I've been meaning to write this post for a long time, but have always slacked off on it because, simply put, these different face oils I use are practically indistinguishable to me. I use them in exactly the same way for exactly the same purpose with more or less the same results. Clearly, this is not going to be some verifiable scientific breakdown of each of them. None of these are miracle workers, but having converted to face oils roughly this time last year with the purchase of Josie Maran Argan Oil, I can say that generally, my bare face has become more presentable in public, and somewhat ironically, my skin is overall less oily now.
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Josie Maran100% Pure Argan Oil
My first face oil, and in a way, my sentimental favourite. I bought this at Sephora in New York while on vacation. I started my foray into face oils by mixing 2-3 drops of this with Nivea Soft and applying it day and night for the 3 weeks I was in NYC. I don't know if it was the lack of stress or the increased exercise from walking around on holiday, but I swear, I look back on pictures from the trip and my skin has never looked better. I've rationed this 15ml travel size bottle for a good year, though I've almost finished it. What I love about the Josie Maran is that it's completely scentless and seems to be one of the more refined oils I've tried. The skin just drinks it up, and it softens and soothes. I've contemplated ordering another bottle from Sephora via the overpriced Tarazz multiple times, but eventually settled for the argan oil from Garden of Wisdom. I'm hoping it'll be exactly the same thing.
SukinCertified Organic Rose Hip Oil
One of my most recent additions, after being convinced I needed a rose hip oil in my life after repeated exposure to Trilogy Rosehip Oil on beauty blogs. Never mind that I already had the Antipodes Divine Face Oil which has rosehip in it. I needed the unadulterated stuff. The scent of this oil always reminds me of fish oil capsules. Not my favourite, but the smell at least doesn't linger. I find this is quite rich in that if I apply 2-3 drops to bare skin in place of a regular moisturiser, my skin will have a slight greasy residue after a couple of hours. I'm not sure whether it's because it doesn't absorb as readily, or whether I just use too much. It's very hydrating and seems to work overnight to restore the skin and give it back some suppleness and smoothness. However, I don't think it did anything significant in reducing scarring from spots.
AntipodesDivine Face Oil Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip
I do like this and find it very similar to the Sukin, in that it's a bit on the heavier side. I'm not a fan of the scent which I always think of as a little hippie and musty (almost like pee, dare I say?). It has avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, vitamin E and essential oil fragrances of ylang ylang, sandalwood and jasmine. I really love the packaging of this, with the patterned dark green label, amber bottle, quirky Antipodes font and contrasting gold ring at the top. I've used about half of the 30ml bottle, but given that it acts very much the same way as pure rosehip oil, the smell is off-putting to me and I'm a bit on the fence about the added essential oils, I'm not sure whether I'd repurchase. If I didn't have the Sukin though, I'd be content using this daily, either applied to a freshly cleansed face or mixed in with my regular moisturiser.
Sanctuary Spa Therapist's Secret Facial Oil
This one has a whole bunch of ingredients, including sunflower seed soil, rosehip oil, wheat germ oil, jojoba seed soil, rosa centifolia (cabbage rose) flower extract, frankincense and rosa damascena flower oil. I have no idea what half of those things are or what they're meant to do. The liquid is much paler than the Sukin (which is amber) and Antipodes (dark yellow). This one is much nicer on the nose with a faint sweet rose smell. I find the oil lighter and slightly more readily absorbed than the Sukin and Antipodes, closer to the Josie Maran in the way it feels on the skin.
CaudalieDivine Oil
This French multipurpose dry oil comes in a large 100ml cylinder with a pump dispenser and can be used for body, face and hair. The primary ingredient is grape seed soil, said to be high in omega-6 and vitamin E, but it also contains sesame seed oil, shea butter extract, sunflower seed oil, hibiscus seed oil, argan oil and tomato extract. This one is heavily, heavily perfumed, to the extent you could easily use it purely for the fragrance, especially if applied to the ends of the hair. Those sensitive to strong scents may not want this anywhere near their face. One squirt gives you a decent amount, I would say equivalent to at least 4-5 drops of the other oils. This one is the fastest absorbing and doesn't leave much of an oily residue, but it doesn't feel immediately hydrating or soothing either. I find the smell too rich for the day so I only use this as part of my nighttime routine, in combination with my Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturising Cream, or as a final layer of treatment/hydration over any moisturiser/oils I've already slapped on.
