SUPER EASY DIY FACIAL OIL FOR RADIANT SKIN

It seems like everywhere I look, "influencers" are promoting some product. #AD. To be honest, I love that super bloggers like Julia Engel and Arshia Moorjani are wonderful ambassadors to brands like Clarins, Biossance, Laura Mercier, etc and also guinea pigs that let us know what works and what doesn't. You name it and they have tried it. And I love trying some of their #swearby products. But in truth unless they explicitly state so, I find that these #sponsored products are rarely part of their regular routine or "keepers". When they are, bloggers can't help but brag about them as often as possible. Take Julia for instance, she absolutely loves these lippies. Swears by them, and has been sharing about them for quite sometime now. Clearly she is not promoting them because she's getting paid too, but rather really loves the product. And when I buy beauty products, thats what I am looking for.

Not everyone can afford every new beauty product so when it comes to buying them, we want something with major lasting power. Take facial oils for instance. They are very sexy and salient right now in skincare but so $$$$.

Putting oil on a face that still remembers its jarring-pocked-and-pimple-covered-adolescent-days is not intuitive or enticing. But as I get older (and as my skin becomes more stable), I have been more open to trying new things. Plus that day you wake up with a wrinkle is *gasp* scarring and well a blatant reminder that you should be taking care of it. And yes that means sunscreen EVERYDAY (even when you don't go outside or its raining - I'm talking to you HUBS).

I guess, my first exposure to facial oils was during my bachelorette. I was noticing how freakin amazing my friend's skin was looking. I mean all of us at the time were just shy of 30, and damn - her skin looked supple, buoyant, bright and not at all tired. I couldn't help but wonder what she was using. So she told me that she had moved away from cleansers, moisturizers, etc and instead adopted a more simple routine - facial oil. She made a recommendation and I was literally about to buy it because her skin could have been a billboard for this product, seriously. But it was like $70 for the tiniest bottle. And when I looked at the ingredients it was a natural blend (no artificial anything) of like 20 some odd oils - like avocado oil. Things I could totally buy for a fraction of the cost. Some were even already in my house. It just boggles my mind that for that kind of money I could make 30X as much product. And I could customize it to my skincare needs!

So I did some research, found some tutorials that basically threw things together and studied the benefits of different types of oil, potency and concentration needed. I jotted down some notes and well landed on what I like to call my "proprietary blend" just to be fancy :)

The first time I tried it, I showered and put a couple drops on immediately after. The next morning, the HUBS (blind to my little experiment) said my skin was really glowing. I thought surely he was messing with me, but my skin was brighter, supple, tighter and rested. It felt like I had just gotten back from a spa day with cucumber facials and looked like I had eaten a lot of carrots (which also works btw).

I have been using this blend of oils, actually WE have been using them, for about a year now. The HUBS was so impressed with my results that he started stealing them, especially during the winter, when our skin is drier and exposed to harsh conditions. Its become a mainstay in our skincare arsenal. Not only that, I have gotten the HUBS' mom hooked too!

DIY FACIAL OIL RECIPE

3 drops of Tea Tree Oil
1 ml of Sweet Almond Oil
1.5 ml of Squalane
.75 ml of Rose Hip Oil
10 drops of Frankincense
4 drops of Seabuckthorn Oil
1 ml of Avocado Oil
1.5 ml Argan Oil
2 drops of Cypress Oil
0.75 ml of Jojoba Oil
2 drops of Grapeseed Oil
4 drops of Ginger Oil
15-20 drops of Lemongrass Oil (or until goes into solution)

Check your local TJMaxx or Marshalls for these oils. I found many of them between those two stores at really great prices. I also purchased several from Amazon.

Cheers to glowing skin!

DISCLAIMER

I have pretty normal skin (not oily, not overly dry, not super sensitive and no known allergies). If you do try making this, I recommend trying it on a small portion of your arm to test for allergic reactions. I did this too, and its simply good practice. Lastly, my best friend who is also a doctor made a valid point, your body produces its own oil naturally and constant exposure to oil might hinder that process. With this in mind, I only use this product once a week and always at night before I sleep.