Pomegranate Seed Oil And Frankincense Magic: DIY Anti Aging Face Serum

Everyone eats the pomegranate the same way.

You pick out the ruby bits, crunch them, and quietly spit the hard little seeds into a napkin.

Those seeds are the part your skin wants.

Pressed, they give up a thick, golden-red oil that’s roughly three quarters punicic acid, a fatty acid so rare it’s named after the fruit itself. It takes something like 200 pomegranates to fill one small bottle.

And for centuries it was basically thrown away as a by-product of juice making.

Add a few drops of frankincense, a resin people have burned for gods since before anyone wrote things down, and you have the makings of a DIY anti aging serum with an unusually good pedigree.

The problem is that most recipes for it were written by people who like the sound of the ingredients more than they understand them. So I’m going to walk you through what pomegranate seed oil can genuinely do, what frankincense can’t, why a spoonful of castor oil belongs in there, and exactly how to make anti-aging oil that holds up in a bottle and on your face.

I’m Patri Hernández, a certified organic skincare formulator and dermocosmetic technician with a background in health coaching. Botanical oils, essential oil safety and evidence-informed natural skincare are what I do all day, so I’ll be looking at this recipe the way a formulator does, not the way a caption does.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. That never influences what I recommend; I only suggest ingredients and tools I believe are worth your shelf space.

Why this DIY anti aging serum works (and why most recipes don’t)

Let’s get the uncomfortable bit out of the way first.

A face oil does not rebuild collagen the way a retinoid does.

It does not undo the sun damage you collected in your twenties.

What it does is quieter, and more useful than people give it credit for.

It seals water into your skin. It calms low-level inflammation. It delivers antioxidants and fatty acids to a barrier that’s getting thinner and lazier every year.

Do that every night for six months and skin looks plumper, calmer and more even. That’s the honest version of “anti-aging”.

The recipes that fail are the ones that treat oils like decoration. Five expensive ingredients, no logic, and a blend that goes rancid in the cupboard.

Every oil in this one has a job.

Anti-aging serum ingredients: what each one actually does

Pomegranate seed oil

This is the star, so let’s be clear about what it is.

Cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil is 65 to 80 percent punicic acid, a conjugated omega-5 fat you’ll struggle to find anywhere else on the planet.

Back in 2006, researchers found it stimulated keratinocyte growth and mildly thickened the epidermis in skin organ culture. In plain English: it helped the outer layer renew itself.

A 2025 lab study found it dialled down inflammatory markers in skin cells and sped up wound closure in fibroblasts by about 20 percent.

Another 2025 study, annoyingly, saw it slow cell proliferation at the doses tested.

That contradiction is normal for an oil that’s still being properly studied. Take it as a well-founded barrier and antioxidant oil, not a wrinkle eraser with a lab coat.

Texturally, it’s rich and a little heavy. Neat on the face, it feels like too much. In a blend, it’s lovely.

Frankincense essential oil

Here’s the myth I see repeated on roughly every recipe going.

“Frankincense is anti-aging because of its boswellic acids.”

It isn’t. Not the essential oil, anyway.

Boswellic acids are big, heavy, non-volatile molecules. They stay in the resin. Steam distillation leaves them behind, and what ends up in your bottle of frankincense essential oil is mostly alpha-pinene and limonene.

The clinical trial everyone cites (30 days, split face, real improvement in roughness and elasticity) used a cream with 0.5 percent boswellic acids extracted from the resin.

Different product. Different chemistry.

So why keep frankincense at all?

Because alpha-pinene has genuine anti-inflammatory activity in lab studies, the oil is gentle at low dilution, and it smells like the inside of an old stone church. That last one matters more than you’d think for a product you’re meant to use every night.

Just don’t confuse the supporting act with the headliner.

Castor oil

Castor oil and frankincense together are one of the most searched face oil pairings online.

For once, the internet is right.

Castor oil is about 90 percent ricinoleic acid, an odd hydroxy fatty acid that makes it thick, glossy and cushiony. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel assessed it as safe as a skin-conditioning agent, and despite its texture it sits low on the comedogenic scale.

On its own it’s far too viscous for the face.

At around 15 percent of the blend, it does three things: adds slip, tames the heaviness of pomegranate, and helps the whole thing stay put overnight instead of vanishing into your pillow.

One thing to know: castor oil can boost the penetration of whatever it’s mixed with. Which is exactly why the essential oil stays at a modest dose.

Jojoba oil and vitamin E

Nobody writes pins about jojoba.

Nobody should skip it either.

Jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax, close to your own sebum, and almost impossible to turn rancid. It lightens the blend and roughly doubles its shelf life.

Vitamin E is your insurance policy. Pomegranate’s conjugated fats oxidise faster than most, and an oxidised oil is the opposite of anti-aging. A few drops slow that right down.

Is pomegranate really the best oil for face anti aging?

No single oil is best for everyone. That’s marketing, not formulation.

Here’s how the popular anti aging oils for face line up, in shorthand:

  • Pomegranate seed oil: barrier support, antioxidants, epidermal renewal in lab studies. Rich.
  • Rosehip oil: high in linoleic acid plus a little natural vitamin A. Great for tone and texture. Oxidises fast.
  • Sea buckthorn oil: the same logic as pomegranate, very orange, can tint fair skin.
  • Argan oil: balanced, well tolerated, moderate antioxidant content.
  • Squalane: the lightest, brilliant for oily skin, no antioxidants of its own.

