Oil and Water.
The foundation for everything.
The most important thing you can do for your skin.
Simple, nourishing, and transformative.
Surely you’ve heard us talk about this before, right? If you’ve been with us for a while, you know this is a song we don’t stop singing, and by now you might almost be as well versed in the reasoning as we are. If the concept is new to you, read on and we’ll explain what we mean.
Oil and Water is our unique moisture/hydration technique that Evan developed in her esthetics practice to treat both the dryness and chronic dehydration that she was seeing in her clients, as well as to help rebuild the skin’s protective hydrolipid barrier. It was a staple in her practice in the earlier nineties, and it has been the foundation of our skincare line since our inception in 1999.
When we say Oil and Water we are referring to plant oils (our Oil Serums), and plant waters (our HydroSouls). Why Oil and Water? Because these are the two things that make up the top layer of the skin. Within the skin, sweat glands and sebaceous glands work together to produce a thin coating of lipids (oil) and perspiration (water) called the acid mantle, or hydrolipid barrier. This slightly-acidic barrier is the skin’s first line of defense. It allows the skin to self-regulate, detoxify, and balance moisture and hydration levels. It is easily disrupted and stripped by harsh treatment methods (exfoliation, acids, retinols, peels, enzymes, lasers, etc) and modern living (tap water, soap, etc).
This essential, protective and living layer of our skin MUST be intact for the skin to be able to self-regulate, adapt, retain hydration and moisture, detoxify and maintain general health and radiance. So, the answer becomes simple. Oil and Water. The best quality plant oils and plant waters to mimic, recreate, and reestablish a healthy hydrolipid barrier for the skin.
By using Oil and Water we realign our skin with its own innate rhythm, support the skin’s own natural defenses, empower the skin’s ability to detoxify, and enhance the skin’s own moisturizing and hydration strategy.
Beyond mimicking the hydrolipid barrier, when layered together oils hold the waters to the skin, while waters anchor the moisture from the oils more deeply. This pairing is a perfect delivery system for nutrients. Essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and both water-soluble and fat-soluble phytonutrients are delivered and completely bioavailable in this form. Most people who apply a twice-daily application of their Oil Serum and HydroSoul find that this simple pairing provides enough moisture and hydration so that they need nothing else for their skin to feel properly hydrated and moisturized.
With regular use of Oil and HydroSoul you enrich your own relationship with your skin. You notice subtle shifts within it. You better understand what it’s asking for. The longer you use them, the more clearly your skin communicates to you. Sometimes it may ask for more Oil and less HydroSoul, and sometimes it may ask for more HydroSoul and less Oil. Adapting through the seasons of the earth, the seasons of your life, with Oil and HydroSoul, it is easy to find your balance.
Why Oil Serum + Hydrosol?
Builds
Supports and re-establishes the skin’s hydrolipid barrier
Feeds
Ideal delivery system for fat-soluble and water-soluble phytonutrients and antioxidants.
Re-educates
By re-establishing the hydrolipid barrier, skin is better able to self-regulate, self-protect, detoxify and adapt.
Empowers
Skin becomes more resilient, luminous, balanced, and ‘normal.’
Beautifies
Healthy skin that is properly hydrated, moisturized and nourished is beautiful.
Oil & Water
The foundation for optimal skin health: athentic moisture, hydration & deep nourishment.
We are thrilled to introduce you to our new offering — our Oil and Water Pairs.
Our favorite Oil and HydroSoul pairings, sold together as one product, just as they’re intended to be used. As these two products have been formulated and sized to use in conjunction, if applied together daily they will likely be finished around the same time.
These pairs are designed to address the dominant concerns our customers ask about. While there is no wrong choice when selecting your individual Oil Serum and HydroSoul, some synergies work best to treat certain states of the skin. Because of this, we’ve created these specialized, targeted Pairs. Read on to see which Pair is the most appropriate for your current skin state.
Rosehip (Rose) Balancing Serum & Rose Geranium Hydrosol
Ideal for dry, oily, or combination skin.
One of the most universal pairings of Oil and Water, our Balancing Pair is centered around the remarkable plant rose geranium. We think of rose geranium as adermal adaptogen.
Indigenous to Africa, rose geranium now lives and thrives around the world. It grows easily, almost profusely, and has an ability to thrive nearly anywhere. Rose geranium’s ability to thrive wherever it lands communicates to the astute observer its tremendous resilience. When used topically, rose geranium delivers this same adaptability and resilience to our skin. How? Because the matrix of phytochemical constituents within this plant re-educates the skin on how to function properly and find its balance. Particularly skin that is experiencing an imbalance of oil production. Dry skin? Rose Geranium. Oily skin? Rose Geranium. Combination skin? Rose Geranium.
That is why this pair — and our entire Rose Line of products — is so supportive for skin conditions that are usually considered polarities, or unrelated; dry, oily, and combination. Instead of forcing the skin into a state of submission, it empowers the skin to self-regulate.
Rejuvenating and refining Rosehip (Rose) Balancing Serum is ideal for skin that is sun damaged, hyperpigmented, scarred, oily, dry, or combination. Abundant in whole-form trans-retinoic-acid, carotenoids, lycopene, and essential fatty acids, it is a feast for the skin and a dream when paired with our Rose Geranium HydroSoul.
Rosehip (Blue) Calming Serum & Lavender Hydrosol
Ideal for sensitive, irritated, and reactive skin.
Our Sensitive Pair is one of our team-favorites, and also one of our most universal pairings. Most major skin imbalances fall into the category of oil imbalance (oily/dry/combination), or an excessive of heat (troubled, irritated, sensitive, reactive). Both our Balance Pair and our Sensitive Pair have been created to address these vast and dominant issues.
