Jarabe Oil - The Why on Every Drop

So, what's the big deal about clave. jarabe oil, anyway!?

Before we get into each ingredient and why it made the cut, let's talk about how I got there.

Formulation Phases

As I've mentioned in my previous blog posts, I always prioritize making things as simple as possible and keeping only what feels necessary for effectiveness. The process of "formulating" clave. jarabe oil all those years ago involved a lot of trial and error when it came to choosing ingredients, how much of each one, and ultimately deciding whether they worked well enough to keep in the next batch.

At times I'd experiment with expensive ingredients after having read so much about them only to find that they didn't always outperform the more moderately priced ingredients I also had access to. Other times I'd use an inexpensive ingredient and realize it was absolutely not the best idea to cut that particular corner.

I tried a lot of things! I read what felt like every DIY, natural, and wellness blog on the internet and while I loved a lot of the recipes I tried they never kept me from wanting to try others that were different. Something just hadn't clicked yet. I wasn't satisfied enough to settle.

If you know me you know... it's very rare I settle, but when I do... I'm all in.

There's A LOT of Information

There is a lot of information on the internet. Correction: There is way too much information on the internet! It's difficult at times to know what to believe and who to trust (with any subject) even when there are studies and other research available to guide us.

In the process of working on finding the right ingredients and recipes for my own products I realized that nothing was ever more important to me than real experience from real people. I wanted to understand their experience and why they chose what they did so I could make a decision for myself. I knew there had to be commonality between their choices and what mine would ultimately be because mostly... we're more the same than we are different!

I say all this to say that even though my choices were based heavily on my own preferences and what worked for me and my very sensitive skin at the time, over the years I've come to realize that if it worked for me and I prefer it... chances are there are A LOT of people that would, too. That's why we're here.

This post isn't a short and sweet marketing summary with an infographic to sell you on these ingredients (maybe I'll do that another time though). This post is for the people (like me) that don't just want to know why the ingredients are actually there and what they are really doing for us, but understand the why and the how as a whole.

If you trust my little corner of the internet... Let's do this!

The Base Oils

The main ingredients in clave. jarabe oil are the base (or carrier) oils. These are the oils that help dilute the potent essential oils in the rest of the formula so they are delivered safely and gently to the skin while providing benefits of their own in the process.

There are many varieties of base/carrier oils out there including sweet almond, grapeseed, and apricot kernel oil to name a few. If you're familiar with natural products you've probably seen a few of these on a product label. 

So, why did I choose the ones that ended up in your bottle of clave. jarabe oil? Here's the list:

Argan Oil - If you're not familiar with many oils, this is probably one of the few you'll recognize. Argan oil has been used for thousands of years (that's not a typo) on hair, skin and nails in Northern Africa where it originates.

Argan oil made the cut because it is very light-weight, absorbs into the skin fairly quickly and has very high levels of vitamin E, fatty acids, oleic acid, and linoleic acid which contribute heavily to hydrating and repairing skin by reducing inflammation. It is also great for all skin types.

The other big factor? It doesn't have an unbearably strong scent like some other carrier oils I tried (no snitching on which ones I don't like).

Jojoba Oil - This ingredient originates from the southwestern part of the United States and northwestern Mexico and was used for centuries by native peoples to treat skin and hair. Discovering this ingredient changed a lot of things for me and ultimately clave. jarabe oil.

Jojoba oil is incredibly light, absorbs into the skin quickly (and deeply), and is rich in vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin D, and fatty acids that help reduce inflammation and increase cell regeneration. It is naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and analgesic (pain relieving), which is key for skin that is acne-prone or has other issues like eczema. Guess what, too? It is also great for all skin types.

The best part? It's not actually an oil at all. Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax ester which is almost identical to the natural oil your skin produces.

What?! Exactly.

This means that jojoba oil can absorb more deeply than other oils and reach the harder to penetrate parts of your skin below the surface delivering all the anti-oxidants along the way while sealing in moisture (aka water) with its wax-like properties. 

It was a no brainer adding this into the formula and keeping it forever, right?

Rosehip Seed Oil - This is a real heavy-hitter as well. Rosehip seed oil is said to have been used by the ancient Egyptians, the Mayans, and other native peoples for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. That's many thousands of years ago. Again, not a typo.

Rosehip seed oil is highly emollient (softening) and moisturizing. It is known to be high in vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K (that's a lot of vitamins!). This means it is great for brightening the skin and aiding in regeneration of cells which in turn improves collagen production and elasticity for powerful anti-aging effects. Aside from that it has high concentrations of linoleic acid which decreases hyperpigmentation and calms inflammation. 

To top it off, although this oil is thicker than the other two base oils, it absorbs well into the skin providing a fantastic moisture seal for your natural skin barrier. 

Almost forgot to mention... It is also great for all skin types.

What a great team, right? With these three base oils I was able to get a sort of "layered" absorption. The argan oil is very light and soaks in quickly while the jojoba oil goes deeper into the skin with it's wax-like properties and the rosehip seed oil seals it all in with a slightly thicker coat of vitamin-rich goodness.

When they are perfectly balanced with each other... It's magic. But wait, there's more...

The Rest of It

Now that you know the main ingredients in clave. jarabe oil and what they're delivering to your skin, let's get into the other potent ingredients that they are carrying with them into your skin.

Essential oils are VERY concentrated and potent, which means a tiny bit goes a very long way for big results. It can sometimes take thousands of plants or flowers to create a few drops of essential oil, so don't take it for granted!

Below are the essential oils I use to mix clave. jarabe oil by hand, drop by drop. Some of these are in much larger quantities than others, but they pack huge benefits for your skin in every single drop.