Dry or mature skin? Pomegranate is an excellent pick.

Oily or combination? Swap half the pomegranate for squalane and you’ll be much happier.

What you need

Makes about 30 ml.

Measure with a syringe or measuring spoons, not by eye. Thirty millilitres is far less oil than it sounds.

How to make anti-aging oil: the castor oil and frankincense recipe, step by step

  1. Wash and dry your bottle and dropper completely. Water is the one thing that can spoil an oil-only product.
  2. Pour in the jojoba first. It’s the thinnest, and everything else blends into it more easily.
  3. Add the pomegranate seed oil, then the castor oil. Castor pours like honey in winter. Wait for it.
  4. Add the vitamin E.
  5. Add the frankincense last, counting the drops. Six. Not “about six”.
  6. Cap the bottle and roll it between your palms for a minute. Don’t shake it; you’ll whip oxygen into the oil.
  7. Write the date on the bottle.

That’s the entire anti aging face oil recipe. No heat, no emulsifier, no preservative, because there’s no water for anything to grow in.

How to use your DIY face oil for anti aging

Night time. Slightly damp skin. After any water-based serum, before or instead of moisturiser.

If you’re not sure where an oil belongs in a routine, this guide to the correct order of skincare products settles it.

Three to five drops for the whole face. Warm them between your fingertips and press them in. Rubbing just moves oil around.

Honestly, this serum and a gentle cleanser is most of what a good simple natural face routine needs. Skin usually wants less than we give it.

Expert tips and the mistakes I see most often

  • Patch test every batch. Inside of the elbow, 48 hours. Yes, even if the last batch was fine.
  • It is not sunscreen. Pomegranate shows photoprotective activity in lab models. That is not SPF. Morning sunscreen stays.
  • Don’t double the frankincense. More scent is not more benefit, and oxidised pinene-rich oils are known sensitisers.
  • Read the pomegranate label. Some “pomegranate oil” is sunflower oil with a whisper of extract. You want cold-pressed Punica granatum seed oil, deep gold, faintly fruity and nutty.
  • Adjust for your skin. Too rich? More jojoba. Too thin? Nudge the castor oil up to 7 ml.

Safety first

This is a cosmetic, not a treatment. Active acne, rosacea, eczema or any diagnosed skin condition means a word with a dermatologist before adding new oils.

Frankincense at 1 percent is generally well tolerated. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children, I’d leave the essential oil out entirely. The blend works fine without it.

Castor oil irritates a small number of people. Stinging or redness means it comes out of the recipe.

On prescription retinoids or acids? Use this at a different time of day at first, so you know which product is doing what.

Storage and shelf life

Cool, dark, tightly capped.

A bathroom windowsill is the single worst place you could keep it.

Made with vitamin E, expect three to six months of freshness. If it starts smelling like old crayons or window putty, it’s oxidised. Bin it. Oxidised oil makes the free radicals you’re trying to avoid.

Unopened pomegranate seed oil keeps about a year in the fridge.

Turn it into a DIY anti aging body oil

The same logic scales up beautifully, and the body can take a heavier hand.

For 100 ml: 40 ml jojoba or sweet almond, 30 ml pomegranate seed oil, 30 ml castor oil, 10 drops vitamin E and 20 drops frankincense (still 1 percent).

Apply to damp skin straight out of the shower.

The extra castor oil is deliberate. On the décolletage, hands and shins it gives that satiny, held-in feel that thin oils never manage.

FAQ

Can I use this DIY anti aging serum in the morning?

You can, but oils and sunscreen don’t layer well. Use it at night, or use a tiny amount in the morning and let it fully absorb before SPF.

Will pomegranate seed oil stain my pillowcase?

A little, if you overdo it. Three to five drops pressed in properly won’t.

Can I swap the frankincense?

Yes. Lavender or geranium at the same 1 percent are gentle choices. Skip citrus oils; several are phototoxic.

Is this serum suitable for oily skin?

Swap half the pomegranate for squalane and drop the castor oil to 3 ml. That version suits most combination skin.

How long before I see anything?

Hydration and barrier improvements within a couple of weeks. Fine lines need a realistic three months of consistent use, and realistic expectations.

Conclusion

The magic here isn’t magic.

It’s a rare, rich seed oil doing barrier work, a spoonful of castor oil holding it in place, and a small, sensible dose of a resin that smells like history.

Make it properly, store it properly, wear your sunscreen, and it becomes one of those quiet habits your skin genuinely notices over time.

References

Love, Patri xx

Patri Hernandez is a Certified Health Coach (IIN), Certified Organic Skincare Formulator, and Co-Founder of My Klarity Health. A member of the International Association for Health Coaches, she brings over a decade of holistic wellness experience to every article combining evidence-based health coaching with ongoing studies in herbalism, aromatherapy, and dermo-cosmetics. At Oh Mighty Health, her mission is simple: make expert knowledge feel genuinely useful in your everyday life.

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