This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase the ingredients through my link I will receive a small compensation which helps me be able to continue blogging. Your price does not change. 

One thing y’all may or may not know about me is that I’m currently on a weigh loss journey, and I don’t mean to lose 10 lbs for summer bathing suit season. I mean a “I need to be 1/2 my current size” kind of weight loss journey. I’ve talked about this more on my youtube channel than I have in writing — it’s funny the things we choose to share and the ways we choose to share them, isn’t it? —  but I’ve concocted a recipe that I want to share with you all now.

One of my biggest fears regarding weight loss is the prospect of loose skin. Loose skin after weight loss is a pretty common thing. I feel that, mostly, it’s inevitable. The way our skin behaves after significant weight loss is unpredictable. It’s determined by so many different factors, most of which are out of our control. Things like age, genetics, hydration, moisturization, yo-yo dieting (i.e. stretching and shrinking the skin over and over), speed of weight loss,  amount of total pounds loss, and sheer luck of the draw all play a part. The bottom line is this: at least some loose skin is probably inevitable at the end of the road for me, and I’m not happy about it. But the overall benefits of getting fit and healthy outweigh (pun not intended) the cons.

Still, I’d like to minimize the effects of weight loss on my skin as much as possible. So as far as those things which I can control — like drinking plenty of water, trying my best not to yo-yo, and moisturizing my skin — I’m going to do what I can to give my skin the best chance it’s got. And if I still come out looking like a deflated balloon, well, I may just have to save up money and go under the knife one day (as much as that idea makes me cringe).

It goes without saying that I’m no expert in skin health or anything like that. Let’s just be real here, I’m not a professional at anything but eating too many carbs. However, I’ve done a little bit of research around the web and concocted a skin serum recipe using nourishing oils and essential oils whose properties are shown to benefit skin health and elasticity. I’ll hit the high points of what I’ve learned, and then we’ll follow it up with my “recipe.” This of course can be tweaked according to personal preference, but overall I chose the ingredients in this serum to benefit skin elasticity, help fade stretch marks, moisturize dry skin, and aid in preventing loose skin as much as possible.

You’re probably wanting to know. . . does it work? And the truth is, I don’t know. I’m only just starting this journey, and I won’t know until the end what the state of my skin will be. I figure it’s worth a shot. And of course all of our bodies are different and will respond differently to weight loss and, well, everything. So what works for one person won’t always work for another. Your mileage may vary, as they say. I’m just sharing what I’m doing, and if you want to try it, too, it’s here for you do so.

Nourishing Oils

The first ingredients in the serum is a blend of nourishing body oils. These make up the base of the serum. I’ve added links to each ingredient on Amazon, which is where I purchased them from. You can find many of these in health food stores as well, but some are more difficult to find than others.

Fracionated Coconut Oil

Fractionated coconut oil is the main base oil for this serum. I chose to make it the primary base because it is one of the more affordable oils in this recipe and coconut oil is widely regarded as a prime moisturizing oil and carrier oil for essential oils. It’s important to choose fractionated coconut oil, which is a bit trickier to find, so that it does not solidify in cooler temperatures like standard coconut oil. Find it here.

Sweet Almond Oil

Pretty much every article I found online about loose skin mentioned almond oil. Almond oil is purported to be beneficial in tightening skin and preventing loose skin as well as fading and preventing stretch marks as well as fine lines and wrinkles. The modus operandi? It’s high in vitamin E and antioxidants. I had some leftover after mixing my serum and have also been using this oil to moisturize my hair and scalp. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel greasy when used on its own. Find it here.

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is another oil containing vitamin E and antioxidants. It’s a moisturizing oil that also has astringent properties that help tighten and tone skin. Grapeseed also includes a number of essential fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, stearic, palmitic, and lauric acids.  Find it here.

Castor Oil

Castor oil is used to hydrate and moisturize dry skin. I’s also a popular remedy to help soften skin, fade scars, and reduce signs of aging. Castor oil is considered to be a humectant, which means that it holds in and attracts moisture. Find it here.

Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil is a highly prized oil for beautification and skincare. It’s an antioxidant rich oil containing vitamins E, D, C, and B-Carotene as well as many essential fatty acids. It’s thought to help protect skin and promote regeneration of skin cells. Find it here.

Essential Oils

The second part of this serum consists of pure, therapeutic grade essential oils from my most trusted essential oil company. While I can’t give you a direct link to purchase these babies, contact me and I will gladly help you procure them. There are a lot of crappy, low quality, and fake oils on the market, so you want to be sure to get the real deal for your skin.

Frankincense

The king of oils, good ol’ frank, is renown for reducing the appearance of various skin imperfections. It also supports healthy cell function* and rejuvenates the skin.

Helichrysum

Helichrysum (also known as St. John’s herb) is the premier skin oil. Helichrysum is used topically to keep skin looking youthful and healthy, as well as to reduce wrinkles and improve the overall appearance of skin.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass, in addition to a bright scent, is toning and purifying to the skin. It also has mild astringent properties as well.

Lavender

Lavender, a common favorite, is soothing to the skin and helps reduce the appearance of blemishes. It really can’t be beat for relaxation, which makes the serum wonderful to apply right before bed.

Patchouli

Patchouli is best known for its warm and sweet aroma, but it’s another oil that is wonderful for reducing the visibility of skin imperfections. Patchouli promotes a smooth, glowing complexion.

Geranium

Geranium is smoothing to the skin and promotes healthy, vibrant appearance. Just a heads up about this one — it’s not the best smelling oil in the world. (Kind of like floral pickles.) But if you can get past that, it can be used to help beautify the skin. Plus the other oils in this blend help drown out it’s unique aroma.

Metabolic Blend

The metabolic blend is a proprietary blend from my favorite essential oil company, and is formulated to promote a healthy metabolism.* It also has diuretic and stimulating properties and is formulated with oils that also promote healthy circulatory function*.

The metabolic blend contains citrus and should not be applied topically before sun exposure. You can leave this one out if you’d rather the serum not contain citrus, which can increase sensitivity to the sun.

Recipe

So, now for the recipe. I opted not to measure exactly on the base oils, because who has time for that, am I right? But I’ll let ya know what I did.

First, combine all those lovely base oils in a glass container. I recommend glass to protect the essential oils, and even better if it’s dark brown or blue glass to protect it from light. I used a glass olive oil bottle that holds 16 oz and is admittedly not a dark color, but I’m storing it out of the light. I used roughly the following ratios:

50% fractionated coconut oil
25% sweet almond oil
12% castor oil
12% grapeseed oil
several droppers full of rosehip oil

Next, add the essential oils. I chose to add 20 drops of each oil except geranium and the metabolic blend, of which I added 15 drops each.  That is roughly 8 drops of essential oil per fluid ounce of carrier oil.

This can be adjusted for personal preference, but it is not recommended to exceed a 4% dilution rate for normal, nonsensitive adults; 12 drops essential oil per fluid ounce of carrier oil is a 2% dilution rate, to give you a point of reference. Typical dilution rates are recommended to be 1% for children and sensitive adults (but of course children would not need this particular skin serum) and 2-4% for nonsensitive adults. Hotter oils (like cinnamon, oregano, and basil to give a few examples) need to be diluted more than milder oils (like lavender, melaluca, and frankincense).

Are you on a weight loss journey, or otherwise trying to get healthier? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Let me know if you use this serum, too, and how it works for you.

Cheers

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.