NATURIUM | VITAMIN C FACE OIL

This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: Facial Oils I Love that Make Me Excited for Cold Weather - Part One. You can catch the full piece here.

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This past week was the coldest it’s been since mid-March. I’m nervous that it’s going to be a brutally damp, cold winter.

Every October, at the onset of the cooler months here in New York City, I set out to craft a series of blog articles on cold weather skincare and winterizing the skin to defend against skin-aging dryness and dehydration. This year, I’ve themed the series around Seasonal Skincare Transitioning — an apt characterization of what our skin goes through when the climate changes so drastically.

The first article kicked off a two-part series on the best face creams for dry skin and all skin types in the cold. Titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: Moisturizers I Love That Make Me Excited For Cold Weather, the series features my top picks for all skin types. Each of the articles highlights one cold weather option for each of the four major skin types — dry, oily/acne prone, sensitive, and normal or all skin types.

SEASONAL SKINCARE: MOISTURIZERS I LOVE THAT MAKE ME EXCITED FOR COLD WEATHER

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The first article featured one of my favorite cold weather face creams ever, the Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream. With a real focus on skin barrier health, Skinfix is, in my opinion, one of the best clinical skincare brands. And the brand’s Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream is simply among the best moisturizers for dry skin — and just about all skin types in winter except perhaps very oily and blemish prone.

If you haven’t yet tried TLPC, I encourage you to check out my full review of it here!

I also included the Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream in my initial collection as the single eye cream recommendation. It’s a near-perfect eye cream that’s got everything the skin around the eyes needs, particularly during the harsh cold months of fall and winter.

PRODUCT REVIEW: YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE ADAPTOGEN DEEP MOISTURE CREAM – BEST MOISTURIZER FOR IRRITATED SKIN

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Last week I continued the series on cold weather skincare with my top picks from two of my favorite skincare brand’s — Deciem’s The Ordinary and NIOD brands. Titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: The Best Products From The Ordinary And Niod That Get Me Excited For Cold Weather! the article was a nod to Deciem’s annual Slowvember event in which the company offers a 23% discount off of all skincare from all of its brands for entire month of November — except, notably, on Black Friday.

This year, my Slowvember picks include two products from The Ordinary — the Squalane Cleanser and the 100% Plant-Derived Hemi-Squalane, a personal fave dry facial oil.

From NIOD, I featured three of my favorites. The brand’s Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2) is one of the best Hyaluronic Acid serums I’ve ever come across. I’ve probably been through two dozen bottles of it over the years!

I invite you to explore what I consider some of the best products from The Ordinary and NIOD — and certainly among the best skincare for colder weather. You can catch the article here.

SEASONAL SKINCARE: THE BEST PRODUCTS FROM THE ORDINARY AND NIOD THAT GET ME EXCITED FOR COLD WEATHER!

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Which brings me to this week’s feature on Seasonal Skincare Transitioning! Next up is my annual two-part series on facial oils. Each year, I cap off my winter blog series with a piece on the best facial oils for dry skin.

I love facial oils!

A great facial oil is the heaviest moisturizer in your defensive arsenal against the dry, low-humidity air characteristic of the colder months no matter the climate. Most people don’t think of facial oils as a “moisturizer.” What usually comes to mind is a cream. And I know facial oils aren’t popular with everyone — particularly those with oily and acne prone skin. Psst…even an oily skin type can benefit from a facial oil suited for oily skin — like the Blume Meltdown Acne Oil.

PRODUCT REVIEW: BLUME | MELTDOWN ACNE OIL - BEST FACIAL OIL FOR OILY SKIN, BEST FACIAL OIL FOR ACNE

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In winter, I prefer facial oils to conventional cream moisturizers, especially the ones that regrettably come in jars. I didn’t always understand facial oils and, like so many, believed they were somehow better for other people, perhaps best for very dry skin types.

One of my favorite facial oils of all time is the Codex Bia Facial Oil — one of the best organic face oils for dry skin. The Bia Facial Oil is rich, silky, and elegant. It doesn’t feel overly greasy on skin but it does feel like your skin is being treated to something really healthy and nourishing. That’s heaven in winter! If you’re unfamiliar with Codex, it’s a clean, luxurious brand and their products are truly exquisite. You can explore my review of the Codex brand on the Skincarma Blog here.

Oh the misunderstood facial oil. A lot of people dislike them because they tend to sit on the skin, or barely absorb into the skin’s surface. That’s kind of the point. They’re the most occlusive of all skincare products, meaning they’re intended to defend skin against moisture loss. They do that by occluding, or blocking water from escaping through the surface and dehydrating your skin.

