The Good, The Bad, and The Alright: Facial Oils

I have decided to start a little series in which I compare and talk about 3 different products in the same category and give you the rundown on which one I think is the best and the ones I wouldn't necessarily purchase in the future.

I have talked quite a bit about facial oils and the benefits of using them, especially at night time and I have mentioned my beloved Rose Hip Oil in a featured post a little while back but I have never compared oils and really told you what I think about the ones I have tried. This is going to be the post for that.

Rose Hip Oil

As many of you know, I love this particular oil. I have been in the long, arduous process of trying to get rid of my post acne scarring from last spring when I experienced the worst skin in my life. I have tried lots of darks spot correctors (yes I will be doing a comparison on them soon) and not many out there can hold up to their claim but Rose Hip Oil is the only oil I have found that with consistent use, my dark spots and scarring have significantly faded with.

Texture and Application: This oil has a pretty average texture. It is definitely not as thick as other oils I have tried but their are also thinner consistency oils out there as well. Because this oil is on the mid range in terms of consistency, it does take a little longer to absorb but it does absorb well into the skin and still leaves a nice glow.

Scent: It is important to keep in mind that most Organic and Natural facial oils will not have added fragrance (who needs it anyways?) so their isn't very much you can do to get a particular oil that smells better unless you want to compromise the integrity of the oil in its intended state. Having said this, many people do not like the scent of Rose Hip Oil. I think this probably because they expect it to smell like roses but if you leave those expectations behind you may actually like the scent (like me).

Overall: I think this is a phenomenal face oil for anyone dealing with some scarring or post acne marks. This will definitely make a difference with consistent use. As I mentioned in my previous spotlight on Rose Hip Oil, this oil should not be used on active breakouts; it will irritate them and slow their healing process so only use them on those pesky marks that always seem to overstay their welcome.

Argan Oil

Argan Oil is known as liquid gold which definitely gives us high expectations for a face oil. Argan Oil is most prominently made famous by Josie Maran and her slightly overpriced version. Their are definitely cheaper versions of Argan Oil you can get at your local Natural foods and skincare shop. My version by the Canada brand New Roots is cold pressed (something you definitely want when it comes to oils because they retain the most benefits) and has added Vitamin E which also helps with healing.

Tetxture and Application: This oil is definitely on the lighter side in terms of texture and consistency which makes it much easier to absorb into the skin.

Scent: My particular version of the oil does have a slight scent to it which is normal. With Argan Oil you need to be particularly careful with scent. If your oil is particularly sweet smelling you may have purchased cooking Argan Oil by accident. Also Argan Oil is not intended to have a very bad scent so if you come across one that does smell very bad it could be either impure or it may have gone bad.

Overall: Argan Oil may be liquid gold for many but it really isn't for me. This Oil is okay. I don't notice any significant changes in the texture in my skin and even with the added Vitamin E my version of the oil contains, I don't notice improvements in my scarring. I will say that this oil would be good for people with particularly dry skin as it is light but very moisturizing and definitely saved my skin during winters dry patches. So if dry, flaky skin is your concern, give this one a whirl.

Tamanu Oil

Tamanu Oil is a less talked about oil but I have done some research on oils and I have heard really marvellous things about what this oil can do for evening skin tone and getting rid of scarring (which you know by now is something I desperately need). So naturally I wanted to try some and I picked some up in the skincare section of my local Organic Grocery store.

Texture and Application: The oil has a very thick and green texture. It is also not smooth running like most oils. It feels a but more clumpy which definitely makes it harder to absorb and harder to distribute evenly on the skin.

Scent: I mentioned that most people think Rose Hip Oil has a strange scent but that I actually don't mind it but this oil really does have a strange and horrible scent. It is also a scent that lingers throughout the night. I am not someone to complain too much about scents and I did use almost the whole bottle of this stuff but for people with scent sensitivity, it may get you down.

Overall: This oil is not my favourite, far from it. It is a combination of things. The texture is quite strange, that scent is almost unbearable and the results did not make up for any of the other downers. If my skin looked incredible after using this I would definitely recommend it even with the horrible scent and chunky texture but this is not a miracle oil, at least not for me.

There you have it. The first instalment of The Good, The Bad, and The Alright. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to let me know in the comments, what things you would like to see compared next and I will try my best to get more of these posts up!

- Cate.