Despite my very dedicated skincare routine...
By contributor Allie White, our friend and copywriter who’s always willing to do the work for us -- and you.
One of the great things about covering beauty and self-care for a living is testing out a lot (and I mean a lot) of products. One of the worst things about covering beauty and self-care for a living is testing out a lot (and I mean a lot) of products. (Charles Dickens said that, right?)
I’ve been a skincare guinea pig for years. And while having a bathroom that more closely resembles a beauty store can be fun, it can also be tremendously overwhelming. Turns out, my skin thrives on consistency so constantly testing different cleansers and oils and toners and masks isn’t ideal. After a lot of trial and error, and many days of painful, red, overstimulated skin, I finally figured out a slate of products that worked for my face, and I’ve stuck to them for a while now. All this to say, I’m hesitant to add something new to my routine; something would have to be really special or feature a hero ingredient so intriguing I couldn’t possibly pass. Which is exactly how I found myself agreeing to incorporate a new product into my routine for the first time in well over a year.
The thing that was too alluring to ignore? Mara’s Universal Face Oil. At first glance, I thought, “Really? Another face oil?” But then I noticed one of its star ingredients was moringa and wondered, “how would this superfood darling play on skin?” Followed quickly by, “oh, algae and plankton too? Interesting…” I decided the Universal Face Oil was too unique to pass up and made a deal with myself to give it a try for one week: enough time to see if it had a positive impact on my skin but not so long that if my face freaked out, the damage would be irreversible. Read on for a glimpse into how it went. (Spoiler alert: the week is up and this oil has earned a permanent spot in my medicine cabinet.)
Day 1: Decide to wait until nighttime to test out and cautiously replace regular oil with the Universal Face Oil. Read Mara’s directions and promptly disregard — half a dropper of the oil feels like a lot for someone prone to oily skin; stick to my standard four drops. Warm oil between palms and gently press it into my face over a toner and hyaluronic acid serum. Decide to forgo topping it with a moisturizer so I can really get a sense of how hydrating it is. Fall asleep.
Day 2: Wake up feeling not-at-all rested and immediately dread the rest of the day. Drag myself to the bathroom and lo! My face is...glowing? My skin looks like I just slept for 10 hours? And drank a gallon of water? The marionette lines I’m usually self-conscious about are almost imperceptible? What is this sorcery?! Write this all off as a lighting trick and proceed as normal. Realize incredible skin is not a fluke when my husband — he who notices nothing — comments that I “look really happy” at 8am and coworkers on two different video calls ask if I cut my hair “or something.” Decide to perform nighttime skincare routine several hours earlier than usual in hopes that the extra time will prove to work even more magic tomorrow.
One of the great things about covering beauty and self-care for a living is testing out a lot (and I mean a lot) of products. One of the worst things about covering beauty and self-care for a living is testing out a lot (and I mean a lot) of products. (Charles Dickens said that, right?)
I’ve been a skincare guinea pig for years. And while having a bathroom that more closely resembles a beauty store can be fun, it can also be tremendously overwhelming. Turns out, my skin thrives on consistency so constantly testing different cleansers and oils and toners and masks isn’t ideal. After a lot of trial and error, and many days of painful, red, overstimulated skin, I finally figured out a slate of products that worked for my face, and I’ve stuck to them for a while now. All this to say, I’m hesitant to add something new to my routine; something would have to be really special or feature a hero ingredient so intriguing I couldn’t possibly pass. Which is exactly how I found myself agreeing to incorporate a new product into my routine for the first time in well over a year.
The thing that was too alluring to ignore? Mara’s Universal Face Oil. At first glance, I thought, “Really? Another face oil?” But then I noticed one of its star ingredients was moringa and wondered, “how would this superfood darling play on skin?” Followed quickly by, “oh, algae and plankton too? Interesting…” I decided the Universal Face Oil was too unique to pass up and made a deal with myself to give it a try for one week: enough time to see if it had a positive impact on my skin but not so long that if my face freaked out, the damage would be irreversible. Read on for a glimpse into how it went. (Spoiler alert: the week is up and this oil has earned a permanent spot in my medicine cabinet.)
