Meredith and I exchange a lot of things—recipes, ingredients, articles, and ideas. Out of all the things she’s introduced me to over the years, Argan oil is far and beyond my favourite (the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day cookbook series is a close second).
I cannot say enough good things about it. Meredith discovered it one summer and filled me in the following September when our fourth year classes started. She gifted me the remnants of a bottle of Josie Maran argan oil (USA / Canada), and I fell in love with it immediately. It absorbs quickly, and just a few drops softens and soothes my skin. It’s one of the rarest oils in the world, and has been used in Morocco for hair and skin for centuries. Because the trees only grow in a small part of the world, they are protected by UNESCO, and the production is still carried out by local women who earn a living thanks to growing demand for this awesome oil.
Everything but the price was perfect—15ml of Josie Maran argan oil is about $30 CAD at Sephora. Ouch. My love of it drove me to the internet (this was well before I had discovered New Directions Aromatics and was still in school, just dipping my toes into the world of DIY skin products). I found a seller on eBay who shipped my 100mL for $30, which was a significant improvement (and very exciting for nerdy me). Soon after I dived head-first into DIY and discovered NDA’s $12/100mL, and I’ve been hooked (and well supplied) ever since.
Now, you can read about the benefits of argan oil (USA / Canada) online until the words “vitamin E” and “fatty acids” and permanently imprinted on your eyeballs. There’s nothing I can say about the composition of argan oil (USA / Canada) that hasn’t already been said. So, I’ll offer some anecdotal evidence instead.
After a few months of using argan oil (USA / Canada), I got a bunch of new oils. So, I made myself a facial serum with all my fancy new oils, figuring it would be an upgrade. I used the new oil mixture for a few months, and then I happened to use some argan oil (USA / Canada) instead one night before going to bed. I woke up in the morning to find a few stubborn blemishes had healed up substantially overnight, and my skin felt much better. I switched back to argan oil (USA / Canada) immediately and never looked back.
I gave my mom some argan oil (USA / Canada) shortly after I started using it, and she refuses to run out. I’ve got girlfriends and ex-boyfriends hooked on it, and it’s all I’ll recommend for anybody’s face. I won’t travel anywhere overnight without it.
Lately I’ve taken to spiking mine with a few essential oils—helichrysum, South African chamomile, and lavender. All are good for healing and calming the skin, and as a plus, the combination smells fantastic.
My Favourite Argan Oil Serum
15mL | 0.5fl oz argan oil (USA / Canada)
1 drop helichrysum essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops South African chamomile essential oilMeasure all the ingredients into a 15mL (0.5 fl oz) dark amber glass bottle with an eyedropper. Cap and shake to combine.
You’ll need four or five drops for your face, once or twice a day. Because this serum is 100% oil based, you won’t need any preservatives and it should last for at least a year if stored somewhere relatively cool and dry.
A heads up to anyone who has access to a Superstore/Loblaws–they have Black Label Argan oil in the cooking oils section–$13.99/150ml. They started re-stocking it just recently here in NS after my worry that the current supply was on clearance because it was discontinued. It’s back, with further in the future expiration dates 😉 Hopefully your Superstore will start stocking it, Marie!
I can certainly vouch for the fact that it’s a very nice oil that, if nothing else, certainly doesn’t exacerbate problem skin. I personally can’t say it “fixes” things as I have underlying issues that topical anything won’t fix, but not making things worse is the best I can hope for at the moment 🙂
Thanks for the awesome tip, Sarah! I love it when my favourite ingredients become readily available in stores, especially when they’re reasonably priced 😀
This is my first post on your site, just want to tell you I love your blog/site! I’m new to the essential oil conversation, but I am enjoying it. I have argon oil hairspray & I really like it. I too am subscribed to your emails & if I try to link out of them is says can’t find the server–
Thank you for your hard work in providing all this info for us–Have a great God blessed day!!
Thanks for stopping by and reading, Dayna 😀 It sounds like you got one or two of the “goof” e-mails my blog has been sending out as of late—I had to re-schedule a few posts to make room for the giveaway and mother’s day, but instead of waiting for the new dates, my blog fired out those automatic e-mails on the original dates, making it look like I posted two entries when I didn’t… so one will be a 404 🙁 I am trying to figure out what causes this, it’s a new issue after I updated a plug-in. Have a great day!
