If you’ve lived your whole life afraid of using any kind of oil on your face, here’s something that might shock you: Face oil doesn’t necessarily translate to an oily face. According to cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green, MD, all skin types can (and should!) use an oil in their skincare routine, but not all oils work for all skin types. Still following? If you’re acne-prone or already have oily skin, you wouldn’t want to slather on the heavy stuff, like coconut oil or olive oil. But grapeseed oil (aka vitis vinifera oil), a lightweight emollient, might just be what your skin needs.
Exactly what it sounds like, grapeseed oil is extracted from the seeds of tiny grapes and has a thin, silky texture and a light yellowish-green color—but enough about the way it looks. What does this natural plant oil do, and who should be using it? Dr. Green breaks down all the benefits of grapeseed oil for skin, below.
Grapeseed oil is packed with antioxidants (like vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E), omega fatty acids (like linolenic acid, an essential component of the skin’s barrier), and amino acids (the building blocks for building collagen), explains by Dr. Green. So, yeah. Grapeseed oil is ah-mazing for your skin.
Using grapeseed oil can moisturize to dull, dehydrated skin, even out your skin tone, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s because linoleic acid and vitamin E help skin retain moisture while restoring elasticity and protecting it from environmental damage, says Dr. Green. Linoleic acid also contains beta-carotene and vitamins A and D, which stimulate cell turnover (i.e. your skin’s natural exfoliation process) to smooth fine lines and rough texture too.
Yes! Grapeseed oil, which BTW has antimicrobial properties, is not only safe to use on acne-prone skin, but Dr. Green says it might even help clear up acne breakouts.
Psst: If you’re breakout-prone, Dr. Green also suggests checking out rosehip oil (which is also high in linoleic acid, a fatty acid acne-prone skin needs, but typically lacks) and jojoba oil (a fast-absorbing oil that has a similar composition to the skin’s sebum). K, now back to grapeseed oil…
As great as grapeseed oil is, it obviously wouldn’t be so great if you were allergic to it or grapes in general. According to Dr. Green, grapeseed oil is safe for the majority of people and skin types, but you should definitely avoid it in the case of an allergy.
You can use grapeseed oil in pure form as a standalone ingredient or as one of many different ingredients in a skincare product. If you’re using it in the pure form, Dr. Green says one that’s cold-compressed is best (the extraction method allows the oil to retain as potent and nutrient-rich as possible). As far as how you actually apply grapeseed oil, Dr. Green says you’re fine to use it in the morning or at night, but like most oils, it’s best when applied as the last step in your skincare routine. Just add a couple of drops to your palm, warm it in your hands, and press it onto your skin to seal in all the products underneath it.
Are you allergic to grapes? If that’s a no, then grapeseed oil, which is suited for all skin types, is definitely a face oil you’ll want to check out to improve the texture, tone, and elasticity of your skin. And if you are allergic to the fruit, try one of the other millions of face oils—might we suggest argan oil instead?
