Over the past seven or eight years, my skin has gone from less than ordinary to radiant. I do not say this lightly because not only do I have mature skin, but it has been acne-prone and blotchy throughout my entire adult life. I credit this transformation to essential oils rather than to the expensive, chemical-laden department store lotions, potions, and serums I used in the 80s, 90s and beyond.
These days, I shun OTC skin care products and make my own. For years, the crowning jewel in my DIY arsenal has been my “Luminous Face Serum”. That is still a fantastic concoction but to be honest, it uses 5 different essential oils plus a carrier oil and can be a somewhat of a chore to make.
So here is how this played out.
I was out of my face serum and short on time. I needed something quick that would not require opening a number of bottles and counting out drops. I pumped a dab of Rose Hip oil onto the palm of my hand and added a single drop each of Frankincense and Lavender essential oils. I massaged it into my face, added makeup, and was out the door in no time. The next morning, my skin was smoother and more vibrant. I knew I was on to something.
Since that fateful morning, I have been reformulating many of my skin care products to include both Frankincense and Lavender and the results have been nothing short of remarkable. Of all of them, however, it is the face serum that gets most of the credit. The best part is that it comes together quickly with only 4 ingredients.
How to Make an Anti-Aging Face Serum
Ingredients
8 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
7 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Rose Hip Seed Oil
Jojoba Oil
Directions
Add essential oils to a 15ml dropper bottle. Top with 1/3 Rose Hip Oil and 2/3 Jojoba oil.
For a 10ml dropper bottle, use 5 drops of each essential oil.
Use a generous amount twice daily, morning and night. By generous, I mean 1/3 to 1/2 dropper full of serum. The carrier oils, Rose Hip and Jojoba, are very skin friendly and absorb quickly without any greasiness.
Note: This is a 5% dilution.
Better Than Botox? Really?
The first real indication that I was on to something with this serum is when my husband noticed that the fine lines around my eyes had mostly disappeared. I had already noticed that my skin appeared a lot smoother, so much so that I had stopped using a primer under makeup. And holy moly, my skin looked good even without makeup. That was a first for me.
Here is an unretouched photo of the area around my eyes. Keep in mind I am older than dirt (okay, 68 years old) so there is some sagging but the creepy fine lines are gone.
During my working years, I would get Botox injections around the eye area. It was expensive but did a lot for my self-esteem. A number of years back, I stopped the Botox injections not only because of the expense, but because I learned to become comfortable with the aging process. Still, who can deny the boost you get from looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing fewer wrinkles and fine lines instead of more?
The Secret is Frankincense Essential Oil
I have a confession to make. In the past, I have hoarded Frankincense essential oil. I have a number of unopened bottles in my extensive EO inventory yet I would rarely use it due to the expense. It is not that I was ignorant of the many benefits of Frankincense but more that I was being cheap. Kind of silly, really.
That is not to say I shunned it totally. I have used it to heal wounds from cuts, scrapes, and burns while at the same time reducing and fading the appearance of scars. From time to time, I have added a drop or two to other formulas to help with anti-aging. Mostly, though, I have layered Frankincense over other essential oils to enhance that oil’s properties and drive the oils deeper into the cells. This layering was something I would do almost in desperation, again, due to the expense.
I realize I keep mentioning cost. I do purchase my Frankincense from Spark Naturals because I know their quality standards are high and because they sell direct and not through a membership or MLM program. Their product is not the cheapest but in the big picture, it is still less than those OTC products I favored in years past. Plus, for me, it works and works fast.
Which brings up another point. All essential oils, and not just Frankincense, are adaptable. They interact with the unique chemistry of your body in such a way that what works for one person, may not always work quite as efficiently in another. In my case, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, oregano, and melaleuca (tea tree) work for me without fail, every time. These are my go-to’s for almost everything. Other EOs work better for me in blends and when they kick in, they really can carry a punch (blends are also referred to as synergies).
Regardless of the oil, however, adding some Frankincense seems to make every oil I use more effective sooner.
