Skincare can get so complicated, having healthy skin should be easy! But there's so many products, serums, tonics - things you “should” be using to keep your skin healthy, soft, happy. Sometimes it all just gets to be too much! We think having glowing healthy skin should be accessible and easy to understand, and we’re here to break it down for you. 

Our Unmarked Serum is an excellent choice whether you’re young or old, new to skincare or been in the game for years. We’ve crafted a serum where each ingredient is natural and purposeful. Read below to see how each one benefits your skin, and understand the power of these plant oils and how they influence your skin.  

Base oils - A nourishing base to carry the powerful essential oils in our Serum: 

• persea gratissima oil (avocado oil):
• Moisturizing base, rich in vitamin E and potassium,

  which are excellent moisturizers and nourishing for your skin.

• oryza sativa bran oil (ricebran oil):
• Contains omega-6 fatty acids, a type of fatty acid molecule with a specific structure. Omega-6 fatty acids are essential to our health, but the body is unable to produce them so we must obtain them from external sources like through foods or in this case, skin care! They penetrate and moisturize skin, helping to reinforce skin layers and give you even, youthful looking skin.  
• Source of gamma oryzanol, an antioxidant. Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals in the body and prevent oxidative stress to your skin. Oxidative stress can speed up the aging of your skin by increasing the rate of pigmentation and causing wrinkles. Skincare containing antioxidants helps slow these processes down. 
• Reduces melanin production, the compound responsible for colouring in skin and hair, to reduce dark spots and slow aging

Now let's discuss the really good stuff, all the essential and carrier oils each selected specifically for your skin. The other ingredients contribute to healthy, glowing skin in a variety of ways:

Hydrate, soften and smooth:

• prunus amygdalus dulcis oil (sweet almond oil):
• Anti-Inflammatory properties, reduces puffiness around eyes
• Emollient (fancy word for skin softening)
• oenothera biennis (evening primrose oil):
• Also a rich emollient!
• Linoleic acid to protect and replenish the skin’s natural barrier. Helps protect the skin from external stressors like debris, bacteria and even UV light 
• citrus grandis seed (grapefruit seed) extract:
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids to hydrate the skin
• Highly absorbent 
• Rich in vitamin E
• aniba rosaeodora oil (rosewood):
• Rich in linalool, a compound that promotes skin regeneration 
• Smooths fine lines and wrinkles
• Sweet, woody scent 

Protect the skin barrier: 

• simmondsia chinensis seed oil (jojoba oil):
• Jojoba wax is very similar to sebum, which is the oil your skin naturally produces from subcutaneous glands in your skin. Because of this, jojoba oil is an excellent natural product for people even with sensitive skin!
• Helps reduce oily skin by signaling less sebum production preventing the buildup of excess oils 
• borago officinalis seed oil (borage oil):
• High in a special and rare variety of linoleic acid called gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. Only a few plant oils contain GLA, and borage oil is one of the highest sources of GLA in the world!
• Reduces inflammation: GLA is converted into protaglandins in the body, which is a chemical messenger kind of like a hormone. Prostaglandins are a major player in your body’s response to inflammation, and can help reduce it from a cellular level! If you have inflammatory skin symptoms, such as eczema or psoriasis, GLA is excellent to incorporate into your skincare routine

Vitamins and Antioxidants:

• tocopherol (natural vitamin E):
• This fat soluble antioxidant easily absorbs into your skin and fights against oxidative stress - see our info on Ricebran oil above for more detail on why this is so helpful in reducing skin aging!
• rosa canina fruit oil (rose hip oil):
• Contains vitamin C and beta carotene, which through the power of, you guessed it, antioxidants, can combat oxidative stress and slow aging go the skin. This results in firmer, smoother, youthful skin
• rosehip oil also is an excellent natural toner thanks to these antioxidants, which help  the skin to look even and homogenous
• argania spinosa nut oil (argan oil) 
• Contains many vitamins, such as A, B and E, all of which are great antioxidants. Vitamin A also promotes cell turnover and will keep  your skin growing and healing. This is excellent for healing acne scars, sun damage, and other wear and tear on your skin
• hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn oil):
• Vitamin A and vitamin K promote collagen growth, the compound responsible for skin elasticity, reducing wrinkles and roughness on the skin's surface

Protect from inflammation and toxins:

• citrus sinensis oil (sweet orange oil):
• Contains limonene, which is shown to have antibacterial properties that protect the skin against inflammation and acne caused by excess microorganisms on the skin.
• Vitamin C which helps brighten your skin
• Fresh floral scent and a beautiful golden orange hue - making our serum as beautiful as it is beneficial!
• boswellia serrata oil (frankincense):
• Contains boswellic acid, an anti-inflammatory agent that will protect against inflammation caused by bacteria and some fungi.
• Helps strengthen your skin barrier by promoting cell turnover
• And I mean, frankincense in your skincare just feels so magical! 
• salvia sclarea oil (clary sage):
• Contains compounds like linalyl acetate, germacrene-D and alpha terpineol - big names, we know - but these naturally occurring compounds are anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal, helping to keep the skin calm and clean
• daucus carota sativa oil (carrot seed): 
• Eliminate fungi that thrive in keratin rich environments (like your skin!)
• Contains umbelliferone (an ingredient found in many sunscreens) and helps protect your skin from UV rays (We recommend you still use an SPF in your skincare routine, in addition to the sun protection that you can get from our serum)

Still have questions? Come in and ask us, and even pick up a sample of Unmarked to try for yourself! Experience the benefits of this natural, clean serum, and your skin will thank you for years to come!