Josie Maran100% Pure Argan Oil
My first face oil, and in a way, my sentimental favourite. I bought this at Sephora in New York while on vacation. I started my foray into face oils by mixing 2-3 drops of this with Nivea Soft and applying it day and night for the 3 weeks I was in NYC. I don't know if it was the lack of stress or the increased exercise from walking around on holiday, but I swear, I look back on pictures from the trip and my skin has never looked better. I've rationed this 15ml travel size bottle for a good year, though I've almost finished it. What I love about the Josie Maran is that it's completely scentless and seems to be one of the more refined oils I've tried. The skin just drinks it up, and it softens and soothes. I've contemplated ordering another bottle from Sephora via the overpriced Tarazz multiple times, but eventually settled for the argan oil from Garden of Wisdom. I'm hoping it'll be exactly the same thing.
SukinCertified Organic Rose Hip Oil
One of my most recent additions, after being convinced I needed a rose hip oil in my life after repeated exposure to Trilogy Rosehip Oil on beauty blogs. Never mind that I already had the Antipodes Divine Face Oil which has rosehip in it. I needed the unadulterated stuff. The scent of this oil always reminds me of fish oil capsules. Not my favourite, but the smell at least doesn't linger. I find this is quite rich in that if I apply 2-3 drops to bare skin in place of a regular moisturiser, my skin will have a slight greasy residue after a couple of hours. I'm not sure whether it's because it doesn't absorb as readily, or whether I just use too much. It's very hydrating and seems to work overnight to restore the skin and give it back some suppleness and smoothness. However, I don't think it did anything significant in reducing scarring from spots.
AntipodesDivine Face Oil Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip
I do like this and find it very similar to the Sukin, in that it's a bit on the heavier side. I'm not a fan of the scent which I always think of as a little hippie and musty (almost like pee, dare I say?). It has avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, vitamin E and essential oil fragrances of ylang ylang, sandalwood and jasmine. I really love the packaging of this, with the patterned dark green label, amber bottle, quirky Antipodes font and contrasting gold ring at the top. I've used about half of the 30ml bottle, but given that it acts very much the same way as pure rosehip oil, the smell is off-putting to me and I'm a bit on the fence about the added essential oils, I'm not sure whether I'd repurchase. If I didn't have the Sukin though, I'd be content using this daily, either applied to a freshly cleansed face or mixed in with my regular moisturiser.
Sanctuary Spa Therapist's Secret Facial Oil
This one has a whole bunch of ingredients, including sunflower seed soil, rosehip oil, wheat germ oil, jojoba seed soil, rosa centifolia (cabbage rose) flower extract, frankincense and rosa damascena flower oil. I have no idea what half of those things are or what they're meant to do. The liquid is much paler than the Sukin (which is amber) and Antipodes (dark yellow). This one is much nicer on the nose with a faint sweet rose smell. I find the oil lighter and slightly more readily absorbed than the Sukin and Antipodes, closer to the Josie Maran in the way it feels on the skin.
CaudalieDivine Oil
This French multipurpose dry oil comes in a large 100ml cylinder with a pump dispenser and can be used for body, face and hair. The primary ingredient is grape seed soil, said to be high in omega-6 and vitamin E, but it also contains sesame seed oil, shea butter extract, sunflower seed oil, hibiscus seed oil, argan oil and tomato extract. This one is heavily, heavily perfumed, to the extent you could easily use it purely for the fragrance, especially if applied to the ends of the hair. Those sensitive to strong scents may not want this anywhere near their face. One squirt gives you a decent amount, I would say equivalent to at least 4-5 drops of the other oils. This one is the fastest absorbing and doesn't leave much of an oily residue, but it doesn't feel immediately hydrating or soothing either. I find the smell too rich for the day so I only use this as part of my nighttime routine, in combination with my Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturising Cream, or as a final layer of treatment/hydration over any moisturiser/oils I've already slapped on.