Which Oils Make Your Acne Worse

Welcome to my Naturopathic Beauty class.

I’m Dr. Stacey Shillington, MD and it is my mission to help you clear your acne.

I know oils are so amazing for skincare, they offer so many benefits, but if you have fungal acne, you want to stay away from oils. Fungal acne looks like small flesh-colored bumps on your skin. They tend to get worse with heat and humidity and they can even be a little bit itchy.

So if you have fungal acne, it’s caused by a yeast called Malassezia. That yeast feeds on oils. So stay far away. You know, I used to say, you can try using squalane or MCT oil if you have fungal acne. Now I’m of the mind just stay clear of oils until you heal your microbiome, which is in your gut, which is then going to, you know, translate into a healthier microbiome on your skin.

Trust me on this.

If you do not have fungal acne, you can definitely use oils and they can be very, very helpful, especially oils that are high in linolic acid. Acne patients tend to have lower levels of linoleic aicd in their sebum, which is the oil that comes from the pores.

And what happens is when you have lower levels of linoleic acid, this can lead to reduced hyperkeratinization, which means your skin cells are exfoliating at a more rapid rate, which can lead to clogged pores, bacteria overgrowth, inflammation, and ta-da acne. So adding some linoleic into your skincare routine, really helpful for acne.

The oils that are high in linoleic acid are hemp seed, rosehip and gradeseed oil. So those are great oils to use if you have really inflammed skin. 

Now, if you use these oils long term, they can be a little bit drying, so you may want to transition to jojoba or agan oil after a while. Okay, so those are the oils you can use if you have acne. And now I’m going to get oils to the oils that I never want you to put on your skin if you are prone to acne, the reasons being is that these oils have a very high molecular wight and they are going to sit on top of your skin. 

They’re not able to penetrate, which means they can contribute to clogged pores. Same with apricot seed oil, almond oil. I have my list, I’m going to refer to that. green tea oil, tamanu oil, avocado oil, and carrot seed oil. Guys, the size of the molecules are too big. 

They are going to lead to congestions, so just stay away from those oils for sure.

And again, just to reiterate, if you have fungal acne, which is small little bumps all over your face, stay away from oils completely. If you have normal acne, well I shouldn’t say normal, but not fungal acne, then you can use oils high in linoleic acid as hemp, pumpkin, oh my God, this is really testing me. Rosehip and grapeseed. 

Whew, whoa. And if you have any type of acne, stay away from coconut oil, olive oil, apricot kernel oil, almond oil, avocado oil, carrot seed oil, tamanu oil, and green tea oil.

It’s pretty similar guys, do don’t get hung up on using oils. It’s not essential to have really dewy, amazing skin, but they are amazing for your skin too. 

So there you go, If you are struggling with acne and you want clear guidance, step by step strategy as to how to heal your acne, check out my seven week clear skin program. It’s helped hundreds and hundreds of women all over the globe clear their acne.

It really works. The acne is a sure way to really affect your self-confidence and who has time to live like that?

So let’s get your acne!