Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Anti Aging Night Face Oil

I took these pictures 12hrs apart (just iPhone camera, no filter) after using Luna overnight for the first time. It might not look like a huge improvement, but oh my gosh, to me it was like day & night. I continue to be impressed looking in the mirror each morning, seeing gradual-yet-noticable improvement in my finicky combination skin. She’s got a couple flaws (don’t we all), but overall, Luna’s efficacy & heavy-lifting is worth five stars. I haven’t broken out this badly since starting treatment for PCOS years ago, but I should clarify that it’s not Luna’s fault. The acne visible in the pics popped up during my first month on 1% retinol. Although breakouts always suck, I was prepared for it knowing this (“purging”) is normal when starting a retinol product, and it’s temporary. I started using Luna at the tail-end of the breakout, and have found her to be very helpful for rapidly calming & fading the remaining acne scarring, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation, as well as boosting the effects of stronger retinoids. ⚠️ Combining retinoids is not recommended unless your skin is acclimated to retinol, or you’ve asked a derm. I mix about 3 drops of this oil into a pea-sized blob of 1% retinol cream/serum (I cycle through a couple of comparable versions available at Sephora) and spend about 1–2min rubbing it into my face until the teal color is mostly gone. After allowing it to absorb for about five minutes, I follow with my nighttime moisturizer (while Luna shouldn’t cause dryness, it isn’t hydrating enough on its own to replace cream. It can instead be used before, after, or combined with cream). Even though Luna is not as strong as other OTC retinoids, sunscreen is still necessary during the day. It could use a little improvement, though: 1. Blue tansy is not naturally as dark & bright as this oil is. Two artificial colors are noted in the ingredients list: Ci 61565 (Green 6), Ci 60725 (Violet 2). Although Sunday Riley states that the oil “goes from blue to clear when massaged into the skin,” it definitely leaves my ultra-pale skin with a teal sheen. Thankfully it’s only for nighttime use, and it doesn’t appear to transfer onto my pillowcase. But, it still seems really unnecessary to add colorant to a skincare product already colored by blue tansy & chamomile. 2. I assume that fragrance was added (via several highly-scented essential oils that don’t benefit the skin) in attempt to cancel out the naturally-herby scent of the working ingredients. The effect is a moderately unpleasant clash of what I can only describe as “Medicinal Seed Oils and Talcum Powder.” I have a pretty sensitive nose (some fragrances can trigger migraines), but Luna’s smell dissipates pretty quickly after putting it on, so it’s not a big deal. Again, though, it seems so unnecessary to add fragrance to a naturally-fragrant product. 3. There’s also a lack of clarity about how much retinol Luna actually contains. Apart from those things, though, they also get a lot of things very right: - I personally prefer a more substantial-feeling facial oil vs the ultra-light feel of Luna. But that’s a me-problem. All of the oils in Luna fall at or below a 3/5 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it’s unlikely to cause or worsen acne (compared to thicker oils like Marula or Coconut, which are both 4/5). - The middle 1oz bottle should last awhile, considering 2-5 drops is more than enough to cover a whole face. If you’re not planning on using it every night, it’s best to get the smallest bottle since it has a shelf life of about 8 months (after opening). - The retinoid content is low enough to be very gentle. As with any retinol, use it once and wait a few days to make sure your skin doesn’t react poorly. If it’s fine, work your way up to every other night over a few weeks. If you don’t have any negative reactions, it can be used nightly. It’s unlikely Luna will cause a retinol purge (sensitivity or breakout), but keep an eye out nonetheless. - Blue tansy is highly lauded for it’s acne-fighting abilities, and hard to find in products, making Luna nearly unique in this area. There isn’t really anything else to compare Luna to when it comes to blue tansy + retinol oil (basically a skincare dream combo). Remember that not every skincare product will work the same with every skin, but on paper, Luna *should* make a great addition to almost anyone’s routine.