A Truly Wonderful DIY Anti-Aging Facial Oil Blend

By the time you’ll read this entry you’ll know how to make the PERFECT recipe for a truly wonderful anti-aging facial oil blend. You’ll know which carrier and essential oils are PERFECT for your particular mature skin type (normal, dry, sensitive, oily – identify yours by reading this) as well as being able to help with skin conditions like eczema or inflammation.

Best of all, they all offer some form of skin regeneration and can work at repairing your skin barrier and as well as supporting skin structure. Oh, and they’ll give you a wonderful, healthy, natural glow.

What are we waiting for?

Natural Oils Can Help with Aging Skin

Before I tell you about the oils so you can make your perfect anti-aging blend I’d like to show you how these natural oils can (and will!) help when it comes to aging skin. Some people look for the best anti aging facial oil they can get their hands on but I’m afraid that is not possible.

Here’s why, and it makes sense:

Your skin type will be different to someone else’s skin type, so the same oil will not be as effective as on someone else’s skin. This is the case even with mature skin (I wrote an entry here on Mature Skin: How to Identify Your Type – do take a look and see if you can identify your skin type, use the quick skin type guide)
Different oils offer different benefits and most oils are really good at the benefits they offer. A ‘best oil’ for fine lines and wrinkles might not be the ‘best oil’ to offer truly exceptional antioxidant properties, so a combination of both would be desirable if you’re looking for those particular skin benefits. You might want to powerboost antioxidant properties only or you might want the best emollience possible. Or you might want both in one blend. You would need different oils to achieve desired results.

This is why you MUST CHOOSE the best oils FOR YOUR PARTICULAR MATURE SKIN TYPE (again, identify yours reading my post here).

By the time you’re done with this post you’ll be able to mix and match the oils in order to make the PERFECT blend for YOUR skin.

Why Do I Need the Oils?

As your skin gets older here’s what happens:

Your skin becomes drier
Your skin becomes thinner
Your skin becomes more fragile
Your skin looses smoothness
Your skin looses tightness
Your skin bruises more easily
Your skin becomes looser
Appearance of fine lines
Appearance of wrinkles
Loss of cartilage
Your skin starts to droop

In a nutshell:

Repair of the dermis is altered
Loss of connective tissue (epidermis gets thinner, skin loses ability to regenerate)
We produce less collagen (responsible for giving support as we as strength to our skin) which also deteriorates and is the cause of wrinkles)
Elastin fibres change over time and we lose elasticity of our skin resulting in sagging skin
We have less hyaluronic acid which makes the skin look hydrated, supple and soft

And:

The oxygen in the air as well as pollution causes free radicals on our skin (which are responsible for the oxidative stress, a factor when it comes to our skin aging over time)
Then there’s extrinsic aging (lifestyle), our exposure to the elements, diet
Finally, there’s sun exposure (photoaging): the biggest cause of our skin to age!

All of the above is quite a mouthful, uh?

But, it has to be mentioned. Why? Because it is important that WE UNDERSTAND
1) why our skin ages
2) what can we do to prevent it
3) what type of products and ingredients DO work and WHAT do they tackle exactly.

Yes, I’ve written a lot about the topic. Whenever you have time do take a look and learn about your mature skin so you can understand why you need a particular type of skincare.

Would Oils Take Care of ALL of the Above Mature Skin Concerns?

Yes.

All of them.

That’s why I think it is important for you to read about each oil before you choose to make sure it matches your skin type.

Knowing what each oil does is, of course, the best course of action if you truly want to create an exceptional facial oil blend for YOUR skin.

MAKING YOUR FACIAL OIL BLEND & APPLYING

What You’ll Need

To make this facial oil blend you will need:

A 1oz (30ml) blue pipette dropper bottle – GET IT HERE
3 parts of your blend with at least 1 of the below foundational oils
1 part of your blend with at least 1 of the below specialist oils
12 drops frankincense essential oil
Optional: 1/4tsp natural Vitamin E to delay oil rancidity – GET IT HERE

Note: Just use a maximum of two drops of essential oil per 5ml carrier oil (12 drops per 1oz/30ml bottle). Make sure to read the safety information and always make a patch test first.

