I did an experiment using 5 Living Libations products exclusively for over 30 days. And I’m shocked by the results.
If you are new to my 30 day skin care experiments, pretty much I pick a brand or skin care technique that I exclusively use for at least 30 days, and then report back with my results and final review.
I chose Living Libations for the experiment because I ADORE their products.
I first started using Living Libations skincare back in 2008. They were the first brand I started using after I cleared up adult acne and was afraid of putting anything on my skin. I’ll never forget the complements I got when I used their serums, especially the Chocolate Karat Serum, every single time I used that serum I got complements on how nice my skin is. For someone who had bad acne for well over a decade, getting complements on my skin was a big deal.
As much as I love Living Libations products and have been using them for so long, I’ve never used their products exclusively in my skincare routine. I’ve always used them with other products from other brands. For this experiment, I was curious to see what would happen if I only used Living Libations, and if the products would work even better when used together.
I also wanted to see what would happen using so many products containing essential oils. Would my skin completely freak out, or the reverse, would my skin benefit from it?
Plus, I usually use products containing active ingredients like AHAs, BHA and/or retinol; so for this experiment, I took a complete break from the actives to see how the all-natural products would perform in comparison.
The 30 Day Experiment: Skin Care Routine & Products
When I set out to select the products for the 30 day experiment, I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. I was thinking a cleanser, moisturizer, and a gentle exfoliating product to use once or twice a week.
I asked my subscribers on Instagram what products they wanted me to review from Living Libations. I received quite a few requests, and this really helped to narrow down my choices and make the final selection.
Below are the 5 Living Libations products I used for the experiment. 3 out of the 5 products were chosen by my subscribers, and 4 out of the 5 products I never used before.
30 DAY SKINCARE ROUTINE (I used these products twice a day, in this order):
Frankincense Best Skin Ever (an oil blend for cleansing my skin in the morning, and double cleansing at night).
Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid (lightweight hydrating serum/moisturizer with anti-aging properties).
All Season Serum (ultra light oil blend for extra moisturizing).
All Seeing Eye Crème (eye cream for treating and softening wrinkles around my eyes and upper lip).
TREATMENT PRODUCT:
Royal Rose Honey Mask (exfoliating and clarifying mask I used twice a week. I used this mask at night, after double cleansing with the Frankincense Best Skin Ever. After the mask treatment, I would use the rest of the Living Libations products to finish off my evening skincare routine).
Living Libations Review Videos
During this 30+ day experiment I made two videos.
Kicking off the experiment, I made Part 1: First Impressions + Demo video using the Living Libations products for the first time. In the video I go over why I chose the products, my expectations, a demo using each product, and my first impressions. You can watch it out below.
Part 1: First Impressions + Demo Video
At the end of the 30 day experiment, I made a second video, Part 2: Living Libations 30 Day Experiment Final Review. In that video I go over my results after using the products exclusively for over 30 days, plus a review of each product and the skincare routine itself. Most of the products worked amazing (my melasma completely faded), but there was one product in particular that didn’t work out for me. You can watch that video below.
Part 2: Final Review Video
My Results
I will tell you right now my results were polar extremes. My biggest benefit being that my melasma (pigmentation on my forehead and sides of my face) was completely gone by the end of the experiment.
COMPLETELY GONE!
I was shocked!
On the other end of the spectrum, the skincare routine wasn’t moisturizing enough for my skin, and half way through the experiment I ran into some problems. I believe it’s one product in particular that just didn’t work for me (and was throwing everything else off).
It was definitely a very dramatic 30 day experiment (at least in my world!). I still can’t believe the melasma is gone, especially because I’ve done so many videos talking about it recently, and as you know, I’ve tried so many things.
Anyway, let’s jump into the Living Libations review. For easy reference, I’ve also put together a written review of each product summarizing how I used the products, the benefits, the challenges, who would benefit from using the products, and who wouldn’t. You can check that out below, as well as my final thoughts on the actual skincare routine.
Just so you know the context of this review and what my skin was like when I started this experiment: I’m 42 years old, my skin is normal to dry, maturing, and when I started the experiment I had some melasma on my forehead and sides of my face. I gave birth to my second daughter a little over a year ago. The fluctuating hormones and breastfeeding affects my skin causing the melasma, occasional breakouts, and my skin can sometimes swing back and forth from being oily to dry.
Living Libations Product Reviews
Frankincense Best Skin Ever
What is it?
