The process behind formulating the Face Oil
The creation of the face oil began as an idea long before it came to fruition.
In 2019 I was deep into my healing journey, using Apitherapy. When you experience the medicine of honey bees it captivates you beyond belief. I fell in love with bees and their deep healing potential, as I was experiencing the transformation first hand. During my studies of apitherapy, I also learned about bee products for skin health. As far back as the ancient Egyptian era, the skin-enhancing properties of honey had been well documented and utilized.
A few years ago I started experiencing issues with my skin which I now know was a weakened and damaged skin barrier from overusing exfoliants. I truly had no idea what was going on at the time. My skin was burning, red, dry and flaky. I had perioral dermatitis and red blemishes covering my face. I tried all of the natural beauty products that seemed to work wonders for others but ended up exacerbating my skin symptoms. If anyone has experienced prolonged skin problems my heart goes out to you because it is so frustrating, and mentally exhausting.
If you’re dealing with a severely damaged skin barrier less is truly more. I started using manuka honey to cleanse my skin and as a face mask and began formulating the face oil. I read about the benefits of propolis for skin barrier health and it all clicked. Propolis is the barrier of the hive. It protects and seals the hive along with its antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Essentially it’s the bees external immune system. Applied to the skin, it has delivers the same properties.
I began experimenting with different carrier oils and sourcing propolis. Honey bees travel and collect pollen a few miles from the hive so it was important to me that the propolis came from a hive that was no where near fields or farms that sprayed pesticides. I wanted the pollen they collected to be completely natural, free from pesticides and herbicides. I found a nature reserve a few hours outside of the city that ticked all of the boxes.
Next came the formulating. It was important to me to learn as much as I could about the anatomy of the skin, its barrier and how to properly formulate and preserve a product. I enrolled in an organic skincare formulation course and started testing different oils and propolis infusions. We cold infuse our propolis in organic jojoba oil in order to preserve all of it’s miraculous properties. This is a 14 day process but is absolutely worth it.
I went through many versions and variations until I landed on the perfect synergy. Gentle yet effective. I wanted a formulation that was suitable for sensitive skin but rich in skin healing and rejuvenating properties. It’s my go-to face oil. I’ve been using it exclusively for about two years now and my skin is truly the healthiest its ever been. I hope you love it just as much.
