Oil and water don’t mix. This is basic chemistry, and it is also the source of a persistent misconception about oil-based skincare — that oils sit on top of the skin, don’t absorb, and are therefore only suitable for dry skin types.
This is not accurate. Here’s what actually happens.
The skin’s surface is naturally lipophilic — it has an affinity for oils, not water. The stratum corneum is made up of lipids. Sebum, the skin’s own moisturising factor, is an oil. The skin is, in its natural state, an oily surface.
Well-formulated plant oils are able to penetrate the stratum corneum because they are structurally similar to the lipids the skin is made of. Squalane, for instance, is found naturally in human sebum. Linoleic acid, found in oils like rosehip and sunflower, is one of the fatty acids the skin uses to build its own barrier.
What determines whether an oil absorbs or sits on the surface is not whether it’s an oil, but which fatty acids it contains and in what ratios. Oils high in oleic acid (like argan and marula) tend to feel richer and absorb more slowly. Oils high in linoleic acid (like rosehip and sunflower) tend to absorb more quickly and are generally better tolerated by oilier skin types. Oils high in long-chain fatty acids (like meadowfoam) are exceptionally stable and absorb cleanly without leaving a residue.
This is why ‘oil-based skincare is only for dry skin’ is a misconception. The right oil, at the right concentration, in the right formula, absorbs completely and works with any skin type. The Onyx collection — designed specifically for oily, congestion-prone skin — is oil-based. Because it’s the right base for what it’s trying to achieve.