Why Facial Oils Are Making a Winter Skincare Comeback

Central heating, sharp winds and the daily move between cold air and overheated rooms can make even a dependable skincare routine feel slightly less comfortable.

It is exactly the sort of weather that makes facial oils appealing again.

Not as a replacement for every moisturiser, and certainly not because everyone suddenly needs another step, but because a few drops can add softness, comfort and a more cushioned finish when winter skin feels as though it needs a little extra care.

There is something lovely about using them too. Warm a little oil between your fingertips, press it gently into the skin and an otherwise ordinary final step becomes slower and more tactile.

That pleasure is part of the comeback.

Why facial oils feel right again

Facial oils never really disappeared. What has changed is the way we use and understand them.

The old image of facial oil was often something universally rich and heavy, reserved for very dry skin. Modern formulations are much more varied. Some are barely there; others are deliberately rich and enveloping. Some centre on a single familiar ingredient, while others combine several botanical oils into a more complex treatment.

That variety makes oils easier to fit around an existing routine rather than asking the whole routine to change around them.

Winter provides a particularly natural moment to rediscover them. Cold weather, wind and central heating can leave skin feeling tighter, rougher or less supple. Products that worked beautifully through summer may suddenly feel as though they need a little help.

If your whole routine starts behaving differently as the temperature falls, our guide to transitioning your skincare into autumn looks more broadly at adapting cleansing, hydration and richer textures as the seasons change.

What facial oil actually adds to the skin

What facial oils do particularly well is soften the skin and add that cushioned finish that can feel especially welcome in winter.

In skincare terms, oils are primarily emollient. They smooth and soften the surface of the skin and can help reduce the feeling of dryness. Used towards the end of a routine, they can also help seal in the comfort provided by the layers underneath.

What they do not do is add water to the skin.

That distinction is useful because dryness and dehydration are often spoken about as though they were the same thing.

Ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid are humectants, helping to attract and hold water in the skin. Facial oils play a different role, adding emollience and helping to seal in the comfort of the layers beneath.

This is why an oil can work particularly well over a hydrating serum or moisturiser rather than trying to replace them.

And if cold weather has left skin persistently tight, uncomfortable or unexpectedly reactive, our guide to skin barrier repair takes a wider look at cleansing, moisturising and the ingredients involved in keeping the barrier comfortable.

Oil, serum or moisturiser?

The bottles may sometimes look remarkably similar, but these products have different jobs.

A water-based serum usually sits earlier in the routine and often provides targeted ingredients or hydration.

A moisturiser typically brings several functions together. Depending on the formula, it may combine humectants that help hold water, emollients that soften the skin and more occlusive ingredients that help reduce moisture loss.

A facial oil contains little or no water, so its role is different. It is particularly good at adding softness and helping to seal in the layers beneath.

This does not make oil better than moisturiser.

If your moisturiser keeps your skin comfortable throughout a cold January day, there is no prize for adding another product.

But if a lightweight moisturiser that feels perfect for most of the year begins to seem a little lacking as winter arrives, adding a few drops of oil can be an easy adjustment without changing everything else.

If the order of all those layers starts becoming confusing, our guide to serum and moisturiser order explains where different textures usually fit.

Why modern facial oils feel different

One reason facial oils are easier to reconsider today is simply that there are more textures to choose from.

Not every oil leaves a glossy finish.

Some absorb relatively quickly and leave little more than softness behind. Others deliberately create a richer, more enveloping layer that suits an evening routine or very dry-feeling areas.

Squalane skincare is a good example of how far the idea has moved beyond the traditional heavy facial oil. Squalane is a lightweight emollient that now appears across creams, serums, cleansers and other skincare as well as oil-based products.

Botanical oils bring different textures too. Jojoba has a silky feel, while rosehip tends to feel comparatively dry. Argan and marula can offer greater richness.

There is no universally luxurious texture.

The best one is the texture you actually enjoy having on your face.

If you want richness and comfort

For skin that feels increasingly dry or tight as winter sets in, a richer facial oil can make an evening routine feel considerably more comforting.