I just read somewhere that the cooking oil version of Argan oil is processed differently than the cosmetic version. The nuts are roasted for the cooking oil which produces a nutty darker oil. Versus the unroasted kind for cosmetic use which is light and scent free. I would imagine the benefits may differ as well.
You are correct Annie!
Hmmm, I wonder if the difference is negative? My bottle from the cooking section says “first-pressed virgin oil”, which to me would imply it isn’t roasted?
Hmmm… I wonder! I will have to do a scent/colour/texture/etc. comparison between the two and write a blog on it!
Sarah, I hope you see this as its 3 months later.The cooking oil has to be roasted as it produces far more oil that way. BUT as roasting is actually heat, the great benefits of the argan are basically gone. Sure, you can use it, but you are only getting a minute trace of benefit.
Thanks so much, Patty! How interesting—and delicious sounding 🙂
Thanks, Patty! I’ve actually stopped using my Argan as the oil was a bit much for the summer, but I’m sure I’ll start up again as it cools off in the fall. I do think I’ll just use my oil for salads and other culinary endeavors since I don’t see the point in using it if most of the benefits are roasted away 😛 I’ll have to order some cosmetic grade stuff and give it another go!
Glad we’ve solved this mystery 😛 I’m thrilled I can use my bottle for some food type concoctions now, as I found it for sale at a fancy oil store downtown, and it’s something like $40/100mL. YIPES!
$40/100ml? I consider myself to have adequate enough taste buds to differentiate Kraft products from a similar product in the gourmet section :P, but I highly doubt the difference between the culinary Argan oils is noticeable enough to warrant paying almost 4 times the price. I’m glad you’ll get to use it in the end, even if for different reasons 🙂
Ha, no kidding! I love my different types of olive oils, but I don’t think I’m ever going to try and tune my taste buds to anything that costs $40/100mL! YIPES.
How interesting! Thanks for chiming in with that. I haven’t cracked my bottle of food-grade oil yet, so I can’t say from personal experience. I do know that food grade oils are always held to a higher standard than cosmetic grade in terms of processing and storage conditions, but that really only goes to hygiene and shelf life. I would love to see a nutritional breakdown of the vitamins and minerals in each type to see how the two differ!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad to hear from a fellow Canadian, and yes we have several Superstores in our city. I’ll check tomorrow for the cold-pressed Argan oil. I’m sure roasting it would changed the components. It’s often too expensive to try some of these concoctions because the ingredients aren’t readily available here in Canada and shipping is outrageous
.
Catherine—there are a few great Canadian suppliers, though shipping can definitely be steep 🙁 I counter that by saving up my shopping list until I need enough that the shipping isn’t such a large percentage of the cost. I like New Directions Aromatics for pretty much everything, but Canwax and Saffire Blue (a recommendation from another reader—I haven’t tried SB yet) are also good. If you’re in/around the Toronto/Southern Ontario area you might also be able to pick your order up right from them, which will also decrease your costs. Hope that helps!
I absolutely love this recipe with argon oil in it. It’s become one of my favorite oils but wish it wasn’t so expensive. This recipe has been fabulous for my skin and some dark spots I have inherited from my love of the sun when I was younger. But thankfully there are all the amazing essential oils to help keep my face and skin youthful, healthy and silky. I also adore this site and use so many of your recipes on here it’s nice to check what your up to on here. Thank you for this amazing site!! Heidi …
Hi Heidi! Thanks for reading 🙂 How much are you paying for argan oil? I ask because I thought the same thing when I first discovered it at $30/15mL at Sephora, but I’ve since found that I can get it for $12/100mL online! That has sure made it much more accessible to me 🙂
If you’re looking to lighten some dark spots you should check out my various vitamin C-containing toners as well! They are just wonderful on a hot summer day!
I look forward to seeing you around in the future!
I was wondering where I could get Argan oil. I’ve never heard of it until I found this website. Will definitely be making this! Thanks.
I buy mine from New Directions Aromatics and have found the price and quality to be great!
love using argan oil for my hair it makes it so silky
It’s awesome, isn’t it? Those Moroccan ladies sure know their stuff 🙂
Hi
I’ve been given a little phial of HASK argan oil for use on hair. Can I also use this for the skin on my face? Anybody know?