PRODUCT REVIEW: CODEX BEAUTY BIA COLLECTION FACIAL OIL – ONE OF THE BEST NATURAL FACE OILS FOR DRY SKIN

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What Does a Facial Oil Do and What Are the Benefits of Face Oil?

There is a really wonderful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, How Facial Oils Help Skin. Here is a glimpse of their insights:

You may have noticed more and more brands are launching pure oils like argan, jojoba, coconut, or blends of oils with all manner of tempting claims. But do these facial oils live up to their potential?
The research-supported facts about what plant oils can do for skin is rather fascinating. They're not miracles, but the right plant oil or a beautiful a blend of beneficial oils can make a remarkable difference for dry, flaky, or dehydrated skin; in fact, non-fragrant facial oils can be suitable even for eczema-prone skin. Facial oils are for anyone whose skin could use a boost of nourishing, smoothing renewal, especially when seasonal cold or drier climates disturb your skin.
What are Facial Oils?
Facial oils can include any fragrant plant oils (often called essential oils, but they are anything but essential—more on that in a moment), non-fragrant plant oils (your skin will love these) or synthetic oils (such as mineral oil—which gets a bad rap in the world of skincare but for the record, the research doesn't support the negative information you find on the Internet).
Despite the name, these oils can be used anywhere on the face or body—there's no research showing that certain oils are better for one part of your skin or another. Such a notion is without logic or science.

So what makes facial oils so uniquely beneficial for your skin health in the cold?

Well, one of the most important benefits of a well-formulated facial oil is to prevent dehydration through trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. Dehydration hasn’t traditionally been recognized as one of the main causes of skin aging. In fact, I consider both sun damage and dehydration to be the two key culprits in all signs of aging — including the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and even sagging.

My own neck is the perfect barometer!

During the colder months, the skin on my neck seems to hollow out as the layers dehydrate and deflate. As hard as I try, it’s often a losing battle. Fortunately, my skin bounces back around March. It’s a fascinating experiment as I struggle to keep my skin optimally hydrated in the cold. I’m much better at it now than I used to be; and that’s because I fully understand the effects of TEWL on skin health.

BRANDS I LOVE: CODEX BEAUTY - CLEAN, NATURAL SKINCARE FOR HEALTHY, YOUTHFUL SKIN

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What Is Trans-Epidermal Water Loss?

For a deep-dive into trans-epidermal water loss (or TEWL), there’s an excellent article on the health website Skin Better titled, What Is Transepidermal Water Loss and Why Is it Important? It’s available to read here. In the piece, the author explains TEWL as follows:

“The skin is comprised of three primary layers: the epidermis, the outermost layer; the dermis or middle layer; and the hypodermis, the undermost layer. When water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates from the skin’s surface, this is known as transepidermal water loss (International Journal of Pharmaceutics).
While TEWL is a process that your skin naturally regulates, certain factors that can damage the skin’s barrier function can also affect TEWL levels. Circumstances such as injury, low-humidity weather conditions and topically applied products that dry out the skin can impact TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients.
Transepidermal water loss can contribute to a variety of dry skin conditions, and although it is a natural process, there are ways that you can help your skin stay moisturized and hydrated. Hydration refers to the water content of the skin, whereas moisturization is the skin’s ability to retain those water molecules. Therefore, your skin needs both elements to maintain desirable levels of TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients. Humectants help to draw moisture to the epidermis, either from the air if it is humid enough, or from the underlying dermis in low-humidity conditions. Because water content that is drawn from the dermis can be lost through TEWL, it’s important to combine the use of humectants with occlusives. Together, these ingredients create a reservoir of moisture in the epidermis and act as a barrier on the skin to help prevent TEWL by sealing in that moisture. The occlusive agents simultaneously keep pollutants, toxins and harmful bacteria out (Skin Therapy Letter).”

MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE - BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS

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The Skincarma “Lock and Block” Prevents Dehydration

To start, preventing dehydration in the first place requires drinking enough water. That differs for each of us based on our weight, the foods we eat, and the climate we live in. It’s even more important during colder periods.

A good rule is to drink one ounce of water each day for every pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 lbs., you’ll need to drink 150 ounces of water each and every day to keep your body and your skin optimally hydrated.

Then, employing skincare to treat and prevent dehydration requires what I refer to as a “lock and block” strategy.

It begins with a dedicated humectant serum applied to the skin in both your AM and PM routines that helps to lock water in. Follow with a moisturizer composed of a healthy balance of both humectants and oils to block and prevent the trans-epidermal water loss that can lead to dehydration.

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF

MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY AND MORE

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

One of the great things about facial oils is they’re water-free, meaning they last a lot longer. Over the years, I’ve amassed quite the museum-worthy collection of facial oils. And I’m excited to share the first four in my two-part series on my FW21 facial oil picks.