Living Libations Frankincense Best Skin Ever is a multi-purpose oil blend that can be used for oil cleansing the face, and as a moisturizer for face and body.
Frankincense is clarifying, soothes redness, and evens skin tone making it a good choice for acne prone skin, scars and hyperpigmentation.
How did I use it?
I used it as my cleanser. I washed my face with it every morning, and double cleansed with it every night.
For cleansing the skin, Living Libations recommends squirting a few pumps of the Best Skin Ever on a damp wash cloth, and massaging your face with the moistened cloth. Personally, this technique is a little too abrasive and irritating for my skin (and I’m not sure how well it would clean my skin either). I much prefer applying the oil directly to my skin, lightly working it into my skin, and then removing the oil with a damp wash cloth (watch Part 1: First Impressions + Demo Video to see how I wash my face with Living Libations Best Skin Ever).
Frankincense Best Skin Ever is a great oil cleanser. It thoroughly cleanses the skin of makeup, dirt, debris, sunscreen, and any build up of dead skin cells and sebum. With this type of oil cleanser, you need to use a washcloth to remove it, which will ever so gently exfoliate the skin. The best wash cloths I’ve found for oil cleansing are Grovia Cloth Wipes.
Since this oil blend can also be used as a face and body moisturizer, I did experiment a few times using it on my face to moisturize. But, I find the essential oils in the Best Skin Ever range to be too strong to leave on my face, including this one. I much prefer using Living Libations serums and/or creams as a facial moisturizer.
Frankincense Best Skin Ever is light, so if you do want to use it as a moisturizer, it would be best suited for normal, combination and oily skin types.
Benefits from using it?
Frankincense Best Skin Ever is gentle, lightweight, and easy to apply. It cleanses your skin thoroughly without drying or stripping it. I found this oil blend to be calming and clarifying, keeping my skin clear of breakouts and clogged pores.
My biggest benefit was using this product with Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid (the Living Libations serum/moisturizer I use after cleansing). Together they completely evened out my skin tone, and faded my stubborn melasma.
I have to say, I was completely shocked by my results. I didn’t expect it to do anything for the hyperpigmentation. In fact, I chose the products because I was curious about them, not because I thought it would help the melasma.
So you could imagine how thrilled I was with my results.
And it wasn’t a dramatic overnight cure. I only realized the dark patches on my forehead were gone at the end of the 30 day experiment.
To make sure it really was both these products working together to get rid of the melasma, at the end of the 30 day experiment, I tried using the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid with other cleansers, as well as with other Best Skin Evers like the Seabuckthorn and Rose. But when I did that, within days, the melasma would start coming back. Also, when I used the Frankincense Best Skin Ever on its own without the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid, the same thing would happen, the hyperpigmentation would start appearing again. So, if you have melasma, try using these two products together, and use them both twice a day.
Challenges?
Frankincense Best Skin Ever is best suited for normal, oily, combination and acne prone skin. It’s a little lighter than the Seabuckthorn and Rose Best Skin Ever.
Personally for my dry maturing skin, it’s not as moisturizing as I would like. I much prefer oil cleansing with the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever or the Rose Best Skin Ever. But, the Seabuckthorn or Rose Best Skin Ever don’t help with fading my melasma like the Frankincense Best Skin Ever does. So, in my situation, I’d rather stick with the Frankincense Best Skin Ever for a while until the melasma has been completely gone for at least a few months. Later on, I can always go back to using the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever when I no longer have any pigmentation issues.
Who would I recommend this to?
Anyone who likes oil cleansing. It’s quite lightweight which would make it well suited for all skin types, especially normal, oily, and acne prone skin.
I also find the array of ingredients in this oil cleanser to be very good at preventing breakouts. It’s calming and clarifying, so if you have acne prone skin and oil cleansing works well for you, I would strongly recommend trying this product. It would be soothing and clarifying while you have active breakouts and can help prevent future pimples and breakouts from forming.
If you have melasma, pigmentation, sun spots, age spots, acne scars and marks that you want to fade – I strongly recommend using the Frankincense Best Skin Ever with the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid. Use the Frankincense Best Skin Ever to wash your face, then moisturize with the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid. If you have dry skin, you’ll probably want to use a plain nourishing moisturizer or facial oil on top of the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid. Do this twice a day.
If you’ve never done oil cleansing before and want to try it using this product, you definitely can! Check out my video and instructions on how to oil cleanse.
