Grapeseed Oil for Mature Skin: How To Use It In Your Skincare Routine To Plump, Firm, and Hydrate

In the beauty industry, it sure seems like the price of skincare increases with age. But why should women 50+ have to pay more to take care of their skin, with no guarantee that those fancy products with long ingredient lists will work? For this reason, women often and understandably use natural remedies to treat various side effects of aging. Grapes and grapeseed oil are two such natural remedies for dry skin, uneven tone, sun damage, fine lines, and wrinkles. Below, we examine the potential benefits of these plant ingredients for different skin conditions and explain how to use it with your other skincare essentials.

To Firm and Plump Dry Skin: Add Grapeseed Oil To Your Moisturizer

For a hydration boost, add a few drops of grapeseed oil to your moisturizer. Why this might work: It softens skin and increases its elasticity, making it easier for your skin to absorb other beneficial ingredients. Plus, it contains an antioxidant called resveratrol, which promotes the production of collagen to help firm and plump the skin.

To do: Add ½ teaspoon of grapeseed oil to a dollop of moisturizer; massage into skin for one minute twice daily. (Note: Grapeseed oil has a low concentration of resveratrol, so in order to get the full benefit of this antioxidant, consider getting a high-concentration serum. We recommend The Ordinary Resveratrol and Ferulic Acid Serum, available at Sephora, $10. Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that reduces redness.)

Worried that it will clog your pores? Don’t be. Despite the fact that it’s oily, grapeseed oil is low on the comedogenic scale with a rating of one. (The comedogenic scale ranges from one to five and estimates how likely it is that an ingredient will clog your pores.) Still, if you struggle with clogged pores, try switching to a moisturizing product marked as noncomedogenic that lists grapeseed oil as one of the ingredients. That way, you know you’re getting just the right amount of the oil without any potential comedogenic effects. One we like: H2 Oh-Yeah Hydrating, Anti-Aging Moisturizer (Buy from Fleur & Bee, $26).

To Reduce the Appearance of Fine Lines: Try a Grape-Sugar Scrub

If you’re worried about fine lines, one of the best things you can do for your skin is to exfoliate it regularly. The reason? Doing so promotes new skin cell growth so fewer fine lines can set in. That’s why we recommend a grape-sugar scrub; alpha-hydroxy acids in both ingredients slough off dead skin cells which make wrinkles more prominent.

To do: Puree 6 red seedless grapes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of grapeseed oil, then rub into damp skin in circles for one minute; rinse.

If you would rather use a chemical exfoliant, which is a skincare product that “eats” dead skin cells, we recommend The Ordinary Lactic Acid Treatment (Buy from Sephora, $8.90) or the even gentler Mandelic Acid (Buy from Sephora, $7.50). To use: Apply the serum to your face, then layer your favorite moisturizer on top. Apply grapeseed oil the next night to re-hydrate your skin as it builds new cells.

To Revive Dull Skin: Apply a Grapeseed-Yogurt Mask

In addition to containing resveratrol, grapeseed oil also has proanthocyanidin, an antioxidant that may help even and brighten your skin tone. If you mix this oil with yogurt, which contains the chemical exfoliant lactic acid, you may experience brighter and softer skin.

To do: Combine 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Smooth over skin; rinse after 10 minutes.

Want to discover other benefits of grapeseed oil? Learn why it makes for a good haircare ingredient and an excellent cooking oil and how grapeseed oil lowers cholesterol.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.