Each stands out for one reason, or several reasons — among them, uniqueness, superior quality, versatility, innovation and, as is the case with so many facial oils, sheer damn pleasure. That really is the gist of it. Facial oils are simply a pleasure to use! If you're not using a facial oil yet — either daily or a couple of times a week — now’s your chance to find one you love.

In part one, the first four FW21 facial oils include Biography’s Golden Ray Glow Drops. While I’ve reviewed it on the blog previously, I’ve simply fallen in love with it all over again this year. It’s perhaps the most luxurious of the FW21 collection.

I’m a huge fan of the clean, democratically priced Naturium brand and have reviewed several of their face serums on the blog over the past several months. They have a number of Vitamin C serums and oils and the brand’s Vitamin C Face Oil is a wonderful formulation. More on it below.

Dr. Elsa Jungman’s Start Over Moisturizing Serum is formulated to fix the microbiome by rebalancing surface bacteria and strengthening the skin barrier. Dr. Elsa is one of the few true experts on the skin microbiome, what makes it tick, and what it needs to tick right.

Lastly, I’m excited to feature the Maelove Love 31 Precious Face Oil — my first product inclusion from the clean beauty brand.

Let’s have a look at one of my FW21 facial oils, which I consider ideal for cold weather in part one of the series…

Naturium | Vitamin C Face Oil

There are two ingredients that I wish everyone on Earth who’s serious about their skin health would incorporate into their own skincare routines — Vitamin C and Vitamin B3, or Niacinamide. Both are indispensable antioxidants — and much, much more. In the case of a good Vitamin C treatment, it can be one of the best anti-aging serums in your arsenal.

Until very recently, Vitamin C was perhaps the most under-appreciated of all skincare ingredients. Mainly because it seemed to be old news. And marketers don’t push what’s old; they spend their marketing dollars on what’s new, fresh, sexy and innovative — whether it works or not. Their job is to make you believe what they’re pushing does.

Not so long ago, antioxidant Vitamin C was really tough to formulate with. It’s been nearly impossible to keep high levels of Vitamin C stable in a skincare formula. The truly effective levels weren’t possible. Until you get to ten percent or more, you don’t really get the power-brightening, collagen-building benefits that Vitamin C has to offer.

PRODUCT REVIEW: NATURIUM VITAMIN C COMPLEX SERUM - BEST VITAMIN C SERUM, BEST BRIGHTENING SERUM

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What Does Vitamin C Do for Skin and Can Vitamin C Improve Skin?

There’s an excellent article on the remarkable benefits of Vitamin C for the skin from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What is Vitamin C and How Does it Benefit Skin?

Vitamin C is one of the most exciting, research-proven ingredients you can apply to skin. This water-soluble antioxidant is a natural component of healthy skin. When we’re young, vitamin C levels in skin’s outermost two layers (epidermis and dermis) are abundant, but as we age, these levels naturally deplete. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution can accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was.
Luckily, there are topical skin care solutions that can help mitigate this damage, so skin looks and feels healthier and younger longer.
Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
Vitamin C’s benefits for skin are vast, including its ability to even out skin tone and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While this powerhouse ingredient is well-known for its skin-brightening benefits, research also shows it can shield skin from the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radical damage. This synergy of mitigating problems both before and after they occur makes vitamin C a force to be reckoned with.
When and How to Use Vitamin C in Your Skin Care Routine
All forms of vitamin C mix well and layer with other skin care ingredients, including exfoliating acids and other vitamins and antioxidants, such as retinol and niacinamide (11, 12).
Vitamin C can be used twice daily, both morning and night. After cleansing, toning and exfoliating, apply the rest of your products in order from thinnest to thickest texture (commonly: serum, moisturizer, treatments). During the day, always finish with a moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or greater.

If you haven’t tried Naturium yet, I’m honored to introduce you to the brand! Naturium is a clean, affordable skincare brand with the kind of “single-note” serums that have been popularized by brands like The Ordinary, Good Molecules and The Inkey List.