How to Apply

Simply massage a few drops into your skin. It will absorb fairly quickly leaving you with a healthy and beautiful complexion. **OPTIONAL: YOU CAN APPLY YOUR MOISTURIZER AFTERWORDS, WAIT TIL YOUR FACIAL OIL HAS BEEN ABSORBED BY THE SKIN. Applying your moisturizer afterwords will ‘seal in’ the facial oil plus also add moisture to your skin. I sometimes apply it afterwords, depending on how I feel that day.

When to Apply

Always apply your facial oil AFTER your toner and either before or after your moisturizer. You can mix it with your moisturizer as well. If you also apply serums you can mix it with your serum as well. You can also use it in place of your moisturizer.

Shelf Life & Storage

Check the expiry date of your chosen oils and go by the one that will expire first. That should be the expiry date of your blend (because we’re only using oils there won’t be any microbes in your blend, but your oils will at some point go rancid!) Do not apply if so. You can tell by a sort of ‘off scent’ which is more obvious in some oils than others.

Once you open the oil bottles oxygen gets in and rancidity will eventually occur (Oils go rancid through a chemical reaction that causes the fat molecules in the oil to break down. The whole process is sped up by exposure to air, light and heat). MAKE SURE TO STORE THE OILS YOU BUY IN THE FRIDGE if you want them to last longer once you finish making your blend.

As a guide my blends last around 3 months in the bathroom shelf, around 6 months in the fridge, around 1 year when I add 0.5% vitamin E to the blend and over 1 year when I add vitamin E AND store in the fridge as well. That should give you a really rough idea of shelf life!

So, in order to delay this oxidative process as much as possible these are the things you can do:

Add 0.5% vitamin E to your blend (vitamin E is WONDERFUL for your skin! Check my post here).
Store your blend in the fridge (this will also extend the shelf life of your blend as well as your oils)
Do both of the above (even better!)
MAKE SURE TO STORE THE OILS YOU BUY IN THE FRIDGE. Certain oils go rancid a lot sooner than others so I would place them all in the fridge to be on the safe side.

Let’s Make it! First Choose the Oils According to Your Skin Type

Here’s my list of facial oils that will make a truly wonderful facial oil blend. Remember you can keep it VERY SIMPLE and, for example, just use one of the oils mentioned below. You can blend one carrier oil with one essential oil, you can blend two carrier oils and one essential oil, you can blend two carrier oils with two essential oils, etc etc. The important thing is that all the oils below are FANTASTIC for mature skin. Just make sure to make a 1oz blend with whatever you like!

1. Foundational Oils (3 parts of your blend with at least 1 of the below oils)

The foundational oils I propose are high-quality base oils that will make up the bulk of the blend, like a filler oil. They’re usually inexpensive oils PACKED with great benefits for the skin. Don’t let price make you think they will underperform! These a true gems that WILL provide your skin with wonderful therapeutic benefits.

Choose from the below according to your skin type:

Apricot kernel oil [Suitable for all mature skin types including sensitive]
Avocado oil [Perfect for very dry mature skin types including sensitive]
Camellia seed oil [Suitable for oily mature skin types including sensitive]

**You can opt for more than one if you like

Apricot Kernel Oil (For all mature skin types including sensitive)

This oil is great if you have normal skin (although it is suitable if your skin is dry, oily or sensitive). High in linoleic acid (30-35%) which is great at restoring skin’s barrier function, this oil works as a light moisturizer that absorbs quickly into the skin. Its high oleic fatty acid content (60-65%) helps protect the skin. By the way, as well as the excellent penetration capabilities this oil has anti-fungal properties. Rich in vitamin E, apricot kernel oil is similar to sweet almond oil but more delicate. Its 2% content in palmitoleic acid makes it a great contender for mature skin facial oil blends.

Get Apricot Kernel Oil

Avocado Oil (For very dry mature skin including sensitive)

A wonderfully thick, rich and very penetrating oil for very dry mature skin, perfect if you have scar tissue. This oil is rich in chlorophyll (with beta-carotene, a carotenoid found in chlorophyll with potent antioxidant protection which offer natural protection against the UV rays of the sun. It has a long shelf life of 12 to 18 months so if you keep it in the fridge if should probably last you even longer. With a generous 12% of the rare palmitoleic fatty acid, this is a high contender for mature skin types. It is also high in oleic acid (65-70%) with an nice amount of essential unsaturated linoleic acid (20%) which is great at restoring skin’s barrier function. It hosts an impressive percentage of unsaponifiable healing compounds which include vitamin A,B, D and E, aminoacids and a small amount of the phospholipid lecithin. Rich in phytosterols which help reduce inflammation, help support the skin structures and collagen, prevent cell weakening and age spots and, if that wasn’t enough, it can also regenerate tissues. A truly wonderful oil if your skin tends to be on the drier side.

