The Oil Guide Your Skin Actually Needs: Best and Worst Oils Explained

Not all oils serve dry skin equally. These are the ones that consistently perform:

What it is: Not an oil, but a liquid wax ester that closely mimics the structure of sebum.

Skin type fit: Dry, sensitive, combination, post-treatment skin

Key benefits:

• Mirrors the lipid profile of sebum to relieve dryness with a breathable feel
• Calms the look of reactivity and steadies moisture levels
• Improves softness and elasticity for skin that appears more resilient and even
• Reliable for daily use, especially on sensitive skin.

History: Used for centuries by Indigenous peoples of the Sonoran Desert for skin protection.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A lightweight oil that’s rich in erucic acid, prized for its slip and smoothing.

Skin type fit: Normal, combination, texture-prone, or extremely dry skin

Key benefits:

• Eases rough, dehydrated skin so it looks less dull
• Adds an elegant glide, enabling formulas to spread evenly – free of any tugging
• Enhances silkiness without creating an overly occlusive, pore-blocking film
• Leaves skin conditioned and refined, not weighty

History: A newer player in skincare, so it’s valued more for performance than tradition.

Found In: Enrich, Rinse

What it is: A monounsaturated oil that’s rich in essential fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic.

Skin type fit: Dry, mature, and environmentally stressed skin

Key benefits:

• Replenishes depleted lipids to reinforce strength
• Renews bounce, adding a more flexible feel to skin
• Delivers comfortable nourishment that won’t sit heavy
• Provides skin-compatible hydration that lasts all day long

History: Often chosen for its skin compatibility and wearable nourishment in Australia.

Found In: Enrich, Illuminate

What it is: An oil extracted from oats, rich in ceramides, lipids, and antioxidants.

Skin type fit: Dry, sensitive, eczema-prone, or over-exfoliated skin

Key benefits:

• Eases tenderness while supporting recovery
• Reinforces ceramide and lipid levels that keep skin stable 
• Improves tolerability in depleted skin – including when it comes to actives
• Establishes a supported foundation of comfort with consistent use

History: Oats are among the most well-studied ingredients for skin support and calming.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A barely-there oil with a favorable fatty acid profile that can restore balance.

Skin type fit: Dry, normal, and sensitive skin

Key benefits:

• Softens dryness while keeping the finish airy
• Restores a more supple, cushioned feel 
• Absorbs evenly to improve wearability in layered skincare routines
• Refines skin texture for a more polished surface that looks healthier

History: Rooted in Japanese beauty, where it’s been prized for its luxe feel on the skin.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A featherlight, fast-absorbing oil with an oleic-acid-rich profile and antioxidants.

Skin type fit: Dry, normal, and reactive skin

Key benefits:

• Sinks in quickly to relieve tightness without leaving behind a residue
• Provides antioxidant support to help buffer environmental stress 
• Maintains moisture equilibrium and an overall springy feel
• Leaves skin more even and refined 

History: Traditionally harvested in parts of Africa for both culinary and skincare uses.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A fatty-acid-rich oil that refuels lipids and reinforces the skin’s architecture.

Skin type fit: Dry, mature, and depleted skin

Key benefits:

• Restores essential fatty acids to reduce the “dry again” loop
• Improves the look and feel of elasticity 
• Supports long-term resilience against moisture loss
• Promotes a steadier framework of comfort over time

History: Known as the “Tree of Life,” baobab has long been valued for its reparative properties.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A vitamin-forward oil packed with fatty acids that replenish what dry skin loses.

Skin type fit: Dry, mature, and compromised skin

Key benefits:

• Provides intensive support for skin that feels persistently tight or “thin”
• Improves comfort, helping skin feel more cushioned and at ease
• Reinforces lipids that keep hydration from slipping out throughout the day
• Especially helpful for dry skin that needs more than a sheer finish

History: For generations, it’s been used in Central and South America for skin conditioning.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: An oil prized for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to settle.

