If you’ve ever wondered whether to apply facial oil before or after moisturizer, you’re not alone. It’s one of skincare’s most common questions — and one that can change how your skin feels day to day.
The short answer: moisturizer first, oil last.
Here’s why — and how to make the most of both.
Facial Oils vs. Moisturizers: What’s the Difference?
Facial oils and moisturizers both support healthy skin, but in different ways.
Facial oils are anhydrous — meaning they contain no water. They’re blends of plant-based lipids rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants that soften the skin and help prevent moisture loss.
Moisturizers, on the other hand, are emulsions: a mix of water, oils, and humectants (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid). They replenish hydration and help maintain the skin’s water balance.
Used together, they form a simple, effective partnership — one that keeps skin nourished, comfortable, and resilient.
Key Differences Between Facial Oils and Moisturizers
While both products aim to support skin health, their mechanisms differ:
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Moisturizers hydrate. They draw water into the skin and help hold it there.
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Facial oils protect. They seal in that moisture and provide additional nourishment.
Moisturizers rely on humectants like hyaluronic acid (to pull in water), emollients (to smooth), and occlusives (to prevent loss). Facial oils are purely lipid-based and mimic your skin’s natural sebum — replenishing what can be stripped away by weather, cleansing, or age.
Used in the right order, they complement each other beautifully.
When to Apply Facial Oil
Facial oil always comes after your moisturizer — not before.
Here’s why: moisturizers contain water, oils don’t. If you put oil on first, it can keep those hydrating ingredients from getting where they need to go. Applying your oil last helps lock in all that moisture and gives skin the soft, comfortable finish you actually want.
Facial oil belongs in both your morning and evening routines. In the morning, it smooths and softens skin so makeup (or SPF) goes on beautifully. At night, it helps your skin stay calm and supported while you sleep.
And if your skin tends to run dry — or you live somewhere that loves to steal your moisture (hello, Colorado) — that last step makes all the difference. It’s your simple, daily seal against dryness.
When to Apply Moisturizer
If you are using a moisturizer, always apply it before a facial oil — and after cleansing, misting, and any treatment serums.
Morning moisturizer preps your skin for the day, keeping it hydrated under sunscreen and makeup. At night, it supports skin’s natural repair process.
Because moisturizers contain both water and lipids, they bridge the gap between hydration and protection — creating the perfect base for a finishing layer of oil.
Benefits of Using Facial Oils
Facial oils bring nourishment, comfort, and protection — especially for dry skin or anyone living in low-humidity or high-altitude climates (looking at you, Colorado).
Where moisturizers hydrate the skin by delivering water and holding it in place, facial oils step in to help keep that moisture from escaping. They don’t add water — they seal it in.
This makes oils particularly helpful for dry skin, which naturally produces fewer lipids and loses moisture more easily. By reinforcing the skin’s lipid layer, facial oils help slow that loss and restore a soft, comfortable feel.
They also:
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Soften and smooth texture for lasting comfort.
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Deliver antioxidants and nutrients that support skin’s natural resilience.
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Soothe dryness and sensitivity with gentle, plant-based fatty acids.
Caraline’s Daily Nourish Face Oil blends rosehip, chia, pomegranate, and sea buckthorn oils — each chosen for its ability to support and protect skin exposed to the elements.
Benefits of Using Moisturizers
A traditional moisturizer is essentially a pre-mixed version of what your skin already gets from two steps: a hydration mist and a facial oil.
Most moisturizers are emulsions — a blend of water, oils, and humectants designed to both add and retain moisture. It’s a smart formula in theory, but you don’t actually need a separate moisturizer if you’re already using those elements on their own.
At Caraline, we take a simpler, more intentional approach:
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Daily Hydrate Face Mist delivers water and humectants like niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid — hydrating your skin directly.
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The Daily Nourish Face Oil seals that hydration in, using a blend of rosehip, chia, pomegranate, and sea buckthorn oils to soften and protect.
Together, they do exactly what a moisturizer does — only without the emulsifiers, fillers, or preservatives found in most creams.
For dry or dehydrated skin, this two-step ritual (mist + oil) restores comfort and keeps skin supple, especially in dry climates where moisture loss is constant.
How to Layer Facial Oils and Moisturizers
The golden rule of skincare layering: thin to thick.
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Cleanse — remove impurities with a gentle cleanser, oil-based cleansers tend to be very gentle on the skin.
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Mist or tone — use a hydrating mist to replenish water and prep your skin.
If you use a mist and an oil, you probably don't need a moiosturizer, but if you do use one, apply a lightweight or rich moisturizer depending on your skin’s needs.
Seal — finish with facial oil to lock in all that hydration.
Allow each layer a moment to absorb before moving on to the next. Oils form the final step because they’re occlusive — they keep moisture where it belongs.
Common Myths About Facial Oils and Moisturizers
Myth 1: Oils make skin greasy.
Not true. The right oils absorb quickly and leave a smooth, soft finish.
Myth 2: Oils hydrate the skin.
Nope. Oils don’t add water — they keep it from escaping. Hydration comes from water-based products like mists and moisturizers.
Myth 3: You only need one or the other.
Both serve different purposes. Moisturizers hydrate; oils protect. Your skin benefits from both.
Choosing the Right Products for Your Skin Type
Dry or mature skin:
Look for richer oils such as rosehip, pomegranate, or avocado, and moisturizers with emollients like shea butter or squalane.
Oily or acne-prone skin:
Opt for lightweight oils like chia seed or grapeseed and non-comedogenic, gel-based moisturizers.
Combination skin:
Use lighter products overall — a hydrating mist and a small amount of facial oil focused on drier areas.
Sensitive skin:
Choose fragrance-free formulas and patch-test first. Oils high in linoleic acid, like rosehip or chia, are generally soothing options.
The right pairing depends less on trends and more on how your skin responds.
Are Face Mists a Moisturizer?
Not exactly — but when used with a facial oil, they serve a similar function.
A traditional moisturizer is an emulsion — a blend of water, oils, and humectants designed to add and retain moisture. A hydration mist and a facial oil deliver those same elements separately: the mist provides the water and humectants, and the oil helps seal them in.
A hydration mist like Caraline’s Daily Hydrate Face Mist provides the water and humectants — ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid that draw moisture into the skin. Follow it with a facial oil to seal in that hydration and keep skin soft, smooth, and supported.
In other words:
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A mist gives your skin water.
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A facial oil locks it in.
Together, they do what a moisturizer does — only fresher, cleaner, and without the unnecessary extras.
Used together, they can achieve the same goal as a moisturizer — maintaining hydrated, comfortable skin in a simpler, more flexible way.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve ever wondered whether to use facial oil before or after moisturizer, remember this: moisturizer first, oil last.
Moisturizers are emulsions — a blend of water, oils, and humectants that replenish hydration and soften the skin. Facial oils, which are anhydrous, don’t add water but help seal it in, forming a light barrier that prevents moisture loss.
Together, these steps create a simple, science-based routine that supports healthy, comfortable skin — without the marketing noise or unnecessary steps.
