For my 26th birthday, I treated myself to a facial oil [1]. It seemed like the one "grown-up" step in my skincare routine I hadn't devoted any time to, and I was seeing face oils everywhere. With promises to hydrate [2], fade discolouration, brighten, and tighten, the seemingly endless number of options to choose from intimidated me. I decided to splurge on one product in particular I'd been eyeing for months: the MARA Beauty Universal Face Oil [3] ($72).

If you haven't heard of the Mara brand before, it launched in early 2018 by Allison McNamara [4], editorial director of Mane Addicts and former POPSUGAR video host (in fact, following her on Instagram is how I found out about her new venture and her first product, the oil).

After four months of using the Universal Face Oil morning and night, it's safe to say I'm obsessed. It's become an integral part of my routine, and I use it in place of moisturiser for incredibly hydrated skin that gives off a visible glow. It's fantastic under makeup and on its own at night. Thanks to the TSA-friendly size (1.18 ounces), the oil has also become an in-flight essential for me. When I travel, I avoid makeup and put a thick layer of this on my skin to combat dryness and breakouts.

I'm glad I discovered this product for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, this oil is clean and nontoxic. That means it's made without fragrance, parabens, added colour, phtlathlates, PEGs, mineral oil, or anything synthetic, and it's cruelty free. Through trial and error over the last couple years, I've learned that my skin is sensitive to a lot of ingredients [5], and if I was going to invest in a facial oil, I wanted it to be free of any "bad" ingredients that could cause irritation. Knowing that McNamara is extremely serious about her own clean beauty routine, I trusted her list of carefully sourced ingredients.

Never mind what's not in this oil — let's talk about what is. Moringa is a superfood that is loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. It has more vitamin C than oranges, I was told when I bought the oil at Credo Beauty [6]. A blend of plankton extract and algae is packed with fatty acids that plump and hydrate dull skin. Smoothing this all over your face is like giving your dry skin the most thirst-quenching drink of its life.

I'm not exaggerating when I say you can "sea the glow" — get it? — from, like, feet away. I've gotten so many compliments on my skin, and while I still have some stubborn acne marks to work on, I can confidently say this has helped to prevent breakouts and improve the texture of my skin. Don't believe me? Try not to be blinded by the photos ahead.

I Couldn't Love It More

Side effects of wearing Mara Universal Face Oil might include shamelessly snapping selfies everywhere you go.