If you asked us to boil our facial gua sha routine down to the two most important products we’d say, hey it’s hard to pick favorites, but then we’d tell you it’s the Empress Oil and the Empress Stone. We created them to act like a symbiotic system — the Empress Oil contains ingredients known to promote circulation and lymphatic drainage (hi, toned & lifted skin!), and the facial gua sha tool is made of Bian stone, which is believed to have healing properties for the body. Today we’re going to give our attention to the Empress Oil, because when it comes to gua sha, using the right products on your face is a serious game-changer. Stay tuned to find out why!

Importance of Essential Oil Free Skincare

One of the key differences between Wildling skin care products and most others on the market is that they’re free of extracted essential oils. Why does this matter, you may ask? Dearest reader, essential oils can be irritating for people with sensitive skin. This means they may actually cause redness and breakouts you’ve been working so diligently to avoid. Even though they’re natural, essential oils are a highly potent distillation of the oils in a plant. A common misconception is natural products = good for skin, but that isn’t always the case! Especially for people with sensitive skin.

Learn more: How Does Gua Sha Work Immediately? AKA Lymphatic Drainage, Explained

Depending on the particular plant and its composition, pounds of plant matter may be needed to get even a few teaspoons of essential oil. In other words: that’s a lotta plant you’re putting on your face! No wonder even small amounts can cause reactions. Not to pile on, but the ecological downsides of wasting so much plant matter in the name of extracting just the oil makes us sad just thinking about it :(

How It’s Made: Whole Plant Infusions

We wouldn’t share a problem without also sharing an answer — we’re not monsters 😂 At Wildling, we use Whole Plant Infusions to make sure our products have tons of skin-healing plant actives in each product while avoiding the use of wasteful, extracted essential oils. Whole Plant Infusions follow a process herbalists have long practiced (all three of our founders have working knowledge of herbalism), aptly called ‘herbal infusions.’ It’s a lot like making tea, except the entire plant is steeped in water or oil, which can be either hot or cold, depending on the intended result. Nothing goes to waste and all of the plant’s benefits are then transferred to the carrier oil — even the more spiritual ones. Ever notice your Wildling products have a more earthy scent that’s hard to describe, and that’s different from most of your other skincare? That’s because of the ingredients we choose (hello, Balm of Gilead), and the Whole Plant Infusion technology.

Finding Sustainably Made Skincare

We’ve been working on our sustainability since day one. In using the whole plant instead of simply extracting its extracted oils, we’re able to reduce plant waste, mitigate overharvesting, and create a product that is more earth-friendly. You can imagine all of the plant waste that piles up when using only extracted essential oils — piles and pounds of discarded biomatter. Like everything else, there are production facilities that facilitate this process in a more eco-friendly way than others, but for our products, we thought it best to use a time-tested process with ancient roots.

Read more: The Important History Behind Gua Sha

At Wildling, we also prioritize working with family-run farms, which has an outsized impact on the sustainability and efficacy of our products. These individuals work with plants for a living. They know how to harvest harmoniously — whether that means respectfully wild-foraging or small-batched farmed harvesting. All ingredients are certified USDA organic, and gathered at peak potency for the most efficacious skin care.

Wildling Empress Oil Ingredients & Benefits

These ingredients work together with the stone and other Wildling products to bring out your best skin from the gua sha ritual. Here’s a rundown of the active ingredients for our facial oil, Empress Oil:

Balm of Gilead: Stimulates, lifts and tones the skin, and has antimicrobial properties.

Resin Nutrient Complex: Detoxifies, protects, and regenerates skin to promote brightness and diminish signs of aging by promoting blood circulation.

Sunstone infusion: Promotes a positive mindset, confidence, and is thought to boost self-esteem.

All ingredients: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Populus Balsamifera (Balm of Gilead) Resin**, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin**, Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Resin**, Cistus Ladaniferus (Labdanum) Resin**, Boswellia Sacra (Frankincense) Resin*, Commiphora Mukul (Guggul) Resin**, Commiphora Guidotti (Opoponax) Resin*

Gua Sha Skin Care: Complete the System

The Empress Oil is the second of three steps in our facial gua sha system. To get the full effect, try our Empress Tonic, Empress Stone, and Empress Wand, and complete your ritual. Check out the video below for more info: