Should I Apply Face Oil to Damp Skin?

Notes from Fishponds

This is one of the questions I'm asked most often at markets.

The answer?

Yes!

In fact, it's the way I use face oil every single day.

Many people think a face oil hydrates the skin, but that's not actually its job.

Think of it like this...

Water gives your skin a lovely drink.

Oil helps to keep that drink where it's needed.

A face oil helps to soften the skin, support the skin's natural barrier and reduce the amount of moisture that evaporates from the surface. That's why your skin feels silky, comfortable and nourished after applying it. Our Silky Face Oil is made with beautiful plant oils, including golden sea buckthorn and rosehip oil, which gives the oil its rich golden colour and leaves skin looking healthy and radiant.

So where does the hydration come from?

Good old-fashioned water!

After cleansing, try splashing your face with water before applying your face oil. As you smooth the oil over your skin, it helps reduce the amount of water that escapes, giving your skin more time to enjoy that extra moisture.

Even better than tap water, in my opinion, is a hydrolat.

Hydrolats (sometimes called flower waters) are one of nature's little treasures. They're produced during the steam distillation process when essential oils are made. While the essential oil floats to the top, the beautifully scented water that's left behind contains tiny amounts of the plant's aromatic compounds along with other water-soluble botanical components.They're wonderfully refreshing, delicately scented and can feel incredibly soothing on the skin.

My favourite is Rose Hydrolat.

Rose is beautifully gentle, making it a lovely choice for sensitive or more mature skin. It has a soft, natural fragrance that's never overpowering, and a cool mist of rose hydrolat feels especially refreshing on a warm day or whenever your skin needs a little pick-me-up.

For months now, I've been using rose hydrolat before applying my face oil, and it's become one of my favourite little daily rituals. There's something about that cool mist followed by a few drops of face oil that feels both simple and wonderfully indulgent.

How I use it

1. Cleanse your face. Ideally use a hot cloth to open your pores and gently remove dead skin cells.

2. Mist your skin with rose hydrolat (or splash with clean water).

3. While your skin is still slightly damp, gently massage 4 drops of face oil into your face and neck.

That's it.

No complicated ten-step routine.

Just hydrated, comfortable, happy skin.

One of the things I love most about skincare is that it doesn't have to be complicated to be effective. Sometimes the simplest routines are the ones we enjoy the most—and if you enjoy using something, you're much more likely to use it every day.

Steph x

P.S. Have a skincare question you'd like me to answer in a future edition of Notes from Fishponds? Just send me a message—I'd love to hear from you.