So, I looked up the brand that you mentioned and it is in no way pure argan oil—it’s mostly silicone byproducts with artificial fragrances, artificial colouring, keratin, and cheaper colouring agents. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it on my face or my hair.
thanks for the response! Do you have a reference site for checking the constituents of various products?
thanks again
I love EWG’s Skin Deep. They’ve got ratings and explanations for a wide variety of products and ingredients!
thanks AGAIN!
This sounds great, I use argon oil on my hair but have not tried it on my face since I use grape seed oil on my face but will try this. Thank you!
Do! I love grapeseed for many things, but I’ll never use anything but argan on my face 🙂
Thanks for this info. I need to find some and try this on my face!
I get mine from New Directions Aromatics!
This is a bit off but….you stated comments get quicker responses than ‘contact’ Anyway i keep getting a 404 error code when i try to access your pasta post. Any suggestions? Tried going through food etc but cannot find the remainder of the article. Was hoping for a great recipe. Be Blessed Sue in CA
Yes… SO. My blog is kind of malfunctioning and sending out e-mails about blogs I haven’t published yet 🙁 Which is super annoying because that means I’m spamming people, which I hate! The pasta recipe will publish (for real) on the 19th 🙂 Sorry about that! Arg 🙁 I’m looking for a fix. But thanks so much for reading and asking, I really appreciate it!
definitely will try this one! thanks.
Do, it’s my absolute favourite! Be sure to let me know how it works for you 🙂
I have used agran oil hair serum by L’oreal and my hairs loved it… i have oily face so i don’t think it will be a good Idea for me to use it on face…
I wasn’t able to find the list of ingredients so I can’t be sure, but my guess is that your argan oil serum has a lot of silicone byproducts in it—check out the ingredient list and keep an eye out for anything that ends in “cone”. I know this is true for the Morrocanoil hair serums, which is very sad and misleading. If this is the case, I’d really recommend you give pure argan oil a try as it is an entirely different thing 🙂
Don’t be afraid of putting oil on an “oily” face. I was hesitant as first but now I don’t use anything else. And the best part is no more oily face – my body doesn’t have to overcompensate anymore. I use a mix of fractionated coconut oil and Argan oil.
This is so true, JoDee! When my friend Meredith first suggested Argan oil for the face I was super confused (this was well before I was into all kinds of natural DIY beauty stuff and had seen “oil free” boasted about so many times that I thought oil was bad for the skin). I’ll never go back, argan oil all the way!
Hi Marie, here is your fan all the way from Brazil(yeah, I’m brazilian)
So, why don’t you try to combine argan oil with rice bran oil?
My grandma(she was a wonderfull witchdoctor) uesd to use this combination on her face to avoid wrinkles.
Now my tip is, add EO of geranium(or rose). Smells just amazing, and helps the renovations of skins cells.
🙂
Gui—Hello! I must confess I’ve never used rice bran oil… I just have SO many oils in my cupboard I haven’t gotten around to buying it yet 😛 I’m sure I will, though… sometime before 2020, hopefully, haha. You may have convinced me to buy some sooner rather than later 🙂 I have added rose absolute and geranium EOs to my argan oil at different times and generally find they are too floral to be that close to my nose—for me, at least (I’ve never been a fan of overly sweet, floral scents). I love dropping a bit of diluted rose EO on my pillow before I go to sleep, though—that’s divine! Thanks for reading 🙂
Nice suggestions! I’ve been using Argan oil recently too, and have loved it on my face, skin and hair- as a coastal girl now living in the dry Okanagan I’m pretty much always sporting a thin sheen of the stuff these days. I like mine with geranium and ylang ylang added, and am looking forward to trying some petitgrain next time for a sweet change. My favorite thing about your posts is your gleeful offerings to replace the overpriced and overworked nonsense products commonly for sale with simple, clean, yet still luscious and decadent recipes that we can customize and make for ourselves! So great! Thanks for always stoking my friend-crush, Marie! Each time I read a new post I find myself wishing I could come sit in your kitchen and hang while you whip up something fun. I hope you keep it up!
