Oil or Water Based: What's the Right Product for You?

Most people pick a product based on what sounds good — hydrating, calming, brightening — and don’t think twice about the base. But whether a product is oil-based or water-based can completely change how it works (and how well it works for you).

Here’s the thing: oil and water do very different jobs — and your skin actually needs both. One delivers deep hydration. The other locks it in and reinforces your skin barrier.

From cleansers to serums to moisturizers, here’s how to tell the difference, why it matters, and how to use both for balanced, healthy, glowing skin.

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First things first — start with an oil cleanser

You might be used to foaming face wash. But if your skin ever feels dry or tight after cleansing, that’s your barrier calling for help.

Oil-based cleansers dissolve makeup, sunscreen, excess oil, and impurities without stripping your skin. Instead of disrupting your moisture barrier, they leave it feeling soft, smooth, and replenished.

Bonus: oil attracts oil, so they’re also great for breakout-prone skin.

Our suggested oil-based cleansers:

Water-based products = deep hydration + targeted actives

After cleansing, your skin needs water. Literally. Water is not a "filler" ingredient — it's essential. Without water-based products, skin will begin to feel dry or tight over time, especially in dry climates and as you age, due to the lack of water in your skin cells. Especially if you have dehydrated skin, it's time to get hydrating water-based products into your routine.

That’s where toners and serums come in — they're designed to deliver hydration and active ingredients into the deeper layers of your skin.

Immediately after cleansing, apply a hydrating toning mist to restore moisture to your skin and reset your skin's pH to an optimal level, around 5.5. While your skin is still damp from the mist, follow up with your serum.

Serums tend to feature ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and peptides — all of which are water-soluble and essential for brightening, firming, calming, and barrier repair. This is the step that delivers your routine's most important active ingredients, so choose wisely.

Suggested water-based products for hydration:

Oil-based products = moisture + protection

Oil-based products play a vital role in supporting your skin’s natural protective barrier — a crucial defense against environmental stressors like pollution, dry air, and UV exposure. By reinforcing this lipid layer, oils help maintain your skin’s resilience and prevent moisture loss, keeping your complexion soft, supple, and hydrated.

They also carry oil-soluble actives that don’t show up in water-based products (more on those below). In other words, oil-based products don’t just seal the deal — they bring their own benefits to the table.

Beyond function, oils offer a sensory experience — silky textures that glide effortlessly, soothing irritation and calming sensitive skin while leaving behind a healthy, nourished glow. It’s skincare that feels as good as it is effective.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some actives only work with oil

Many beneficial active ingredients are only compatible with oil, so if you want to get your daily dose, you'll need an oil-based product. For example:

  • Bisabolol (chamomile extract), which minimizes sun spots and hyperpigmentation, plus provides natural antibacterial benefits.
  • Coenzyme Q10, which fights the visible signs of aging by stimulating skin’s natural healing processes.
  • Essential fatty acids, which strengthen the skin’s natural barrier against dehydration and dryness, maintain an optimal pH and balance excessive oil production.

You can find all of these in Precious Oils Active Infusion, our moisturizing face oil suitable for all skin types.

How to layer water-based and oil-based products

Water-based serums contain smaller, water-soluble molecules (like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide) that are designed to penetrate deeply before an oil-containing layer is applied. Serums absorb best on clean, slightly damp skin.

Facial oils contain lipophilic (oil-soluble) compounds that primarily nourish the skin’s surface and seal in moisture. Applying oil last creates a breathable barrier that slows transepidermal water loss and locks in actives.

Order matters: For best results, apply water-based serums first to deliver active ingredients deep into the skin, then follow with our facial oil to lock in hydration and nutrients. This layering method maximizes absorption and leaves skin nourished, balanced, and glowing.

An example routine incorporating both oil-based and water-based products

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    1. Cleanse with oils

    Start out with an oil-based cleanser, the best way to remove impurities like makeup, sunscreen and excess oil without irritating your skin. You'll be amazed how easily all the day's grime slides off your face when you use oil compared to using a conventional foaming face wash.

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    2. Hydrate with water

    Follow your cleanser with a hydrating toning mist. A light layer of moisture helps water-based treatments absorb most efficiently, getting those active ingredients down deep into the upper layers of your skin.

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    3. Treat with water-soluble actives

    Select a water-based serum formula that includes the right active ingredients for your skin concerns. Active Hydration Vitamin C+ Antioxidant Serum is packed with vitamin C, amino acids and powerful hydrators to firm and brighten the complexion, while Calming Force Clear Skin Serum uses niacinamide, salicylic acid, and other inflammation-reducing ingredients to sooth red, irritated skin and breakouts.

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    4. Moisturize with oils

    The ideal finishing touch is a facial oil like Precious Oils Active Infusion to deliver additional active ingredients that can only found in an oil-based formula, and seal in all of that juicy hydration you've added in steps 2-3 so it doesn't evaporate.

OIL-BASED PRODUCTS AND OILY SKIN

What if I have oily or acne-prone skin?

It’s a common worry: “Won’t oil make my skin oilier?” But here’s the surprise—using the right oils can actually balance your skin.

Adding oil to your daily regimen in the form of an oil-based cleanser and a finishing facial oil at the end of your routine are ideal ways to remove excess oil and slow down the skin's overproduction of oil.

Oils also help soothe skin that has been made sensitive from anti-acne or astringent products. When your skin is stripped by harsh cleansers or drying treatments, it can go into oil-production overdrive. That often makes things worse, not better. Starting your routine with a gentle, oil-based cleanser and finishing with a nourishing face oil with non-comedogenic ingredients (like grapeseed, jojoba, or tamanu) helps calm inflammation, support your skin’s barrier, and gently dissolve pore-clogging buildup.

If you have extra-oily skin, you will probably want to use a minimal application of oil-based products during the day to avoid a shiny look, but here's the key — be generous with your facial oil at night.