THIS Is How You Use Facial Oils

Would it be an overstatement to say that 2015 was a very good year for oils? Probably not. After all, sales of skin-care oils have more than tripled in the past five years, according to The NPD Group, and the internet has nearly exploded (here, here, and here are a few examples) with excitement about the slick substance.

Seeing as just about everyone we know is obsessed with the stuff, we're not at all surprised by these stats. According to Shrankhla Holecek, founder of Uma Oils, avoiding oils is one of the biggest and most obvious mistakes a skin-care devotee could make. She believes much of the hesitation around oils is due to the misconception that they exacerbate breakouts. "In reality, many face oils are non-comedogenic," she says. "They can actually work to regulate the skin's overproduction of oil."

Even this writer, who had previously been scared shitless by oils (lest they worsen my already oily complexion) has been converted. But even though most of us in the beauty sphere are singing oil's praises, we're not completely in the clear. It's not enough to simply grab any oil and slather it all over your face, hair, and body. You need to do your research and know the proper way to use those slippery elixirs to get the most benefit. Don't know where to start? Check out the slides ahead for eight of the most common mistakes people make with oils — and how to avoid 'em.