A Deep Dive Into Our Carrier Oils

When I first start to formulate a new product, I don't just begin with the trendy ingredient. I also start with the base.

The carrier oils are the foundation of our serum and elixir formulas. They determine how nutrients travel, and how deeply they penetrate into the skin. How the formula as a whole interacts with your skin’s barrier, and whether a formula feels balancing, stimulating, weightless, or deeply restorative.

Every carrier oil in our line was chosen with intention. Not because it looks or smells beautiful (although that's always a plus), but because it behaves beautifully.

Grapeseed oil is high in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that acne-prone and inflamed skin is often deficient in. It is fast absorbing, low on the comedogenic scale, and exceptionally receptive to active botanicals. It carries the azulenes from blue tansy, the bisabolol from chamomile, and the soothing compounds in lavender directly into the upper layers of the skin without creating heaviness.

It strengthens the barrier while allowing the skin to breathe.

This is why Happy Hour feels balancing instead of oily. It calms without coating.

Siren contains circulation-supporting ingredients. I needed a base that would prevent overstimulation and maintain barrier harmony.

Jojoba does exactly that. It is remarkably stable, resistant to oxidation, and supportive for both oily and congested skin.

It does not force the skin to behave differently. It teaches it how to function better.

It fills microscopic cracks between skin cells. It reduces transepidermal water loss. It smooths texture. It enhances light reflection.

This is why Aloha works beautifully under makeup. It behaves like a dry emollient, creating slip without shine. It also improves antioxidant transport and helps even the appearance of tone over time by reducing oxidative stress.

Weightless. Intelligent. Protective.

Together they create a lipid environment capable of dissolving and activating Coenzyme Q10, a fat-soluble antioxidant that supports mitochondrial energy in skin cells.

CoQ10 cannot function effectively in water, it requires lipid transport. Moringa and marula solubilize CoQ10, protect it from oxidation, and deliver it into the skin’s lipid layers.

Mahina is not simply moisturizing. It is rebuilding.