Face Serum vs. Face Oil: Why the Labels Are So Confusing?!
Does it get more confusing than staring at two bottles with similar oils on the ingredient list BUT one of them says it's a serum and the other says it's a face oil?
I see this consistently, at markets, in reviews, scrolling skincare stuff at 11pm when I should be sleeping and not nerding out lol. Two nearly identical ingredient lists. Jojoba, sunflower, maybe a splash of essential oil for scent. One bottle says "serum." One bottle says "face oil." Same price range. Totally different vibe on the label.
So what's actually going on?
The short answer: it's a labelling choice, not a true lie
"Serum" isn't a regulated term in cosmetics. There's no legal definition, no governing body checking whether a product qualifies. Any brand can put "serum" on any bottle of oil, water, gel, doesn't matter. So when you see two nearly identical oily ingredient lists with two different product names on the front, there’s no rules broken. They just made a marketing decision, and "serum" tends to sound more advanced, more science-y, more worth the price tag.
I'm not here to shame anyone for a marketing choice but I do think from a consumer standpoint (and in an age of reading labels) that understanding what’s inside the bottle helps a lot of people make an informed call about what goes on your skin and what you are picking up with your money.
What a true serum actually is
In the function-first sense of the word, a serum is a fast-absorbing, water- or gel-based formula built specifically to carry active ingredients into the surface layers of your skin. Think niacinamide, vitamin C, alpha-arbutin. A true serum uses these water-soluble actives (they dissolve in water, not oil) in a watery base so they can actually be delivered and absorbed by the skin.
Ok but then. . . What’s a face oil?
A face oil is a an oil based formula that sits on top of the skin and softens it as well as provides occlusion (which means it seals all the moisture inside so your skin stays hydrated). That’s a big job and I honestly love me a face oil because they really do feel so soft and smoothing and are wonderful for skin. BUT a plain carrier oil with a splash of essential oil for scent isn’t delivering “actives” in a clinical sense. It’s providing fatty acids and sealing the barrier beautifully. And that’s just a face oil.
So can an oil ever have actives?
Heck yes! And now we add another layer on to the serum vs oil mystique. Because oils can absolutely carry active ingredients. They just have to be the oil-soluble kind. So that means things like bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol active), tocopherol (Vitamin E), bisabolol (a soothing botanical from chamomile) are a few that I love using in face oils. Oils just can’t carry the water-soluble stuff like niacinamide or vitamin C.
So the real dividing line isn't oil versus water. It’s more of whether the product carries a meaningful amount of active that you are looking for your skin AND can it deliver it (ie. water soluble actives in true serum, or oil based actives in face oil).
Serum? Oil? How do I use them then?
Let’s chat about building up a skincare routine because I love face oil and my whole face oil line is built on that passion. And I don’t want to let a beautifully labelled "oil serum" replace an actual water-based serum in your routine. So just. Use both, in the right order.
Cleanse.
Apply your water-based serum (the one actually carrying active ingredients like niacinamide) to clean skin. Let it fully absorb (a minute or two).
Once it's dry, seal it in with your oil. Use 5 drops and rub between hands well and then pat onto skin gently instead of rubbing hard. This helps seal in the water-based serum underneath.
That means you get actives from the serum, barrier support sealing it all in and a lovely glow from the oil. Layer them up, you don't have to pick one.
Curious about the actives in your own routine? Our Niacinamide Brightening Face Serum is water-based and built to deliver, and our Nourishing Face Oils are formulated with their own oil-soluble actives (bakuchiol, bisabolol, black cumin, and more) depending on what your skin needs.
A note from the formulator:
Niacinamide only dissolves in water. That's not a formulating preference, that's just chemistry. If I tried to blend it on into an oil base it would just... sit there. Undissolved and gritty. Doing absolutely nothing for your skin no matter how pretty the bottle looked.
So, for my fellow formulator friends…Make sure to match your actives to the carrier that it wants to live in. Water solubles go in water. Oil solubles go in oil.
This is one of my favourite parts of the job if I'm honest. Figuring out where each ingredient wants to live, and then building a product (and eventually a whole routine) that lets it actually do its job instead of just looking impressive on a label. Water-based or oil-based isn't better or worse. They're just doing two completely different jobs. And when you use them together, in the right order? That's when it gets fun.
