The Oil on My Face

The oil on my face is intentional.  I put it there. You see, I’ve been hoping that this is the life-changing skincare regime I’ve been looking for. And you know what? It might be.

Sometime last year (or was it the year before?), I wrote about skincare and anti-aging and wondering how to keep that youthful glow, after I recapture it, of course. And I asked what people used and what worked for them.

I had a couple of people tell me they didn’t use moisturizer but actually used olive oil on their skin.

YES, I SAID OLIVE OIL!

Last I checked, we’re supposed to keep that stuff in the kitchen. For cooking.

Still, I was intrigued. People often think that oil or even heavy moisturizers will make oily skin even oilier so they skip it altogether. They end up actually drying out their skin which in turn caused their bodies to produce even more oil.

But at my age, oily skin isn’t a huge concern anymore. It’s keep my skin soft, hydrated, and balanced. And when I had an offer to review an oil-based skincare for my face, I finally thought, what the heck.

The pitch came a few months ago to review “Pure Argan Oil from Morocco.” I had passed over it because it was a simple email and it quickly got buried deep in my inbox. Plus the fact that it was “deodorized” oil from Morocco made me think of open air markets in Africa and I couldn’t imagine that was what I needed for my skin. When one of the owners of the company followed back up with me, I told him to send me samples and I’d gladly review.

It is surprising to me that Argan oil started as a haircare product, when it has more benefits, when utilized for skin care. High in essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants, Eden Allure’s pure Argan oil is ideal for moisturizing and preventing free radical damage to the skin, thus allowing the skin to heal better. 

I actually get a lot of skincare samples to review so this was fell way back in my queue and I’ll admit, I was kind of hesitant anyway. I mean, this is my skin. If it didn’t work for my skin, EVERYONE WOULD SEE IT.

I dove in by first checking out the Eden Allure Beauty Bar. They sent me two samples of “soap,” one with Lavender and the other with Grapefruit. Both smell absolutely divine and are wonderful for my skin. I wasn’t sure if it was meant for my body or my face so I went all in and used it for both.

(Sorry about the yucky hair on my soap dish)

Then came the real test. THE OIL.

As you might expect, it had the consistency of something like vegetable oil. Not extremely thick but not too thin either.

I found the best technique was to take a few squirts and massage it in to one half of my face and then do the same with the other half. Then, I might need an extra squirt for any areas that weren’t covered well. You definitely want to allow some extra time because you really do want to massage it in. After you massage it, I’d wait 15 minutes or so before putting on makeup. You don’t have to but that’s would I would recommend.

They say to be generous but I say it depends on when you’re using the oil. I found the best results were when I washed my face at night and rub in the oil. I then had all night for the oil to soak in.

The first time I tried it, that’s exactly what I did. And I have to say I was shocked when I woke up.

Literally, overnight, my face turned soft, smooth, and my freckles even seemed to even out on my skin. I looked in the mirror and said WOW.

I know you won’t see the difference because it’s not only hard to capture on camera, but I probably notice more of a difference than anyone else.

And therein lies the challenge of skincare reviews. Your skin is affected by the weather, your age, your hormones, the amount of sleep you get, the stress in your life, your diet, your allergies, and so on. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. But I’ve given this program over two weeks in a variety of conditions. It’s been a big surprise to me how much I really like this new routine for my face.