5 Things I Learned at the Lab Tonica Skin Serum Workshop
A few weeks ago I spent a delicious morning making my very own skin serum at a workshop run by the lovely founder of Lab Tonica, Kitty McEntee.
Lab Tonica is a wellness brand with a focus on sustainability and herbalism, with slick and gorgeous branding which makes it really fresh and modern. I absolutely loved the context and knowledge Kitty provided in the talk, and I haven’t stopped using the finished product ever since. A lot of the ingredients used were infused by Kitty herself, and I learned so much!
Some of the ingredients in our custom made serums were infused in different types of oils - like the sakura cherry blossoms, which was infused in coconut oil, and the jasmine blossom which had been infused in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). In addition to rosehip, vitamin E and jojoba oil, we also customised our own by adding a couple of drops of our favourite essential oils - I included sandalwood, lavender and rose in mine and it is divine.
Here are my top 5 takeaways from the event:
1) Serum before moisturiser
I'm a terrible one for this, but sometimes I crave the glossy sheen on my skin till you get in a skin care ad, or I forget to put a serum on halfway through my routine so I pop it on at the end. Don’t be like me! Let your skin have the chance to absorb the goodness of the serum and lock it in with moisturiser at the end
2) Target and tap product lightly on problem areas
If there are specific blemishes or discoloration you want to target, pop a bit of product on your finger lightly and tap it on that area first, before applying it over the rest of your face. Be specific and targeted - one I need to remember as I’m very prone to freckles and need to be careful with it as I age.
3) Pick plants at dusk or dawn
If you’re infusing your own oils, collect the plants or flower blossom as dawn or dusk, when it is most potent (rather than in the middle of the day, when full sun might diffuse the oils and active ingredients into the atmosphere, rather than capturing it in your product).
4) Cold-pressed EVOO - not just for salads!
It was so interesting to hear that Kitty had infused some of her plant matter (like jasmine) into Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I assumed it wouldn’t be suitable due to its strong scent, but it gave the loveliest fragrance which had a lot more depth more than I thought it would, and made me think differently about all the different flowers we’re growing in our garden and how I might start infusing them to make some skincare products for friends at Christmas!
5) Use citrus oil containing products at night
Some of the natural ingredients containing citrus oils should be applied at night, because of its skin brightening properties potentially triggering photosensitive reactions. Not all serums are necessarily suitable to be used during the day - the skin brightening active ingredients can react with the sunlight, and cause skin damage rather than being restorative! I hadn’t ever really consciously thought about why I should apply specific products at different times of the day, and it’s definitely made me examine the ingredient list more carefully as a result
I learned so much as a result of that event, and have come away with a new favourite oil!
Their selection of products are so nice, too. I’ve been using their unplugged sleep balm on pressure points, and have been drinking a lovely herbal tea and a great pillow spray just before bed.
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