Nourishing Facial Oil

30ml | Amber glass bottle | £28

A rich, fragrance-forward facial oil handcrafted in West Wittering from a carefully selected blend of botanical seed oils and pure essential oils. Designed to nourish, protect, and support the skin's natural lipid barrier — particularly suited to dry, mature, menopausal, and sensitive skin.

Why this oil is different

Not all facial oils are created equal. The quality of the base oils matters enormously — and this formula starts with organic, unrefined, cold-pressed rosehip seed oil as its hero ingredient.

Cold-pressing preserves the full fatty acid and carotenoid profile of the rosehip — including naturally occurring beta-carotene, vitamin C precursors, and linoleic acid — that are largely destroyed by heat or chemical refining. Unrefined means nothing has been stripped or altered after extraction. What you're applying is as close to the plant as it's possible to get in a bottled oil.

It's blended with pomegranate seed oil — one of the most antioxidant-rich seed oils available, containing punicic acid, a rare omega-5 fatty acid found in very few plant sources — and argan oil, cold-pressed from the kernels of the Moroccan argan tree and naturally rich in tocopherols (vitamin E) and oleic acid. Sweet almond oil provides the lighter, more spreadable base of the blend, rich in oleic and linoleic acids that closely mirror the composition of skin's natural sebum.

Together these four oils create a lipid-rich, skin-compatible blend that supports the skin's natural moisture barrier and helps reduce transepidermal water loss — the process by which skin loses moisture to the environment. For menopausal skin, where sebum production naturally decreases and the barrier becomes thinner and more vulnerable, a well-formulated facial oil used as the final step of a routine makes a tangible difference to how skin feels and behaves.

The essential oil blend — pure rose, frankincense, and lavender — is chosen as much for skin compatibility as for scent. Frankincense has a long history of use in skin-supportive formulations; rose is one of the most skin-compatible botanicals available; lavender brings natural calming properties and rounds out the scent beautifully. This is genuine aromatherapy, not synthetic fragrance.

What's in it — and why

• Organic rosehip seed oil (Rosa canina) — unrefined and cold-pressed; naturally rich in linoleic acid, beta-carotene, and fatty acids that support the skin's lipid barrier. The finest quality rosehip available
• Argan oil (Argania spinosa) — cold-pressed kernel oil from Morocco; rich in tocopherols (vitamin E) and oleic acid; lightweight and deeply nourishing
• Sweet almond oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) — a skin-compatible, easily absorbed base oil rich in oleic and linoleic acids that mirror the skin's natural sebum
• Pomegranate seed oil (Punica granatum) — exceptionally rich in punicic acid (omega-5), one of the rarest fatty acids in plant-based skincare; highly antioxidant
• Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carterii) — a botanically active essential oil with a long history of use in skin-supportive formulations; warm, grounding scent
• Rose essential oil (Rosa damascena) — one of the most skin-compatible and botanically prized essential oils; naturally supportive and beautifully fragrant
• Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) — calming, skin-compatible, and rounds out the botanical scent blend

Full INCI: Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, [Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Boswellia Carterii (Frankincense) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Oil

How to use

Dispense 2–3 drops onto your fingertips and warm gently between your palms. Press into clean skin on face and neck — breathe in the botanical scent as you apply. Use upward, circular motions or a gua sha tool for enhanced absorption.

Use as the final step of your routine, after your Puremess serum and moisturiser, to help seal in hydration and support your skin's barrier overnight or throughout the day.

✨ Top tip: One drop blended into your moisturiser gives a beautiful custom hydration boost — particularly effective in colder or drier weather.

The Puremess Promise

✔️ Handcrafted in small batches in West Wittering, West Sussex ✔️ Free from synthetic fragrance, sulphates, parabens, palm oil, phthalates, silicones and mineral oil ✔️ Natural, vegan, and cruelty-free ✔️ Presented in a recyclable amber glass dropper bottle.

Made with love, in West Wittering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this facial oil suitable for menopausal skin? Yes — it's particularly well suited to menopausal and mature skin. As oestrogen levels decline, sebum production naturally decreases, leaving skin drier, thinner, and more prone to transepidermal water loss. A lipid-rich facial oil used as the final step of a routine helps support the skin's natural barrier and keep moisture locked in. The blend of rosehip, pomegranate, argan, and sweet almond oils closely mirrors the fatty acid composition of healthy skin sebum, making it exceptionally compatible with maturing skin.

Is this facial oil suitable for sensitive skin? Yes — all four base oils are well tolerated by sensitive skin, and the formula contains no synthetic fragrance, sulphates, silicones, or parabens. The essential oils are present at skin-safe concentrations. If you have a known sensitivity to any of the botanical ingredients, we recommend a patch test on the inner arm before first use.

What makes cold-pressed, unrefined rosehip oil better than standard rosehip oil? Cold-pressing extracts the oil without heat, preserving its full fatty acid profile — including linoleic acid, beta-carotene, and naturally occurring vitamin C precursors — that are largely destroyed by conventional heat extraction. Unrefined means the oil undergoes no further chemical processing after extraction. The result is a significantly more nutrient-dense oil than the refined rosehip used in most mainstream skincare. 

What is punicic acid and why is pomegranate seed oil special? Punicic acid is an omega-5 fatty acid found in very few plant sources — pomegranate seed oil is one of the richest known sources. It's a highly antioxidant fatty acid that helps protect skin cells from oxidative stress caused by environmental aggressors like UV exposure and pollution. It's one of the reasons pomegranate seed oil commands a premium in high-quality facial formulations — and why we've included it in this blend rather than using a cheaper substitute.

When should I use the facial oil in my routine? Facial oil should be the final step of your skincare routine — applied after cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturiser. Oil molecules are larger than water-based actives and sit on top of the skin's surface, forming a protective layer that helps prevent transepidermal water loss. Applying it last means your actives absorb properly first, and the oil seals everything in. The exception is mixing one drop into your moisturiser, which works beautifully as a lighter alternative on warmer days.

Does this facial oil contain synthetic fragrance? No — the scent comes entirely from the pure rose, frankincense, and lavender essential oils in the formula. There is no added parfum, synthetic fragrance, or fragrance blend. This is genuine aromatherapy — each oil is chosen for both its skin compatibility and its natural scent contribution.