A Ritual of Preservation

For centuries, oils have been revered for their ability to anoint the skin, offering both healing and beautifying properties.  Pressed from seeds, nuts, and fruits, these botanical treasures were tools of nourishment to honor the body as a temple and were seen as gifts from the Earth and the Divine.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, herbal and alchemical knowledge was passed on through monastic communities where it was preserved in illuminated manuscripts and monastery herbals.  Monasteries served as vital centers of learning and healing, but over time, their gardens, infirmaries, and herbals influenced the broader culture of folk medicine and plant-based healing. 

Of particular note, the 11^th and 12^th centuries, brought forward Medieval texts such as The Trotula¹, Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine², and Hildegard of Bingen’s Physica³ which included detailed references to oils, oil-based remedies, and folk herbal traditions describing how oils were used to massage the skin to enhance softness and brightness – showing early awareness of lipid-based skincare. 

Women who often lived and worked in close proximity to these religious institutions, became skilled in the art of healing and developed formulations that suited the needs of their communities.  They worked with locally available ingredients, gathered from the forest and trade routes, to blend botanical oils with rose or resins.  Over generations, this gave rise to a lineage of Wise Women and village healers that passed down a tradition of honouring the body, Spirit and the Earth, despite periods of persecution.

These early formulary traditions laid the foundation for holistic beauty rituals—an approach we carry forward in our formulations today.  Powered by metaphysics, The Black Raven Metaphysical Apothecary honours ancient beauty wisdom and ritual, while embracing modern science to craft alchemical, potent elixirs with ultra nourishing, lipid-rich botanicals to enhance hydration and maintain the skin barrier.  Inspired by the timeless archetypes of Maiden, Mother, and Crone, our Triple Goddess Beautifying Oils support a different stage of inner and outer transformation while aligning you with your natural rhythms.  Each application follows the lineage of those Wise Women, to echo what once was – a moment of connection, a return to self, and a sealing of intention — beauty as nourishment, ritual, and quiet power.

The Alchemy of Lipids: The Secret to Radiant, Resilient Skin

Anointing the skin with oil is more than just a transformative ritual — it’s a restoration of the skin’s innate harmony -- a return to balance.  Beneath the magick lies essential science.  Lipids are the essential building blocks that nourish the skin barrier, locking in moisture, protecting against stressors, and restoring the skin on a cellular level.

The outermost layer of the skin, known as the stratum corneum, is often compared to a brick wall due to the stacked epithelial cells called keratinocytes.  The keratinocytes start off as 80% water, but as they move up through the layers of the skin to the stratum corneum, they slightly change shape and form, and turn into hard, dry flattened corneocytes or dead cells.  They are no longer water-rich and are now filled with the protein keratin.  In between the corneocytes is a bilayer of moisture encapsulated by lipids that acts as glue to hold the corneocytes together creating a lamellar structure.  Together they create a tough, waterproof barrier against the outside world, shielding it from transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and safeguarding against external aggressors such as pollution, UV damage, and harsh climates.

As skin matures, its ability to retain moisture, repair damage, and produce essential lipids declines.  The skin’s protective barrier becomes compromised and deficiencies become visible on the surface of the skin, such as thinning, dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles, and uneven or rough skin emerge.  While deep within the dermal layer, elasticity weakens, collagen atrophy’s and depletes, and hyaluronic acid starts to shrink so we lose volume.  

Why you need our Triple Goddess Beautifying Oils in your Daily Skincare Regime

Keratinocytes are hydrophobic cells, meaning they are not water loving, signifying that water-based skincare products are not effective like oils are to the skin.  Pure lipid-based skincare works in harmony with the skin’s physiology and reinforces the lipid matrix, while remaining undiluted, potent and bioavailable, with the ability to seal in hydration and ensuring deep, enduring nourishment.  

Our botanical creations are nutrient rich superfood oils that deliver essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds directly to your epidermal tissues, offering you a powerful, yet gentle, natural solution that supports collagen production, enhances elasticity, soothes, nourishes, protects, and restores balance without disruption.  

In every drop lives the wisdom of the old world, steeped in the ancient traditions of wise women before us, a return to ritual, and a remembrance of sacred beauty.  Designed with intention and Raven wisdom, these oils are enchantments of the flesh, crafted to awaken the sacred in your skin.

Walk the path of the sacred feminine and return to the alchemical ritual of anointing, where purity, potency, and nourishment come together in perfect alchemy, making each application a skincare spell of adornment in magick.

A Gentle Word of Caution:

Our creations are formulated with high-quality, plant-based ingredients chosen for their nourishing and energetic properties to support healthy skin.  Though our potions are crafted with intention and care, we recommend consulting your healthcare provider before use if you are pregnant, nursing, have a known nut allergy, latex allergy, sensitivities to specific botanicals, or any other medical condition.  As a precaution, we recommend preforming a patch test prior to introducing any of our creations into your skincare rituals.  If irritation occurs, honour your skins wisdom and discontinue use immediately.