This oil is a literal Jekyll and Hyde situation — and I mean that as the highest compliment. Use it in the AM and it’s a lightweight prep step. Use it at night and it’s a full-on treatment.
The wild part? It’s the exact same bottle. No second purchase, no “night version” marketing trick. Just your stupid morning brain forgetting which step comes next.
It’s a fast-absorbing face oil from Ustawi — $42 for 1 oz. I bought it because they claimed it could “balance” oily skin (which is usually a lie).
AM: Under moisturizer
Absorbs in 10 seconds — no shiny t-zone by 11am.
PM: Last step
Locks in everything underneath without feeling like a slip-n-slide.
Both: No purge
Didn’t break me out week one. Shocking for an oil.
Photo: Mariia Shalabaieva / Unsplash
Three oils doing the heavy lifting — none of that filler jojoba nonsense. It’s a surprisingly green formula that doesn’t smell like a salad.
- Moringa: Clears pores without stripping
- Baobab: Hydration that actually sinks in
- Prickly pear: Calms redness by lunch
- Vitamin E: Keeps it shelf-stable, not magic
Drops out of the pipette like thin honey — spreads across your face in two swipes. No greasy residue, just a soft sheen that disappears into skin.
Week two my forehead stopped producing enough oil to deep fry an egg. That’s not hyperbole — I blot half as often now.
My pores look smaller — not “shrunk by a laser,” but noticeably less noticeable. Redness around my nose faded by week three. Still get the occasional hormonal zit, but it heals faster.
It’s the rare oil that actually earns its spot in both halves of your routine — no morning vs. night debate needed.