Ah, the OK! I can remember driving through in the summer as a kid, on our way our to the coast. We’d get out for gas or a bit of a break and opening the car doors was like opening an oven. Heaven for me, haha.
I’ve tried geranium EO in my argan oil before, but I found it to be too sweet (same for ylang-ylang with everything, sadly—I wish I liked it!). I’ve added some petitgrain EO to my cart, though… thanks for the tip, it sounds divine!
And hey… if you’re ever in Calgary, look me up 😉
helichrysum essential oil
lavender essential oil
which country of origin do you recommend for these oils?
Hi Lauren! Thanks for reading 🙂 I’m always a fan of French lavenders, and really like French Population from NDA (40/42 is also great and much cheaper). For helichrysum, I prefer to use Helichrysum italicum. Mine is from Slovenia and it’s just lovely! NDA is out right now, but they say they should be getting it back in the summer.
Hi Marie, I love your blog! I have a question, though…which type of helichrysum oil do you use? I came across an article that says the different types are really different from each other (e.g. Helichrysum gymnocephalum vs. Helichrysum italicum.) Thanks!
I use Helichrysum italicum and I just love it! Mine is from Slovenia.
Okay, thanks!
I must try this serum for my face. Thanks for posting.
Enjoy it, it’s my absolute favourite!
Argan oil for the face… Brilliant! I’ve always used it on my hair, not sure why the thought never occurred to me…. Guess until recently, I’ve always been taught that oil and facial skin were a bad combination. Especially since you see “oil-free” sprinkled in advertising all over the place.
It’s amazing how well we’ve been programmed to think that oil + face = bad! But it’s not! My face has really never been healthier since I started properly moisturizing it and not just using mysterious oil-free, alcohol loaded “moisturizers”. Enjoy it—I’m convinced you’ll fall in love straight away 🙂
Hello… I have sensitive skin and was wondering if argan oil has ever made anyone break out at all?? I am new to all this homemade products but am loving it so far! Thanks!
I’ve heard precisely the opposite from everyone I know who has tried this (~10 people, I guess). It’s really helped my skin improve, as well as my mother’s and my friends. Just be sparing to start with, and take care not to change any other part of your skincare routine so you can isolate any changes in your skin 🙂 I think you’ll be really happy with the results! (There may be a purging period… so make sure you stick with it for at least a few weeks!)
I love Argan oil.. I’ve purchased a lot of products that use it in the ingredients but I’m very interested in making my own to put in my homemade items. Thanks for the post 😀
Thanks for reading, Jamiee! I love discovering the pure ingredients behind complicated store-bought formulas; it really opens your eyes to how everything “fits together” and works!
i love argan oil it looks so organic and very healthy
Great to meet another argan oil lover, Krystel 🙂
i cant wait to try this oil!!
Do it! Just don’t pay too much for it—I pay ~$12/100mL at New Directions Aromatics.
I just came across your blog, and it is absoloutley amazing! Subscribed! I’m so glad I found your blog it has so many helpful tips. Im trying to go all organic and I want to try make my own products and this blog is perfect for that! Can’t wait to try this oil in my hair it sounds amazing 🙂
I’m so glad you found my blog, Reid 🙂 Yay! Enjoy your organic transition, it’s super fun—I love learning about all the different natural alternatives out there.
Been wanting to try argan oil for a while now, will be ordering some this weekend 🙂
Awesome! Let me know when you fall in love with it 🙂
I love argan oil!! I use it all the time, but the thought of making my own serum never even crossed my mind! thank you for this, adding it to my list of DIY!! such an awesome blog 🙂
Thanks, Crombie 😀 I am so addicted to my argan oil that adding some beneficial EOs just seemed like the next logical step.
Just made this! I couldn’t find the helichrysum at the health food store, so I tried a drop of lemongrass essential oil. I read its good for all kinds of stuff and it may help my monthly acne. : /
We shall see. Is there anything else you would recommend to use instead?
If you’re having issues with acne some tea tree oil can help—check out this article for more info. I’d also really recommend some clay facial masks and using black soap—both have done wonders for my acne!
I found my way over here from Commonsense Homesteading, and what a delightful site! I am just starting out on my DIY adventures and am so glad to have found you!
