Noshaba Apothecary’s Sommer Face Oil Is Actual Liquid Gold

Noshaba Apothecary founder Omosefe Ozigbo had traveled all over the world in search of the perfect ingredients for her skin-care line, but when she touched down in Morocco, it felt like home. “Seeing all of the natural resources there, and how beautiful and clean everything is and how thoughtfully it’s crafted, inspired me so much,” she says.

It was there, in the land of argan oil and honey, that she discovered the power of African marigolds—the star ingredient in Noshaba Apothecary’s Sommer Oil ($74). A studied herbalist and medical esthetician, Ozigbo learned about the flower and its anti-inflammatory properties, then came home and began harvesting it for herself.

“I’d known about the flower, but it wasn’t until I first planted them on my own that I was truly amazed at how pigmented they get and how good they make me feel,” she says. Her Sommer Oil combines the marigolds with other natural botanicals—all of which Ozigbo farms herself. “From going out in my boots and putting the seeds in the ground, watering them, tending them, harvesting, drying—it’s a whole process, of taking natural, beautiful resources from other countries and combining them together,” she says.

The oil acts as an anti-inflammatory for the most irritated skin. “If you’re prone to getting painful bumps, rashes or irritation—all of the things that make your skin agitated—the oil will definitely will work for you,” says Ozigbo. “The marigold and the herbalism aspect, combined with the act of actually applying it and massaging it into your skin, it will do a lot of the work to calm the skin down and rebalance it.”

Shop now: Noshaba Apothecary Sommer Oil, $74

African marigolds, in particular, help to repair cellular damage and reduce itchiness, sensitivity, and dryness, which is what makes the oil such a superstar for treating conditions like eczema and other forms of dermatitis. Witch hazel extract, cannabis sativa seed oil, and Portuguese lavender essential oil all aid in further calming the skin, and ingredients like vitamin E oil, Moroccan rose, and apricot extract are packed with antioxidants to help brighten and protect the skin. “With these ingredients, your skin is getting fed—it’s not just throwing on a ceramide or a moisturizer,” says Ozigbo. “The oil giving your skin what it’s yearning for so that over the next few months, it will be less prone to getting inflamed in the first place.”

The oil’s medicinal properties can be beneficial even if you aren’t prone to inflammation. I’ve been using it on my dry skin every morning, and it’s replaced my multi-step morning routine with a single slather thanks to its moisturizing and antioxidant properties. Plus, it smells positively divine—like a fresh floral bouquet dipped in cinnamon. It leaves skin with a radiant, non-greasy sheen to skin and acts as the perfect dew-inducing primer ahead of makeup. Taking a vacation may not be feasible right now, but this vacation-in a bottle makes my skin feel like it’s home.