Rare Ritual facial oil serums are 100% anhydrous, cold-processed formulas designed to nourish the skin after your water-based actives have absorbed. They are not conventional facial oils. They are precision-built, bioactive-led formulas where every ingredient earns its place and the entire formula is produced without heat to protect the activity of every compound inside.

Facial Oil Serums: Concentrated Nourishment After the Actives

The distinction between an oil serum and a conventional facial oil is formulation intent. A conventional facial oil is often a single-ingredient carrier. A Rare Ritual facial oil serum is a multi-active blend: a curated assembly of cold-pressed plant oils, lipid-soluble actives, and stabilising wax esters, each selected for a specific function in the context of a named skin concern.

Applied after the active serum has fully absorbed and before the final Facial Mousse seal, the oil serum delivers bioactive nutrition at the moment the skin is most prepared to receive it. The oil layer does not compete with the active serum. It follows it, providing fatty acid nourishment, antioxidant protection, and lipid-soluble actives like bakuchiol that do their best work in an oil base.

Every Rare Ritual oil serum is produced without heat at any stage. This matters because the most bioactive compounds in these formulas, including linoleic acid, punicic acid, carotenoids, and bakuchiol, are sensitive to elevated temperatures. Cold processing preserves them in their intact, functional form from production to application.

The Three Oil Serums and Their Families

No 03 Clarity Oil Serum belongs to the Clarity family, formulated for acne-prone and congested skin. Its base is built around Kalahari Melon Seed Oil, extraordinarily rich in linoleic acid, the fatty acid that research consistently shows to be deficient in acne-prone skin. Bakuchiol, Black Seed Oil, and Tamanu Oil provide antimicrobial support and help visibly calm the conditions associated with congested, reactive skin.

No 04 Radiance Oil Serum belongs to the Radiance family, designed for visible luminosity and cell renewal. Prickly Pear Seed Oil, upcycled from South African sources, sits at the heart of the formula alongside Baobab Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil, and bakuchiol. Together they deliver a concentrated dose of carotenoids, essential fatty acids, and cell-turnover support that works at the level of skin biology rather than surface reflection.

No 05 Renewal Oil Serum belongs to the Renewal family, formulated for anti-ageing and barrier reinforcement. Marula Oil, indigenous to Southern Africa, provides oleic acid nourishment and naturally occurring antioxidant protection. Prickly Pear Seed Oil addresses the linoleic acid depletion associated with ageing skin. Bakuchiol supports the appearance of smoother, more resilient skin through retinol-pathway activity without the drawbacks of retinol.

How to Use an Oil Serum

Warm 1 to 2 drops between the palms for a few seconds. Press the warmed oil into the face, neck, and décolleté using gentle upward strokes. Do not apply until the previous layer, the active serum, has fully absorbed. Oil applied over a wet active creates a barrier that prevents full absorption of the active below it.

Two oil serums can be layered. Warm a drop of each together in the same palm and press the blend in as a single application.

In the morning, follow the oil serum with the Facial Mousse as the final seal, then apply SPF. Several oils in this range contain essential oils that can increase sun sensitivity. Always follow with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher when using oil serums in a morning ritual.

Why Anhydrous and Cold-Processed

Anhydrous means water-free. In most commercial facial oils, water-based additives are introduced for texture or feel. Rare Ritual oil serums contain no water. Every drop is a working ingredient, classified and disclosed in full.

Cold processing means no heat is applied from start to finish. The decision is formulation science, not marketing: the key bioactives in these formulas degrade meaningfully under heat, and cold processing is the only way to deliver them intact.