I’m thrilled you found me, Monica! Enjoy my posts and let me know if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to help!
I love this oil, it does wonders for my hair!
It’s just wonderful, isn’t it 🙂 How did you first discover it, Amanda?
I just ordered some Argan Oil for my face. How do I use it for my dry brittle hair? I love your blog…so informative and I keep finding more and more that I love about it. Thank you for posting these things!
Awesome! I’m sure you’ll fall madly in love with it, Cathy 🙂 For hair, take a drop of the oil and spread it across your finger tips, and then massage it into the ends of your hair. Hair does not need much oil at all before it begins to look very oily, so err on the side of less. I’d also recommend applying before bedtime, to give it 8 or so hours to soak in before you have to go out 🙂 A boar bristle brush is also great for brushing the oil into your hair. You’ll get a feel for it in no time. Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or requests, feel free to get in touch, I love to help where I can.
I am wondering, will this argon oil clear up acne in my teenage boy??
Thanks!
Janette—I’ve found argan oil does help with acne, but if it’s severe, I wouldn’t say it’s the be-all-and-end-all of it (though I can’t say from personal experience as I’ve never had very bad acne). What I would suggest for acne is black soap (fixed up my bacne in a flash!) and face masks (you can feel that your pores are smoother straight away).
I just saw the post about acne and tea tree oil and black soap. Thanks for the info.
You’re welcome! I LOVE black soap for acne, it’s my #1 recommendation for it as it’s so easy.
Hello,
I would love to try the argan oil serum for my face. I recall reading where you made up the serum for your Mom. I am 52 and would like to try that recipe but am unable to find to post. I would really appreciate it if you would send it to me.
Thank you so much,
Carie
I believe this is what you’re looking for, Carie 🙂
I noticed you called this a “serum”, so I was wondering, should I use this in conjunction with another moisturizer? Or is the argan oil enough? Also, would this be ok to use in both the summertime and wintertime?
I have normal/sensitive/slightly-acne-prone skin by the way.
Thanks so much! 🙂
Hey Nathalie! So, the simple answer is no, you don’t need another moisturizer—argan oil is awesome at everything! My thoughts on the industry angle of this is that they separate the stuff that’s good for your skin (vitamins & good fats) from moisturizers to force you to buy two products, making them more money. A rather slick move, eh?
I use argan oil all-year round, and so does my mum & all my friends who use it. I find I need less in the summer, and more in the winter (it is soooo dry here in the winter). If you’ve got sensitive skin I’d probably start without the EOs and go from there 🙂 Enjoy it and let me know how you like it!
I was taught to wear a daytime cream with a sun protection in it, so I usually buy one with at least 20 spf in it (along with a bunch of other stuff which are probably not so great…) I am suspicious about the degree of protection I get from that a few hours after I put it on :-/
I’m new to all this and still processing the fact that I can put oil on my oily skin ;)!
Soooo… I think I’ll start wearing Argan oil serum. I’ll put sunblock when I go in direct sunlight in summer… At 42, do you think I should use this recipe or the mature skin one? And do you feel comfortable sharing what you do about sunblocking? I know regular sunscreen is not popular among the natural enthusiasts… It’s confusing ;)!
Thanks again!
You were taught right! I’d probably recommend getting one with a higher SPF, though—unless you are applying the full recommended amount (doubtful, as it’s A LOT!), you’re only getting about 1/3 of the SPF on the bottle. So, you might get 6 or 7 with SPF 20, whereas if you were using 60 you’d get closer to 20.
Definitely don’t ditch the sunscreen! In the morning I apply sunscreen after washing my face, applying whatever actives/toners/etc, and my moisturizer. If I’m wearing makeup that day, it goes on top of my sunscreen. I wear sunscreen every day from about April through October (I live so far north that the winter months aren’t much of a UV concern), and re-apply multiple times if I’m going to be in direct sun. I love Japanese sunscreens—they’re amazing. They’re lightweight, non-greasy, don’t leave a white cast, and work really well. This stuff is awesome. I wrote a big article on why DIY sunscreen is an awful idea, and from all my research, there really isn’t any concern about the sunscreen ingredients that organizations like the EWG freak out about. You’d pretty much have to be bathing in it daily for 200 years for it to be concerning.