Who shouldn’t use it?
If you have really dry skin (and no hyperpigmentation issues), I would recommend using a more nourishing oil for oil cleansing like the Rose Best Skin Ever or the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever.
If you get breakouts from coconut oil, be cautious using this. I get tiny bumps all over my face and body from pure coconut oil, but I’ve never had any breakouts or clogged pores from this product or any other Best Skin Ever. For me personally, most skincare products and makeup containing small amounts of coconut oil don’t adversely affect my skin. What causes issues for me is using straight coconut oil out of the bottle, or a product that is made mostly of coconut oil. But if you want a product without any coconut oil and you don’t have any melasma issues, try Sandalwood Best Skin Ever or Immortelle Best Skin Ever (these two are coconut oil-free, very light, good for acne prone skin).
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Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid
What is it?
Living Libations Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid is a light weight moisturizer good for oily skin, summer months, humid weather.
What stands out about this product is how hydrating it is. Personally I believe all skin types would benefit from this product because most people have dehydrated skin due to climate, pollution, air conditioning, or indoor heating.
This product is aloe-based, so it has a fluid-like consistency, not an oily consistency (it’s not oily at all). I would say it’s a little lighter than a lotion, but heavier than a toner or essence. It’s kind of like a hydrating essence X 1000.
Depending on your skin type, you can use this as a light weight moisturizer, or as a hydration booster under your regular moisturizer or facial oil.
It also claims to have anti-aging properties (it contains CoQ10 which can help with firming the skin). Because it’s so hydrating, it will plump the skin, smooth the appearance of fine lines and keep your skin balanced.
How did I use it?
I used it twice a day, right after cleansing. I apply a small amount to my damp skin, using it on my face and neck.
Benefits from using it?
Using this product along with cleansing with the Frankincense Best Skin Ever has completely got rid of my melasma.
Besides getting rid of the melasma, I just absolutely love this product. I can go as far to say that it is now my most favourite Living Libations product (and I’ve tried most of their skincare line).
As you probably saw in Part 1: First Impressions + Demo Video, I fell in love with this product the first time I used it.
What impressed me is how hydrating it is, while at the same time it absorbs beautifully, making your skin velvety soft. Unlike a lot of moisturizers, it doesn’t sit on your skin or feel heavy. In fact, once you apply it, you don’t feel it at all. It feels cooling, calming, and balancing. And unlike many hydrating serums and toners, it doesn’t make your skin sticky or tight.
In all, I feel like this product can bring life back into dull skin, sooth irritated and dehydrated skin, plump up your skin, and give you a youthful glow.
If you get breakouts from most creams and moisturizers, I recommend trying this. It’s aloe-based, and doesn’t contain heavy oils or waxes that can sometimes clog pores.
Challenges?
None.
But, if you are expecting an instant face lift (from the “firming fluid” name), you won’t get that type of result. I don’t think any skincare product can do major firming of the skin. But what it can do is plump up the skin with extra moisture, which can help to smooth the appearance of lines, wrinkles, crepey skin, and sagging skin (kind of like adding water to a raisin).
Who would I recommend this to?
Everyone. It’s such a versatile product.
If you have normal, oily, acne prone skin – you can use this as your moisturizer.
If you have dry skin or maturing skin – I recommend using this like a hydrating serum, and use a moisturizer or facial oil on top.
If you have melasma or hyperpigmentation, I recommend using Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid with Frankincense Best Skin Ever. These two products together got rid of all my pigmentation (wash you face with Frankincense Best Skin Ever, followed by using this treatment serum – do this twice a day). If you use a facial oil or moisturizer on top, try using something that doesn’t contain essential oils or active ingredients, so it doesn’t interfere with these two products doing their job (you can use a plain jojoba oil or squalane oil).
If you have acne or breakout prone skin, this would be an amazing moisturizer. It will hydrate your skin, reduce irritation, and won’t clog pores. It’s not occlusive, oily or heavy.
Who shouldn’t use it?
This products is suitable for all skin types.
If you have dry skin, you will need to use a moisturizer or facial oil in addition to this product.
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All Season Serum
What is it?
Living Libations All Season Serum is an oil-based serum formulated to balance all skin types.
In the description of this product, it says that if you have dry skin it will help to moisturize it, if you have oily skin it will help balance oil production.
