cushioning, especially when dryness becomes persistent, or skin feels less supple than it used to. That is where I would move toward Athena Daily Face Oil.
Athena also contains argan, but its blend includes avocado, macadamia, olive-derived squalane, evening primrose, borage, and other botanical oils and extracts.
Avocado and macadamia add that lovely, rich, softening feel, while squalane gives the blend a silky slip. Each ingredient contributes to the character of the finished oil, which is what makes formulating a blend so interesting to me.
I want something that feels nourishing as you apply it and leaves your skin feeling comfortable afterward. Richness matters, but so does wanting to use it again tomorrow.
Athena was developed with dry, mature skin in mind. If your skin has become drier from hormonal changes, or simply seems to want more than it used to, it's worth considering. I choose between Aura and Athena based on how much richness your skin enjoys, not on your birth date.
And yes, Artemis belongs here too.
Breakouts don't mean you're exempt from dryness. You can have an oily forehead, congested pores, and dry patches all at once, which makes choosing skincare feel unnecessarily complicated.
Artemis Daily Face Oil is the blend I recommend when oily or acne-prone skin also needs softness and moisture support. It contains hemp, pumpkin, evening primrose, hazelnut, tomato seed, and tamanu oils, alongside botanical extracts.
Its formulation includes oils rich in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, but with a very lightweight feel suited to skin that does not want a heavy coating.
For this combination of concerns, I like Berry Essence under Artemis, followed by moisturizer where needed. You can give dry cheeks more attention without applying the same amount of everything across your entire face.
Artemis supports the moisturizing side of the routine. Persistent acne may need its own treatment, but your skin still deserves to feel comfortable while you address it.
Berry Ampoule offers a different kind of nourishment.
Berry Ampoule is a beautiful option if you enjoy seed oils and want a blend without added fragrance or essential oils. It contains blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and pomegranate oils, plus daikon seed oil and CoQ10.
These oils offer a lovely variety of fatty acids and natural antioxidants. I also love that the ingredients bring their own fruity aroma. It makes the routine feel a little indulgent without needing an added fragrance.
When dryness comes with redness or sensitivity.
For dry skin that also tends toward redness, I'd also discuss Rosacea Daily Face Oil with you. It includes hemp, chia, sacha inchi, tamanu, and kukui oils, alongside botanical infusions. I developed it with redness-prone, easily unsettled skin in mind.
My doctor even buys it for their wife, which always makes me smile.
Rosacea does contain essential oils. If you prefer to avoid them, Berry Ampoule and my Smooth CBD Skin Serum are essential-oil-free options. That preference helps when you are choosing between formulas, especially if you already know certain aromatic ingredients irritate your skin.
Choosing a serum to go with your oil.
You do not need an elaborate routine to make this work. I would choose one treatment based on what you most want help with.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum is my straightforward choice for light hydration. If tightness is your main concern, I'd start here, then follow up with the facial oil that best suits your skin.
Berry Essence brings hydration with a broader supporting cast, including glycerin, panthenol, niacinamide, and allantoin. These ingredients help bind moisture, support the barrier, and soothe. I particularly like pairing it with Berry Ampoule, with the Essence providing the hydrating layer and the Ampoule adding the oil-based nourishment. Berry Essence also works beautifully under Artemis when skin feels dry but still oily or prone to breakouts.
Chi is my choice when dullness, uneven tone, or fine lines are also priorities. I formulated it with three vitamin C derivatives and bakuchiol, plus hydrating ingredients like betaine, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid. It focuses on brighter, smoother-looking skin while still supporting moisture.
If your face is stinging and irritated, keep things simple until it feels comfortable again, then gradually introduce optional treatments.
A few small changes can make your oil feel much better.
Apply your moisturizing routine after gentle cleansing, while your skin is still slightly damp. If you use a hydrating serum or essence, apply that first, then gently spread or press your oil over it. You want enough slip to move comfortably across your skin without dragging.
I tend to use one pump of oil, smoothing it over my face and neck and giving drier areas a little more attention. Begin with a small amount and add more where you need it. A little extra on dry cheeks may feel wonderful, while the same amount across your forehead might feel excessive. Let yourself adjust.
Damp skin helps the oil spread, and applying your moisturizing routine right after washing helps lock in moisture. You do not need to wait until your face is completely dry between these steps.
Follow with a cream or lotion moisturizer if your skin needs it. Some people find a serum and oil enough, while dry skin often appreciates a cream as well. In the morning, finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen as a separate layer, without mixing your oil into it.
If your skin is flaky, resist the temptation to scrub it all away before moisturizing. Aggressive exfoliation can make dry, uncomfortable skin feel worse, so soften and moisturize first.
Then notice how your skin feels later, once the immediate glow has settled. I am interested in whether your cheeks feel softer, whether that tight feeling has eased, and whether your routine leaves you comfortable throughout the day.
That is what I want these formulas to offer. Something lovely to use, with thoughtful ingredients, that helps you feel more at home in your skin.
If you are still unsure which blend to choose, tell me what your skin feels like after washing and what you are already using. That gives me much more to work with than a skin type label alone, and helping you make sense of it is one of my favorite parts of this work.
Sources and further reading.
Research on argan oil and skin hydration in postmenopausal women. A sixty-day study reporting improvements in hydration and water loss measurements. It studied argan oil on forearm skin, rather than a finished Pickle’s Potions formula.
American Academy of Dermatology guidance for relieving dry skin. Practical advice on gentle cleansing, moisturizing damp skin, and choosing creams or ointments for dryness.
American Academy of Dermatology guidance on choosing a moisturizer. More on choosing a texture that suits your skin.
There Is No Such Thing as Just an Oil. The introduction to our facial oil series.
When Your Skin Suddenly Hates Everything. Let’s Talk About Your Barrier. More on dryness, dehydration, and how to support comfortable skin.
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