How Ethical Sourcing Makes the Best Facial Oils

When we were creating our f.a.e. by Thrive Market facial oils, we knew that we weren’t just creating oils, we were creating supply chains that have a larger impact on people and the planet. We also knew that we wanted to create a line of impactful facial oil products that everyone could afford, without the hefty “clean beauty” price tag — so that’s exactly what we set out to do. 

How Thrive Market Sourced the Best Facial Oils in the World

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Jojoba Oil from Israel 

This search for the highest quality oils took us all over the globe. For our jojoba oil, we went to Israel, where the liquid is extracted from the seeds of cultivated perennial jojoba shrubs.

While this part of the world is quite dry, the jojoba plant is drought-tolerant, so it can grow in water-scarce conditions. Our supplier uses an entirely organic farming process for growing and harvesting jojoba, so there are no chemical fertilizers or pesticides used, and the entire process is closely monitored from growing to harvesting to processing in order to adhere to these strict stipulations. 

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Argan Oil from Morocco

For our argan oil, we source from farm partners in Morocco. Unlike the cultivated jojoba plants, argan trees are endemic to Morocco, so the kernels that the oils are extracted from are wild-harvested from plants in the wild.

The process of sourcing this argan supports many local communities: farmers collect the argan seeds, the seeds are purchased and pressed by a local processor, and then we buy the oil straight from them. In this system, instead of supporting just one farm, we’re able to support an entire Moroccan community that relies on argan harvesting as a primary source of income. 

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Rosehip Oil from Lesotho 

Our rosehip oil is harvested in Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom in the Maloti Mountains surrounded on all sides by South Africa. Because of this unique geographical configuration, Lesotho relies heavily on South Africa for importing and exporting (and vice versa). Rosehips grow naturally in this area, so we partner with the local community to purchase the rosehips from the tops of the mountains in Lesotho and transport them to a processing facility just over the border in South Africa, where they’re pressed into oil. This oil is also certified organic, which involves more labor intensive farming practices, creating more jobs for people in the region. 

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Vitamin E Oil from China 

Our Vitamin E oil stands out among other Vitamin E oils on the market because of its purity and authenticity. In order to be certified organic, a product has to contain nearly 100% organic ingredients; for Vitamin E oils, which typically contain Vitamin E blended with some other carrier oil, many brands get away with calling their product organic even if it contains a majority organic carrier oil and only a miniscule amount of actual Vitamin E. For ours, our supplier sourced the tocopherols (which are the fat-soluble alcohol compounds made of Vitamin E) from China. While there are synthetic tocopherols, ours is made from natural soy. Because the tocopherols are the most important part of a Vitamin E oil, we ensured that ours contains a very high level of tocopherols blended with our own f.a.e. by Thrive Market organic jojoba carrier oil.

It’s rare to know exactly where you skincare products come from. With f.a.e. by Thrive Market oils, we made it simple to purchase oils that not only nourish your skin, but also nourish the communities who create them. 

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Get to Know f.a.e. Facial Oils 

What it is: A single ingredient, organic, cold pressed, unrefined oil made from jojoba seeds
What it’s like: Has a medium golden color with the natural nutty aroma of the jojoba seed
Where it’s from: Israel
Who it’s for: All skin types, though it’s often recommended for dry skin
Best ways to use it: As a carrier oil for other skincare products, a morning and nighttime facial oil, or hair oil

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What it is: A single ingredient, organic, cold pressed, unrefined rosehip fruit oil
What it’s like: Has a light golden color with the natural earthy aroma of the rosehip fruit
Where it’s from: Lesotho & South Africa
Who it’s for: All skin types, though it’s often recommended sensitive or mature skin
Best ways to use it: As a carrier oil, a morning and nighttime facial oil, or to target scars, stretch marks or any dry areas

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What it is: A 100% natural oil made of mixed tocopherols (fat-soluble compounds that constitute Vitamin E) blended with organic jojoba seed oil
What it’s like: Has a golden orange color and a neutral aroma; much thicker oil than the others
Where it’s from: China
Who it’s for: All skin types, though typically recommended for dry or damaged skin
Best ways to use it: As a nighttime facial oil or to target scars

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What it is: A single ingredient, organic, cold pressed, unrefined oil made from argan seeds

What it’s like: Has a light golden color with the natural nutty aroma of the argan seed

Where it’s from: Morocco

Who it’s for: All skin types, including sensitive skin

Best ways to use it: As a carrier oil, morning and nighttime facial oil, or a hair oil