The base oil is camellia seed oil which is high in oelic acid, absorbs quickly, very light weight, and is known as a “dry oil.”
How did I use it?
I used it twice a day, on top of the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid. I applied it to my face and neck.
In the morning I used 3 drops, and in the evening 5 drops.
Benefits from using it?
I loved how light weight this serum is. It really does absorb quickly and leaves no oily or greasy residue.
The texture and consistency makes it great for hot weather and humid climates because it won’t sit on your skin, and it doesn’t make you look shiny or oily.
This is one of the few facial oils I have found that I can comfortably wear during the day. I love facial oils, but a lot of them look to oily and greasy on my skin. I also find the heaviness of some oils to be very uncomfortable. This oil is so lightweight you don’t see it or feel it.
This is an excellent product for oily skin. It will lightly moisturize your skin, and I do believe it will help to balance or even decrease oil production.
Challenges?
I currently have normal to dry skin and this product wasn’t moisturizing enough. This is a dream product for oily skin, but not for dry skin!
When I started the experiment, my skin felt great for the first week. But by the middle of the experiment I was getting dry patches and irritation. My skin started to ache. At first I wasn’t sure if maybe there was too much essential oils in all the products, that maybe that was irritating my skin, or, if the products in the routine just weren’t moisturizing enough.
I did a few experiment swapping some products, and narrowed down the issue to this product. It just didn’t moisturize my skin enough. I tried mixing a few drops of Living Libations Soothsayer Serum (which is slightly richer jojoba oil-based serum) to the All Season Serum, and that did the trick of getting my skin back to balance, and moisturizing my skin properly.
For the last two weeks of the experiment, in the morning I would combine 1-2 drops of the Soothsayer Serum + 3 drops of the All Season Serum, and in the evening 2-3 drops of the Soothsayer Serum + 3-5 drops of the All Season Serum. That worked a lot better for my skin.
Out of all 5 products in this experiment, this is the only one that did not work for me. If I were to start this experiment all over again, I would have chosen a different Living Libations moisturizer. It’s too bad, if I used this 10-20 years ago when my skin was a lot oilier (and younger), this serum would have worked out great for me.
Who would I recommend this to?
Normal and oily skin types.
This would also be a great oil to use in hot, humid climates too.
Who shouldn’t use it?
I don’t recommend using this if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Not only was it not very moisturizing, I also found it to be slightly irritating for my dry skin.
I also wouldn’t recommend this to anyone with severe active acne. It’s a great oil for balancing oily skin, and would be fine if you get occasional breakouts. But, if your skin is currently inflamed, irritated, and has a lot of active breakouts; I think this product and the essential oils in it could potentially irritate your skin more.
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All Seeing Eye Crème
What is it?
Living Libations All Seeing Eye Crème is a nourishing and hydrating eye cream formulated to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
How did I use it?
I dab a very small amount under my eyes and on my brow bone, as well as above my upper lip (anywhere where I have lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin).
I use this twice a day, at the very end of my skin care routine.
I also started using this on my lips, and I find this even better than most lip balms. It absorbs quickly into your lips, softening them, and moisturizes beautifully. No heavy waxy coating.
I’ve read that you could use this as a facial moisturizer. I tried it twice. It’s definitely rich, so better to use it at night. It’s hydrating, plus very soothing and calming (probably because of the aloe vera and blue tansy).
Benefits from using it?
Out of the 5 products I chose for this 30 Day Living Libations Experiment, this is the only one I’ve used before. I’ve been using this product for years. It’s one of my favourite eye creams.
I like how rich it is, but it’s not heavy. I can sometimes get bumps and milia around my eyes from eye products, but this product has never given me an issue.
Not only does it hydrate the skin under your eyes, it does help to smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
I suffer from environmental allergies which makes my eyes itchy and red. This eye cream is soothing and cooling. During peak allergy season, I like to put this in the refrigerator which makes it more cooling and refreshing. Used in conjunction with Living Libations Open Sky Eye Serum, it helps reduce eye puffiness too.
Challenges?
If you wear concealer or foundation over it, I recommend giving it a few minutes to absorb into your skin before applying makeup. Since it is quite rich, it needs a little time to absorb and dry down, if not, your makeup might move around or crease.
Who would I recommend this to?
It’s suitable for most skin types.
If you have dry under eyes, or want to smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles, this would be a great product to use.
If you have dry or chapped lips or don’t like lip balms, try this, it works great on the lips and dry patches as well.