Oils or blends featuring ingredients such as jojoba, argan, avocado, rosehip or evening primrose may appeal if you enjoy a more nourishing texture.

An oil can be particularly pleasurable at night, layered over a moisturiser and pressed gently into areas that tend to feel dry.

There is no need to cover the face in it.

Start with less than you think you need. You can always add another drop.

The aim is comfortable skin, not a pillowcase covered in evidence of your skincare routine.

If you want something lighter

Combination or oil-prone skin does not automatically rule out every facial oil.

The more useful question is whether the particular texture suits your skin and the rest of your routine.

This is where lightweight emollients such as squalane can be particularly interesting. A finer texture may offer the softness you want without the substantial finish associated with richer botanical blends.

Try a small amount first, perhaps in the evening when you have time to see how it settles.

There is little value in forcing an oil into your routine simply because facial oils are fashionable again. If your skin is already comfortable, balanced and happy with its moisturiser, leaving things alone remains an entirely respectable skincare decision.

If simplicity suits your skin best

Sensitive or easily unsettled skin often benefits from fewer surprises.

If that sounds familiar, a facial oil with a short ingredient list may be more appealing than a heavily fragranced botanical blend.

Essential oils and fragrant plant extracts can make a product beautiful to use, but they are not required for a facial oil to perform its basic emollient role, and not every skin will welcome them.

Introducing one new product at a time also makes it much easier to understand how your skin actually responds.

Sometimes the most luxurious choice is not the most elaborate formula. It is the one you can use happily without having to think about it.

Where facial oil fits in the routine

The traditional advice to use oil towards the end of a skincare routine is still a useful starting point.

After cleansing, apply any lighter water-based serums or treatments, followed by moisturiser if you use one. A small amount of facial oil can then be pressed over the top.

Some people prefer oil before moisturiser, particularly with very lightweight formulas, so texture matters more than treating the order as an unbreakable rule.

If you are using several treatment products, our guide to layering active skincare properly goes into the wider routine in more detail.

In the morning, allow an oil time to settle before applying sunscreen. If everything begins sliding around or pilling, the answer may simply be less oil.

At night, there is a little more freedom.

A few drops warmed between the fingertips and pressed into the skin can make a lovely final step, particularly when the weather outside is doing its best to make January feel interminable.

Ingredients worth getting to know

One of the pleasures of facial oils is discovering which textures you naturally prefer.

Squalane is a useful starting point for anyone nervous about heaviness. It has a light, silky feel and appears widely across modern skincare rather than exclusively in facial oils.

Jojoba is technically a liquid wax rather than a conventional plant oil, which contributes to its distinctive smooth texture.

Rosehip oil tends towards a drier feel and is widely used in botanical skincare blends.

Argan oil has a richer character and appears frequently in formulas designed to leave skin feeling nourished and supple.

Marula oil also tends towards the more luxurious, emollient end of the spectrum.

The overall formulation still matters more than recognising one fashionable ingredient on the label. Oils can be combined with antioxidants and other skincare ingredients, while some treatment oils contain active ingredients that deserve the same thought as they would in a serum or cream.

If an oil also includes retinoids or other potent actives, it should not automatically be treated as a harmless extra layer simply because the texture feels luxurious. Our active skincare ingredients guide is a better place to explore how those ingredients fit into a routine.

A few drops of winter comfort

Perhaps that is why facial oils feel right again.

Their return is partly practical. Winter can make a familiar routine feel as though it needs a little more softness, and an oil offers an easy way to adjust without replacing everything on the bathroom shelf.

But there is something less technical going on too.

A few drops warmed between your hands. The slip of the oil as it is pressed into the cheeks. That softer, more comfortable feeling when the final step is done.

Skincare is allowed to have a sensory side.

Facial oil does not need to be essential to earn a place in a winter routine. Sometimes it simply adds something useful when skin wants a little more comfort and something pleasurable at the end of a cold day.

A few drops may be all the routine needs.