I’d probably make this one ’cause I think it smells nicer ;P
Waaaow! Thanks so much for the feedback :)! You really are a kind of natural enthousiast I feel safe following ;)!
I’ll surely get that japanese sunscreen from Amazon.ca (found it) and use it -following your serum- 😀 Here in New-Brunswick, it’s more or less of the same… summer is super short and winter is super looong… although it’s a bit warmer ;)!
There are so many awesome Japanese sunscreens on Amazon.ca! They take a couple weeks to arrive, but they are so unbelievably light and silky and swoon. Head on over to /r/AsianBeauty and do a search on sunscreen to get the names of some popular ones. So far I’ve loved ones from Biore and Shiseido.
We’re doing pretty well in the heat department here—going on three weeks of close to 30°C temps (knock on wood)!
Hi! I have dry sensitive skin. Thanks for mentionning to start without EO and see from there. What’s your skin type?
Hi Sonia! My skin is quite dry (exacerbated by my environment—I wake up with very tight, dry skin on my face), but it doesn’t seem to be overly sensitive as I don’t have too much trouble with reactions & sensitivities. I have introduced many people to argan oil, and nobody has ever found it to be irritating, so I think you should be fine 🙂
So, I feel silly – I’ve had all the stuff to make this since my last shipment from NDA and didn’t realize it till now. I know what I’m making tomorrow!
Brilliant! This awesome serum has definitely made its way into a few Christmas gifts from me this season 🙂
Quick question… I ordered some Argan oil from New Directions for my mom’s hair and skin, just wondering if I got the right kind. It is called “Argan Organic Carrier Oil”. Kind of have an idea of what ‘carrier’ stands for but not sure… Can you explain please?
That’s the right stuff 🙂 The term “carrier” really just serves to distinguish from essential oils. Carrier oils are the things that make up the bulk of your recipes (olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, etc.). You can think of them as something that “carries” the essential oils, I suppose.
Thank you so much!!
Just have to say, I SO appreciate that you reply to comments and questions. it is soo nice to get questions answered!!!
No worries, that’s what I’m here for! I feel like I would be a rather crap blogger if I didn’t offer customer service, haha 😉
Hi Marie – I am so happy I stumbled upon your blog! I’m ready to make the serum but was wondering if you can use Helichrysum 3% Dilution as opposed to the essential oil? Sorry if this is a silly question.
Thanks so much for the informative and delightful posts!
I was wondering the same thing. I found it at my local health food store (finally..was under Immortelle) and said it was diluted in jojoba.
Is that any good? Would we use more drops?
Definitely! I buy the pure stuff but make my own 20% dilution in jojoba to make any accidental extra drops less expensive 🙂 So I’d use 5 drops of my dilution to equal the one called for in this recipe.
Hi Michelle! Welcome to my wee corner of the internet 🙂 You can definitely use the 3% dilution—that is helichrysum oil, it’s just been heavily diluted so it’s usually 3 drops in 97 drops of jojoba or some similar carrier oil. You will have to use more, but I wouldn’t bother trying to get an equal amount or you’ll likely drain the bottle 😛 You’d need about 33 drops to equal 1 drop of helichrysum, but feel free to use less. Thanks for reading!
Hi Marie….Cee from Calgary again…..with the shortage in helichrysum oil and the prices so high right now do you have suggestions for options/alternatives? I ordered the Slovenian because I heard the smell is MUCH more pleasant than the African….
I was pretty excited to see Moldova Lavender (I have the 40/42) just because Moldova is such a poor country and I like to support industry in those nations. Have you ever tried Moldovian Lavender? It’s the lavandula angustifolia so it’s true. Experiences? (I ordered a sample so I can see for myself…but just wondered your take on all these lavenders.)
Hi Cee! For this recipe you can generally feel free to tweak the essential oils to meet the needs of your skin. I love helichrysum because it seems like there’s always something on my face that needs a healing hand, but if you’re nicer to your skin than I am, you might be able to get away with it all together 😉 That said, I’ve read that essential oils like myrrh, frankincense, wild tansy, and clary sage can be good swaps—just do some reading and choose the one that meets your needs the best 🙂
I currently have 7 different types of lavender EO, all from NDA—40/42, Bulgarian, French, Population, South African, Maldova, and Ukraine (which they don’t seem to have at this point). And yes, I do know that I have a problem, lol! I quite like the one from Moldova. It’s stronger/brighter than the 40/42, and great in a face mask or facial serum. I bought the 15mL as it’s far too nice for soaps, and that’s usually the only reason I get a 500mL bottle of an EO 🙂 Let me know what you think of it when it arrives!