Who shouldn’t use it?
If you have really oily skin, or the weather is really hot and humid – it might be too rich to use during the day (if that’s the case, only use at night as an overnight eye/wrinkle treatment).
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Royal Rose Honey Mask
What is it?
Living Libations Royal Rose Honey Mask is an all-in-one exfoliant and clarifying mask.
It can be used as a treatment mask to refine pores, smooth and brighten the skin, and even as a daily cleanser.
How did I use it?
I used it twice a week as a treatment mask.
Benefits from using it?
I was REALLY surprised by this mask. To be honest, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.
I was afraid the scrub-like texture and clay would just dry out and irritate my skin, but the mask was quite gentle, hydrating, and really brightening. My skin always felt so soft, smooth and balanced after using it.
As I mentioned in the review, I struggled with dry skin during this 30 day experiment, and this mask really made a difference getting rid of dry patches and flakey skin, plus relieving my skin of tightness and irritation. I found it to be quite therapeutic, and I always looked forward to using it.
During this experiment, I took a complete break from my usual products containing exfoliating acids and retinols, and instead, used this mask as my twice-weekly exfoliating treatment. And, I was fully impressed by its performance. I would go as far to say that it works just as good as using a chemical exfoliant, and at the same time it’s quite soothing to the skin. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything during the experiment and using this mask twice a week kept up with my exfoliating needs.
There’s a lot in this mask – there’s pearl powder to polish the skin, honey that works as a humectant and as an enzymatic exfoliant, red clay that gently clarifies the skin and pores, CoQ10 for firming. I was afraid there was too much, but really, it’s super gentle, and all the ingredients work synergistically to balance the skin.
I also want to mention that this mask never completely dries down, it always remains slightly moist/tacky, which is a good thing. My understanding is if a mask contains clay and dries down completely, you run the risk of it pulling moisture from your skin and potentially drying your skin out. If the mask remains slightly moist, the clay will still work to purify your skin, but without drying it out (which is good for dry skin types, and perhaps this is why it worked so great for me).
I would say the most noticeable benefits I got from using the mask is a clearer complexion, smooth skin, less blackheads and enlarged pores, brighter skin, more even skin tone, and extra hydration.
This mask is one of the most requested Living Libations products I get asked to review. I can now see why.
Challenges?
No challenges what so ever.
But, I did try using it as a cleanser, and I didn’t like it as a cleanser. Because of the texture and clay, using it on a daily basis would be too abrasive for me. I also found that when I left it on as a mask, my skin would be super bright and hydrated afterwards, but if I used it as a cleanser and rinsed it off immediately, I didn’t get those same benefits. I believe it’s one of those products you need to leave on your skin for 20-30 minutes for it to do its magic.
Who would I recommend this to?
I would recommend this to most skin types including normal, oily, dry, combination, mature, and acne prone (acne prone skin types can use this when you don’t have active pimples or irritated skin).
It’s especially good if you are looking for a product to treat clogged pores, congested skin, blackheads, dullness, texture, dry patches, acne scars, or pigmentation.
Who shouldn’t use it?
If you are sensitive to scrubs or physical exfoliants, I wouldn’t recommend this. Compared to most facial scrubs it is quite gentle, but it is still a scrub, and not always suitable for everyone.
I also wouldn’t recommend using this if you have active acne. Like any other texture product, it will just irritate your pimples more. Best to wait until your breakouts and acne have healed over to use this product.
I also wouldn’t use this product if you have rosacea or any other inflammatory skin condition. Like all facial scrubs, it would be too stimulating for your skin.
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My Final Thoughts
I just want to end by saying how much I enjoyed doing this experiment, and how impressed I was with Living Libations products.
I was quite nervous going in. I was afraid using so many new products all at once would really make my skin freak out, and I wasn’t really not sure what would happen using so many products containing essential oils. I feared my melasma would get worse.
To my surprise, the reverse happened. My melasma completely disappeared, my skin didn’t freak out or break out from all the new products, and apart from one product not being moisturizing enough, I didn’t run into any issues with all the essential oils in the products and skincare routine.
But my biggest benefit from this experiment is my renewed awe and wonder for natural skincare products. Sometimes I feel like I get into a skincare rut, where everything feels the same and does the same. But these products truly felt different, and the results they delivered was nothing I had expected.
It reminded me just when we think we know it all, we really don’t.