~ Andrea, Founder & Formulator, Lavish Earth
Jojoba Isn’t an Oil. (Seriously, this wax will blow your mind)
Jojoba is possibly one of the most famous "oils" in natural skincare. It’s in so many formulations, everyone’s heard of it, and it has an awesome safety and usage profile.
But (I just love a good PLOT TWIST) it's actually...truly not even an oil at all!
Jojoba is a liquid wax ester. This means it's a different molecule than a true oil (like some of our other faves : argan, avocado, olive) and that's what makes it so popular.
Okay, so what’s a wax ester?
True oils are triglycerides which means each molecule dude has three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. Wax esters are simpler and that dude has one long fatty acid bonded to one long fatty alcohol, in a straight chain.
Well, that's some deep nerd chemistry right there but stick with me because it does matter : Your skin makes sebum and that sebum is made up of a lot of these wax esters. Your skin knows what's up and Jojoba is insanely close, structurally, to what your skin naturally produces. More than almost any plant oil out there.
So when you put it on your skin, it feels good. Not like a gross oily coating, but soft and it blends in nicely.
That’s why it never feels greasy
That skin-similar shape is why jojoba blends in and absorbs the way it does. It's smooth and cushiony without that heavy, sitting-on-top feeling some oils like to leave. It spreads beautifully, works in a huge range of formulations from face oils to lip balm, and works across skin types, even reactive and sensitive types.
Fun fact from the desert
The jojoba shrub grows in the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico, and those wax esters are how the plant protects its own seeds from the desert dry heat. The exact wax that keeps a seed alive in the desert is the one keeping your skin soft and happy too (and it’s also why jojoba basically refuses to go rancid but more on that in the formulator note below).
You’ll find jojoba throughout our line - it’s one of my fave ingredients and I find myself formulating with it and infusing in it often.
Find it in everything from Triple Whipped Body Butter, Lip Balm, Face Oils - shop here!
A note from the formulator:
If you’re formulating with jojoba, this wax is lovely to infuse into and doesn't oxidize like other oils and go rancid. It can last a very long time.
For my soapmaker friends : jojoba wax esters barely saponify so most of jojoba in a bar makes it through the lye process untouched. That makes it lovely as a conditioning addition, but keep it to 5–10% of your oils max. And don't forget to use a SoapCalc for your final recipe so you are using the right amount of lye for your oils.
-Andrea, Founder & Formulator, Lavish Earth
Formulating with Deodorizing Minerals (+ Our New Persimmon Bar!)
Meet the Persimmon + Mineral Deodorant Bar
This new bar genuinely surprised me, and after a decade of formulating, that doesn’t happen often. It’s what happens when you take cold process soapmaking and supercharge it with targeted deodorizing chemistry. Meet our new Persimmon + Mineral Deodorant Bar.
The Ingredient I Couldn’t Shake: Persimmon Tannin
Persimmon tannin is a traditional Japanese ingredient that’s been used for centuries to manage body odour. Specifically, it targets a compound called 2-nonenal or the molecule behind what people sometimes call “old person smell” or mature skin odour. Unlike regular sweat, 2-nonenal doesn’t wash away easily with standard soap because it’s not very water-soluble.
I’d wanted to play with it for years in my shop in Grand Valley, Ontario, but couldn’t source a reliable cosmetic-grade version in Canada. It sat on the back burner of soapy dreams. Then my pharmacist friend Lauren brought it up during a chat, and the formulation nerd in me went right back down the rabbit hole. I finally tracked down a cosmetic-grade batch, got it into the studio, and got to work.
The Brain Twist: Making It Inclusive
The original plan was simple: a gentle, targeted bar for mature skin concerns. But if you know me, you know my brain doesn’t stop there. Why limit this to one demographic? Odour is odour and we all deal with it.
What if I took the star minerals from our natural deodorant line (magnesium hydroxide and zinc ricinoleate) and packed them into a cold process soap bar? Could I build a deodorizing bar that works for everyone? Spoiler: oh yeah, we can.
The Day I Forgot My Deodorant (And It Was Fine?!)
I made the first test batch, cured it, and took it to the shower. That morning, in true busy-mom-and-business-owner fashion, I completely forgot to put on deodorant.
I didn’t realize until late afternoon. I braced for the worst and nothing. I barely noticed I’d skipped it.
I figured it was a fluke, so I tried it again the next day. Same result. I kept the streak going for a month, barely reaching for my regular deodorant because this single bar of soap was carrying the load.
