Oily oily oily, oi oi oi!

Even though I have an oily T-zone, I love using oils on my face. At the beginning I wasn’t quite so enthusiastic, but now they’re often my only moisturiser during the day. Here’s a review of some of the oils I’ve been testing out on my face lately:

Rose-Hip Vital Rosehip Oil (RRP $19.95 for 30 mL and $29.99 for 50 mL – here)

This is a new certified organic rosehip oil (RHO) recently introduced on the market by Rose-Hip Vital. They’ve been selling a clinically tested RHO supplement for alleviating inflammation, and have only recently moved into beauty. This RHO is cold pressed from Rosa Canina seeds, which preserves the integrity of the oil, and like other minimally processed RHOs, contains omega 3, 6 and 9, as well as vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants (lycopene, beta-carotene).

This oil smells a bit like chips, which is bizarre but not unbearable. It sinks quickly into the skin, unlike most RHOs I’ve tried which tend to feel very heavy. It’s also very competitively priced! If you’re ok with the smell, this could be a great option.

A’kin Pure Alchemy Cellular Radiance Serum ($44.95 for 23 mL here or here)

I was very excited about trying this – it’s been called “supercharged rosehip oil”. And amazingly for a “natural” styled product, there’s some trials to demonstrate that it works! As well as RHO, it contains a cocktail of echium, macadamia and jojoba oils, as well as squalene and CO₂ extracts of seabuckthorn, pomegranate, amaranth seed, chamomile and calendula. This results in a moisturising and antioxidant-rich oil, with collagen-boosting and anti-irritant properties. According to A’kin, studies have impressively shown that this serum is effective in improving skin smoothness, firmness and elasticity (I can’t actually find the details of these studies anywhere at the moment, but I’m pleasantly surprised that some were done at all!).

This oil smells strongly of chamomile, so it doubles as a bit of an aromatic sleep aid at night. It’s not very noticeable once it sinks in. It’s a bit pricey for someone like me who doesn’t have any ageing concerns just yet (touchwood), but this would be a great product for someone who loves rosehip oil and wants to add anti-ageing botanicals into their routine.

Necessity Fixaderm ($14.95 for 30 mL here)

Unlike the oils I usually use, Fixaderm is a spot treatment that claims to be good for various skin problems, including rashes, insect bites, cuts and sunburn. It contains a host of oils with anti-irritant and antiseptic properties: calendula, lavender, patchouli, rosehip, tea tree, camellia, jojoba, evening primrose, niaouli and rosewood.

It’s a clear oil that smells of lavender. I’ve used it on my nose after I stupidly put AHA on it after a full day of hayfever-induced chafing and it was stinging so much I couldn’t sleep – it dulled the stinging very quickly, though perhaps I should’ve reached for some lignocaine for complete relief. I’m looking forward to seeing how it fares against the million mosquito bites I’m inevitably going to get this summer. As you can see from the photo above, they also have a natural cold sore relief formula, but unfortunately (or fortunately!) I haven’t found anyone to try that out on yet!

What are your favourite skincare oils?

Oils are available at selected pharmacies and health food stores, as well as the online retailers found by clicking on the appropriate link for each product. These products were provided for consideration, which did not affect my opinion. For more information, see Disclosure Policy.