Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil ($105.00 at Sephora.com) is one of the more popular and raved about skincare oils available today. Written on the front of the bottle is the claim that Luna is the “Next generation retinoid oil that reduces pore size, improves the appearance of damaged skin and helps fight wrinkles.” It sounds really good to me and since I’m already a fan of Sunday Riley’s products, having used some of her skincare and makeup, I wanted to give it a try. I am always eager to delve into skincare products that have interesting ingredients or interesting mixtures of their ingredients. Luna isn’t just any skincare oil that is used for conditioning and hydrating the skin. And it is not just an addition to your skincare regime either. The fact is, the ingredients and the combination of the ingredient make it very different. It is so potent that it acts as a serum.
I do not think of Luna as a skincare oil with retinol in it. The first word on the front of the bottle, Retinol (in blue at the top) tells me that Luna could be thought of as a retinol product that is in an oil base . Why would retinol be put in an an oil base? The answer is that retinol is unstable, and when it is unstable it is less potent; it can damage the skin; and it can cause skin irritation. Retinol also breaks down when exposed to Oxygen. A water-based product has Oxygen in it because Oxygen is one part of the molecules that makes-up water (H2O), along with Hydrogen. There is no Oxygen in oil. Why? Because there is no water in oil.
Trans Retinol Ester is the form of retinol used in Luna. Trans Retinol Ester is a fatty form of retinol. It can travel down to deeper layers of the skin, layers that regular retinal can not reach. Because it is higher in fat than regular retinol it is less irritating to the skin. The skin is able to absorb the Trans Retinol Ester more effectively because it recognizes the fat content in the retinol, and absorbs it, and delivers it to the lower layers of the skin, more specifically to these lower areas that need to be strengthened. This form of retinol is supposed to correct skin damage caused by sun, time and environmental stressors, such as pollution. Luna is what I call retinol-rich. It works to reduce the signs of aging while you sleep.
Luna oil is a gorgeous deep blue color. When you put it on your skin, after rubbing it in, the blue color disappears. This color comes from the next ingredient listed on top of the bottle, Blue Tansy. If you have ever heard of this essential oil, all I can say is WOW, good for you because this oil is rare and complex. It is compared to a fine wine because of it’s fresh, enticing and sweet aroma. It contains Chamazulene, which gives it it’s deep blue color. This ingredient works wonders on burned, irritated, inflamed, or damaged skin. Tansy Oil is rich in antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties. Another plus,the oil, if softly inhaled, can help soothe anxiety and nervous tension.
The three main organic oils in Luna are avocado oil, grape seed oil and chia oil. These oils are at their best because they are cold pressed. We know that when we buy oil to use for cooking, or eating , it is much healthier to get the oils that are cold-pressed. That is how all of the nutrients stay in these oils. The nutrients don’t break down because of the extreme cold temperature that is used during the pressing process that extracts the oils. These three main oils are combined to promote the skin’s strength, resilience, and radiance.
Luna is an oil based treatment product. The active ingredients are extremely potent. Don’t for a minute think of this as a conditioning and hydrating product for your skin. Treat it like your serum. I recommend putting a moisturizer over it. To use, I massage a few drops of the blue elixir between my fingertips to warm it. I press it on and massage it onto clean, dry skin before going to sleep. It is meant to replenish the skin at night. It is supposed to intensely hydrate the skin, stimulate sluggish cells to encourage them to repair and renew, and perform the process of synthesizing collagen to increase the elasticity of the skin. It’s like giving yourself a facial overnight. Overnight your skin will become firmer, plumper, and your pore size will diminish. With continued use your skin will improve over time. This is a product that has been raved about. Let us know if you rave about it too.
It is Fragrance Free- however you do smell the essential oils natural citrus-like fragrance
It is Cruelty Free
It is Paraban Free