Get Avocado Oil

Camellia Seed Oil (For oily and/or sensitive mature skin)

Oooh I do love camellia seed oil! A truly favorite of mine, please read my post on camellia seed oil here. This is a fantastic carrier if you have normal, combination or oily skin. In fact, the tannins in camellia seed oil make it a great product for oily skin as they tame the sebaceous glands. With skin healing effects and an excellent emollient (and silkiness beyond your wildest dreams); camellia seed oil is extremely high in monounsaturated oleic acid (80% – look at that number!) presenting fantastic conditioning properties. A non-oily, dry oil (because it doesn’t leave an oily feel), the mentioned above tannins in the oil make it astringent and will help to tighten tissues and condition the skin. With great moisture retaining properties, this oil has vitamins A, B, C and E and squalene, repairs scars, corrects flakiness and soothes irritation. It can also provide ultraviolet protection (helping remedy hyperpigmentation – but please never take an oil as a substitute to your sun protection products!!), and, of course, it is good for rejuvenating the skin. By the way, this oil can also can help with eczema, burns and psoriasis. Besides being ideal for mature skin, this is a beautiful oil for complexion that has lost its tone, leaving the skin soft and supple. A great addition to your facial oil!

Get Camellia Seed Oil

2. Top Up with Specialist Carrier Oils (1 part of your blend with at least 1 of the below oils)

The specialist oils are healing and nourishing oils which can be a bit more expensive because they’re considered to be high-end products. We can use a lot less of these oils than the foundational oils and still make the most of their absolutely wonderful therapeutic properties.

Here are my choices:

Borage seed oil [Perfect for irritated/inflamed mature skin. NOT FOR SENSITIVE SKIN.]
Evening primrose oil [Suitable for all mature sensitive and damaged skin (inflammation, redness, dermatitis, etc) EXCEPT those prone to clogged pores]
Rosehip seed oil [Perfect for normal to dry mature skin, including sensitive]
Pomegranate seed oil [Suitable for all mature skin types, particularly dry skin, sunburned skin, eczema, psoriasis]
Sea buckthorn berry (fruit) oil [Suitable for all mature sin types, particularly good for rosacea and acne. THIS OIL IS A MUST!]

**You can opt for more than one if you like

Borage Seed Oil (For irritated/inflamed mature skin. Also good for dry or oily. NOT FOR SENSITIVE SKIN. DON’T USE IF YOU’RE PREGNANT.)

A great oil for inflamed or irritated skin. NOT FOR SENSITIVE SKIN! Borage seed oil has one of the highest sources of Omega-6 gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), more, in fact, that any other oil known. At around 20% oleic acid borage seed oil softens our skin, moisturizing it and also regenerating skin cells. The linoleic acid acts as an anti-inflammatory helping sooth dry skin as well as itchiness and great at restoring skin’s barrier function although the GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) in the oil helps increase barrier function faster than linoleic acid!, acts to reduce inflammation as well as abnormal cell growth and the stearic acid helps with flexibility of the skin and moisture retention. Borage seed oil can help reduce redness, the ferulic acid (a polyphenol) is an great anti-oxidant, even more powerful than vitamin E. It can reduce age spots and prevent aging of the skin, reducing itching and inflammation and help with conditions like psoriasis. Borage oil is perfectly suited for irritated (non-sensitive), inflammed skin also alleviating redness. This is a great skin-repairing oil!

Borage has not been shown to help when it comes to eczema (although evening primrose oil has). If you have sensitive use evening primrose oil instead of borage.

