The Ethics of Unadorned Essentials

If you have enjoyed the sweet aroma of the rose, the invigorating scent of peppermint, or the verdancy of coriander, then you know essential oils.

Essential oils are a liquid concentrate of the unadorned aromatic molecules of a plant. These oils have the distinctive aroma and flavor of the plant of origin. This nourishing liquid enthusiastically absorbs through the membrane of our skin to bless mood, mind, and body. Sincere, generous, and immeasurable plant life! 

Purity

All Libations' botanicals are authentic and pure and distilled only from the named plant matter. We call our essential oils Hi-Fi oils due to the distillers' faithful and accurate adherence to the master plant. All of our Hi-Fi oils are distilled from either wild crafted or organically grown plants. Our wild crafted plant matter is collected from the plants' natural habitat in lieu of a farm. We avoid offering botanicals from rare or threatened species of plants growing in the wild to discourage their disruption and disappearance. Our organic oils originate from plants cultivated without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides. 

To amplify the potency of the aromatic essence in the plant being distilled, our harvesters gather the part of the plant needed for the oil at the ideal time of day for each plant. An ancient and artful distillation method further ensures that the maximum amount of compounds and trace elements are captured in every drop. Most of our oils are distilled with nothing more than pure water.

Our ‘absolute’ oils are a unique type of extraction used required by a few plants that that need a solvent to liberate the aromatic molecules from the plant’s cellulose. The solvent is cleanly removed after distillation.

Singles, Carriers and DIY Advice

Some people prefer to blend their own botanicals, and we offer single note essences and carrier oils to empower creative mixing. We are happy to offer good-mixing tips and encourage wise experimentation. Most of our Libation bottles and lids can easily be washed and reused to contain your own creations before they are recycled.

Better than Good: Libations’ Manufacturing Quality Assurance

The FDA maintains a quality assurance recommendations check-list for the food, drug, and cosmetics industries called the Good Manufacturing Practice. The GMP check-list includes guidance on all areas of business: record keeping and controls, manufacturing facility suitability, equipment appropriateness, personnel and training, processing standards, laboratory hygiene, the storage and handling of products and ingredients, and customer service administration. Participation in the GMP is voluntary, and Living Libations adheres to its industry recommendations and our quality control exceeds the recommendations.

Living Libations' Legitimate Labeling

We practice legitimate labeling, and we put the ingredients list right on the front of the bottle as an invitation to be read. We make each formula with care and attention, and we want Libations lovers to easily find and understand what is in each product.

Free from artificial and synthetic colors, preservatives, fragrances, and petrochemicals, every component of a Libation is an active ingredient. We preserve purity, space, and resources by offering full potency products without fillers or diluters. Our essential oils and supercritical extracts are highly concentrated, and with some of our botanicals, a whole plant is required to create a single drop of oil.

As a family and as the creators of Libations, we are totally gluten free.  All Libations are gluten-free. Oat straw (Avena sativa) is also known as milky oats. Our certified gluten-free oat straw is an herbal infusion of the green, unripe stem or straw of the oat plant, and the seeds, which are the cereal grain, are not included in the infusion.

Our Libations creations are as raw as possible. All of our fatty oils are cold pressed and completely unheated. There is no such thing as a raw essential oil because they are produced by steam distilling plant matter.  Libations’ oils are produced using a long and slow distillation at the lowest temperature possible. 

Discern What's Real

All essential oils are not equal. Due diligence is needed if you want only really pure and authentic botanical oils. Many distributers and marketers use terms such as “Grade A,” “therapeutic grade,” and “aroma-therapeutic grade” to describe their oils. Yet, these are words without meaning. No organization, association, or commission monitors the purity or quality of essential oils, and there is no universal essential oil grading system in place. Be aware.

Each essential oil has specific components that make it distinctive and authentic, and there are published standards defining these profiles. Various countries, including the US, have published pharmacopoeias that outline exacting chemical and physical standards for hundreds of botanical oils. There is also a universal standard for most botanicals maintained by the International Standards Organization (ISO).

The ISO and the pharmacopoeias are not regulating bodies or purity-police. No one holds distillers or distributers to the published standards or monitors for quality. It is very important to know your source.

Global Responsibility is a popular marketing trend and for this we are deeply grateful. Living Libations' rigorous standard of purity honors the health and preservation of forests, lakes and rivers, farms, the people who cultivate and distill for us, our families, our neighbors, and our clients.

For over 20 years we have nurtured personal relationships with artisan distillers and family farmers around the globe so that we may secure authentic oils and extracts that are purely and fairly produced. Many of the highest quality plants and flowers used in plant oils are indigenous to the developing world, and the people native to those regions learned from their families the ancient craft of distillation. We can track the source of our oils from the plant growing in the field to the oil arriving on our doorway. It is our pleasure to observe fair trade practices so that our skilled farmers, harvesters, and distillers are safe and earn a fair wage for their labor and goods.

Essential oil yields vary from year to year depending on weather patterns, plant growth and health, and even political stability in some regions. As with wine, some years are just better than others. All of these factors influence the availability and the price of the botanicals we use.

Animal Attraction

Almost all Libations are vegan. There are a few products that include ethically harvested and produced beeswax: the lip glosses and balms, the perfume balms, Maidenfern Blushing Balm, and Jai Baby Balm. Sundew Transdermal Vitamin D Crème contains vitamin D from lanolin, which occurs naturally on the wool of woolly animals, such as sheep. 

