If you’re into natural skincare ingredients, innate sources of rejuvenation, and healing gems that our planet Earth offers, you’re in for a treat.
In this article, I’ll take you through an interesting skincare elixir that I don’t see a lot of info about – Chios crystal oil.
We’ll go through the main Chios Mastiha benefits that you’d want your skin to enjoy. To top it off, I’ll also recommend the best products containing Chios Mastic.
What is Chios crystal oil?
For starters, let’s address the names.
So far, I’ve mentioned a few varieties that all relate to the same thing. Chios crystal oil, Chios Mastiha, Chios Mastic – they’re all the same thing.
Chios Mastiha or Mastic may not be as popular as other types of oil, but it’s definitely worth your attention.
It’s a powerful and valued Aegean gem that is derived from the aromatic resin of the extremely rare Mastic Tree. It’s a natural resin that can be extracted from the mastic tree in the form of teardrops.
In its natural form, it’s sticky, thick, and liquid.
However, after two weeks, it turns into beautiful crystals that can take different shapes and forms.
Chios crystal oil is an ancient element that was popularly used on the Greek island of Chios and exploited for its powerful medicinal and therapeutic properties.
It’s considered an exotic spice and is commonly referred to as one of the oldest superfoods that the world can remember.
You may be surprised to learn that Hippocrates and Dioscorides were the first to discover and record information on this natural gem.
What is Mastic Chios used for?
Mastic Chios is extremely valuable for many reasons, one of which is that it’s very rare. The tree grows only on the southern parts of Chios island in Greece and in the eastern Aegean.
Chios crystal oil can offer a wide array of benefits for the human body, which are not simply limited to the skin.
It has an attractive and hard-to-forget aromatic scent and research suggests that it provides:
- Powerful antimicrobial and antibacterial properties – when applied to the skin it can help protect against dangerous bacteria and microorganisms.
- Anti-inflammatory properties – it can soothe and calm easily irritated skin and help with certain skin conditions.
- Anti-oxidation properties – the ingredient can protect the skin against potential damage from free radicals and environmental aggressors like UV and pollution.
- Skin healing properties – it speeds up the skin rejuvenation process and can promote faster healing.
Top skincare products with Chios mastiha
If you’re excited by unusual natural ingredients like me and can’t wait to test the amazing skincare gems, by now you’re probably asking yourself how you can benefit from the power of Chios mastiha.
The good news is that I have a few suggestions.
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
The Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose oil is designed to brighten the skin and offer a radiant, dewy, naturally glowy look. It’s created to provide the healthy look we’re all looking for without making the skin look oily or greasy.
You can use it daily, both in your morning and night routine.
If you’ve been reading some of my other reviews and articles, by now you probably already know that I always test the products I discuss before sharing any information with you.
The Biossance Squalane and Vitamin C Rose oil is no exception.
This is a luxury product, I think.
The first thing I noticed is its incredible smell and how amazing it feels on the skin – it is truly a pampering, spa-like experience to use this oil.
When it comes to the ingredient list, you need to know about the following star ingredients:
- Squalane – derived from sugarcane, squalene is an extremely stable, non-comedogenic, and lightweight ingredient, allowing it to hydrate the skin without leaving behind excess oiliness or greasiness. It won’t block your pores and won’t trigger any breakouts.
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate – this is the form of vitamin C contained in this product and it provides antioxidant properties, contributing to skin brightness.
- Mastic gum – the Chios crystal oil that I explained earlier, will make the skin firm, bouncy, supple, and soft.
- Rosa damascena flower extract – calms and soothes the skin, successfully tackling redness or irritation. It also contributes to the product’s gentle scent.
The oil also stands out with some features such as:
- It’s suitable for all skin types, especially acne-prone skin, due to the beautiful blend of Vitamin C and rose extract;
- Comes in a beautiful pink bottle that will preserve the oil and will bring joy to the eye;
- It’s packed with natural ingredients;
- It’s suitable for daily use;
- 100% vegan formulation;
- Cruelty-free;
- Paraben-free;
- Synthetic fragrance-free.
This is a pricey one, so I would only get this on occasion or as a gift to somebody. However, it does deserve every cent! You can find a small and a bigger bottle online – go for the small one, if you want to sample the product.
100% Pure Chios Mastiha Oil
The second product I’d like to introduce you to is the 100% Pure Chios Mastiha Essential Oil.
As the name suggests, this is a pure form of mastic oil without any other chemicals or supporting ingredients added to it.
It can be mixed with a carrier oil to apply to the skin or you can digest it orally to exploit some of its other benefits for the body.
It’s actively used not only for skincare purposes but also in the pharmaceutical industry, for cooking, and more.
In its pure form, you can also use it to apply directly to the skin for wound healing purposes. The product can additionally help with acne, especially when mixed with a non-comedogenic oil such as jojoba oil.
Keep in mind, it does have a distinctive smell that resembles ouzo or licorice.
It’s a bit pricey but it’s worth every penny considering the use you can get out of it. I personally love to mix it into my OCM routine when I’m doing one because my acne is very grateful after 🙂
Wrapping up
Chios crystal oil definitely caught my eye because of how well it complements my acne-prone skin. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good oil for their collection.
If you’ve already been introduced to Chios Mastiha and have tried these products or others, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences and feedback in the comments section below.
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I was today’s year old when I kearned that it can shrink pores and minimize whie heads!!?? How is this resin not considered endangered by now!? LOL! As you mentioned in your article, there’s little to find on how it’s used on the skin, but there’s a lot of info for its usage in food and chewing it.
I’m going to have to experiment on myself to see what it does. I’m curious though, have you experienced any changes in your pores, white heads etc.? I’d also love to read more on how you use it. Have you tried a face mask fir example or for your hair?
Hi, ReadyReading!
I don’t think that chios mastiha can actually “shrink pores” or “minimize whiteheads”, at least no reputable sources that I’ve found did not mention these two as reliable effects.
Mastiha has other benefits as listed in my article, but I wouldn’t count on it for the two you’ve mentioned.
For “shrinking pores”, niacinamide and salicylic acid are a good option – to clear the gunk out of large pores and to tighten the skin (once the pores are clean they can tighten and appear smaller), and for minimizing whiteheads (closed comedones) any type of alpha hydroxy acid will be effective, as long as you can tolerate it.
I’d say that chios mastiha is very similar to tamanu oil in terms of its effects on the skin, at least that was my experience with it. I used it to help me heal some stubborn acne scars, and I don’t recommend applying the oil on active pimples.
Hope that this additional info is helpful 🙂
Do drop me a line if you decide to try it out, I’d love to hear about your experience!
XOXO Gigi