Sometimes, just sometimes, it feels like your face is having a breakdown. Like a new born baby crying at full volume in the middle of the night, every now and then it needs a bit of extra care and attention. Skin appears like thin crepe paper, weary and wilting and probably blotchy and red too. Most often occuring at this time of year, just before your office party or festive stay-over with the in-laws. Sod's law.

Skin expert and A-list facialist Nichola Joss explains that all your poor skin needs is a little bit of proper TLC in these troubled moments. Via a highly enriching face oil. ‘Oils infuse the skin with hydration and moisture. They are highly efficacious when massaged into the face as they absorb and penetrate deeper than other products.’

The reason they penetrate into the skin better than other topical creams and lotions is because of two things. Firstly, they have a similar mollecular build to the oils that are found in the skin already. Secondly, without being too science boffin-y, their small molecule structure means that they travel through the epidermis more easily and deeply. Ideal.
 
Right. So we’ve taken that bit on board. But what about when and how often? ‘For drier skin types, apply an oil first thing in the morning and last thing at night.’ says Nichola. ‘Otherwise just a couple of drops mixed in with your day cream or night cream at bedtime works well on the skin.’
 
Well, if the facialist responsible for keeping Daisy Lowe and Kate Moss in good nick says so, we’ll happily comply. From her on in it’s going to be an oily old winter.
 
Click through the gallery above to see the best face oils in the business that get hands-down approval from us.