How the Triple-Action Chemistry Works
This isn’t magic; it’s just good ingredient synergy (ok but it feeeeeels like magic, right?). The formula works through three complementary mechanisms:
Persimmon Tannin: Binds to specific odour compounds like 2-nonenal, neutralizing them before they can lift off your skin.
Magnesium Hydroxide: Helps balance the skin’s surface pH, creating an environment that’s naturally less hospitable to odour-causing bacteria.
Zinc Ricinoleate: Acts like a molecular sponge, absorbing leftover odour molecules before they hit the air.
Quick tip: I’m not saying to throw away your daily deodorant entirely BUT pairing this bar with your usual routine? You’ve got an unbeatable layer of long-lasting freshness. Pits, body, feet!
The Lavish Earth Persimmon + Mineral Deodorant Bar is officially cured, wrapped, and available here!
A Note From the Formulator :
If you’re a fellow soapmaker wanting to experiment with deodorizing minerals in cold process recipes, my best advice is to keep usage rates low.
Deodorant sticks can handle massive amounts of powder (like 15%+ in some cases). True saponified soap behaves completely differently. Dump too much mineral into your batch and you’ll end up with a chalky brick instead of a bar.
If you want to try this yourself: add magnesium hydroxide at 0.5% and zinc ricinoleate at 0.5% of total oil weight. Melt your zinc pearls with your oils, then blend the magnesium hydroxide powder thoroughly into the cooled oils before adding lye (good dispersion matters here).
— Andrea, Formulator + Founder, Lavish Earth
Niacinamide: It Sounds Like a Chemical Weapon. It’s a Vitamin.
The first time I hear the word niacinamide, it made me think of hazmat suits and warfare from WW2. It’s just got this big old scary clinical, FIVE-syllable energy that makes you think “surely this is not appropriate for skin.”
My friend, it is a form of vitamin B3. It’s just a vitamin B and that blew my mind.
That’s it. That’s the scary ingredient : the same B vitamin your body already knows and loves, just in a form your skin can actually use. Honestly though, once you get past the lab-coat vibes, niacinamide is one of the gentlest, most universally well-tolerated ingredients in skincare.
What is niacinamide, really?
Niacinamide is the active form of vitamin B3 used in skincare and it’s a lovely ingredient. It supports your skin barrier (the thing standing between your face and the harsh world), helps your skin hold onto moisture, and can help calm the look of redness and uneven tone over time. It plays well with nearly every other ingredient, doesn’t make your skin sun-sensitive, and rarely throws a tantrum, even on sensitive skin. It’s the easygoing friend of the skincare world that can really be effective - which is exactly why I built it into our niacinamide face serum.
Niacinamide and Vitamin B3 are all around us
Because it’s a vitamin B3, you’re already getting niacinamide from your dinner plate! It shows up in mushrooms, green peas, lentils, peanuts, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grains and chicken, eggs and even salmon and tuna. So while your serum feeds your skin from the outside, your lunch tops you up from the inside.
The takeaway
Please don’t let a freaky name scare you off a genuinely kind ingredient! Niacinamide isn’t harsh or fussy or new, it’s just B3’s government name. And when it’s formulated thoughtfully, at a functional level, in a water-based serum that actually delivers it to your skin? Oh yeah, that’s a reason it should earn a place in your routine.
Want to try it?
Our niacinamide face serum is handcrafted in small batches right here in Grand Valley, Ontario. It’s a water-based, barrier-friendly, and made-to-deliver-results kinda serum.
A note from the formulator : If you want to play with niacinamide yourself, I’ve got some good news for you!! It’s actually a really easy active to work with. Yay! It comes as a fine white powder that is easy to dissolve in water. I love using it at 5%, but the typical usage rate is around 2%-5%. A couple quick tips: dissolve it into your water phase (not oil because it just won’t mix!), and keep your final product in a skin-friendly, balanced pH range so it stays comfortable and effective. It’s really forgiving but like most formulas, I’d add this guy to a cool down phase like other actives, if possible.
- Andrea, Founder & Formulator, Lavish Earth
What Is BTMS-50 and Why It’s the Star Ingredient in Our Conditioner Bar
I don’t know what I did before BTMS-50 came into my life.
When I set out to formulate our conditioner bar, I had actually never tried one before. I knew what it needed to do (detangle, smooth, condition without buildup) so I went on an ingredient research deep dive and BTMS-50 kept coming up as the gold standard. I ordered it, melted it down, made my first bar, and honestly? It completely blew my socks off. I’ve never looked back.