Get Borage Seed Oil

Evening Primrose OilL (For all mature skin types. Fantastic for inflammation, redness, dermatitis, etc EXCEPT those prone to clogged pores)

A fantastic oil for eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, inflammed skin, dryness, redness, itchiness, chapped skin, etc due to its high amount of gamma-linolenic acid (9 -12%). As a natural astringent it will tighten pores. It is also high in linoleic acid meaning it’ll be great at restoring skin’s barrier function, reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and also helps with dry, itchy skin. High amount of both these acids makes it a super-power oil when it comes to problem skin! Evening primrose oil though is not really suitable for those who tend to get clogged pores because of its comedogenic rating (3 out of 4). I make a blend with evening primrose, hemp seed, borage and black seed oil for problem skin (eczema, etc) and I totally LOVE it.

Get Evening Primrose Oil

Rosehip Seed Oil (For normal to dry mature skin)

One of the best oils for mature skin, rosehip seed oil is a light, non-greasy oil with fast absorption rate. Some find it can be a little too rich for young or acne prone skin. This is a great oil for reducing fine lines, scars and stretch marks, it can also be used for hyperpigmentation and age spots (thanks to its beta-carotene content, an antioxidant). This oil can repair damaged skin as well as improve skin texture and also help boost cell regeneration. With 44% Omega-6 linoleic acid that helps speed up skin’s barrier function and reduce scaling and TEWL, 33% omega-3 linolenic acid help regulate inflammation, and around 15% oleic acid which helps moisturize and soften the skin. With trans retinoic acid also called tretinoin, a delicate molecule and a close relative of vitamin A which at lower levels has been shown to have anti-aging effects. Add to all of this great antioxidants and free radical scavengers and the ability make the skin even, rosehip oil is simply an astonishing oil. Remember: not really a good choice when it comes to those with acne-prone skin.

Get Rosehip Seed Oil

Pomegranate Seed Oil (Great for all types of mature skin. Wonderful for dry skin, sunburned skin, strong anti-inflammatory [eczema, psoriasis])

A highly unusual oil with a long shelf life of 12 to 18 months (and even longer if you keep it inside the fridge), pomegranate seed oil is such a great addition to any mature skincare regime! Yes, this oil is VERY THICK (due to its 70-76% content in punicic acid UNIQUE to this oil) this oil is SO POWERFUL that just a small dab on your finger tip and applying on your face will give you amazing results. A report in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that this oil actually stimulates and regenerates ‘keratinocytes‘, the major cells found in our epidermis, which may actually help to reverse past damage and revive the skin to reveal a fresher and more youthful appearance. Is also provides hydration and collagen support, improves elasticity (promotes collagen and elastin production) as well as helping with dry skin, eczema, psoriasis and sunburned skin. It can also prevent the formation of wrinkles. What I LOVE about this oil is its HIGH CONTENT of vitamin E (an average Vitamin E content of 330mg per 100g) mainly due to it’s high content of ellagic acid (a polyphenolic compound). With Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, proteins and minerals you couldn’t ask more from an oil. Don’t let its thickness put you off: it will absorb deeply into the skin without leaving a residue (it will not clog pores). Just blend with the other oils and enjoy its astonishing benefits.

Get Pomegranate Seed Oil

Sea Buckthorn Berry (Fruit) Oil (Simply EXCELLENT for mature skin and really good for rosacea and acne)

This oil is a skincare necessity! With an astonishing shelf-life of 2 to 3 years, the sea buckthorn plant contains omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9 – the complete omega family! With 6 different fat soluble vitamins, 42 different lipids, 22 fatty acids and 36 flavanoids this oil is the richest natural source of vitamin A (Beta Carotene) and the rare omega 7 palmitoleic acid which helps when it comes to skin repair and regeneration, making it a PERFECT addition to a mature skin facial oil blend. Rich in tocotrienols, carotenoids, tocopherols, it contains Vitamin C which stimulates collagen as well as reducing sun spots, pro-vitamin A which helps to rebuild the skin as it converts into vitamin A, which, as we know is the most potent anti-aging vitamin. This is a POWERFUL antioxidant with incredible high contents of vitamin E (an average content of 290.5mg per 100g), sea buckthorn berry oil is a MUST HAVE in your anti-aging product arsenal. Adding this oil to your facial oil blend will give it superstar properties! I LOVE it and always add to most of my blends.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the goodness in the powerful sea buckthorn berry oil: carotenoids (400-500mg), Beta-carotene(15.70mg), Vitamin A (210-230 IU), Vitamin E (180-250mg), Vitamin K1 (170-200mg), Beta-sitosterol (provitamin D) (250-400mg), Iodine (70-80mcg), Calcium (5.4mcg), Iron (1.7mcg), Magnesium (1.6mcg), Phosphorous (6.5mcg), Zinc (1.5mcg).