Rose Hip Seed Oil Is Also a Star Ingredient
I would be remiss if I did not include a word about Rosehip Seed Oil. This gentle oil is not at all greasy and absorbs quickly into the skin. Rich in fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, for me it is almost too rich which is why I combine it with Jojoba oil. I found that using it straight resulted in little bumps on the surface of my skin. That is the reason why I blend it with Jojoba oil, a fantastic carrier oil that mimics the sebum in our skin and has a long shelf-life.
Rosehip seed oil has a reputation for correcting dark spots and reducing scars and fine lines which, in addition to the Frankincense, may be why this serum is so darn effective.
The combination of Rose Hip Seed oil and Jojoba oil makes a wonderful synergy. That being said, your experience may be different than mine so feel free to skip the Jojoba oil and use 100% Rose Hip Seed Oil or even 100% Jojoba oil.
Luminous Face Serum – Still a Fantastic Choice
For those of you interested in making up a batch of my tried and true Luminous Face Serum, here is the recipe. Note that this serum uses only two drops of Frankincense versus the eight that are used in my anti-aging serum.
Ingredients
2 drops each of the following essential oils:
Lavender Essential Oil
Frankincense Essential Oil
Geranium Essential Oil
Lemon Essential Oil
Basil Essential Oil
Directions
Add the essential oils to a 15 ml glass dropper bottle (1/2 ounce) and top with Jojoba oil (or another carrier). Alternately, double the oils and create a salve by adding the oils to a 1-ounce jar of Base Salve (recipe here). Use twice daily, morning and night.
Note: This is a 3.5% dilution
A Word About My Favorite Essential Oils
Since the beginning of 2019, I have struggled with the fact that I have primarily been using essential oils from a single company. On many levels, it was time for a change.
Alas, this was easier said than done since I needed to assess the performance of various EOs in my tried and true salve and roller ball formulas. In addition, I wanted to find a budget-friendly company that offered 100% free shipping all of the time.
My first successful tests have been with essential oils from Plant Therapy. This was a logical choice since Plant Therapy has always been my preferred source for carrier oils such as Fractionated Coconut oil and Jojoba oil. They carry a huge variety of EOs and are available to purchase directly both on the Plant Therapy website and on Amazon. As a bonus, their web site posts test results individually by oil along with the corresponding batch number. This assures me that the oils are not fake.
While there are many excellent EO companies, I am happy with my choice and hope you will check them out. Wherever you decide to purchase your oils, let your nose guide you. If your essential oil smells like paint thinner, return it. Good oils smell nice.
Suggested reading: The Snarky and Surprising Truth About Essential Oil Companies
Summing It All Up
In the back of my mind, a little voice is suggesting that the phenomenal results from using this anti-aging serum may be the result of my skin becoming used to the Luminous Face Serum I have been using for years. I hold out that could be true but I don’t think so. After just a month, the change in my skin tone is so remarkable that I have to believe that it is the magical combination of oils in this serum that is producing such a dramatic result.
I also want to remind you that you don’t have to be a woman, nor do you have to possess mature skin to reap the benefits of this serum. My husband, Shelly, has started using it and so have a number of my younger friends. They are seeing similar results which can only get better over time.
Yours for a Joyful Life,
Gaye
Strategic Haul
Back in the day, I would end each article with a list of products related to the post. In all cases, these were products I purchased myself, used, and felt comfortable recommending. Here are today’s suggestions, aptly named, “The Strategic Haul”.
Spark Naturals Essential Oils: With a few exceptions, I purchase all of my essential oils from Spark Naturals. That is not to say that there are not other fine essential oil companies out there, because there are. But these are my favorite oils and over the years, I have learned to trust the company, their products, and their customer service. The oils used in this anti-aging face serum are Frankincense Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil. and Rose Hip Seed Oil.
Jojoba Oil: I purchase the Plant Therapy brand of Jojoba Oil. I like that it is light and odorless, yet is non-greasy. More and more I use this instead of Fractionated Coconut Oil (liquid coconut oil) in my DIY skin care products.
15 ml Dropper Bottles: I can not express how happy I am with these dropper bottles purchased from Amazon. You get 24 for one low price and they are so darn affordable, I often remove the dropper top and use it to replace the orifice dropped that comes with the essential oils. The price for all 24 can vary but the cost is typically $9.99 to $12.99. Such a great deal and best of all, these do not leak!
