I have been using my tried and true skin care products for my Rosacea going on many years now and don't stray from it. However, when I started following a skin care esthetician on Instagram named Devyn @PureSkinOC, and listened to her podcast, I kept hearing her say how much she loved Grapeseed oil and how much her sensitive skin and Rosacea clients loved it too.
The benefits alone made me very curious...and how could my skin not like something so soothing, moisturizing and natural? So I took the plunge.
Can you use Grapeseed Oil if you have Rosacea?
This is what happened when I used it.
But first, here's what got me hooked:
Benefits of Grapeseed oil for the skin
- Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, high amounts of omega chain fatty acids and vitamin E
- Protects your skin's skin-firming collagen
- Contains antioxidants to protect your skin from free radicals that harm and age your skin
- Moisturizes and helps bind moisture to the skin
- Penetrates the skin quickly so it doesn't leave it feeling oily
- Great for all skin types
- May help skin tone become brighter and more even
- Safe for Rosacea and sensitive skin
How to use Grapeseed Oil on your skin at night
- Wash your face (I use Vanicream gentle cleanser with a soft Fairface Washcloth)
- Apply toner if you use one, followed by any topical medications (I apply Metronidazole for my Rosacea) and/or serums
- Apply a small amount of Grapeseed oil to your skin as your moisturizer (linked: I bought mine through Devyn's practice). Massage it in (it feels really good) and let it sink into your skin at least 15+ minutes before bed.
- Wake up to softer, healthier skin
- Wash your face in the morning
source: PureSkinOC
You can totally see why I wanted to try it, right? It sounds like a dream!
What happened when I used Grapeseed oil on my Rosacea-prone skin
Night 1
I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was definitely different putting oil on my face. The truth was, it took a little getting used to. It felt like I had oil on my face. Imagine that. ha! And I had to keep touching my face to see if the oil had finally sunk in yet. Did I put too much on? Is it supposed to feel like this? Will this ever sink in?
Then my eyes started to sting a little bit. Did I get the oil too close to my eyes?
As is the case with Rosacea, some may also have ocular Rosacea (I have it mildly, as in dry eyes). My ophthalmologist said when my eyes sting I should put some eye drops in, so I did. A word to the wise, it would have been better to put in eye drops before the oil, in case the drops can pull any stray oil in your eyes that may have touched your eye lashes.
Once I laid down in bed, worried that the oil on my face was going to ruin my silk pillow case, I felt slight itchiness on my skin. Here's me all night, "Am I just making this up or is my face actually itching?"
My internal dialogue is exhausting sometimes. I'm so high maintenance when it comes to my skin.
And BTW, I did put some grapeseed oil on my arms and hands before bed but they didn't itch.
Morning After
My face, arms and hands felt soft and there were no visible signs of irritation.
My silk pillow case looked like I hadn't slept with oil on my face (ha!)...and since it was wash day, I tossed it in the wash and it came out looking perfectly normal. No greasy aftermath.
I posted my night 1 experience on my Instagram feed and Devyn kindly let me know that the itchiness may have happened because my skin may have been very dry. She went on to say that her clients love it and it's really helped those with sensitive skin and Rosacea. I wanted to give my skin a grace period to get used to it, so I felt encouraged to try it again the next night.
Night 2
The whole "putting oil on my face" experience wasn't so foreign this time and I did use less and made sure to put eye drops in BEFORE applying the grapeseed oil. I'm not so hard to train.
I didn't notice much stinging of my eyes and had a little itch, but not too bad.
Morning After
Although my arms and hands still tolerated it well, I woke up with an itchy welt on my cheek and another itchy spot on my forehead. Bummer. My face was not liking this grapeseed oil. I hadn't had that kind of skin response in a long time, so my enthusiasm to extend my skin grace period was growing smaller.
One more time
At this point I gave my skin a break from the grapeseed oil and went back to my favorite Vanicream lotion to moisturize and in no time, my skin went back to normal.
So what did I do? About a week later, because I wanted my skin to like it SO bad, I tried the grapeseed oil again...and my skin broke out. Boo. It's time to face the fact that this is probably not going to work for me.
I reached out to Devyn and asked her if she had clients who haven't reacted well to grapeseed oil? She kindly responded by asking about the other products I was using (both night and morning) so she could determine what might be going on.
Her clients with Rosacea have had their skin improve with her products and the grapeseed oil, but decided it might be the oil reacting to the Metronidazole topical gel I put on my face at night. It made sense. So I tried the grapeseed oil one night and didn't apply my Metronidazole gel...but my face still didn't like it.
Am I still using Grapeseed oil?
No, but I haven't ruled out using it on my arms and hands at night. Because I know it is a great hydrator, is beneficial to my skin, and can leave it feeling softer, I haven't put it away forever.
Am I disappointed I can't use grapeseed oil on my face? Yes! Will I still try it again? Probably. ha! Maybe in the winter when the air gets colder and drier my skin will drink it up without breaking out? We'll see. I'll let you know if my skin decides to like it!
And here's the thing, everyone's skin is different. Devyn has clients with Rosacea who love using grapeseed oil. Even if we share Rosacea, you can have a different experience with products than I do. There are definitely benefits for your skin, so if your face tolerates it well, it's a win! If not, you can always use it on your body for the healthy and soft skin benefits.
Have you already tried Grapeseed Oil on your Rosacea or sensitive skin? Leave me a comment - I'd love to know what your experience was like!
xo Shannon