Hi! I’ve been exploring your blog as I move my various skin care / cosmetics habits from drugstore-cheap-options to cheap-diy-clones-of-wonderful-things (the “silver powder” duplicate recipe you posted made me spend an embarrassing amount of time staring in the mirror at the clean-like-never-before pores on my face).
And so, a weird question: I’ve been experimenting with switching to moisturizing with facial oils / serums based on your recipes. However, I actually can’t figure out how to do this conveniently to my whole face, instead of spot-moisturizing dry patches (I have drastically “combination” skin). When I try to dot a few drops around my face and rub them across, it never moisturizes evenly, but remains surface-oily where I left the first drops; when I apply a little to my hands instead, I either wind up with not enough moisture on my face or a surface sheen of oil everywhere.
So, um. Do you know what I’m doing wrong? I’m a little baffled.
Hi Kate! Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me 🙂 For the oils you’re trying—are you using argan oil? I’m going to assume you are, but feel free to correct me 😛 I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m wondering if part of it may be that you need to slightly adjust your expectations. That is, if you’ve been using lotions on your face you’re probably used to them sinking in and leaving no trace straight away since they’re almost entirely water. Even with my dry skin, that’s not how argan oil works—I need to spread it all over (resulting in a bit of an oily sheen) and give it 5–10 minutes to soak in before I don’t look a touch shiny anymore. I have friends with less dry skin, and they’re able to glide just a few drops around on their skin, but I’ve never had much luck with that—like you, my dry skin hogs it where it lands 😛 So, I use quite a lot more, and apply it 20 minutes or so before I want to go out (usually right when I get out of bed).
Something else you might try is applying the oil to your face when it’s slightly damp—that’ll help keep the oil from sinking in straight away, and will allow you to spread it a bit more thinly.
Also, are you doing weekly clay face masks? They are a totally essential part of my weekly routine, as they help remove dead, dry skin, and they increase circulation to the face, boosting healing. They also vacuum out pores like no tomorrow 😉 Anyhow, I love to do a mask, gently scrub it off, and then liberally apply a lot of argan oil to my slightly damp face one a week—that does wonders for my overall weekly routine, like a sort of facial deep conditioning 🙂
I hope something in here helps!
Belatedly, thanks so much for this comment! (Commenting on your new shampoo recipe reminded me to respond here…) I’ve since figured out what seems to work for me: wash with black soap, dry with microfiber cloth, 7ish drops of oil in palm, dab around face, spend a minute or two rubbing it in everywhere (which is amazingly relaxing). I think I may just have needed to wait for my skin to get used to the idea of oil being rubbed into it. After the initial “purging period” (which I never thought was a real thing until now), my skin has improved drastically: I do still have acne, but nothing like before, and the texture and evenness are so much better.
The oil mix I’ve been using is approximately 1/3 argan, something less than 1/3 castor, something less than 1/3 jojoba, and then tea tree and sea buckthorn. As I use it, I’m replenishing it mostly with tea tree and sea buckthorn; I’m also considering switching out the jojoba for pumpkin seed oil on the basis of their respective linoleic/oleic acid complements (I haven’t sat down and browsed through Pubmed or any other databases for proper articles, but the internet at least seems to have strong opinions on the importance of linoleic acids for improving acne).
As for masks: yes! Though it’s hard to get in the habit. I’ve also found that occasionally doing a scrub of extremely finely ground coffee + an oil (usually sweet almond) seems to work wonders: exfoliated, obviously, but also softer and firmer, maybe due to the caffeine.
thanks again!
Hi Kate! I’m so glad you’ve sorted out something your skin loves, and that it’s working so well for you! I just might have to try that coffee scrub as well, it sounds downright lovely 🙂
Hi, Marie
I love your site. I come by often but I think this is the first time I’ve left a comment. I’m a subscriber.
