Glow Skin Bundles

Building a Simple Oil Routine for Glowing Skin

Most skin routines built on plant oils come down to two steps: something water-based to damp the skin, then something oil-based to sit on top of it. A hydrosol does the first job and a carrier oil does the second. Everything in this collection fits into one of those two steps, or adds aroma to them.

The order matters more than the ingredient list. Mist first, while the skin is still cool from washing, then press a few drops of oil in before the mist dries. Oil applied to damp skin spreads further and sits better than oil applied to dry skin, which is why a routine of two inexpensive products often feels better than one expensive one.

Choosing Your Carrier Oil

This is the decision that shapes the whole routine, because the carrier is most of what ends up on your face.

Organic Rosehip Oil is pressed from the seed left inside the hip after the rose has flowered. It is light, absorbs quickly and carries beta carotene along with vitamins C, D and E. It is the one most people reach for at night.

Organic Argan Oil comes from the argan tree of southwest Morocco and is richer in oleic acid, so it feels more cushioned on the skin and suits drier weather.

Organic Jojoba Oil is the odd one out, and worth understanding. It is not technically an oil at all — it is a liquid wax ester from the seed of Simmondsia chinensis, a desert shrub. That structure is why it feels dry rather than greasy and why it is the usual first choice for diluting essential oils.

Organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil, from the seeds of Opuntia ficus-indica, is the luxury option, and Organic Carrot Seed Oil is a useful thing to know about: it is pressed from Daucus carota seed and is a different product from carrot seed essential oil and from carrot-infused oil, which are often confused for each other.

If you want the long version of rosehip against argan, we wrote it up properly: rosehip oil vs argan oil, by skin type.

The Essential Oils, and How Much to Use

Essential oils here are the aroma and the accent, never the base. They are concentrated, so they go into a carrier oil before they go anywhere near your face.

Neroli is distilled from the blossom of Citrus aurantium and is the most floral-citrus of the group. Rose Otto comes from the damask rose grown across Bulgaria and Turkey and is the deepest of the florals. Rose Geranium and Egyptian Geranium both come from the Pelargonium family, with rose geranium carrying the rosier note of the two, and an organic rose geranium is available if you prefer it.

Frankincense is the resin note, warm and woody rather than floral. Lavender is steam-distilled from Lavandula angustifolia and is the easiest of the group to use if you are new to this.

Keep the dilution low on facial skin, lower than you would use on the body, and patch test anything new on the inside of the forearm before it goes on your face.

Hydrosols: the Step People Skip

A hydrosol is the aromatic water left behind when a plant is distilled. It is far gentler than the essential oil from the same plant, which is why it can go straight onto skin without dilution.

Rose Bulgaria Hydrosol is distilled from Rosa damascena and has the sweet, rounded rose note you would expect. French Lavender Hydrosol is the softer, herbaceous alternative. Either works as a morning mist, as the damp layer before your oil, or as the liquid in a clay mask instead of plain water.

If you have not used one before, our guide on using hydrosols as a natural facial toner covers the practical side, and there are more in the full hydrosol range.

A Routine That Takes Two Minutes

Mist the face. While it is still damp, warm three or four drops of carrier oil between your palms and press them in rather than rubbing. If you want aroma, the essential oil goes into the bottle of carrier oil first, not onto the skin on its own.

Mornings suit the lighter oils, evenings suit the richer ones. If you would rather follow a set sequence, we have written one out: a morning face massage routine with carrier oils.