My Life in Facial Oils

I have long been a fan of facial oils and have used one pretty much every night for the past 20 years. At 57, my skin is not too shabby and I like to think my addiction to ‘facial oils’ has played a part in that.

Some women are cautious about trying an oil on their skin as they’re worried about getting spots - or if you have oily skin you might not want to smother it in oil. But I was informed by a facialist that your skin will only take in what it needs. So, some nights you’ll find that the oil has absorbed within 20 minutes, and others you can wake up in the morning and still feel its presence.

Either way – I swear by this as a night-time ritual and a perfect treat for your skin before putting it to sleep.

I’m quite promiscuous when it comes to brands, and quite like to mix it up a bit, so the skin doesn’t get ‘used’ to one particular list of nutrients. So here’s a run-down of my current top five:

The Sanctuary 10 in 1 Super Secret Facial Oil

This was the first oil I ever used and kick started my facial oil habit. I worked for the brand at the time, so was really thrilled when this launched as it was the only product in the range which was natural and 99% organic. It looks as if it has been completely re-formulated since I first used it, and it’s probably now targeting a slightly less dry skin – so dare I say it a younger audience. This could also mean it’s good for Facial Oil virgins – if you’re nervous about using an oil. This one is non-greasy and naturally fragranced with essential oils. Main oils are Soyabean, Peach Kernal Oil, Jojoba and Wheatgerm.

Sanctuary 10-in-1 Super Secret Facial Oil £20

Available from Lookfantastic.com. amazon.com

Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Nourishing Facial Oil

After a few years I graduated to Aromatherapy Associates Facial Oils as more of a treat but soon became addicted to this – mainly because of the fragrance and the richness – as my skin became dryer. The natural fragrance is a powerful fragrance mix of Rose and Patchouli. The oil has a mix of Evening Primrose and finest Rose to replenish vital moisture to our drying skin while the Patchouli along with being an anti-inflammatory – just smells divine. I highly recommend trying the brands set of minis to find the oil that suits you best – or better still to have a choice every night! These are also fantastic for travelling.

Nourishing Face Oil £49

Face Oil Collection £53

Available from www.aromatherapyassociates.com

Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial Night Elixir

This is the one that so many of my ‘beauty’ industry peers rave about so I had to try it. Sarah describes this as a ‘sophisticated power-potion combining cosmeceutical performance-proven actives with soothing anti=inflammatory omegas…’.

It’s really beautiful to use. It’s a very light almost ‘serum’ texture so if you’re nervous about using an oil, this is also a good one to start with. It smells divine with a blend of natural fragrance of Jasmine, frangipani, rose and tuberose. The actives include anti-inflammatory omegas, de-ageing Vitamin A, stabilised Vitamin and many others to help rejuvenate, lift and increase the cells life span. This is definitely a staple on my rosta of oils.

Sarah Chapman Skenesis Overnight Facial £54

Available from Sarahchapman.com

Votary

This one is heading into real luxury territory. I had lusted after it for quite a while before treating myself. Although this is very much part of my daily evening skincare regime, the final part, applying the oil, is the part you can make as special – or not as you want. There are only a few options within the range, and I went for the Neroli and Myrrh. Its 100% natural and also vegan. The Neroli flower is known to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to balance oily and blemished skin while the Myrrh oil calms inflamed and sensitive skin. The Argan Oil is rich in Vitamin E to provide the much-needed deep hydration. The beauty of this one is that it’s good for those with oily patches as well as dry as it is able to treat both areas. I have certainly found as I hit late fifties that I suddenly have oily patches appearing from nowhere!

Votary Facial Oil – Neroli and myrrh £65

Votary.co.uk

Goldfaden MD

I’m quite new to this one as I was introduced to this brand by one of my beauty PR friends and after falling in love with its ‘Doctor’s Scrub’ which is insanely good – I was keen to try the Fleuressence Facial oil – and I love it. This is the most expensive oil and I will probably only buy it once a year perhaps during the winter months when your skin is really feeling ‘the need’. This one is non-greasy and particularly targets ageing, dry skin so I feel it’s giving me exactly what I need. Anti-ageing ingredients include a blend of active botanicals, fruit extracts together with natural oils such as Baobab and Kalhari to promote cellular renewal and restore hydration. The brand advises that you can actually use this one morning and night if you have particularly dry skin, but I just use at night (need it to last!)

Goldfaden MD Fleurressence is £105 and available from www.goldfadenmd.com and Space NK