With Valentine´s Day around the corner what would be a more lovely way to remember your loved one or a friend than a home made oil serum? (Actually I do know of an even better gift, one that has been called a work of art that will revolutionise the concept of skin care).
I created an oil serum recipe for you, that can be used for face and body and will pamper all your senses. The essential oil of Rose would have suit the occasion perfectly, but thinking of this recipe I felt the need for something refreshing and light myself and the first thing that came to mind was Neroli, orange blossom. Neroli renews the skin and and is good for dry, ageing and couperosa skins. I also wanted to bring a breeze of aphrodisiac into the mix so alongside Neroli I chose Jasmin, which beautifully blend together. Sandalwood is known for it´s calming effect on the nervous system and it is often used for example with meditation. Sandalwood is wonderful for treating sensitive and itchy skin and because of it´s skin brightening effect it is great for oily skin as well.
For base oils I chose jojoba oil which by it´s composition is similar to the skins own sebum, sesame oil which is the base for Ayurvedic skin care and is quickly absorbed by the skin, and for the third base oil I chose argan oli which contains plenty of antioxidants and unsaturated fats and is great for treating scars and ageing skin.
You can find all the base oils and essential oils from Taoasis, which is my one of my top choices for ingredients in DIY cosmetics. All of their products are organically grown and some of them are even grown by Demeter biodynamic farm standards. Having used essential oils for a good while I have seen the differences of quality in them. I truly do encourage you to invest in high-quality essential oils where both the method of manufacturing and cultivation are important factors. I have found the best oils from Neal’s Yard Remedies and Taoasis.
Valentine´s Oil
15 ml jojoba oil
20 ml sesame oil
15 ml argan oil
24 drops of Neroli essential oil (2 % neroli oil)
15 drops of Jasmin essential oil (2 % jasmin oil)
6 drops of Sandalwood essential oil (8 % sandalwood oil)
The Taoasis essential oils that I use are dilutions made in a jojoba oil base. Neroli, Jasmin and Sandalwood are all quite pricey and strong essential oils and are often prepared and sold as dilutions instead of 100% essential oils. The scent of the Valentine´s Oil is pretty mild because of the diluted essential oils, so if you want to you can add more essential oil, but always one drop at a time so you don´t end up with a overpowering scent. (If you are working with 100% essential oils use 8 drops of Neroli, 5 drops of Jasmin and 2 drops of Sandalwood.)
Start by mixing the base oils in a clean bowl. Add the essential oils and thoroughly mix to blend everything together. Pour the mixture into a sanitised 50 ml glass bottle. Decorate the bottle with a hand made label and a silk ribbon or let your imagination fly. The oil will keep good until the best before date on your oldest base oil.
Photos Katja Kokko
Translated by Mariko Pajalahti
