Focus on Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil

Here's a "Focus on..." that is a bit of a doozie. The Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. If you're into your skincare/beauty bloggers/youtube gurus then I'm guessing that you've probably heard about this new oil treatment by now. I'm assuming that the PR samples have been doing the rounds hence all of the hype that's being generated at the moment. But, just because people are receiving this item for free doesn't automatically mean that the reviews are bullshit, and the reviews for this product are generally glowing.

Let's start by saying that 1) I have not been sent this item to try (although if someone wants to send it over… hint hint) 2) I have not actually tried this product. Now that's probably a really stupid thing when writing a post about it, but it's frikkin' £85!!! I would love to try it, but at that price, while I have skin care that it working for me, I'm not going to be spending my hard earned dosh just yet. What I can do for you however, is have a look at the ingredients, see what makes this oil so special, and suggest some budget alternatives. As in my last post, when I'm talking dupes I'm not talking about what we typically think of a dupe; something that looks the same, smells the same etc. When I talk dupes I'm talking about a product that has comparative ingredients which should give you a similar results on the skin, even if you are applying the product in a different way (for example, as a serum rather than an oil).

So let's get cracking shall we? What lurks in that blue potion?

Taken from the Sephora website: A next-generation retinoid oil to reduce pore size, improve appearance of damaged skin, and help fight wrinkles. 

The Ingredients:

Persea Gratissima (Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Organic, Cold Pressed Concord Grape) Seed Oil, Rubus Fruticosus (Cold Pressed Blackberry) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Cold Pressed Chia) Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide (and) Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) oil, Anthemis nobilis (English Chamomile) oil, Eriocephalus punctualatus (Cape Chamomile) oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Blood Orange) oil, Cananga Odorata Flower (Ylang Ylang) Oil, Vetivera zizanoides (Vetiver) oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (and) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, CI 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2).

And what do they claim are the key stand outs in these ingredients?

• Trans-retinol Ester: Helps fight the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity. 
• Blue Tansy: Heals damaged skin and contains strong anti-redness properties; helps with eczema and dermatitis.
• German Chamomile: Treats inflamed, irritated skin.
• Avocado Seed Oil: Plumps the look of fine lines and contains anti-redness properties; rich in vitamins B, C, D, E, and A.

The first ingredient on the list is Avocado oil. Avocado oil is a thick, rich oil which is particularly good for adding moisture to dry and dehydrated skin. It is slightly comedogenic, so an ingredient to be slightly weary off if you are prone to breakouts, but generally it's a good oil for giving your skin a healthy plump look. I actually already use avocado oil as a mixture for my oil cleansing and also add a few drops into my moisturiser in the evening for these very reasons. 

Then we have a whole other host of oils including grape seed oil, blackberry seed oil, chia seed oil and chamomile oil. These oils are also pretty nice oils actually. All of these oils are high in fatty acids which are great for the health of the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and healthy, and these oils are anti-inflammotry (especially the chamomile) so obviously good if you do suffer from breakouts.


Now for the blue stuff – Blue Tansy (although notice those two dyes at the bottom of the ingredient list? Hmmmm... seems like the blue stuff needed a little more blue according to Sunday Riley!) According to my research, The health benefits of Tansy Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as an antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-histaminic, antiviral, febrifuge, insecticide, hormone stimulant, sedative, and vermifuge substance. So, you know, pretty full on stuff. You can see why the antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties would be good for those with skin problems.

Now for the last key ingredient, the retinoid. If you know anything about retinoids you know that they are (apart from SPF!) some of the best products for anti-aging properties. The best, and strongest of these are in a form called tretinoin, which is available by prescription only. The problem with these strongest forms of retinoids, apart from the fact that they can be difficult to get your hands on, is that they cause irritation in the skin, usually resulting in peeling. The type of retinoid used in the Luna Oil is Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, which is actually an ester of Retinoic Acid and works similar to Tretinoin but without the irritation. Results of the standard RIPT (Repeat Insult Patch Test) skin irritation test showed no irritation after 21 days of continual use. Results of a two week study showed that a 0.1% concentration of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate applied topically gave a 50% improvement in skin roughness and a 40% improvement in skin surface scaling, an indicator of dryness. No irritation was evident in any of the test subjects.

So really, you can see why the combination of all of these ingredients are good for the skin. Lots of lovely plumping, hydrating oils, its of anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients and a retinoid that is proven to help reduce the effects of ageing, as well as avoiding the usual irritation that goes along with the ingredient. Does it warrant that price tag though? Well, if you have the money and inclination to spend that kind of dollar on your skincare, then this sounds like a pretty nice product. If you're a bit stingy like me, then what products can you use instead, to get the same results?

Well the key points for this oil for me, is the retinoid and the oils. These ingredients are proven to be good for the skin, for reducing the signs of ageing (the retinoid) and for hydrating the skin and giving a plump, hydrated look (various oils).  There's nothing else on the market (that I can find anyway) that combines these products like the Luna Oil does, so what I would suggest you guys do is to use two separate products and layer them. Ok, it's not as sexy as that pretty glass bottle but it means you get the benefits of both the retinoid and the oils, plus you can custom blend your oils to suit your skin needs and get use from the oils both during the day and at night (as you are supposed to only use retinoid products in the evening due to sensitivity towards light).

First step – Retinoids
In the evening, after cleansing and fully drying your face, I would apply a retinoid product. Here's a couple I would recommend:

• Indeed Labs retinol-reface – £19.99 at Boots
Uses the same type of retinoid as the Luna oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.

• Avene TriAcneal – £23.00 at Boots (although I would shop around, Feelunique.com often have 1/3rd of French pharmacy products which is when I pick mine up)
This is actually the product I use. It's 0.1% retinaldehyde which is one of the strongest retinoids you can buy over the counter, plus it contains glycolic acid.

Second step – Oils
After giving the retinoid half an hour (or more but preferably not less, just to give it a chance to do it's job) it's time for my favourite part, the oils. I love a good oil. To me, it just feels to luxurious to apply a facial oil, plus I really see the difference to my skin. I personally recommend buying your own oils and mixing them up as you see fit. Of course if you find a facial oil that you like then by all means go ahead and use that, but when searching for a good facial oil that could rival the Luna Oil I found that I would much rather stick to the oils that I have hand picked myself. It's cheaper, you get more product plus you can tailor it to your skin. I usually buy my oils off Amazon or eBay and have had no problems. Here is a seller I recommend. 

You can obviously search for some of the key oils that are used in the Luna Oil and create your own very similar blend, or you can pick a few various oils that you feel would suite your skin. Here are a few of my top picks:

• Avocado oil – one of the key oils in the Luna Oil, this is the oil I have really taken to as it is so hydrating. I tend to apply a few drops into my moisturise both morning and night (more drops at night) but you could use it on it's own, or mix it with some other oils.

• Passion fruit oil – high in Vitamin A and has antibacterial, anti-itching and anti-inflammatory properties, much like many of the oils feature in the Luna Oil.

• Hemp Seed oil – this oil is used to reduce skin discomfort by soothing and restoring dry or damaged skin. It contains a lot of vitamins and is another of my favourite oils.

• Meadowfoam oil – is a very good oil to help prevent moisture loss and contains a lot of fatty acids.

There are a wealth of oils out there so try and few and see what works for you. You can mix oil into your regular moisturiser, use in place of a moisturiser or use before or after.

So there you go. A wealth of information that hopefully helps your pocket as well as your face!

Have you tried the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil? What do you think? Would you rather spend your money on separate products and shoes or would you rather splurge on one step skincare? Let me know!