The short answer: a moisturizer’s main job is adding water to your skin; a face oil’s main job is sealing that water in and nourishing the skin barrier. They overlap more than the beauty aisle suggests — and for many people, a good face oil applied to damp skin quietly does both jobs.
What a moisturizer actually does
A classic cream moisturizer is an emulsion: water, humectants that bind that water to your skin (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid), and some oil or wax to slow evaporation. It hydrates and lightly seals in one step, which is why it’s the default recommendation.
What a face oil actually does
A face oil skips the water phase entirely and concentrates on the sealing-and-nourishing half of the job: fatty acids and antioxidants that support the skin barrier, plus an occlusive layer that keeps moisture from escaping. Our Organic Face Food builds on that base — rosehip, calendula, and cranberry seed oils — and infuses it with reishi and shiitake extracts, whose beta-glucans bring some of the water-binding character you’d normally look to a moisturizer for. (Here’s what those two mushrooms do for skin.)
The trick that makes oil-only routines work: damp skin
Oil can’t add water — but it can trap water that’s already there. Apply your face oil within a minute of cleansing, while your skin is still slightly damp, and you’re sealing in real hydration rather than just coating dry skin. This one habit is the difference between people who say “a face oil replaced my moisturizer” and people who say oils never worked for them.
So do you need both?
- Oil alone is usually enough if: your skin is normal, combination, or oily; you apply oil to damp skin; and your environment isn’t brutally dry.
- Use both if: your skin is very dry, you live with dry winters or constant indoor heating, or you love a hyaluronic serum — in that case layer water first, oil last: cleanse, hydrate, then seal with oil.
- Either way, oil goes last (before sunscreen in the morning). Nothing water-based penetrates well through an oil layer.
Our routine, for reference
- Cleanse with Reishi Reset powder cleanser — gentle enough that skin stays comfortable, not tight.
- Leave skin damp, then press in 3–4 drops of Face Food (unscented if your skin is reactive to essential oils).
- Optional but worth it: two minutes of gua sha to work the oil in and de-puff — technique guide here.
Curious whether an oil can carry your routine? The $9 Face Food Mini is a low-stakes way to find out.
Frequently asked questions
Can a face oil replace moisturizer?
Often, yes — if you apply it to damp skin so there’s water to seal in. Very dry skin types may still want a hydrating layer underneath.
Will face oil clog pores?
Depends on the oil. Rosehip and cranberry seed oils are lightweight and low on the comedogenic scale, which is why they’re the base of Face Food. Heavy oils like coconut are more likely to clog.
Does oil or moisturizer go on first?
Oil goes last. Water-based products can’t penetrate an oil layer, so the order is: cleanse, water-based layers, then oil.
How many drops of face oil should I use?
Three to four drops is plenty for the whole face — warm them between your palms and press into damp skin rather than rubbing.
