My skincare regimen has consisted of shop bought, chemical-ridden products for most of my life. I've recently been taking a closer look into my skincare stash, noting what does and doesn't work for me, and keeping only the things that benefit me and my skin. With this in mind, I've said goodbye to a whole heap of things that haven't really been serving me or promoting my skin health.

Moisturisers have always been a point of contention in my routine; whether they're too thick, too thin, too greasy, too sticky, or too damn expensive. I've been using an oil as my evening moisturiser and my skin has thanked me in abundance ever since. So I decided to make my own concoction made especially for my skin and that I can use morning and night. My skin has been very happy, soaking it up responding with an even base, glowing complexion, and a farewell to blemishes.

So, how do you make a facial oil for your skin type?

First you'll need to figure out what your skin wants – is it oily, dry, combination, sensitive, blemished, scarred, suffering from a condition like eczema or psoriasis?

Once you've spent a little time getting to know your skin, you'll be better able to choose which oils are for you and will help bring out the best in your skin. Do a little research around oils and their benefits – here's a selection to get you started:

oily skin

base oils - jojoba, grapeseed, caster, hempseed

nourishing oils - olive, avocado, argan, almond

essential oils - frankincense, lavender, patchouli, tee tree, ylang ylang 

dry skin

base oils - jojoba, sweet almond, sea buckthorn, tamanu

nourishing oils - rosehip, evening primrose

essential oils - palma rosa, rose, myrrh, patchouli, ylang ylang

combination skin

base oils - grapeseed, apricot kernel, jojoba, sunflower

nourishing oils - carrot seed, rosehip, evening primrose

essential oils - bergamot, sandalwood, chamomile

sensitive skin

base oils - apricot kernel, avocado, grapeseed, kukui nut

nourishing oils - jojoba , argan, sweet almond

essential oils - rose geranium, chamomile, frankincense, clary sage

blemished / scarred skin

base oils - rosehip, kukui nut, jojoba, sea buckthorn, tamanu

nourishing oils - neem, evening primrose, borage, 

essential oils - rosemary, lemongrass, peppermint, geranium, tea tree

eczema / psoriasis

base oils - avocado, evening primrose, kukui nut, neem, tamanu

nourishing oils - neem, calendula, safflower, seabuckthorn, rosehip, tamanu, wheatgerm

essential oils - geranium, chamomile, palma rosa, ylang ylang, juniper

base

Your base oil, or carrier oil, should fill around 1/3 of your product. It will provide your skin with much needed moisture, healing properties and a variety of therapeutic benefits.

nourishing

Your nourishing oil is what makes your product personalised for your skin type and should be around 1/3 of your final product. This is where it gets fun as you add a mixture of your favourite oils to make your perfect facial oil.

You can add one or as many as you like as long as combined they take up 1/3.

essential

Top it off with an essential oil or a blend of your choice. Different essential oils also carry different beneficial properties for the skin as well as smelling great. Add between 5-15 drops of essential oils, depending on the size of your container. Remember to start with a few if this is your first try and keep adding as needed.

Once you're finished, make sure you keep your product away from direct sunlight and VOILA!

Your skin will be thanking you and I'm sure you'll see a big difference in skin tone, moisture, smoothness, elasticity, scarring, pigmentation and more! Let me know if you try this DIY and which oils you've chosen... I'd love to hear all of your wonderful concoctions!