I get my essential oils and carrier oils, including argan oil from FPI essential oils in Vancouver (wholesale) (not an affiliate). I thought that if you are making larger batches for gifts or etsy sales you may want to find a wholesale supplier for some of your larger volume oils.
Your blog is inspiring and I love reading your fresh insights. Thanks for blogging about the things you love.
Chris
Hi Chris! Thanks so much for reading 🙂 It’s always nice to meet another Canadian online (I’m assuming here, since you’re buying out of Vancouver). Thanks for the tip on a new supplier! I checked the prices at FPI and NDA (also a wholesaler) actually has them beat for everything I checked, so perhaps you should check them out—they’re in Mississauga 🙂
Thanks again for reading—it’s truly appreciated!
Hi there!
As many others before me: I love your site! I come by often to check up on your new adventures :), lovely pictures you have here as well!
I had this question, just out of inexperience and the feeling of brewing potions that will explode like in Dexter’s Lab link in case you don’t know it…
What if I was in my mid 20s, and I wanted to try out the mature version of this serum, and would mix it with this one?
Greets from Holland,
Ece
Hi Ece! You can definitely blend up a hybrid of the two recipes with no risk of explosion at all 🙂 When you’re just dealing with oils explosions aren’t a worry 😉
Can I use rose geranium oil instead of “helichrysum essential oil” or any recommendation ?
I’d recommend reading my quick guide to essential oil substitutions 🙂
Argan oil is way worth it – I use an argan oil that has no harmful chemicals, and can be used on hair & skin – its the Somaluxe Argan Oil – I love this product it leaves my hair smooth, silky, and shiny! I couldn’t keep my hands out of my hair because it was so soft and it’s light or at least for my thick straight hair! I just hate that it’s only one size but will definitely repurchase. I never do reviews on products but it’s so good that I had to tell someone!!
Hi Michelle! So… I’m sorry to say, but I looked up the product you mentioned and it isn’t argan oil 🙁 It contains some argan oil, but it’s mostly jojoba oil (which is still nice but obviously not the same thing and quite a bit cheaper). You’re also paying way too much! They are charging you $35 for just under 60mL of something that isn’t even argan oil—you can buy 100mL of pure, real argan oil for ~$12 from my suppliers (linked in the big box above). I’d definitely recommend giving the real thing a try 🙂
Hi Marie, if I want to add another kind of oil in this serum, what choices would be matched up well with argan oil? I like it to be less greasy and lighter. Thanks.
Hi Danix! This serum is already pretty light, so if you’re finding it to be greasy, you are likely using too much—3 drops should be more than enough or your entire face 🙂 that said, you can try diluting it with a drying oil like rosehip oil—learn more here.
Interesting. I believe I have helichrysum somewhere in my house, as well as BLUE chamomile and French lavender. However, I don’t want to use up so much Argan oil, which cost me $7 for one oz. via Vitacost. BTW, my helichrysum smells like petroleum, and my blue-chamo smells “weird” to me.
Hmm… it sounds like you need a new supplier. $7/28mL is a bit ridiculous—I pay $12/100mL from New Directions! And if your essential oils smell gross, I would look for a new supplier for those as well. I’ve always been happy with New Directions, though they do have a $100 minimum order so you might want to look elsewhere if you won’t spend that much—I have a big list of places to shop here.
It’s also worth noting that this serum will last you 1–2 months with daily use, so even if you did use your argan oil, which would be ~$3.50 worth, that would only be $0.03–$0.05 per use if you used it twice a day. That’s pretty darn affordable!
Hi Marie,
I love love love your recipes.. Wish I could get all the ingredients here in India though..
Just a query can I replace all the essential oils with other blends.
I have german chamomile can I use that.
I don’t have helichrysum essential oil.
Lavender I’m not sure if it’s French.
If you could just let me know which ones can I use.
Short answer, yes, long answer—read this 🙂
Thank you Marie!!
Just one more query –
What is the ideal skincare routine and when should we apply the serum.
The “ideal” skin care routine will vary quite a lot from person to person, but in general I’d recommend cleansing your skin with an oil based or pH-balanced foaming cleanser (or both, one after the other), and following up with a serum like this one or a face lotion. That’s a good place to start to make sure your moisture barrier is happy 🙂