Balance Serum
$88.00
– Oily / Acneic / Breakout Prone / Congested
– 100% Whole Plant Organic
– 27 Beneficial Active Ingredients
– 30ml
harmonize, assist, clear, soothe
Balance Serum: Clarifying Relief is a feather-light moisturizer, treatment serum, and elemental defense oil, all in one. The lightest facial oil in the Laurel line, its rapid absorption is perfectly suited for skin that is oily, congested or breakout prone. It restores balance to excess oil production, decongests pore build up, and dissolves hardened oxidized sebum deposits. As the name implies, it brings harmony and equilibrium to skin’s microbiome while calming and soothing irritation and active breakouts.
The raw, unrefined lipid oils in this Serum are restorative to a damaged barrier and reactive skin. Sesame and Jojoba, especially, have a unique wax-like structure that mimics our skin’s own lipid layer. Most oily skin products remove the lipid layer, forcing the skin into an unnatural and vulnerable position which it then works hard to correct by over-producing oil. The Balance Serum was created to mimic the skin’s natural lipids, restoring harmony and returning that aspect of skin function to its natural state. This moisturizer also has a high amount of tannins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants from Cranberry and Pumpkin, making this product well-suited to all forms of dermatitis. Powerful anti-inflammatory plants, like Licorice, Passionflower and Calendula macerate for months before finding their way into the Balance Serum, helping with acne, breakouts and skin irritations. Microdosed essential oils are used as potent tools of plant medicine as opposed to being used for scent. Essential oils of Lavender, Rose Geranium and Clary Sage are chosen specifically for their balancing effect on oil production, the microbiome, and a depleted nervous system by way of the pituitary gland. The skin’s response to stress, and acne as a result of stress, is becoming more widely recognized through psychodermatology – so breathe deeply and be held by these supportive plants.
Jojoba & Sesame – Both of these raw, unrefined oils are pressed fresh for Laurel Skin. These carefully chosen lightweight oils restore balance and regulate the skin’s own oil production. They contain a wax very similar to our own barrier’s ceramides, which makes them barrier strengthening and restorative. Jojoba alone has shown the ability to repair a damaged skin barrier in independent study.
Helichrysum – Freshly cultivated, harvested, and distilled in the Pacific Northwest, this tiny yellow flower is a true skin healer and a potent anti-inflammatory. It is balancing to the microbiome and strengthening to the skin.
Cranberry Seed Oil – This lightweight, but incredibly nutrient-dense oil is a perfect fit for oily skin that needs a high dose of antioxidant content. Cranberry Seed Oil is high in tannins and minerals for a seed oil, perfectly suited to conditions like perioral dermatitis. Cranberry Seed’s unique nutrient profile includes Omega’s 3, 6 and 9, resveratrol, phospholipids, and phytosterols, making this a standout oil for healthy aging, as well as inflammation and/or acne.
Lavender – Our custom distilled California grown biodynamic Lavender essential oil is calming and cooling to the skin. It soothes the nervous system as well, which is often under duress alongside skin conditions like acne and inflammation. Lavender has a balancing action on both oil production and the skin’s microbiome, making it a true ally to blemish prone skin.
Passionflower – This soothing, beautiful flower and vine is farmed locally just for Laurel Skin. It gently promotes detoxification for clear skin, and its astringent action is healing to skin irritations and redness.
**This serum also contains plants that have been studied for their ability to support our skin against UV damage, such as Red Raspberry Seed, Cranberry Seed, and Jojoba.**
Full Ingredient List: Jojoba Oil˚, Sesame Seed Oil˚, Macadamia Nut Oil˚, Almond Oil˚, Cranberry Seed Oil˚, Red Raspberry Seed Oil˚, Tamanu Oil˚, Rosehip Fruit and Seed Oil˚, Sea Buckthorn Fruit and Seed Oil˚, Rosemary Extract˚; House Made Whole Plant Extracts of Passionflower˚, Licorice˚, Calendula˚, Chamomile˚, Echinacea˚, Yarrow˚, Baical Skullcap˚, Gotu Kola˚, Comfrey˚, Astragalus˚, Nettle˚, Lavender˚, Orange Peel˚; Essential Oils of Lavender˚, Helichrysum˚, Clary Sage˚, Rose Geranium˚
˚organically grown ingredient
After applying Elixir first for hydration, then apply 3-5 drops of Serum into fingertips and press into wet face and neck. Follow with Balm, if desired. This product works as a treatment serum, a moisturizer, and it strengthens your skin’s response to the sun and environmental elements.
Use within 6 months of opening and by the recommended use-by date, which is found on the bottom of the bottle. Store this product in a cool, dry and dark place.
Oils, Barriers and the Comedogenic Scale
The skin’s lipid barrier consists of fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol. Plants contain their own version of ceramides and phytosterols that are similar to our own which support our own barrier health. In order for plant lipids to do this though, they must be unrefined, otherwise those specific nutrients would have been removed in the refining process. As always at Laurel Skin, we rely on unprocessed whole plants for everything and prefer them over all other synthetic alternatives.
Oil balances oil. Treating like with like is something that may sound counter-productive. However, most oily and breakout prone skin is put through years of trauma from foaming cleansers, alcohol-based toners, and oil-free moisturizers, leaving it in a completely unnatural state. All of those harsh stripping products leave the skin vulnerable to microbial imbalances and inflammation. Typically after two weeks of a Hydrating Elixir and lightweight oil Serum, congested acneic skin is capable of a dramatic turnaround. However, since all acne has an internal root cause, that must be addressed as well. Read more about that on our acne blog.
Like all of our Serums and oils, our Balance Serum is non-comedogenic. The comedogenic scale relies on dated science, built on a foundation of standardized cosmetic oils and non-existent microbiomes. Both of those aspects could not play a larger part in an ingredient being comedogenic. With standardized cosmetic oils, they are refined with most antioxidants and nutrients removed, as well as enzymes denatured. Laurel Skin oils are different: they are all raw with antioxidants, nutrients, and enzymes intact – which means that those beneficial constituents of the oil remain in our unrefined oils to ensure our oils are food for our microbiome, food for our skin, and can be more easily broken down and utilized. We often say the comedogenic scale doesn’t apply to our products, because its entire foundation is not something relevant to our ingredients or approach to skin health.
Skin Body Communication
Breathe deeply. If your skin is speaking to you in the form of symptoms like acne or dermatitis, it’s speaking to you because your body wants to be heard. Having a skin concern like acne is not as simple as cutting out dairy or making sure you wash your face each evening. Examine your lifestyle for stressors or other health concerns, because they are all connected. See a natural health care practitioner to learn how your overall health relates to your acne. And most importantly, BREATHE DEEPLY, and thank your skin for communicating with you. Trust that your skin is held in a space of love by the plants in our products. Try to find joy in your skin ritual and caring for yourself.