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I think I might try this. I’ve been using coconut oil, almond oil and beeswax top to bottom for about a year and a half, and it has made a difference. I make large batches since a few of my friends have fallen in love with it too. But, my “mature” face needs a little more help!
You will be surprised at the boost a few drops of essential will give to your current blend. I know what you mean about big batches. I give away tons of my Miracle Healing Salve. People are astounded at how effective it is. https://strategiclivingblog.com/diy-anti-aging-serum-using-essential-oils/
My biggest issue with EOs are the scent. I seriously don’t like the smell of Frankincense or Lavender. And Tree Tea oil is the worst. Sure, there are a few that smell great. I REALLY want to like the scents but I can’t imagine smelling Frankincense and Lavender all day on my skin.
What to do . . .
This is such a light dilution that I don’t even smell the oils. I do smell the Rose Hip Seed oil, though. To me it is nut-like and not an altogether great smell when used solo. What brand of essential oils are you using? Some brands smell bad. I had a Lavender I purchased on Amazon for testing and it smelled like paint thinner. I also have a Lavender from Rocky Mountain Oils that smells vile. Just FYI if you purchase from a reputable EO company or even Amazon, return it if it smells bad.
I forgot to ask: what are the essential oils that smell nice to you? That might give me a clue to what oils I can recommend to you (if any).
Of the ones I own: I like lemon, orange, rose, clove, coriander, peppermint; not crazy about lavender, frankincense, palmrosa, tea tree, spearmint. Those are the only singles I have. I’ve mostly bought blends – some I like, some I don’t.
I can’t remember: do you have any experience using argan oil? I was lucky enough to find a bottle of organic argan oil-based body cream awhile back and realized several months later the obstreperous age spots on my hands had faded to almost imperceptible. This, for me, was a revelation.
I’ve purchased all the supplies but have never taken the next step to concocting any of your recipes. Soooooon, I keep telling myself. Soon.
We have concoction acquisition:
10 drops of Frankincense EO
10 drops of Lavender EO
1 part Rose Hip Seed Oil
2 parts Argan Oil
Add to a 10 ml cobalt roller bottle and apply. (This comes nowhere near to filling the bottle. Maybe I’m not using enough of the carrier oils?)
I have no idea yet if it’s doing anything but it smells heavenly. One could become addicted.
Nicole – 20 drops in a full 10ml roller bottle represents a 10% dilution. Since you indicate the bottle is not full, your dilution is stronger than that. If it were me, I would top the roller bottle with additional carrier oil. 10% is a strong dilution and any more then that will probably not deliver much in the way of extra benefits. In addition, you may develop a sensitivity to the oils. On the other hand, you may be fine but better to be safe than sorry.
BTW, I have used Argan oil but don’t care for the feel of it on my skin when compared to some of the other carrier oils. I do use it in my hair as a serum and also on my cuticles. I really should experiment more with it.
Yikes, math is not my strong suit. More carrier oil, coming up! Thanks.
I’ve been using Trader Joe’s 100 percent Organic Argan Oil. I just tested it against the Rose Hip Seed Oil and they both seem to adsorb at about the same rate on my skin. YMMV. The Rose Hip Seed oil smells similar to cocoa butter to me. (I was expecting it to smell like roses, silly me.) I would never have tried it without your recommendation, which would have been a loss on my end.
There seems to be some lag time in your server processing comments. Your 9:30 am response just showed up a little while ago. My post from yesterday took several hours to be visible. Just an FYI.
And of course this showed up right away. Stupid technology.
Could be caching at your ISP, on your device, or on my server. It happens to me sometimes but mostly it is a huge annoyance. So yes, stupid technology.
Gaye,
Does this serum help with skin tone? My skin tone is rather blotchy.
I can’t really say for sure since my skin and freckled so any variations in color would be hidden, unless, of course, they were adult acne related. That said, in my studying of EOs, I have learned that both rosehip seed oil and Frankincense reduce the appearance of age spots so it would make sense that it would work.
Gaye, I contacted you a while back about my horrible cuticles. I have been using your four-ingredient serum on my nails & cuticles, and I wish I could send you a picture–they’re gorgeous now! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Oh my gosh! I am thrilled that it worked for you and that you let me know!!!