Rosehip (Blue) Calming Serum is our favorite choice for skin that is scarred, hyperpigmented, sun-damaged, reactive, irritated, red, or sensitive. With its naturally occurring abundance of trans-retinoic acid (precursor to authentic Vitamin A), carotenoids, lycopene, and essential fatty acids, rosehip seed oil is one of the most rejuvenating, restorative and transformative oils on the planet. Paired with german chamomile, immortelle, lavender, and carrot seed essential oils, the deep restoration is amplified exponentially.
In addition to being extremely hydrating, our refreshing Lavender HydroSoul is profoundly cooling, calming, and soothing. It is our first choice for hot, irritated, and reactive skin. Its sweet scent is herbaceous and honeyed.
This Pair supports cool, tranquil peace in all skin.
Pomegranate Vitality Serum & Lemon Thyme Hydrosol
Ideal for blemish-prone, troubled, or mature skin.
Pomegranate Repair Serum is a veritable feast for all skin. Abundant in a myriad of diverse antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and phytosterols, this essential-oil free formula is a wonderful choice for hypersensitive skin, an often unrecognized aspect of blemish-prone skin. It features four of our favorite oils: powerhouse pomegranate, rejuvenating rosehip, harmonizing jojoba, and nutrient-super star sea buckthorn berry. Replenishing and restorative, Pomegranate Repair Serum is a perfect ally for skin that needs extra support — be that troubled, blemish-prone, thinning, aging, or mature skin.
Its partner in this Pair is our lovely Lemon Thyme HydroSoul. Lemon Thyme protects and detoxifies while simultaneously being deeply soothing, calming and hydrating. Its sweet, herbaceous, slightly citrusy scent pairs beautifully with the subtly sweet and nutty aroma of Pomegranate Repair Serum.
This pair supports calm, nourished clarity in all skin.
Argan Intensive Facial Serum & Tulsi Hydrosol
Ideal for dry, depleted, devitalized skin.
Our Nourishing Pair is our first choice for skin that is dry, dull, depleted, devitalized and in need of some extra nourishment. It is also our first choice for someone looking to bring more softness and suppleness to their skin.
Argan Intensive Serum delivers a soothing feast of essential fatty acids, softening squalene, revitalizing tocopherol, barrier-supporting saponins, and the plethora of phytochemicals from frankincense, sandalwood, and jasmine essential oils. It is deeply nourishing and revitalizing. Argan is especially abundant in oleic acid (omega 9), an essential fatty acid that is often deficient in dry skin. We exclusively use hand-harvested, hand-pressed argan oil from the Al Amal Women’s Co-operative in our formulations. There is nothing quite like this traditionally processed oil.
Tulsi HydroSoul enlivens, protects, and supports the skin's ability to adapt to the ever-changing rhythms of life. Its slightly spicy, slightly sweet, herbaceous aroma is awakening and revitalizing.
Together this Pair leaves the skin incomparably silky soft and infuses the skin with a vital luminescence.
Neem Immortelle Purifying Infusion & Lemon Thyme Hydrosol
Ideal for congested, blemish-prone, and reactive skin.
This Pair is centered around just a few simple plant allies and is an ideal choice for skin that is at its most troubled, whether that be blemish-prone, congested, and reactive.
Neem Immortelle Purifying Infusion is the union of two infused oils, and a single essential oil. It is one of our most simple, unique and most labor-intensive formulations.
Neem leaf is the star botanical in Ayurveda for troubled, stressed, highly-expressive and congested skin, and our Neem Infusion is traditionally crafted in the Ayurvedic style of herbal oil cured infusion. How? Neem leaf is simmered in water to make a powerfully strong decoction. The decoction is strained, added to organic sesame oil, with more neem leaves, and then the three are gently cooked over a low temperature until the water from the decoction evaporates and you are left with a very concentrated extract of neem infused into the sesame oil.
The Immortelle half of this formulation comes from an infusion based on the traditional western-herbalism technique. Fresh immortelle flowers are infused into extra-virgin, California-grown olive oil for a period of four to six weeks, and then strained. Immortelle is an incredible ally for all skin, but especially skin that is troubled, irritated, and reactive.
We blend these two oils and then add a few drops of immortelle essential oil to complete this purifying and soothing trifecta. Neem Immortelle Purifying Infusion is our first choice Oil Serum for congested, blemish-prone and deeply-troubled skin.
Immortelle HydroSoul adds yet another layer of the powerful plant to this synergy. Calming, soothing, cooling, and rejuvenating, Immortelle HydroSoul is an excellent choice for reactive, scarred, fiery and irritated skin.
This Pair purifies, clarifies and calms like nothing else.
Blue Cactus Beauty Elixir & Frankincense Hydrosol
Ideal for mature, sensitive, and reactive skin.
Lightweight, but therapeutic, this silky Pair is a comforting infusion for skin that is mature, sensitive, and highly reactive.
Our Blue Cactus Beauty Elixir is a customer favorite and features some of our favorite desert botanicals. Prickly pear seed oil, blue tansy, and jojoba. Antioxidant-rich prickly pear seed oil has 150% the Vitamin E in Argan Oil, as well a feast of barrier-supporting phytosterols, free-radical-fighting polyphenols, and skin nourishing essential fatty acids. Jojoba creates the perfect harmony on skin, as it mimics our own skin natural sebum. Cooling blue tansy soothes and pacifies even the most reactive irritated skin. Hawaiian sandalwood supports skin that has seen perhaps a little too much sun and helps to keep skin moisturized. And ylang ylang blossoms calm and balance.
The HydroSoul of this pair? Our favorite sacred, ancient resin — Frankincense. This special plant tones, firms, and refines, while protecting and revitalizing.
This Pair creates an aura of sacredness, protection, and fortification.
Our Oil & Water Essential Combination: