The Best Oil for Dermaplaning (and Which to Avoid)
The best dermaplaning oils are lightweight and non-comedogenic so the blade glides without breakouts. An honest comparison, including the oil to skip.
The best oil for dermaplaning is a lightweight, non-comedogenic one — it lets the blade glide without clogging pores. Jojoba, grapeseed, rosehip, and squalane all fit. Coconut oil does not: it's popular, but it sits high on the comedogenic scale and is a common cause of post-dermaplaning breakouts. A purpose-made blend beats most single oils because it balances glide with a stronger barrier.
The short version:
- A good dermaplaning oil is light, fast-absorbing, and low on the comedogenic (pore-clogging) scale.
- Best single oils: jojoba, grapeseed, rosehip, squalane.
- Skip for the face: coconut oil (comedogenic ~4) and heavy mineral-oil blends like Bio-Oil.
- The oil's job is to remove blade friction — that's what prevents redness and bumps.
- A blend formulated for dermaplaning gives you glide plus barrier in one step.
What makes an oil good for dermaplaning
Two things, and only two things, really matter.
It has to be lightweight and absorb fast. A pre-shave oil is a glide layer, not a moisturizer you're trying to soak in. A heavy oil makes the blade skate and skip, which gives you an uneven pass. A light one lets the blade travel smoothly and close.
It has to be low on the comedogenic scale. Dermaplaning leaves your skin freshly exfoliated and more permeable for a few minutes afterward. That's the worst moment to introduce a pore-clogging oil. The comedogenic scale runs 0 to 5 — lower is safer. It's a rough guide rather than a hard law, but it's the most useful filter we have for picking a facial oil.
Everything else — antioxidants, vitamins, marketing — is secondary to those two.
The best oils for dermaplaning, compared
Comedogenic ratings below are the values generally published for each oil. Treat them as a guide, not a promise for your exact skin.
| Oil | Comedogenic (0–5) | Feel | Good for dermaplaning? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jojoba | ~2 | Light, sebum-like, absorbs clean | Yes — close to skin's own oil |
| Grapeseed | ~1 | Very light, high linoleic acid | Yes — great for oily skin |
| Rosehip | ~1 | Light, dry-touch finish | Yes — calming, antioxidant-rich |
| Squalane | ~0 | Silky, weightless | Yes — excellent for sensitive skin |
| Argan | ~0 | Light-medium | Yes — a little richer |
| Olive | ~2 | Heavier, slower to absorb | Okay — can feel greasy |
| Coconut | ~4 | Rich, occlusive | No — clogs pores for many |
| Bio-Oil (blend) | — | Mineral oil + fragrance | No — see below |
If you want the deep dive on the top pick, I wrote a full guide to jojoba oil for dermaplaning.
The oils to skip — and why
Coconut oil. It's everywhere in skincare advice, and for dermaplaning it's a trap. Coconut oil rates around a 4 on the comedogenic scale — high. It's also occlusive, so it forms a heavy film the blade skates over. Used on freshly dermaplaned skin, it's one of the more reliable ways to break yourself out. Fine for your hair or your body. Not your face, not here — here's the full case on coconut oil for dermaplaning.
Bio-Oil and similar "multi-use" oils. Bio-Oil is built for scars and stretch marks, and its first ingredient is mineral oil, with added fragrance (parfum) and isopropyl myristate — the last of which is itself comedogenic. None of that is what you want on just-exfoliated facial skin. It's a body product wearing a face-product reputation.
Before or after dermaplaning?
Use a light oil before as the glide layer — that's the step that prevents irritation, and it's the one most people skip. A drop after helps settle the skin while it's still permeable. If you're layering a treatment next, that first-few-minutes window is also when a snail mucin serum absorbs best. For the full method, here's how to dermaplane at home.
What jasclair uses, and why it's a blend
The jasclair pre-shave dermaplaning oil is a blend rather than a single oil, for a specific reason: the best single oils win on glide but run light on barrier. The jasclair formula pairs fast-absorbing, low-comedogenic oils — grapeseed, meadowfoam, squalene-rich olive — so you get a clean finish and a consistent protective film across the whole pass. It's unscented and made for facial use, which rules out the fragrance problem that disqualifies the multi-use oils above.
You don't need it to dermaplane well. You can reach for jojoba or grapeseed on their own. A purpose-made blend just removes the guesswork.
FAQ
What is the best oil for dermaplaning? A lightweight, non-comedogenic one. Jojoba, grapeseed, rosehip, and squalane are the strongest single oils; a blend formulated for dermaplaning balances glide and barrier in one step.
Can you use coconut oil for dermaplaning? It's not recommended for the face. Coconut oil rates about a 4 on the comedogenic scale and is occlusive, so it clogs pores and makes the blade skate.
Is rosehip oil good for dermaplaning? Yes. Rosehip is light, rated around a 1 for clogging, and calming on freshly exfoliated skin.
Do you use oil before or after dermaplaning? Before, as the glide layer that prevents drag and irritation — and optionally a drop after to calm the skin.
Can I just use a regular face oil? If it's lightweight and low-comedogenic, yes. Avoid heavy, occlusive, or fragranced oils, which clog pores or irritate just-exfoliated skin.
The honest test I use: if an oil still feels slick on my fingers after a minute, it's too heavy for the blade. The good ones disappear into the skin and leave it ready, not coated.