All this goodness has one major drawback though: the oil is extremely yellowy-orange intense and WILL add color to your skin (it does go away after some time) so you WANT to mix it at lower levels with foundational oils in order to avoid this (there are no contra-indications to using neat).

Get Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil

3. [OPTIONAL] Supercharge your Blend by Adding 12 Drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense essential oil is GOLD for mature skin. It will add true potency to your blend (although a blend of just base oils will be very powerful on its own, believe me!), please read my post on this magical essential oil here.

Frankincense essential oils is known for its regenerating qualities as well as skin preserving. This oil helps the process of skin cell regeneration and here is the study that proves it. Tonifying and rejuvenating, this is one of the key essential oils for treating aging skin. It can also reduce scar tissue. Neal’s Yard Frankincense range has some of their best award-winning best-selling products! (affiliate link). The essential oil I’m recommending here IS NOT CHEAP (affiliate link) but this is due to sustainability issues to do with the boswellia tree. DoTerra as well as Neal’s Yard have a compromise to make sure the trees are not bled to death (Incisions made into the bark) when it comes to harvesting the sap from the trees. Again, the essential oil is optional in your blend but it will supercharge your facial oil bringing it to the next level and making it a truly powerful, high-end, anti-age skincare product. Please avoid if pregnant.

Get All Frankincense Essential Oils in One! (And Sustainable)

The frankincense from DoTerra has been extracted from 4 different boswellia trees as opposed to other brands’ oils: boswellia carterii, sacra, papyrifera, and frereana!! Truly one of a kind.

4. [OPTIONAL] Longer Shelf-Life with Vitamin E

Adding vitamin E to your facial oil blend will help extend its shelf life but if you want to skip this step simply use within 3 months and/or store in the fridge for up to 6 months (check expiry dates of all your oils which will give you a good idea of the shelf-life of your blend). If you add vitamin E and also store in the fridge your blend will last a much longer time. I usually add around 0.5% vitamin E of the total amount of your blend (around 1/4 tsp).

If you’re not sure do add the vitamin because it has WONDERFUL antioxidant properties, you can read my post on this here.

Get Pure Natural Vitamin E

SUMMARY

Choose 1 or all foundational oils which should make 3 quarters of your blend
Choose 1 or all specialist oils which should make 1 quarter of your blend
Optional: Add 12 drops Frankincense essential oil (per 1oz pipette dropper bottle)
Optional: Add 0.5% vitamin E to delay rancidity (about 1/4 tsp) AND/OR store in the fridge

Here are All the Oils Again

1. My Choice of Foundational Oils

2. My Choice of Specialist Oils

[OPTIONAL] Frankincense Essential Oil

[OPTIONAL] Vitamin E

Why Making Your Own Blend is Terribly Important

I’ve shown you here how to make your own DIY anti-aging facial oil blend which is PERFECT for mature skin. If you followed the post thoroughly you would have also been able to choose in an uncomplicated way the right oil(s) for your particular skin type.

We looked at how each carrier oil performs different functions that helps mature skin with aging issues and concerns. A blend from the above oils will have rejuvenating properties and also promote healthy skin.

I’ve been using facial oils for a long time and let me tell you: you end up getting addicted.

PS: By the way, just in case you’re wondering, there’s no such thing as ‘too many oils’ in a blend. I am part of the Facebook group by Susan M Parker Lipid Love (check out her blog where you can learn quite a lot about oils. Susan is also author of Power of the Seed, note this is an affiliate link) and I very well remember when attending a podcast how she mentioned you can add as many oils to a mix as you like (we actually discussed adding 20+ different carrier oils and Susan said that was still absolutely ok, you would still get their benefits).

Needless to say this oil is nothing beats pure, organic and 100% natural.

Of Interest

Here’s my ULTIMATE Guide to Natural Facial Oils which includes DIY facial serum recipes. **A note: even though at the time I called facial serums in truth they’re facial oils. See my entry here on the difference here between a facial serum and a facial oil.