Can a face oil really replace your moisturiser?

Understanding the difference

Face oils nourish, while moisturisers hydrate and your skin needs both. Here’s why using oil alone isn’t enough to keep your skin healthy, and how combining the two products gives the best results.

Why they’re not the same

Both oils and creams leave the skin soft and smooth, but they work in completely different ways. Understanding this difference is key to keeping your skin balanced and healthy.

The role of a moisturiser

A moisturiser provides your skin with water and hydrating ingredients that help restore softness and elasticity. It also helps maintain the skin’s protective barrier and overall balance. Whenever your skin feels tight, rough or dull, it’s not more oil that it needs,  it’s hydration.

The role of a face oil

A face oil doesn’t add water to your skin - instead, it helps seal in the moisture you already have. It nourishes, smooths and strengthens the skin’s barrier, preventing water loss and protecting it from external stressors. Used on its own, however, it can make dryness worse over time, because it forms a protective layer without actually hydrating the skin underneath.

Why they work better together

Hydration and nourishment are not the same  and your skin needs both. Your moisturiser keeps your skin hydrated, while your oil helps it stay that way by strengthening the barrier. Together, they maintain elasticity, comfort and a healthy glow all year round.

How to use them together

For the best results, use your moisturiser and oil together, in the right order:

1. Start with your hydrating step, a serum or moisturiser that delivers water and humectants. 

2. Then apply a few drops of oil on top to lock in that moisture and support your skin barrier.

💡 Think of it like this: Your moisturiser gives water to your skin. Your oil keeps that water in.

The takeaway

• Moisturiser – hydrates and restores comfort.

• Oil – nourishes and protects from water loss.

• Together – they keep your skin balanced, healthy and radiant.

So, can face oil replace your moisturiser? Not quite. But when used together, they complement each other perfectly, supporting hydration and maintaining the skin’s natural balance.