#BeautyFind: Living Libations Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever Elixir
Last February, we started a brand new series on STYLE Canada: #BeautyFind Friday, otherwise known as your new #BFF. Every other Friday, STYLE editor Anastasia Barbuzzi will present you with a #BeautyFind to help you enjoy a weekend of self-love and care like no other. She’s all over the green beauty scene and on #BeautyFind Fridays, she’ll be giving you the inside scoop on products and brands that are changing the space, and one’s you’ve just gotta try. Full permission to begin daydreaming about your next *Add to Cart* item.
Living Libations Goddess Nadine Artemis
Nadine Artemis is many things: an author, the founder of Living Libations, a dental professional… The list goes on. She’s also the creator of one revolutionary skin care product that has gained a cult-like status in the clean beauty world, the triple-threat Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever elixir.
This silky-smooth cleanser, moisturizer and exfoliator is highlighted by one hero ingredient: seabuckthorn. According to Artemis, a single drop of seabuckthorn berry supercritical extract contains 190 different bioactive compounds that skin loves to “drink in”.
Basically, it sends berry lipids deep into the skin, diminishing imbalances from the inside-out. Artemis is a fan of the essence’s restorative properties, including omega fatty acids 3, 6, 7, and 9, carotenoids (skin brighteners!), and collagen-loving phytosterols. In addition to improving skin tone, seabuckthorn acts as an anti-inflammatory, relaxing redness and easing puffiness for a clearer complexion.
I was first turned onto Living Libations by my friends at The Detox Market. One of those friends recommended Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever to almost everyone who browsed through the store, for all kinds of concerns. Then finally, I got the opportunity to ask Artemis why her seabuckthorn variant was a standout amongst the nine other Best Skin Ever concoctions, and the inspiration behind the product itself.
“Many moons ago, I spent time camping in the intense sun of Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. I formulated with various botanical oils as an experiment to see how I could cleanse my entire face and body in the desert with minimal water,” Artemis told me. “I also wanted to see how oils reacted to desert heat and sunlight and how my skin responded under their care. My desert discoveries firmed the foundation of Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever (and Everybody Loves the Sunshine), which has become one of our premier products.”
It’s no wonder why — the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever formula is a true multitasker, imparting lasting hydration, softening, and illuminating properties to the skin, leaving even brighter smiles behind.
“From the beginning, I have felt that Living Libations is a rare gem in a sea of billions of beauty products, and Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever is frequently the scent trail that leads some folks to want to discover more about us.”
If you’re one of the curious ones, scroll to read my honest review of the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever.
Photo by shop.kolyanaturals.com
First impressions: Similar to the gorgeous orange-gold hue inside the bottle, the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever‘s vessel is equally as pretty; a tall glass container topped with a sustainable wooden cap. That said, the first thing that will make you fall in love with this product is the scent – earthy vetiver, floral lavender, juicy grapefruit, spicy palmarosa (which gives off lemony-geranium-rose vibes), and tropical coconut are the forward notes in its eight-ingredient formula. It’s soothing, comforting, pretty, and welcoming to the rest of your skin care routine.
Talkin’ specifics: By now, we know that oil cleansing is a time-tested method of natural skin care, but with Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever, the nourishment goes even deeper.
“Most modern cleansers contain synthetic surfactants that strip the acid mantle and stratum corneum, the skin’s top layer that protects, moistens, and provides nutrition to the skin’s microbiome. This leaves the skin dry and vulnerable to damage,” Artemis told me. “Washing with botanical oils protects and enhances the acid mantle while gently lifting away makeup, excess oil, and the day’s debris. The skin feels clean, soft, and supple after cleansing with Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever in lieu of tight and dry.”
Besides seabuckthorn’s balancing properties, jojoba oil provides endless moisture while fresh-pressed tamanu berries fade scars. The rich roots of vetiver essential oil balance sebum while grapefruit and palmarosa essential oil tighten and tone every pore. Plus, the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever elixir comes in five convenient sizes, from 30 millilitre bottles to 4250 millilitre jugs (ya know, in case you live off the grid and a trough of the stuff is necessary).
@livinglibationsoffical via Instagram
The experience: When I asked Artemis if she’s ever been surprised by people’s reviews and results after using the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever elixir, she said that she is “delighted anew, yet never surprised, every time someone messages to say how much they enjoyed their first whiff and how amazingly dewy, clean, and soft their skin feels after the first cleanse”. Her response did not shock me either.
Applying a generous dollop of Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever is an act of self-love and self-care like no other. It’s a full-on sensory experience, and the water-like feeling it leaves on the skin is undeniably comfortable. As someone with normal to dry skin, I can apply a little more than necessary without appearing “greasy” — nice and dewy is how a pump of Best Skin Ever will leave you. Bonus: the slight gold tinge leaves behind a subtle glow.
I find that the slippery texture of this elixir is conducive to the use of skin tools, like facial cups (I’m currently loving this set), gua sha stones, and even jade rollers. I find the healing benefits are even more apparent when the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever is applied with gentle massage techniques, as recommended by Living Libations as well.
The verdict: Artemis has told me that many people have seen their skin issues resolve after using Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever, and it was incredible to hear about how many women feel confident in their makeup-free complexions after using it, but I’ve always been curious to know what it’s like to see one of your products hit the big time.
“People’s discernment about what they are adorning their bodies with is ever-blooming, and it is super special that people have really fallen in love with this splendid serum. It is an honour to co-create with nature’s bounty of beautiful botanicals and offer Libations that heal, smooth, soften, and satiate the skin — making it more fun to be in the skin you are in,” she said.
I couldn’t agree more. Since cleansing, moisturizing and exfoliating with Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever, I have seen noticeable improvements in texture (softness), radiance, and the overall tone of my skin. The one thing I haven’t tried is moisturizing my whole body with it, but that’s next on my to-do list.
I don’t know about you, but at the very fair starting price of just $22, I’m happy to support a company that takes pride in the quality of the products they make themselves, too. So for now, I’ll keep reaching for this reliable triple-threat when I need to take the day off with some extra love and start the next morning with some extra pep in my step.
Want more #BeautyFind Fridays? Find past reviews here.