Animal Testing is and always has been a non-issue for Libations creations. Botanical oils have blessed and benefited humans for all of recorded history, and this is copious proof of their safety and effectiveness.

Our Living Ethic of Nature, Beauty, and Being

Beauty is everyone’s birthright as a blessing of nature. It is the effervescent insignia of the divinity in our souls. Beauty endures with time. It cannot be pursued, purchased, or put on. Tending to Beauty is simple; step into it and liberate it from vogue inclinations, marketing madness, and artificial facades.

Candelilla Wax - Euphorbia Cerifera This well-balanced wax is extracted from the leaves of the small desert shrub called Candelilla. With a higher melting point, it helps make the eyeliner long-lasting and resilient throughout the day. 

Undecane A lightweight, stay-put emollient derived from coconut and palm, stabilized with mixed tocopherols (vitamin E). Undecane ensures a smooth glide for effortless application while softening the eyeliner's texture. 

Shorea Robusta Resin - Shorea robusta This robust resin is extracted from the Sal tree native to South Central Asia. Combined with Candelilla wax, it enhances the eyeliner's all-day staying power and lends a naturally calming benefit to the skin. 

Castor - Ricinus communis A conditioning and skin-quenching oil, Castor Oil infuses the formula with rich, nurturing compounds, adding to its luxurious feel. 

Sebacic Acid A film-forming ingredient derived from the castor plant; this non-sensitizing barrier keeps the eyeliner precisely in place. 

Silica - Silicon dioxide This beneficial mineral supports healthy lashes by absorbing oil and maintaining a matte finish. Its thickening properties lend the eyeliner a softer, gel-like consistency, ensuring smooth application. 

Sunflower Vitamin E – Helianthus annuus This savvy sunflower ingredient creates a concentrated, natural form of vitamin E that adds to the eyeliner’s natural stability and pigment preservation. Expressed from non-GMO seeds of organic sunflowers without hexane, this biologically active extract contains 400 units of natural vitamin E in the form of d-alpha tocopherol per gram of oil, along with components of beneficial beta, delta, gamma, and epsilon. This natural, essential fat-soluble version of vitamin E is preferred to the synthetic form of racemic alpha tocopherol acetate. 

Tridecane This twin sister to undecane is a naturally occurring metabolite compound in plants. Tridecane and undecane work together to give our eyeliner a smooth glide and lightweight application. 

Mica - Phyllosilicate Magnificent Mica is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that gives our mineral rich depth to the eyeliner’s color. 

Carnauba Wax - Copernicia cerifera This breezy Brazilian palm tree lends its leaf wax to our formula for lavish body with a nice, soft gloss. It also adds emolliency for smooth, moisturized lash-line. 

Trihydroxystearin This fatty acid derived from the castor plant keeps the rich chocolaty pigments suspended in the formula. It also improves the viscosity and helps to keep the liner a soft-solid in substance. 

Tocopherol This potent antioxidant, also called vitamin E, keeps the formula fresh for eye care after repeat application. 

Shea Butter – Butyrospermum parkii Silky Shea butter is made from the Shea nut tree in Africa and has been used for centuries to protect and nourish the skin. Shea butter smooths skin while giving the eyeliner a smooth glide. 

German Chamomile - Chamomilla recutita This German Chamomile extract of the whole plant promotes skin health and soothes the lash line, and the botanical-biotic antioxidants keep the formula fresh. 

Coffee - Coffea arabica The ever effective extract of Coffee is chockfull of antioxidants, minerals, and proteins to benefit the lash line. 

Olive - Olea Europaea A perfect powder expressed from organic olive seeds creates a light, lovely brown powder that acts as a formula thickener and color enhancer. 

Avocado - Persea Gratissima Avocado abundant with minerals, vitamins A, E, and D, and nourishing fatty acids, acts as a skin conditioner and lubricant to make the eyeliner glide. 

Ascorbyl Palmitate Ascorbyl Palmitate is a stable form of antioxidant vitamin C. 

Benzyl Alcohol This naturally occurring aromatic alcohol is found in many plants we eat and in the fragrant oils of favorite florals. It is also a natural component of the Candelilla shrub leaves used in our eyeliner’s wax. We use a small amount (under 0.5%) of benzyl alcohol to enhance the formula’s smooth viscosity for effortless application. Sourced according to COSMOS Organic Certification criteria, it is a clean, green alternative to synthetic viscosity-improving agents commonly used in conventional eyeliners. 

Iron Oxide This naturally eye-safe jet-black mineral provides the perfect non-irritating pigment to our eyeliner for elegant definition. Unlike carbon black—produced through the combustion of carbon products like tar—our Iron Oxide is a clean and gentle choice for defining the eyes.

Slide and glide directly to the eyelid along the lash line. Play around — the possibilities are endless to emphasize your eyes. The eyeliner can be smudged for a smoky look or left perfectly precise. Keep the retro vibe alive with winged eyeliner by drawing lines beyond the outer corner of your eye, moving upward at an angle towards the end of your eyebrow, and filling in the lines for extra boldness. Simply sharpen the pencil as needed with an 8mm cosmetics sharpener. Gently turn the pencil in the sharpener until your perfect point is achieved. Go fine or thick, the perfect point is in your hands.