Monday, March 31, 2014

clarins lotus face treatment oil

Facial oil is a category of beauty that I have always been curious about yet timid to try out for myself. I dislike any oily, greasy feeling since I already have to deal with that on a daily basis thanks to my skin type. Patting on additional drops of the slick stuff seemed counterproductive in my eyes. Despite this, I kept seeing Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil pop up on some blogs over the past year and I couldn't help but wonder and keep it in the back of my mind. Everyone who spoke of it wrote that it balanced out their oily skin and made their overall complexion improve. How could I not be curious?

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This past Christmas my boyfriend gifted me this oil because he knew I had been wanting to give it a whirl. It comes in a nice weighty glass bottle holding 1 oz of product. I have been using it for over a month and in short, this has been extremely lovely. Like, I'm considering a long lived future together and everything, it is that serious.

Since I had never used a facial oil before, I relied on the handy dandy instruction pamphlet that came with the box. It instructed for me to use it at night after my toner so my skin was still slightly damp. The action of application is quite pleasant and soothing: it instructs to place 3-4 drops of oil in your hands and to gently press-and-release the product all over the face. Not going to lie, this part of my routine is something I look forward to all day. Am I alone in this?

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I use 4 drops all over my face. It does have a scent, it is quite herbal but not in a bad way. I read on Makeup Alley that it reminded them of a spa which I agree with. When I first started using this, my face flushed up quite a bit after application but I didn't feel any sensation at all which surprised me. Now my skin has acclimated and doesn't pink up anymore. It soaks in nicely after I press it into the skin for about 20 seconds and doesn't feel overly greasy. I like sandwiching my moisturizer, CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion, on top after application to really inject the most nourishment into my skin. I did try skipping lotion a couple nights to see if the oil could work well as a moisturizer on its own. It worked fine this way, but I preferred the layering method for maximum effect.

INGREDIENTS:
Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil, Belumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Citral, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate

I think almost everyone will be okay with the ingredients in this one. It is made of mostly plant based oils and at the end there are a few fragrance oils and one trace preservative. I thought it was nice that the bulk of the product was what the brand highlights. I thought of Gummy when I saw hazelnut oil as one of the top oils used; she wrote on her blog a few times about it and recommended me to try it out as it is one of the best oils to use for oily skin. Right she was!

Since using this I have seen a dramatic decrease in oil production on my face. I still get oily, but not nearly as fast and not nearly as much. I previously had to blot halfway throughout my day and after using this I can make it to the 6-7 hour mark before doing so. Amazing. I was a skeptic but this truly is balancing yet moisturizing. My skin responds to this very well. I feel like it even heals faster too because when I get hormonal acne (booo, the worst) it always leaves a mark behind but this helps the scarring process go by quicker so it doesn't linger.

I really recommend this to anyone, even if you had dry skin since it is quite nourishing and moisturizing. It balances, moisturizers, and makes my skin feel less congested and at its peak for renewal. I would definitely repurchase and am now a believer in facial oils. The only downside is the price, a hefty $52 USD, but seeing as I use 4 drops at a time I believe I will go through this at a snails pace. What to try next? Perhaps Pai Rosehip Oil...

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