Yes, there isn’t much science or studies backing natural skincare, but it still doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. And there’s formulators out there that are true masters of their craft.
This experiment reminded me to never stop seeking, never stop trying. And of course, to keep doing my experiments.
Let me know if you enjoyed this experiment, and if there is a brand or products you want me to try next.
If you did the 30 Day Living Libations Experiment as well, or have used any of these products; I’d love to hear your results, and how everything worked out for you?
Shop Living Libations
Living Libations is now available at Inspire Beauty (yayyyy)! Take 15% off your first order, use code: inspire15 at checkout. Click the links below to shop:
26 Responses
Thank you so much for doing this experiment and posting your results! I have adult/hormonal acne along my jawline and cheeks and struggle with products as I don’t have oily skin anymore. Most acne skincare products are too hard on my skin. You have given me new hope and encouraged me to try new products. As a side note, based in my experience, my skin prefers natural skincare products.
I love your blog and have been following your posts and trying different products for about 2 years. I’m learning lots about natural skincare and appreciate all your work. I can’t wait for your next experiment.
Thank you Freya! I’m so happy you enjoy my blog posts. I agree with you, majority of acne products are way too harsh (even for oily skin types!). It can be challenging when you have breakout prone skin and it’s dry, because anything too heavy might help the dryness but not the acne. It’s all about finding something that brings oils and hydration into the skin, but not pore clogging. Something that helps me when selecting a product from a range that offers specific products for oily, normal, and dry skin types; I go with the products that are for “normal” skin types because they tend to be in the middle. They won’t be drying, or too heavy either – which can be a lot less likely to cause breakouts, and can help balance your skin.
If there’s a product or brand you’d like me to review, feel free to let me know!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for your response and extra assistance. My tardy response is because I have been doing a 30 Day trial of Living Libations, too, and my skin is looking far better! My adult acne is reduced, my skin looks plumper, and I have more even skin tone. I have 3 different face oils/cleansers (Best Skin Ever Frankincense, Seabuckthorn & Sandalwood), the Rose Renewal Fluid, and Open Sky Eye Serum. I’m very impressed so far and will be continuing to use these products. I’ve actually just ordered another oil/cleanser and a serum. Thank you for suggesting this company!
And, thank you for recommending that I consider the “normal” skin range of products. My acne is not associated with oiliness at all, so I have been struggling with acne products. So, your recommendations makes complete sense!
As for trying another brand, I would recommend One Love Beauty Vitamin B Cleansing Oil. I believe that another person recommended this, too. And my skin loves is Graydon; it’s Canadian and has a more affordable price point.
Best Wishes,
Freya
Freya, I think you’re psychic!! I bought the One Love Vitamin B Cleansing Oil a couple of months ago to review, and it’s been in rotation in my skincare routine since the spring. Since completing my Living Libations 30 Day Experiment, I’ve been using it almost exclusively over the past few weeks to put my final review together. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish my review and film the video next week or the week after.
And I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the Living Libations products and getting great results. They’re dreamy aren’t they? I currently have all three Best Skin Evers you have! I’m almost finished the Frankincense BSE and I’m dreading it. Together with the Rose Renewal Fluid, it’s magically made my melasma disappear and whenever I use anything else, after a few days I can see dark patches start to peek through. Looks like I’ll need a lifetime supply!!!
Out of all the Living Libations products you’ve been using, which one is your favourite? My favourite BSE is actually the Vanilla, it’s similar to the Seabuckthorn, but the scent is out of this world.
Hi Natasha,
Sorry for such a delayed response, life is just too busy sometimes. I have 4 BSE and it’s hard to pick my favourite. Hahaha. I use all 4 (Rose, Frankincense, Seabuckthorn, Sandalwood) at different points throughout the month and how my skin is each day. The Vanilla is one of the few that I haven’t tried, so I’ll read up on it and order it. I also purchased the SoothSayer serum, the Rose Renewal Fluid and the Grapefruit Stellar Renewal. My skin just seems so much happier with the Living Libations products. So, thank you for introducing them via your blog and your tests and trials!
I’m also drinking mint water and mint tea (you know how cold Canada can get, I needed the warmth). So, thank you for recommending that, too. Even just the tea alone seems to help me (I pour hot water over muddled fresh leaves).
