The Body Shop Oils of Life Review

Last month, I posted about a brand new skincare range that was launching at The Body Shop called Oils of Life. There are four products in the collection and I ended up going to my local store and getting two of them to try, figuring that if I liked them, I'd go back and get more. 

I ended up getting the two products that really caught my attention...an essence lotion and a facial oil. There are also two moisturizers in the line, a lighter gel-creme formulation and a regular creme. Let's take a look! 

First of all, the packaging! The Body Shop has really knocked it out of the park with this one- these bottles are just beautiful and really high-end looking. They have definitely dressed up my sink the last month or so.
The Essence Lotion is in a plastic bottle but the Facial Oil is in a glass dropper bottle so you have to be really careful with that one...I can't imagine how many pieces it would be in if it hit my tile floor, yikes!

So before I get into the individual products, what are Oils of Life? Inside each product are three precious seed oils that have unique skin benefits and when you combine them together, you get a powerhouse formula that feed your skin, resulting in a radiant complexion. Seeds have the ability to create and grow into life so they contain a multitude of antioxidants and vitamins. Plus, oils are the perfect texture to penetrate the skin deeply to get those amazing ingredients deep down where you need them.

These three oils are:

So now let's talk about the products themselves!

The Essence Lotion ($22) is something that is common in Korean and Japanese skincare but has only recently made it's way over here to the US. Usually it's a watery, toner-like fluid but this one is a little bit different in that it has oil molecules suspended in the water, kind of like a Micellar water. So because it's a dual-phase formula, it needs to be shaken well before you apply it. It goes on right after cleansing and you can use a cotton pad or pat it in with your fingers (which is what I do).

In additon to water and oils, it also contains humectants to help draw water into the skin, and having the oils in there means that it creates a barrier so the water can't evaporate off of the skin. This first step balances your skin and adds a tiny bit of moisture to prepare your skin to receive your other skincare products. It feels super lightweight and sinks in immediately. My dry skin loves it but I think any skin type would be fine with this because it's not heavy or greasy.
It does have a scent to it, which I would describe as herbal and a little earthy. I can see some people not liking it but the good news is, it disappears very quickly.  I personally like it...it's sort of spa-like!

The Intensely Revitalizing Facial Oil ($39) contains 99% oils of natural origin this is meant to be used after the Essence Lotion where you would normally use a serum. I still use my other serums, one for dark spots and my Prevage serum, but I layer them on first because they're lighter-weight than this is. In fact, I've been using this as my moisturizer because my skin isn't as dry in the summer and this feels so nourishing, that I feel like using another moisturizer on top would be overkill.

This oil claims to instantly give a smooth appearance to the skin and revive radiance. After 4 weeks, the signs of aging are supposed to appear reduced and wrinkles appear minimized, while your skin feels more elastic and firm. This oil also has that earthy, herbal scent but it quickly dissipates.

After using these products the past four weeks, I can honestly say that my skin looks much more radiant...to the point where I actually notice it. So many products claim to give your skin "radiance" but it's such a commonly used term and difficult to measure most of the time. Usually I don't even notice a huge difference but this time, I noticed that my skin was glowing after the very first day! 

Here's a photo from June and another one from last week...in both photos I'm wearing foundation but in the photo on the right, my skin looks much brighter and more luminous, while my skin on the left looks more flat and dull (the curse of having dry skin). 

Normally, when it comes to skincare, I always say "the more high-tech the better". I'm always up for trying the latest and greatest anti-aging ingredients to fight those fine lines that keep creeping in, so I usually don't go for a more simple approach. However, Oils of Life has made me a believer! Plus, I do still work my other skincare products in with these...I use my dark spot serum and prevage in the daytime and my retinol serum at night before applying the oil and it works out great. 

In the winter when my skin gets really dry, I'll definitely pick up one of the Oils of Life moisturizers because I'm just so impressed with this line! 

To try Oils of Life for yourself, please visit The Body Shop online or your local Body Shop store.