If you want to know more about this curious little brand that popped up out of nowhere, I found a great deep-dive into Naturium on the Allure website titled, 9 Naturium Skin-Care Products Our Editors Can’t Get Enough of. Here is an excerpt:

Because the options are endless, consumers are becoming more discerning, more educated, and as a result, more determined to find products that actually work (and won’t cost them their entire rent check). It makes sense, then, why scientifically-backed, highly-effective, yet affordable brands like Naturium (available at Target) are finding huge success among skin-care newbies and devotees alike.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the interest in easy-to-digest skin-care education and results-driven products increase on social media,” Susan Yara, co-founder of Naturium, tells Allure. “What seemed to be lacking from the market was a brand that offered the education and the results, paired with elegant, well-rounded formulas and packaging at an accessible price.”
Yara should know — she’s been a popular beauty content creator for years, reviewing hundreds of skin-care products on her YouTube channel and listening closely to what her viewers were looking for to complete their skin-care regimens. “That’s what we offer with Naturium. Everyone that buys from us knows our products will work well, feel great, and fulfill our mantra that skin-care is self-care.” Naturium’s advising board-certified dermatologist Dr. Alexis Stephens supports Yara’s claim. “I like that Naturium makes highly effective, beautifully formulated products feel more accessible to everyday consumers. They use ingredients that are proven to help even skin tone, decongest pores, and encourage healthier skin in general. There’s a product that works for everyone,” Stephens tells Allure.

PRODUCT REVIEW: NATURIUM NIACINAMIDE SERUM 12% PLUS ZINC 2% - BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM FOR OILY SKIN

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Over the last several weeks, I’ve been exploring several of the brand’s most popular, affordably priced serums. Not surprisingly, the Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% was a personal favorite over the summer. Zinc combined with Niacinamide is the perfect pair for moderating oil secretion!

With a solid 12% concentration of antioxidant Niacinamide, the Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% has a silky, ever-so-slightly sticky texture. It makes sense since the formula pairs Niacinamide and Zinc — an ingredient with potential for regulating sebum in oily skin. It’s not off-putting and I really love the simple efficacy of the product.

Then, in the early fall, I included the Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum in my latest deep dive into Vitamin C products titled, My Top Vitamin C Picks Fw21: New Vitamin C Serums I’m Crushing on from Algenist, Naturium, Goop Glow and More. You can catch the article here.

Since that article, things have cooled down significantly here in Brooklyn and I’ve transitioned to the Naturium Vitamin C Face Oil. Like the brand’s Vitamin C Complex Serum, it’s an excellent, super affordable Vitamin C product.

Naturium’s Vitamin C Face Oil is a light, somewhat dry oil formulated with approximately a 5% to 7% concentration of Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, an oil-soluble, stable form of Vitamin C.

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, THD Ascorbate is more skin compatible and has the potential to stimulate skin’s collagen production. Below is an excerpt; you can access the full article here.

What Is Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and What Does Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Do for Skin?

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD) is a highly stable form of vitamin C that is considered an analogue of L-ascorbic acid. Enzymes within skin convert this form of vitamin C to pure vitamin C, ascorbic acid.
Unlike pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid), tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is lipid (fat) soluble. As such, it can penetrate further into skin where it works with vitamin E (tocopherol) that’s naturally in your skin or in skin care products to target skin’s underlying support system via a different pathway than water-soluble ascorbic acid.
Some researchers theorize that tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate has a greater affinity for skin because its fatty acid component helps aid penetration. It pairs well with other forms of vitamin C, vitamin E, green tea, and retinol for enhanced effectiveness and anti-aging benefits.
Its oil-soluble nature lets it neutralize the types of free radicals that damage skin’s lipids such as ceramides and cholesterol. This is primarily how it works as an antioxidant, while the water-soluble ascorbic acid helps neutralize other types of free radicals before they get too far past skin’s surface.
Concentration-wise, amounts of 0.1% have antioxidant benefit, and it is often used at this level and up to 2% for maintaining skin health plus visibly soothing environmentally distressed skin.
If the goal is targeting hyperpigmentation, research shows amounts of 5% or greater are necessary for best results. It’s most effective when formulated at a pH of 6 or below and may be used with other discoloration-reducing ingredients such as niacinamide and licorice root where it’s been shown to deliver synergistic results. In fact, a 30% concentration of THD used with other discoloration-reducing ingredients was shown to improve stubborn hyperpigmentation and was even suitable for melasma-prone skin.

Naturium’s Vitamin C Face Oil is a water-free, fragrance-free formula composed of just 13 ingredients, nine of which are non-fragrant plant oils that deeply moisturize dry skin. Because it’s on the lighter side, it feels comfortable on the skin and is ideal for bedtime.

As far as Vitamin C face oils, it’s one of the best — vegan, cruelty free and affordably priced at just $25.

What I like about it: The Naturium Vitamin C Face Oil is an ideal Vitamin C facial oil for most skin types. It’s perfect as the last, moisturizing step in your PM skincare routine. And at just $25, it really doesn’t get much better.

What I don’t like about it: I actually like everything about it!

Who it’s for: Most skin types except, perhaps, very oily.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Naturium Vitamin C Face Oil for $25 here.

SHOP NATURIUM FOR VITAMIN C FACE OIL