Essences, face serums… we’ve covered these! What about face oils? I bet you’re puzzled: what to do with these now? I want to introduce you to my latest facial oil, Dr Botanicals Bio-Vitality Nutrition Oil.

I’ve been using some oils on my body, hair, and face (as a cheap, eco and gentle makeup remover). Oils peep into my skincare regime, even if less frequently compared to essences and serums.

I’ve added this super oil by Dr Botanicals, and it’s such a pleasant tactile experience…

 

Dr Botanicals Bio-Vitality Nutrition Oil facial oil: product & packaging

Dr Botanicals describes this treatment as a ‘luxurious oil’ which goes beyond pure hydration. It aims to protect, nourish and hydrate any skin type to leave a smooth and glowy look. This facial oil comes in a luxurious tiny ampoule which is done to be admired! A 15-ml amber squared bottle with a bamboo cap. Its applicator is a dropper, can you tell? In fact, the golden button at the top of the cap hides a pipette. If you press the button and release it, the dropper will draw some treatment; when you leave the button, you can dose the oil. The external package has the same luxurious feel, it’s made of sturdy brown cardboard with a raw texture.

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Formula & texture 
Dr Botanicals Bio-Vitality Nutrition Oil is mainly composed of oils and botanical extracts, with Vitamin E and moisturising ingredients like shea butter. Some of them are old friends by now, others sound unusual and intriguing. Esters of almond oil, olive oil, hydrogenated castor oil meet starflower seed oil; caffeine and chamomile extracts meet Persian silk tree, elderberry and bearberry extracts. A clear, runny liquid with a viscous texture, this face oil hasn’t that greasy feeling you may expect. It may feel sticky on your hands while applying it, but not on your skin!

Scent
None of the oils can be perceived, it’s not pure almond oil, at the end. What struck me is a pleasant flowery note of elderflower with a fruity hint. It’s a joyous combination for a skincare product.

How to use:
The instruction is very concise: apply on clean, dry skin both in the morning and at night. On this matter, there is a lively debate on whether to use facial oils before or after a moisturiser. It seems like it depends on the type of your face oil and maybe your skin type. Most of the magazines – some with interviews to dermatologists – suggests applying the oil after your moisturiser, allowing your skin to absorb the moisture and nutrients from your cream. Before or after, it depends if your face oil is more or less filming.

3 to 5 drops are enough for both face and neck. At first, I found some hardship on the application, and I tended to rub and dab it. Now, I wait a couple of extra minutes for my brightening toner to get absorbed, and I’m able to pat my oil nicely until full absorption. I started by using it before my daily moisturiser, and the result rivals that of the cream itself…
I also tried the Bio-Vitality Nutrition facial oil after my day and night face creams to test the difference; indeed there is. I can see it needs more time to get absorbed and feels slightly heavier; in the morning, my skin looked a bit shinier than usual. So, I prefer using it before my cream.

 

 PROS:

• it’s gentle to the skin (it doesn’t redden/irritate the skin);
• cruelty-free and vegan-friendly;
• non-comedogenic (it doesn’t clog your pores);
• lightweight;
• it contains natural ingredients;
• leaves the skin instantly smooth to the touch;
• improves radiance and firmness;
• has a light and fresh scent.

 CONS:

• it’s hard to understand which step of your skincare regime is;
• relatively pricey;
• it may feel sticky on your finger/ may feel uncomfortable to apply (first times).

 

The main downside of dr Botanicals Bio-Vitality Nutrition Oil facial oil is the specific position it occupies in your skincare regime. However, even if applied first, this facial oil starts working asap. The picture above has been taken after the application (after constant usage) and without my cream or sunscreen on. My skin feels very light, smooth and supple; well-hydrated. Stickiness? Just on my fingers not on my face, which is remarkable.

Price? A sophisticated scent, a rich formula and a delicate package mean a higher price, compared to more basic options. The regular price for this Dr Botanicals Bio-Vitality Nutrition Oil is £116*, making it one of the most expensive products in my daily skincare. Hopefully, Dr Botanicals – and its sister company, SkinChemists – regularly launches massive sales, also up to 70% off, occasions when I buy most of my items. (I think I have already blabbed about Dr Botanicals’ Coffee Superfood face scrub I’m a fan of, right?)

*You can save 5% on your order with VALENTINA5 as a reader of this website. Just add your coupon code at the checkout.

If you are a sucker for beautiful packages and ultimate skin treats, then this is for you. If you’re just curious, I suggest getting your eyes peeled for the next sale when you can get what you want for a fraction of the price.

Valentina Chirico aka Valens

 

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