Iope Essential Facial Oil Review

Iope Essential Facial Oil 30mls

Out of all the products I received in the Iope Super Memebox, this was the product I was most excited to try (I have a thing for facial oils, let’s just leave it at that). The Essential Facial Oil is a lightweight formulation designed to deliver deep nourishment and hydration to the skin.

Ingredients: caprylic capric triglyceride sucrose polycottonseedate, argan oil, macadamia oil, castor oil, dicaprylyl ether, oleic / linoleic/ linolenic polyglycerides, fragrance (check cosdna link here)

This is oil is packed with heaps of essential fatty acids from coconut, argan, and macadamia oils which help soften and repair damaged and uneven skin. And let’s not forget about all those anti-aging properties these oils carry. It’s a nice product to start with for younger users to help prevent and delay the signs of aging. I believe castor oil is the only ingredient that may cause irritation for some, but so far I haven’t experienced any problems.

The texture of this oil is surprisingly silky, and doesn’t feel thick and heavy at all. It does take a while to absorb, but if you only use this in the evening it shouldn’t be a problem. It also has a heavy lavender scent. It’s very calming and relaxing, identical to the scent of the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Not a bad thing at all. When I use this, every morning I wake up with a really lovely glow. The skin feels plumper, the fine lines around my eyes and mouth are reduced, and my skin tone looks even. I haven’t suffered from any severe breakouts since I started using this, even when I did get a few pimples, it helped heal them much faster.

I’ve been using this oil for 6 months now, and I’ve only just passed the halfway mark. A little goes a long way with this one, and it’s definitely a product I think I’ll repurchase in the future. However, I have noticed some huge price differences. It’s usually price around $15 to $20. I have seen it as low as $12 on some sites, but I have also seen it as high as $115 on another (I bet you can guess which shameless website that is). Really guys?! In their defense, it definitely doesn’t feel like a $20 product. With the sleek, glass packaging and the results this oil gives, it definitely feels a lot more upmarket.

Kosmea Rose Hip Oil Review*

Kosmea Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil, 10mls

Before I had extracted the final drops from my old Trilogy Rose Hip Oil, I was very fortunate to be sent the Kosmea Rose Hip Oil to trial. I've been curious about Kosmea's products for a while now, being certified organic, and an Australian owned brand, I thought it would be interesting to compare the differences of this oil to other foreign brand's that I've tried.

Ingredients: Rose Eglanteria Seed Oil

What I love about this product is that it's pure rosehip oil, free from harmful chemicals, colourants, fragrances, mineral oils and animal products.  Many Rosehip Oils out there on the market have a lot of extra ingredients packed into their product, which can be a bit of a hit and miss for some. This one is the purest I've come across on the market. Kosmea claim to extract the rose hip oil without heat or solvents like other brands, retaining all the anti-aging vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants that are naturally found in the plant. It's 100% USDA certified organic, and protects, repairs and adds radiance to your skin.

Comparison between the Kosmea & Trilogy Oils

This has to be the thickest rose-hip oil I've come across so far. A little goes a long way, and even though I only have a 10ml bottle it has lasted me three months. It has a very strong scent, and in the comparison photo above, you can see how much thicker and purer the oil is compared to Trilogy's which is very light in colour and texture. I've found that this is definitely a night-time only product for me. Because it is quite thick and has a very distinct orange tone it can make my skin look dark and oily. The oily texture has had no adverse effects on my acne or blackheads though. And obviously because it is a lot thicker, it does take a little longer for the product to absorb, but when it does it's barely noticeable.

There's been a huge change in the texture of my skin when I use this oil, it makes the skin feel incredibly smooth and silky, more so than any other brand I've tried so far.  I've also been using it on my legs and it really helps to heal my scars and sooth irritation from ingrown hairs and regrowth.

I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in trying out rose hip, and for anyone who is after a 'pure' oil that will help with scarring, texture, and anti-aging. It's pretty reasonably priced as well, about on par with Trilogy's oils (the 24mls is around $25). It's an Australian owned brand, and are currently stocked at David Jones stores around Australia.

(*This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes. Check my disclaimer for more information.)