If you’ve stumbled upon dry oils while browsing beauty products, we don’t blame you for feeling a little confused. How can a liquid be dry? As it turns out, this versatile product with a confusing name can actually provide nourishing benefits for your skin from head to toe. If you're curious about learning more about dry oil, then keep reading to find answers to common questions about dry oils such as:

• What is dry oil?
• How should I use dry oil?
• What dry oils can I try?

What Is Dry Oil?

When it comes to dry oil, the word “dry” describes how the oil behaves once applied to your skin. “Instead of sitting on the surface of your skin with a glossy, slippery finish, dry oils are fast-absorbing, so they soak into the skin quickly,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger.

Some examples of quick-absorbing oils that fall into the category of dry oils are rosehip oil, primrose oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil and avocado oil.

How Can I Use Dry Oil?

Dry oils are typically a combination of a number of different oils that have been carefully formulated to benefit skin, hair or nails—in some cases, all of the above. Some dry oils can be used on your hair to help control frizz and flyaways or provide much-needed moisture to dry split ends. Dry body oils can be applied post-shower to help keep skin feeling smooth and soft, or massaged onto hands to soften dry cuticles and nails. There are also dry oils specifically formulated for use on your face that are designed to absorb quickly to leave your skin feeling soft and dewy without a greasy residue. Incorporating restorative facial oils into your skin care regimen can benefit all skin types, even those with oily complexions.

6 Must-Have Dry Oils

1. Eminence Organics Wildflower Ultralight Oil

What’s in it: evening primrose oil, primula oil, echinacea oil, sunflower seed oil, poppy seed oil, lemon peel oil

Where to use it: body, hair, nails

Why we like it: This lightweight oil blend with botanical extracts is a beauty multitasker. This dry oil can be used as a conditioning treatment for your hair, as a nail treatment to help soften brittle nails and cuticles on your hands and feet, or as a dry body oil that you can massage it into skin after a bath or shower. Featuring evening primrose and primula oils, this dry oil works for all skin types to help soothe dry skin as antioxidant-packed linden flower extract and other botanicals provide hydration and nourishment.

2. Glo Skin Beauty Phyto-Active Conditioning Oil Drops

What’s in it: squalane, jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil

Where to use it: face, body

Why we like it: This dry oil for face was created with many uses in mind. You can use it solo, add a few drops of it to your facial moisturizer for a conditioning boost, pat it onto your lips for smoother lipstick application or even add a drop to your foundation for a radiant, dewy finish. It can also be used as a dry body oil to help soften rough patches on your knees, ankles, elbows or cuticles.

3. Avene Skin Care Oil

What’s in it: safflower seed oil, camelina oil, shea oil, squalane

Where to use it: face, body, hair

Why we like it: The spray mist format of this dry oil makes it super easy to use at home or on the go. You can spritz it onto your face and/or body and gently massage into your skin for a soft, smooth finish or mist onto your hair for a speedy shine boost.

4. Caudalie Divine Oil

What’s in it: grapeseed oil, sesame oil, sunflower seed oil, argan oil

Where to use it: face, body, hair, nails

Why we like it: This dry oil mist is formulated to help moisturize and nourish your skin and hair with a fragrance featuring notes of cedar, grapefruit and rose. You can use it as a body oil post-shower, dry oil for your face after cleansing or as a bath oil to add a spa-like scent to your soak. You can also massage it into your nails to soften your cuticles or use it as a once-weekly hair mask by spritzing it on your hair and then shampooing out after a ten-minute wait.

5. Natura Bisse Diamond Well Living The Dry Oil - Energizing

What’s in it: carrot oil, sunflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, citrus peel oils

Where to use it: body

Why we like it: This hydrating dry body oil is a great energy boost for your body and mind that leaves your skin soft with a grease-free, radiant satin finish. You can apply it to your body after a shower to help lock in moisture or drizzle a few drops into the bath to enjoy its invigorating citrus scent from a blend of orange, tangerine and lemon peel oils.

6. Alterna Caviar Smoothing Anti-Frizz Dry Oil Mist

What’s in it: Abyssinian oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil

Where to use it: hair

Why we like it: This dry oil formula is designed as a hair mist that works to help revive dull and damaged strands. Caviar extract combined with a blend of oils gives this hair treatment the power to help smooth and soften your locks while fighting frizz and taming flyaways—all without weighing your hair down.

Want to make your daily shower feel more spa-like? Scope out some of our favorite shower gels.