Day 1: Decide to wait until nighttime to test out and cautiously replace regular oil with the Universal Face Oil. Read Mara’s directions and promptly disregard — half a dropper of the oil feels like a lot for someone prone to oily skin; stick to my standard four drops. Warm oil between palms and gently press it into my face over a toner and hyaluronic acid serum. Decide to forgo topping it with a moisturizer so I can really get a sense of how hydrating it is. Fall asleep.
Day 2: Wake up feeling not-at-all rested and immediately dread the rest of the day. Drag myself to the bathroom and lo! My face is...glowing? My skin looks like I just slept for 10 hours? And drank a gallon of water? The marionette lines I’m usually self-conscious about are almost imperceptible? What is this sorcery?! Write this all off as a lighting trick and proceed as normal. Realize incredible skin is not a fluke when my husband — he who notices nothing — comments that I “look really happy” at 8am and coworkers on two different video calls ask if I cut my hair “or something.” Decide to perform nighttime skincare routine several hours earlier than usual in hopes that the extra time will prove to work even more magic tomorrow.
Day 3: This oil is incredible. Again, wake up looking fresh as a daisy with skin that in no way betrays another restless night of non-sleep. Am so jazzed about my whole face situation that I decided to put on jeans and a top, neither of which contain elastic. Bring it on, world!
Days 4-6: At this point, it’s clear that Mara’s Universal Face Oil is the real deal and my skin loves it as much as I love what it’s doing for my skin. Instead of trying to find different ways to gush for days four through six, I’m going to break down why this stuff is so great.
First thing’s first, the Universal Face Oil is free of all synthetics: no fragrance, no parabens, no added color, no phthalates, no PEGs (polyethylene glycols, petroleum-based compounds used as thickeners, softeners, moisture carriers, and as, uh, laxatives). While not super unique for clean skincare, what makes this especially impressive is that the oil’s ingredients aren’t all that common in skincare and so require clever, delicate formulating and handling.
When it comes to actives, this oil is packed with a potent combination of nutrient-dense ingredients. There’s superfood standout moringa oil, which is packed with over 90 nutrients, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, and nearly 50 antioxidants, all of which work to seriously hydrate thirsty skin and impart a lasting glow. Baobab oil is a vitamin C powerhouse that brightens skins like nobody’s business. Watermelon seed oil harnesses the power of its fatty acids to heal dry skin and balance moisture. Turning to the power of the sea, we’ve got plankton (!!) to help lock in moisture and brown algae extract to slow down cellular aging. The latter also contains an insane concentration of phytonutrients to help all the ingredients work well together, and omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, best friends and allies of collagen and elastin.
With an ingredient deck like this, it’s no wonder Mara’s Universal Face Oil fully delivers on its promise to calm, restore and illuminate skin.
Day 7: Still obsessed with this oil. Officially add it to my regular nighttime routine — the first time I’ve switched things up in over a year. Welcome to the team, Universal Face Oil.
First thing’s first, the Universal Face Oil is free of all synthetics: no fragrance, no parabens, no added color, no phthalates, no PEGs (polyethylene glycols, petroleum-based compounds used as thickeners, softeners, moisture carriers, and as, uh, laxatives). While not super unique for clean skincare, what makes this especially impressive is that the oil’s ingredients aren’t all that common in skincare and so require clever, delicate formulating and handling.
When it comes to actives, this oil is packed with a potent combination of nutrient-dense ingredients. There’s superfood standout moringa oil, which is packed with over 90 nutrients, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, and nearly 50 antioxidants, all of which work to seriously hydrate thirsty skin and impart a lasting glow. Baobab oil is a vitamin C powerhouse that brightens skins like nobody’s business. Watermelon seed oil harnesses the power of its fatty acids to heal dry skin and balance moisture. Turning to the power of the sea, we’ve got plankton (!!) to help lock in moisture and brown algae extract to slow down cellular aging. The latter also contains an insane concentration of phytonutrients to help all the ingredients work well together, and omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, best friends and allies of collagen and elastin.
With an ingredient deck like this, it’s no wonder Mara’s Universal Face Oil fully delivers on its promise to calm, restore and illuminate skin.
Day 7: Still obsessed with this oil. Officially add it to my regular nighttime routine — the first time I’ve switched things up in over a year. Welcome to the team, Universal Face Oil.
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