because creating the highest quality most advanced barrier performance skincare is important for your clients
The Science of Facial Oils for Skin Barrier Repair
Learn how to create high-performing skincare with whole plant oils and botanical lipids
Facial oils work, but why?
You know facial oils work, you've seen the skin respond as the oils work their magic, chronic inflammation calming down, the skin looking more plump and healthy, fine lines softening as the skin looks a little softer, plumper, a subtle glow.
Except sometimes the opposite happens and the skin reacts, flares or feels dry even after applying layer after layer of high quality oils.
The answer to why this happens is easy to pinpoint once you have a foundation in skin science and how botanical oils and plant lipids interact with the skin.
Some of the most popular oils in skincare are actually drying out the skin
Simplicity wins (almost) every time
It's tempting to pack a facial oil with lots and lots of active ingredients and high-value oils.
They all have so many benefits!
But this can quickly turn into something akin to the kitchen sink approach to formulating as you add more and more ingredients without a clear structure.
Each oil and active you are working with has its own complex structure of fatty acids and plant compounds. It's not just plum oil or pomegranate or amaranth oil, it is punicic acid, monounsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, squalene, linoleic acid, silica.
In the Science of Facial Oils you'll discover easy-to-recognize patterns within the oils that that turn complex chemistry into a simple system to work within.
A facial oil packed with specialty oils and additives will be less effective than one with a good base oil
Architecture of a Facial Oil
A facial oil is a simple formula, you choose a base combination and add your specialty oils and additives.
But reaching for a neutral base oil is the first mistake many formulators make. The base oil is the foundation for your formula and, chosen well, plays a key role in the effectiveness of your finished product.
A facial oil packed with specialty oils and additives will be less effective than one that starts with a good base oil.
Discover the best strategies for choose base oils from a wide range of botanical lipids and then layer in the right high-value oils and additions.
With this approach you can create high performing facial oils again and again without sacrificing skin feel and user experience.
You'll learn about 52 individual oils and plant lipids for anti-aging, skin barrier repair, hyperpigmentation, inflammation and healing.
The skin is intelligent and will launch its own repair campaigns when given the right oils.
It all comes back to the skin barrier...again
Skin barrier function, skin barrier repair, skin barrier damage...these terms are dominating the skincare conversation right now.
And as awareness of how important the skin barrier function is, high-quality effective facial oils will continue to rise in popularity as the demand for simple, 'clean' formulations grow.
In this course you'll learn how the skin barrier works on a cellular level, and how to slow and reverse the cascading effects of skin barrier damage, reactivity and inflammation with the right oil combinations.
What you'll learn
Very-long carbon chain oils are one of the most overlooked, yet important parts of a facial oil
I'm Susan M Parker
And I want to welcome you into the fascinating world of facial oils, skin lipids, and botanical formulation. I have been studying herbalism, skincare formulation, and plant oils since the early 1990s when I completed my first herbal apprenticeship with Pam Montgomery.
From those early days working with herbs and infused oils to the publication of my book Power of the Seed: Your Guide to Oils for Health & Beauty, I have spent decades studying how botanical oils interact with the skin and why certain oils can dramatically change the health and appearance of the skin when they are properly understood and formulated.
In The Science of Facial Oils, I’ll share the formulation strategies, lipid science, fatty acid patterns, and botanical oil knowledge I have developed through years of study and practical formulation work.
Whether you are a skincare formulator, herbalist, esthetician, or simply someone who wants a deeper understanding of why facial oils work, this course will give you a new framework for understanding the skin and the remarkable relationship between botanical oils and the skin barrier.
"Even though I had a good grasp of lipid oils and their many benefits, I can honestly say Susan's course has taken that knowledge to another level. She manages to condense a lot of information in a simple and easy to follow format that gives you enough knowledge to work with and yet leaves you wanting to research more. A perfect combination of key points and visuals that make the information easy to digest and remember for later. I would highly recommend Susan's course for anyone interested in more in depth knowledge about lipid oils in general and facial formulation in particular."
Yasmine ElGhamrawy
The Science of Facial Oils
$
297
7-day-money-back guarantee
"Very informative and Susan does not hold back, she gives 200 percent in the course materials and in her presentations. I would recommend this course to anyone making skincare products."
Munira Khambata
FAQ.
Yes. While we discuss lipid science, fatty acids, barrier function, and formulation strategy in depth, the course is taught in a practical and understandable way. You do not need a chemistry background to benefit from the material. The goal is to help you understand how oils behave on the skin and how to formulate facial oils that get the results you want.
No. This course was designed for formulators, skincare makers, herbalists, estheticians, and serious skincare enthusiasts who want a deeper understanding of botanical oils and the skin barrier.
If you already work with oils, or want to understand why certain oils behave differently on the skin, this course will give you a much stronger framework for working with them.
No. This is not simply a collection of facial oil recipes.
The Science of Facial Oils focuses on understanding:
- fatty acids
- skin barrier function
- lipid structure
- antioxidants
- very-long-chain fatty acids
- specialty oils
- formulation strategy
Once you understand the patterns behind the oils, creating your own formulations becomes far more intuitive.
That said, the course does include formulation examples and guidance for combining oils effectively.
Yes. Skin barrier function is one of the central themes throughout the course.
We’ll discuss:
- TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss)
- ceramides and lipid organization
- inflammatory skin conditions
- barrier-supportive fatty acids
- omega-7 oils
- very-long-chain fatty acids
- antioxidant protection
- how oils help support calm, resilient skin
Yes, but through the lens of skin structure and lipid support rather than trendy anti-aging claims.
We’ll look at how botanical oils help support:
- flexibility
- resilience
- moisture retention
- barrier function
- oxidative protection
- collagen-supportive environments
- lipid renewal in mature skin
The core lessons are prerecorded videos and PDF slide lessons that you can work through at your own pace.
In addition, Susan will also be teaching live classes connected to the course material where we’ll continue exploring formulation strategy, barrier support, specialty oils, and student questions in greater depth.
Recordings of the live sessions will be available, so you can watch them later if you cannot attend live.
You will receive lifetime access to the course lessons and recordings included with your enrollment.
Yes. In addition to foundational oils, we’ll also discuss:
- specialty oils
- CO2 extracts
- squalane and squalene
- oil-soluble antioxidants
- vitamin E
- bakuchi
- dry oils
- therapeutic oils
- very-long-chain fatty acid oils
Absolutely. Many formulators know which oils are popular but still feel uncertain about:
- why oils behave differently
- how to build better base structures
- how to support the skin barrier
- how to formulate more intentionally
- why certain formulations perform better than others
This course is designed to deepen your understanding of oils so formulation becomes more strategic and intuitive.
Most formulation courses focus primarily on ingredients and recipes. The Science of Facial Oils focuses on understanding the relationship between plant lipids and the skin itself. Rather than teaching oils as isolated trendy ingredients, this course explores:
- fatty acid patterns
- lipid structures
- barrier function
- signaling compounds
- antioxidant systems
- formulation architecture
So instead of memorizing recipes, you begin understanding how oils actually work.
