Years ago, when face oils were first becoming a thing, I got a bottle of face oil from Sunday Riley and erroneously assumed that it was a replacement for moisturizer. Spoiler: I was mistaken. To ensure you don’t make the same mistake, here’s a straightforward explanation on the benefits of face oils — if they are actually hydrating or not, and how to best use these little gems.
The Benefits of Face Oils
Let’s get straight to it: They are extremely beneficial for the skin. Different oils are used to achieve the desired result, but all of them help retain water, leaving the skin soft and glowy. ‘Choose treatment oils that contain antibacterial, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant ingredients. You’ll have the active transformation, but you won’t be irritating the skin in the process due to the botanicals in the formula. Our philosophy is powered by science, balanced by botanicals. Oil-based products can be the hydrating vehicle that carries a more irritating active ingredient,’ explains Sunday.
Meet the Experts
Sunday Riley , CEO, founder and product formulator
Darya Rzaca is a master esthetician and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Atelier Beauté.
Aneta Zuraw is a master esthetician and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Atelier Beauté.
According to Circana, it was named #1 prestige face oil brand in the UK in 2024. What makes Sunday Riley’s facial oils so special and so coveted? ‘One of the things that makes them so special is that we cold press all of our oils. If we use heat to extract the oils, it kills the nutrients. It’s the same with cooking oil. We pay a lot for high quality olive oil and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. It’s the exact same way with face oils. A lot of the time, people make cosmetic oils; they’re pressed in different regions, and then they come in large drums. They’re shipped by sea, and they get very hot. We make them cold-pressed and fresh, and we make them in very small batches.
I think people have faith in us, that if we make something, it’s going to do what it says it’s going to do. Our ingredients are of the highest possible quality; I always make sure we are using the absolute best suppliers. I knew if I focused on fast-acting formulas, results and clinically proven ingredients, the skin transformation would speak for itself’,” says Sunday. Again, being the #1 prestige face oil brand in UK, according to Circana, ‘means we make a lot of oils! It’s important to us that oil production is sustainable, so we created our Zero Waste Oil Process’, says Sunday. The seeds we use to press our oils can contain as little as 10% of the material needed; the remaining 90% never goes to waste. This byproduct is ground into a seed powder and put into various nutritional supplements and plant protein forms for animal and pet use.
Look also for the supportive botanicals in the treatment oils designed to target your skin goals, like those in Sunday Riley’s suite of oils, including Luna, which has avocado seed and chia seed oils; Juno, which is chock full of vitamin- and antioxidant-rich seed oils from blackberries, blueberries, cranberries and broccoli, to name a few; C.E.O. Glow, with its jojoba oil; and U.F.O., also full of beneficial seed oils, including sunflower and milk thistle.
The Best Face Oil for Every Skin Type
Luna Sleeping night oil and C.E.O. Glow oils work well for both — dry and oily skin types. Retinol ester in Luna reduces the appearance of pores and wrinkles, while fighting the visible signs of premature aging: fine lines, uneven texture, dark spots, dryness, and dullness. Balanced with blue tansy and German chamomile essential oils, both rich in soothing blue azulene, to neutralize surface redness and the signs of sensitivity. ‘When I formulated Luna Sleeping Night Oil, I wanted to reduce the amount of downtime that people were experiencing with other forms of retinol, so I used a very gentle but powerful form of retinol. I then placed it into this rich and nourishing dry touch oil which is full of antioxidants and hydrating botanicals to calm and soothe the skin’, Sunday says.
C.E.O. Glow is a Vitamin C + Turmeric glow-giving face oil that recharges your skin’s radiance. It is infused with advanced Vitamin C and golden turmeric for instant vibrance and antioxidant defense. C.E.O. Glow delivers cold-pressed, nutrient-rich extracts into your skin, leaving your complexion looking brighter and nurtured. It can be used twice a day.
‘Salicylic acid is one of my favorite ingredients for acne. Salicylic is oil-soluble, so it dissolves the oily build-up deep within the pore. It can be very drying as well, but that’s why I like U.F.O. – because it’s salicylic acid but in an emollient base, so it’s not going to strip your skin and you can use it every day,’ says Sunday. ‘You may want to target where you apply oil. For instance, if you’re using U.F.O. for a breakout, you might tap it onto acne-prone areas instead of all over the face.’
‘I absolutely love Juno; I’ll use it on everything. I use it on my hair, my fingernails, I carry it in my purse! If I’m on a plane, that’s what I rub into my skin,’ says Sunday. ‘It’s the only oil that is not a treatment in oil form. Juno gives an instant glow to dry skin by restoring and rehydrating the skin’s natural moisture barrier with a blend of organic, cold-pressed, antioxidant-rich superfood seed oils.’ It was created with 100% pure plant extracts, without synthetic fragrance, essential oils, or preservatives, to nurture even the most sensitive skin.
How to Use Face Oils
Okay, so what step in the skincare process should oils be? And when do you use them? Facial oil can be used in both your morning and nighttime routine and should be used daily, especially in dry conditions.
IN AM:
HOW TO USE
- Cleanse with CERAMIC SLIP.
- After patting your skin dry, mist PINK DRINK onto your face. Massage into your skin and let dry.
- Follow with 1-2 pumps of GOOD GENES to face and neck.
- Next apply 2-3 drops of C.E.O. GLOW to your face and neck, followed by 1-2 pumps of C.E.O. SERUM (or mix them together and apply as a skin cocktail).
- Apply C.E.O. AFTERGLOW to face, neck, and décolleté.
- Pat 1-2 pumps of AUTO CORRECT around the eye area, starting under the eye and continuing to the outer corners (in the crow’s feet area). Then apply under the brow bone, for a lifting effect.
IN PM:
HOW TO USE
- After patting your skin dry, mist PINK DRINK onto your face. Massage into your skin and let dry.
- Follow with 1-2 pumps of GOOD GENES to face and neck.
- Next apply 1-2 pumps of A+ SERUM to your face and neck, followed by 3-4 drops of LUNA (or mix them together and apply as a skin cocktail).
- Using your ring and middle fingers, lightly tap a pearl-sized amount of 5 STARS onto the eye area and massage outwards around the outer crow’s feet, under the eye, and between brow bone and eyebrow.
- Before bed, massage in ICE onto the face, neck, and décolleté to lock in moisture.
If you want to speed up your skincare steps, you can add a few drops of oil into your moisturizer or serum. ‘I love to mix A+ serum with Luna, and C.E.O. Serum and C.E.O. Glow oil. I love this skincare cocktailing! The products don’t lose their effectiveness, and I see that they sink in quicker, saving me some time,’ says Sunday. Otherwise, the best way to apply it is by putting two to three drops on your fingers and then tapping the oil onto your skin with your fingertips. Massaging your skin will also increase blood circulation, which will help the products to absorb better and sink in deeper. You shouldn’t be left with oil surfacing on your skin. ‘I put it on at night, and when I wake up, I don’t have any oil on my face. It just sinks in throughout your sleep. I rub it in and go about a few other things like taking out my contacts, then put my other stuff on top of it,’ says Sunday.
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