Hi Freya,
I’m so glad to hear the mint tea is helping, and that you’re loving the Living Libations products. My skin loves them too 🙂 I highly recommend the Vanilla Best Skin Ever, it’s amazing!
Would you consider doing a 30 day experiment with True Botanicals??
Yes, definitely! Any products in particular you’d like me to review? Thank you for the suggestion!
Hi!
You mentioned a sensitivity to coconut oil. I have the same problem, except mine is an allergy. All LL Best Skin Ever’s contain coconut oil. I was constantly breaking out. Just a side note…LL is fantastic with advice and suggestions, even so far as establishing a personal LL skin routine. They suggested that I try their Sandalwood BSE. No coconut oil! It’s their most expensive BSE, but worth it. It’s also a great moisturizer. I also use the Soothsayer Serum with a drop of Dew Dab. All three combined have worked beautifully for hyperpigmentation, melasma, hormnal acne, firming and moisturizing. I’m 51, btw. Ive personally noticed, over the past two years, a good improvement in firmer skin. The glorious aspect of LL essential oils is your skin looking healthy, even with imperfections.
I’m also a huge fan of their All Over Body Lotion. WOW! This is my go to face moisturizer too, in dry weather. I add a drop of Soothsayer and Dew Dab to the lotion, and apply to my face neck and decollete. It’s simply a dreamy lotion, adsorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling like ‘buttah’.
Gotta add that their Spirulina Shampoo is devine for my hair and as a body wash. Two in one. The All Glory is my miracle conditioner! I add it to wet hair, spreading it in my palms, and patting it all over. My hair is super thick and naturally coarse. I add additional oil to the ends and run my fingers through, to ensure every strand is ‘glorified’. I kid you not, this stuff makes hair feel ultra soft with shine. I never use a hair dryer and never wash my hair for at least 7 days. Final step….using the LL wood comb (large). I comb through once. I was amazed to learn this entire process created soft, shiny beach waves! Oh…I only do ONE comb through. Resist the urge to comb throughout drying process. I learned the texturized beach waves weren’t as pronounced. Wierd…but letting my hair dry naturally, gave me waves that lasts until I wash my hair.
Great review….and no, I’m not affiliated with LL. I’m a junkie
PS…I apologize for my big rant. My skin went downhill at 40. My old regime stopped working. 9 years later, I found out about LL….and I feel better myself and my skin, again. I know many who’ve been on this journey. This product line needs to be tried. In Love and Light
That’s so awesome, thank you so much for sharing Kat. I’ve never tried their All Over Body Lotion, but based on your recommendation, I will! And glad to hear the Sandalwood BSE works better for you. Luckily I don’t have an issue with the coconut oil in the Best Skin Evers, only when a product is made mostly of coconut oil do I have issues, or for some reason, most body soaps containing coconut oil also give me awful breakouts on my body. Not fun!
I love Living Libations hair care products, I highly recommend the Honey Myrtle Hair Mask (the night before you wash your hair, leave it on dry hair over night and then wash out). It’s amazing!
Hi Kat!
Thanks for your share about the Soothsayer serum. My skin also went downhill at 40 and I’m finally finding products my skin loves at LL. I use the Soothsayer with the Sandalwood BSC, too. It is a fantastic line!!
I struggled with the hair prodicts, but maybe I just need to try them again. Thanks for your thoughts!!
Freya
Hi Natasha!!
Thank you for the recommendation of the Vanilla. I’ll add that to my next order and give it a try. ❤️
Great, let me know what you think of it. It’s my favourite BSE!
Hi Natasha, thank you for doing this experiment. I’m 39 with a 4 month old baby and have Melasma on my forehead, upper cheeks and some on my chin. Some of it has disappeared when baby arrived, but there is still quite a bit left. I read that castor oil can remove it, but I find it clogs up my skin. I’m keen to try the LL products, but am on a bit of a budget. Would the two main products you recommend work in conjunction with a face oil from a different brand? Have dry skin, so would need the extra moisture. Would also have to apply sunscreen on top as I’m in NZ where the sun is super harsh year round
Hi Helene,
That’s a good sign that some of your melasma faded after you gave birth. Hopefully as time goes by and your hormones continue to normalize, the melasma will continue to fade.
As for the Living Libations products, yes, since you have dry skin, I recommend using a facial oil or moisturizer on top. You can use a facial oil or moisturizer from another brand, no problem. I just recommend that the facial oil/moisturizer doesn’t have any added fragrance or essential oil. Best to find something that is super plain. I like Squalane Oil or Jojoba Oil.
