Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered who that person was?  I know the process of aging takes time but somewhere in our 30’s to 40’s our skin- especially our face starts to change.  Our ability to produce natural oil decreases and our face after cleaning can often feel crackly and dry.  

My nightly ritual involves giving myself a gentle and cleansing facial with our Sweet Island Oil.  There are many benefits of using oil over a mainstream face cleaner.  The first thing I notice is how my face doesn’t have that dry, crackly feeling after washing.  In fact, I don’t exactly wash my face, rather I steam clean.  

Here’s my technique for a clean, fresh ready for bed face.

For a nightly spa treatment (and stress reliever) pour a small amount of oil (about dime sized) onto your palms.  Warm the oil by gently rubbing your hands together.  Massage the oil into your face using upward strokes.  Rinse a washcloth under hot water (as hot as you can stand), ringing out excess water.  Gently lay the cloth over your face.  Close your eyes, breath deeply, think of something wonderful and beautiful as the cloth cools down to room temperature.  For a truly relaxing experience, warm the washcloth again and place over your face.  Sweet dreams!

At Dulse & Rugosa, we begin the process of creating our powerful yet pampering oil by infusing virgin olive oil with hand harvested Maine rose hips.  Rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant and our rose hips begin to ripen in Autumn.  We love rose hips because they nourish and protect our skin and work to tone and soften our face.  We love olive oil because it is rich in antioxidants and doesn't clog up pores.  

 We also use rose hip oil, which is made from the hips.  This is one of the best oils for our skin, especially as we get older.  It’s high in essential fatty acids.  These essential nutrients help rejuvenate, regenerate and reduce inflammation.  Basically helping to keep our skin hydrated and supple.

Finally, we blend in a small  amount of Castor Oil.  This is an essential oil for cleansing the skin.  With Castor, a little goes a long way.  It’s a thick, rich oil that blends beautifully to create a powerful, hydrating botanically rich oil.  

It’s best to give yourself an oil cleansing facial before bed.  There is no need to deep clean in the morning- you want to get rid of the day’s stress and debris as well as begin to relax.  If your skin is feeling especially dry as you start your day, massage a few drops on your face and wait a few minutes before applying sunscreen or makeup.