Rosemary Oil - Aside from being a super potent antioxidant, rosemary oil is highly antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory. This means it's great for killing bacteria in your skin and reducing puffiness and redness by soothing the skin at the same time. It also helps firm your skin by hydrating and stimulating blood circulation in your skin, which in turn helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

The best part? Rosemary oil is slightly astringent, which means it tones the skin by balancing natural oil production to clear up clogged pores, hyperpigmentation, and scars.

One last thing... 

It is also great for all skin types.

Tea Tree Oil - Also known as melaluca oil, this is another highly effective ingredient for soothing and healing your skin. It has been used in its native Australia by ancient Aboriginal peoples for its medicinal properties for centuries. Tea tree oil is highly antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory, which means it is great for killing breakout-causing bacteria and reducing redness overall.

An amazing added benefit is that it's highly antiseptic, so it helps heal wounds or painful breakouts and keeps them from getting infected or spreading by improving circulation and, ultimately, cutting down on healing time.

Lastly, like rosemary oil, this increased blood circulation is great for stimulating skin cell regeneration which keeps your skin fresh and healthy.

Guess what else? Yup! You guessed it...

It is also great for all skin types.

Lavender Oil - Dating back as far as the Ancient Egyptians and the Greeks (among many other cultures), lavender has been used to heal wounds and balance our natural skin barrier for ages.

You've definitely seen this ingredient in A LOT of products, especially in the natural circuit, and although the scent of it alone is enough to make the cut, it has amazing benefits on top of that. Much like tea tree and rosemary oil, lavender oil is highly antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory helping to reduce bacteria and soothe irritation and redness at the same time for clearer, smoother, more even skin.

Packed with antioxidants, lavender oil also helps gently moisturize your skin and balance your skin's oil production while protecting it from free radicals that cause damage and pre-mature aging. 

Do I even have to say this last part? 

It is also great for all skin types.

I found that combining rosemary, tea tree, and lavender essential oil gave me a very powerful, well-rounded trio of bacteria-fighting yet balancing oils to keep any breakouts and redness under control consistently and gently. Each of these three oils can be harsh on your skin in high quantities, but combining them in a certain ratio with each other allowed me to get all the benefits without any of the negatives.

Sweet Orange Oil - Aside from smelling absolutely amazing, this incredible ingredient does so much for your skin it's crazy. 

Sweet orange oil is essentially pure vitamin C, which as I'm sure you know is a BIG HIT in the beauty community (and has been for a long time) with good reason. The huge benefit of vitamin C is its ability to even skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation very effectively and quickly at that. It does this by stimulating your skin for super improved circulation, cell growth, and collagen synthesis. On top of that it is an astringent which means it will shrink, tighten and firm pores while controlling excess oil and reducing dark spots. Who doesn't want all of those things?! 

Sweet orange oil is also a powerful antibacterial and antioxidant, fighting free radicals to keep your skin's elasticity and moisture barrier intact from damage and premature aging.

Do you see a reason not to include this ingredient? Neither did I.

Oh! Almost forgot to say...

It is also great for all skin types.

Rose Absolute Oil - For thousands of years (I'm not even going to get into the list, but let's just say it's LONG), the rose flower and its many benefits have been widely known and coveted. Rose absolute oil is a classically potent ingredient that will never disappear from beauty in general for many reasons. Why would it though? I can't find a single reason...

Rose absolute oil is a little closer to a wax than an oil (sorta kinda like jojoba oil) so aside from the usual antibacterial and antiseptic properties of a potent essential oil, it acts as a highly nourishing and protective ingredient for your skin. It is amazingly softening, moisturizing, smoothing, firming, and regenerating to help eliminate dryness, dullness, dark spots, scarring, irritation, redness, and pretty much anything else your skin has going on. It is more potent than almost any essential oil out there by A LOT.

It is an incredible all-in-one ingredient for all skin types, but especially mature and sensitive skin. So... why isn't it in everything and why aren't we just slathering our faces with this and nothing else? Well... it's expensive. If you've ever bought a bouquet of roses you know these flowers aren't cheap, so imagine getting tens of thousands of them into a steamer to extract a tiny 0.5 oz of this stuff... yea, hard to sell anyone on that. 

The good news is that a little bit of this oil goes a VERY long way and when it's combined with the other ingredients in clave. jarabe oil, you not only get every single benefit of rose absolute oil, but you get a super-charged, multi-layered mixture of potent plant nourishment in every drop. 

The Magical Jarabe Oil

I've taken you through every drop that makes up clave. jarabe oil and why it absolutely needs to be there. When you combine all these amazing ingredients into one perfectly balanced and precise mixture down to the last drop, you get a beautifully hand-crafted and purely all natural oil that keeps your skin healthy by consistently giving it the support and nourishment it needs to balance itself and adjust for the daily changes every living organism faces, both big and small.

Let's face it (pun intended)... Nobody's skin is perfect or flawless. Everyone's skintuation is different, but perfection is really more of a constantly fluctuating balance of staying the same and changing for the better... at the same time. We are beautifully perfect in part BECAUSE we are imperfect and ever-changing. That is our power and our most precious characteristic. When you breathe, your skin breathes with you. When you change, your skin changes with you. All you have to do is give it what it needs to keep up.

Creating and using clave. jarabe oil daily for the last 10 years has helped me embrace this more than I ever imagined and it has never done me wrong, even in the most trying times, and I know it can do the same for you, too.

Trust and believe. 

If you have questions or need a little more detail on your specific skin-tuation that wasn't covered in this post, leave a comment below and we'll help!

 

        Naomi Eduardo