Please let me know how it works out for you!
Just curious if your Melasma came back? Or did you keep using these products and were you able to keep it at bay?
Hi Kirsten,
It hasn’t come back unless I use a product that triggers it. It’s kind of dormant deep in my skin. The Living Libations products faded it, but for my blog I’m always testing new products for review, and once in a while I’ll use a product that has an ingredient that brings out the dark spots again (same spots in the same places). So as long as I stop using the product immediately, and start using the two Living Libations again, I can fade it (depending on how bad the reaction was, sometimes it fades within days, sometimes weeks). Once it’s faded I can use other products again, as long as they don’t have anything that triggers the melasma to darken.
Hi Natasha! Just found your blog, and I’m so happy I did! I have some melasma that developed earlier this year on my upper lip, and I am VERY self-conscious about it. I am in California and excited to buy the LL products in person and get started! Just one question… I do wear eye makeup (mascara, shadow, etc.) and was curious if you would use the LL oil to take that off first, or take it off with something else before doing the rest of the routine with the LL products? Thanks for the help!
Hi Yolie,
Yes, you can use the LL oil to remove the eye makeup. I’ve never had any sensitivity using it on my eyes to remove makeup, but if you do, then get a plain jojoba or grapeseed oil to remove your eye makeup.
I will send you an email!
I have melasma, it’s aggregated I work out. I want to try the LL products but I have a coconut allergy. The Frankincense oil has coconut, can you recommend another product I instead that might work.
Hi Simone,
I’ve had great results using Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. Besides the Living Libations products, this is the only other product that has helped my melasma. It has vitamin A, C, E, and very gentle.
As for the Royal Rose CoQ10 Serum would you only use it at night as it has Lemon – Citrus limon in it? If I went the route of the All Seasons Serum could I add Rose Best Skin Ever to it to make it less drying? I don’t have oily or dry skin but am breastfeeding so if I had to choose one I’d go with dry. The Rose Best Skin Ever has Grapefruit – Citrus paradisi in it. Is this a problem for the day?
Last question. If I am trying to fade melasma can I just use the Frankincense Best Skin Ever and the Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid. Do I really need anything else?
Hi Sara,
For fading the melasma, best to go with the Frankincense Best Ever and Rose Renewal + Frankincense Firming Fluid — and, if you use anything else (like a moisturizer or facial oil, it must be plain, no additional essential oils).
The Rose Renewal isn’t a moisturizer, but more of a hydrating serum. If you have oily skin, you could get away with it as moisturizer, but normal to dry skin would probably be best using a plain moisturizer or facial oil on top. I recommend using plain Squalane Oil or Jojoba Oil. Don’t use any other products with essential oils in your skin care routine.
In the experiment I didn’t have a problem with the All Season Serum affecting my melasma. But, I’ve since tried other products from Living Libations and other brands with Frankincense Best Skin Ever and Rose Renewal and either my melasma flared up or just wouldn’t improve. You basically want these two products do their magic without anything else interfering.
I would also recommend using these two products day and night, stick to a regular routine, and avoid changing your skin care routine too often or that too can trigger melasma.
If you go with the All Season Serum, you can make it more nourishing by adding a drop or two of jojoba oil or squalane oil. For melamsa, I wouldn’t mix it with another product with essential oils (like the Rose BSE), that could potentially irritate your skin or trigger melasma.
With the Rose BSE, are you using it as a cleanser or moisturizer, or both? As a cleanser it’s fine to use day and night (you’re washing it off, any trace amount wouldn’t be an issue). The product isn’t a citrus-based product, there’s only trace amount of the grapefruit, but if you are using it during the day as a moisturizer, I would still keep an eye on your skin to make sure no sun sensitivity and make sure to use sunscreen on top. But in general, I don’t think the Rose Best Skin Ever would cause an issue.
Sadly I tried this combination for a month and saw no change at all.
Hi Sara,
That’s too bad the combo didn’t work for you. You mentioned in previous comment that you are still breastfeeding, perhaps after you ween your skin might respond better. But again, everyone’s different. Some people their melasma gets better after giving birth, others have to wait until after they stop breastfeeding and hormones balance out. It’s one of those things you have to muster the patience with and keep trying. I understand the frustration. So far have you found anything that your skin has responded well to? Sometimes that can give a clue what to try next.