Here’s why it works so well.
What Is BTMS-50?
BTMS-50 stands for Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetyl Alcohol. It’s a plant-derived conditioning emulsifier most commonly sourced from rapeseed oil. The “50” refers to its concentration; 50% behentrimonium methosulfate combined with 50% cetyl alcohol.
It is not a silicone. It’s a positively charged (cationic) conditioning agent, which means it’s attracted to the negatively charged surface of wet hair. That attraction is what gives it such effective detangling and smoothing properties because it deposits where it’s needed and stays there through the rinse.
Why We Use It in Our Conditioner Bar
Our conditioner bar is built around BTMS-50 as its primary active ingredient because it:
Detangles effectively without weighing hair down
Smooths the hair cuticle for reduced frizz and improved shine
Rinses cleanly without leaving heavy buildup
Works across hair types : fine, thick, curly, colour-treated
Performs in a solid bar format without added water
Customers who switch from liquid conditioner frequently comment that their hair feels better, not just different.
Is BTMS-50 Safe?
Yes. BTMS-50 has a well-established safety profile and is widely used in professional and commercial hair care formulations globally. It is considered mild, low-irritation, and is not associated with sensitization at standard use levels. It is biodegradable and considered a more environmentally responsible alternative to older cationic conditioning agents.
BTMS-50 vs. Other Conditioning Agents
You may also come across BTMS-25, which contains a lower concentration of behentrimonium methosulfate. BTMS-50 delivers stronger conditioning performance, which is why it’s the preferred choice for rinse-off conditioner bars where you want maximum efficacy in minimal contact time.
Silicone-based conditioners coat the hair shaft but don’t penetrate or condition, they just create slip through a physical barrier. BTMS-50 conditions through electrostatic attraction, which is a totally different and a more functional way.
Handcrafted in Grand Valley, Ontario
Our conditioner bar is formulated and handcrafted in small batches in Grand Valley, Ontario with no sulphates, no silicones, no parabens. Just ingredients that actually do what they’re supposed to do.
Shop the Lavish Earth Conditioner Bar →
A note from the formulator :
I’ll be completely honest when I say BTMS-50 is a trip to work with in the studio. In its raw state it has a very distinct, weird kinda scent. Wet dog and vanilla cream is the most accurate description I’ve ever landed on. Hahah. It’s easily my least favourite ingredient to measure out. But the cosmetic chemistry is pure magic: that scent completely vanishes in the finished bar. What you’re left with is the undisputed heavyweight champion of rinse-off conditioning. Twelve years in, the results still blow me away, even if I have to hold my breath for a second to make it happen.
🫧 Andrea, Founder & Formulator, Lavish Earth
How Rose & Lemon Face Cleanser Changed My Routine
Turns out I’m a picky formulator.
It took a few years of research, testing, and playing around before I finished formulating this face cleanser because it had to meet a specific list of requirements. It had to feel perfect on skin. It had to be stable enough to sit on your counter without drama. Clean ingredients, gentle enough for twice daily use, and (most importantly) it had to actually respect your skin barrier.
That last one matters more than people realize.
You know that squeaky, tight feeling after washing your face? That’s not clean. That’s your cleanser taking more than just dirt, it’s stripping your natural oils and disrupting your barrier in the process. Which is just rude.
Here’s a quick piece of skin science worth knowing: your skin’s natural pH is slightly acidic, sitting around 5.5. Keeping your cleanser close to that number means your barrier stays intact and happy.
Now....I make bar soap. I know. The obvious question is why not just use that? I tried. Traditional cold process soap runs at a pH of around 8, which works beautifully on the body (especially with superfatting : adding extra oils so your skin stays soft instead of stripped). But on delicate face skin? It’s just not the right tool.
So instead, I built this cleanser around Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, a coconut-derived surfactant sometimes called “baby foam” because of how exceptionally gentle it is. It cleanses without stripping, which was exactly the starting point I needed.
From there, I layered in niacinamide for visible redness support and meadowfoam seed oil which is an incredibly gentle, stable oil that reinforces the skin barrier without feeling heavy in a rinse-off formula.
And then the scent: lemon, rose, and ylang ylang essential oils. Light, floral, a little mood-lifting. Scented at 0.3% for just a touch of scent to treat yourself without being overpowering.