Skin type fit: Dry, sensitive, and reactive skin

Key benefits:

• Eases the “hot,” easily triggered feeling that comes with stress
• Supports overall balance, so skin becomes less reactive 
• Takes the edge off flares, weather swings, or post-active sensitivity
• Leaves the complexion more regulated, with fewer ups and downs

History: Used historically in Middle Eastern and South Asian traditions for its calming benefits.

Found In: Enrich

What it is: A lipid-rich oil from olives, valued for its nourishing, skin-supportive fatty acids.

Skin type fit: Dry and mature skin

Key benefits:

• Relieves the persistent discomfort that comes from lipid depletion
• Promotes a more pliable, flexible feel
• Replenishes skin-supporting fats that keep hydration from escaping 
• Improves the on-skin finish of a routine, making dryness look less obvious 

History: Used for millennia in Mediterranean skin and body care.

Found In: Enrich, Illuminate

What it is: Derived from castor beans, it holds onto moisture and supports lasting comfort.

Skin type fit: Dry, dehydrated, and moisture-depleted skin

Key benefits:

• Helps reduce ongoing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by creating a flexible layer
• Supports sustained hydration so skin feels soothed longer 
• Improves suppleness and softness without feeling brittle 
• Particularly effective when paired with humectants to reinforce water levels

History: Long used in topical care for its protective and conditioning qualities.

Found In: Quench

When dryness is persistent, the wrong oils can make it louder, not quieter. 

These are the ones I generally avoid for dry skin:

• Mineral Oil: Mineral oil creates slip and a sealed finish, but it stays mostly on the surface instead of supporting the skin beneath. It can trap moisture under a dense veil, leaving you with short-term softness and a “coated” feel, while the underlying dryness doesn’t improve. Over time, it can mask imbalance rather than help skin really recover.
• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is heavy, highly saturated, and too one-note for skincare. It can encase dryness under a thick layer, increase buildup that leads to congestion or breakouts, and create the frustrating “dry but sealed” cycle. It may feel comforting at first, but it rarely delivers the kind of steady improvement dry skin typically needs.
• Cocoa Butter (Oil Form): Cocoa butter is substantially concentrated and tends to sit on the skin's surface rather than absorb cleanly. It can contribute to pore blockage, leave a lingering film that interferes with product uptake, and create surface-level suppleness without meaningful long-term payoff. For dry skin, it often feels slightly heavy, as well.
• Palm Oil: Palm oil is used to thicken and stabilize formulas and is often described as waxy and overly dense. It may temporarily hide dryness while increasing pore buildup, and it can make actives less tolerable by interfering with product absorption and wear. In short, palm oil can feel protective in the moment, but tends to exacerbate dry skin.
• Essential Oils: Essential oils are often marketed as “natural,” but they’re ultra- concentrated aromatic compounds that can be difficult for dry, stressed skin to tolerate. While they can be lovely for self-care rituals like a bath or diffuser, they’re more likely to increase sensitivity, trigger irritation, and disrupt skin comfort when used on the face.
  
  

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this guide, it’s this: the oils you use matter. 

Healthy skin oils should:

• Be non-comedogenic
• Support the skin barrier
• Be stable and resistant to oxidation
• Mimic the skin’s natural lipid profile

Every oil in KaramMD skincare products is there because it performs, wears well on real skin, and delivers visible improvement over time, not just a temporary finish.

That’s why Enrich is packed with a concentration of these beneficial oils – it’s where dry or stressed skin gets real relief. And when you pair it with KaramMD Trifecta, you’re giving your skin exactly what it needs to stay balanced day after day. Dry skin feels more comfortable. Oily skin doesn’t feel stripped or overloaded. And you’re not stuck in that cycle of overcorrecting and reacting.

Use Trifecta as your daily foundation, followed by Enrich to keep skin healthy and vibrant.