Oil + Water Natural Skincare Heroes

Skincare is one of those categories in beauty where I probably put most attention and care towards. Maybe this is because I’ve had a picky and sensitive skin as long as I can remember, so using whatever cream I can find at the supermarket without even looking at the description was never an option for me. I’m still careful about my choices of products, but ever since I started using natural skincare, it somehow got a little bit easier. You know all these cheesy stories about people whose skin went from crazy to peachy overnight using the organic stuff? One of those people is me. OK, just kidding, not really! Despite being a blogger and trying a lot of lovely skincare, it’s still a struggle sometimes to find suitable products, but the situation is significantly better than all those many years ago, and using quality organic skincare has played a major role. That’s why I’m so passionate sharing about brands like Oil + Water.

Before I start analyzing each product one by one, I believe a short introduction of this lovely company is in line. Oil + Water is a natural beauty brand from New York, which strives for the maximum quality it can possibly offer and, therefore, creates its products in small batches only. You can feel it right away. Each product, from packaging to the ingredients list to the result it gives, was crafted to meet high standards. The brand also feels really strongly about environmental issues and sustainability. I have even received a tiny note on a card with real herb seeds. Can you imagine that? You have to plant the card and will have yourself a tiny herb garden. Seriously, how awesome is that?

Daily Cleansing Emulsifying Balm* 30ml / $32 – £25
Coming in a compact little jar, this soap-free cleansing balm with a delicate herbal scent is what makes my current skincare routine particularly enjoyable. Packed with balancing and hydrating ingredients such as mango butter, neem oil, and hemp seed oil, this vegan cleanser is a champ for cleansing, restoring, and nourishing any skin type.

Even though my skin is dehydrated most of the time, I’ve never felt crazy about using skin cleansing balms, with a few exceptions that were good, but still lacked something to make me completely fall in love with them. One of the issues was that most oil-based cleansing balms were unable to remove makeup and left me looking like a panda bear with my skin too greasy. This Emulsifying Balm, however, promised to remove makeup, so of course, I was cautious but intrigued. It turned out to be great. Not only it effectively removes makeup but leaves the skin feeling cleansed and comfortable. It’s also noncomedogenic and doesn’t sting the eyes, the two things that many of us would appreciate never to endure.

Daily Hydration Face + Hair Oil* 30ml / $60 – £46
If you like the idea of a versatile hydrating product, suitable for skin, body, AND hair, read further, my friend. This vegan oil blend is made with only 6 ingredients, including argan oil, cupuacu butter, and roman chamomile essential oil. The essential oil is exactly what gives the oil its strong scent, which, despite many people praising it, can feel a bit too intense if you’re not used to strong herbal scents. You can feel it a while after application, but it does evaporate slowly after some time.

The blend is stored in a glass bottle with a pipette, which is always handy. For the whole face, you’ll need about 2-3 drops of the oil, but I still add an additional drop or two to my forehead, which greedily swallows the hydrating oil in seconds. I love how my skin feels soft and satin without any greasy residue. This Face + Hair Oil was formulated to suit all skin types and, except extremely oily or dry skin types, I can easily see the blend benefiting many. For hair, you can use it as a leave-in by applying 2-3 drops on wet hair ends and styling as usual. You might want to use more or less depending on your hair length and overall situation. The Oil helps with the frizziness and leaves the ends somewhat lustrous. I don’t use it for the body since I have other products for that, but I’m pretty sure it would work well.

Weekly Detox Herbal Clay Mask* 50g / $44 – £34
This vegan Herbal Clay Mask is my second favorite product from this bunch after the Emulsifying Balm. First of all, it smells so good! Even if you don’t like citrusy scents, this gentle smell (which reminds me of a lemon cake) will uplift your spirit. I like the ingredient list as well, because it doesn’t just contain cleansing ingredients like many other clay masks do, but it’s also filled with healing ones such as white willow bark, calendula flowers, arnica flowers, and even aloe vera powder. That makes the mask suitable for all skin types, but especially for acne-prone skin.

The best way to use any loose clay mask is to mix it with not water (though using simple water is totally fine) but your favorite hydrosol. Doing so adds additional benefits for the skin. My favorites are lavender or rose hydrosols because they are mild astringents but also has a calming effect. Apply and keep the mask on for 15-20 minutes to achieve the best results: a clear, even skin with reduced pores. Clays give stimulating effect to the skin and can feel a bit tingly, so if your skin is highly sensitive or reactive, keep the mixture for only 5-10 minutes.

I decided to review Moisturizing Color Lip Tint* (8.8g / $28 – £22) and Sheer Moisturizing Lip Balm* (8.8g / $26 – £20) together because I have kind of similar opinions about them. First, and most important, is the packaging – I definitely love the design, but to be honest, I find these types of packaging a pain to use. To get the balm or the tint out of the packaging, you need to gently push the product up from the bottom, which, for me, always results in too much product, which you can’t push back because then it usually breaks and leaves your fingers and the tube messy. It also wastes the product. It’s especially a problem after the product has been in a warm environment because it becomes softer and, therefore, almost impossible to apply.

Other than that, I have only nice things to say about this pair. Though they are made with different ingredients, both are highly moisturizing and pleasant to use. The Lip Balm has a soft bitter ginger scent (and taste), while the Lip Tint is more pepperminty. Both of these lip products contain beeswax, so they are not vegan, but the Lip Tint does not contain carmine (red oxide instead).

You can explore Oil + Water Skincare collection and read more about the brand and its sustainability goals at its official website.

Have you tried Oil + Water? Which product you’d be the most interested to try?