Rose + Lemon Gentle Face Cleanser started as something I was making for myself because I couldn’t find what I was looking for anywhere else. That’s kind of the origin story of most things at Lavish Earth.
I hope it ends up being exactly what you’ve been looking for too.
I formulated this because my own skin needed something better, and I can't wait for you to experience it yourself. Click here to bring the Rose & Lemon Cleanser into your vanity
Cetyl Alcohol is Not Rubbing Alcohol (here's how THAT works...)
Cetyl alcohol can throw people off when they are first starting to read ingredient lists. And I have people ask about it at markets too. And I totally get that because whyyyy does it say alcohol if it’s not. . .traditional alcohol??
Ok so real talk, there are actually different families of ingredients that are called alcohol and behave nothing at all alike!
The alcohol people are (rightfully) avoiding
Short-chain alcohols are the drying ones on skin. These include isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and denatured alcohol are the ones that evaporate fast, feel drying, and can strip your skin barrier with repeated use. These are the alcohols in hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol. They have their place but they definitely don’t belong in your moisturizer.
Cetyl alcohol is something else entirely
Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with lovely long chains and it’s derived from vegetable oils. The longer chains in it’s structure make it so it’s waxy and solid at room temperature. It doesn’t evaporate. It doesn’t dry your skin. It does the opposite.
In a conditioner bar or lotion, cetyl alcohol acts as an emollient and thickener. It gives the product its smooth, creamy texture and helps it feel luxurious on your skin and hair. It’s incredibly skin barrier friendly.
The same name but a totally different molecule.
The quick test
If an alcohol is listed near the top of an ingredient list and the product feels drying (like hand sanitizer), that’s probably a short chain alcohol. If cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, or stearyl alcohol appears? Those are fatty alcohols that are helping your skin.
Make sure you keep on reading the whole ingredient list! Learning more about the ingredients like these that are actually good for the skin and hair is the best way to do it.
You’ll find cetyl alcohol in our conditioner bars, where it contributes to that smooth, detangling texture your hair actually feels (and now you know what it is!).
A note from the formulator :
Cetyl alcohol shows up in our conditioner bar because of exactly what this post describes - it gives that smooth, creamy texture that detangles and thankfully, has nothing to do with drying alcohols! Easy to work with and actually works well as a co-emulsifier if you need extra stability in your recipe.
Why I Put Citric Acid in My Dish Soap Block Formulation (most formulas leave it out!)
If you’ve made the switch to a solid dish soap block, you already know the benefits : no plastic, lasts for months. But if you've ever stumbled across a bar that left... residue (eww) - that's a formulation issue.
It's all about this one little ingredient called : citric acid.
What is citric acid?
Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits. In cleaning formulations it acts as a "chelating agent", which is a fancy way of saying it binds to minerals in hard water and stops them from reacting with your soap.
Why does that matter?
Tap water has minerals and hard water especially is full of calcium and magnesium ions. When those minerals hit a soap bar, they react and form soap scum - that white filmy residue that ends up on your dishes, your sink, and your soap itself. It's chemistry gone wild.
Citric acid intercepts that reaction. It grabs onto the minerals before they can start soap scumming (that should be the technical term!), which means your dishes rinse cleaner, your sink stays cleaner, and your bar lasts longer.
So why doesn’t every dish soap block have it?
It really should be! It truly makes a difference in the quality of clean you can get from your soap bar. It is an extra ingredient, and a bit more complex to work with.
We’re a small batch formulation-first operation though. Every ingredient earns its place. And citric acid really does earn a spot in a dish soap bar.
The short version
Soap scum is hard water minerals reacting with soap. Citric acid stops that reaction before it starts. Your dishes are cleaner and your sink will be thanking you.
You’ll find citric acid in both scents of our solid dish soap block : Lemon, and Orange Tangerine. Available as a single bar or in a starter kit with a Canadian pine soap tray and bamboo brush.
A note from the formulator :
Citric acid is one of those ingredients that is a great addition but you have to work a little harder to make sure your calculations are spot on in bar soap. The citric acid will react with the lye during saponification, so you have to adjust your lye calculation to account for it, otherwise your bar will have too much unreacted (superfat) oils and can make a greasier/soap scum-prone bar. I formulate this bar to 0% superfat, which means every gram of citric acid gets accounted for, there’s no extra fats being left on dishes, and the bar is truly effective.