Review: 100% Pure's Organic Argan Oil

During my quest to continue using more "natural" skincare products, 100% Pure's Organic Argan Oil caught my eye for its one item ingredient list: Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (can't get any more pure than that!)  The idea of using an oil to moisturize seemed weird at first, but my dry skin was in such need of hydration after overdosing on acne products I decided to go for it.  Adding plant fatty acids to my skin to bolster my moisture barrier also seemed like a good habit to pick up.  The directions indicated I could use argan oil for skin and nails, too, so I figured I could use it for body care instead of my face if I disliked it.

The version I bought came in a semi-opaque glass tube with pump that felt elegant.  The current one still has a hygienic pump but the body is plastic and opaque, making it difficult to guess how much argan oil is left.  I found the pump sturdy but hard to control so the oil spurted out quickly unless I was very careful.

  

The pale yellow oil had a light odor that resembled.... plant, I guess?  It was pretty unique but non-offensive.  Application around my face was easy and a little went a long way.  Immediately afterwards my face had a greasy sheen that was a few steps past naturally dewy.  Definitely not a face I wanted to show in public!  It took a few hours before it really absorbed away to a slightly more matte appearance.

I tried the argan oil in several ways and found performance varied depending on what other products I had on my face before and after.  I used the argan oil as the following:

1. Primer before make-up - made my BB cream apply more smoothly but also mixed with it to reduce coverage and appear pretty dewy (had to use powder which I usually skip); gave my foundation a very oily look by mid-day :(

2. Daytime moisturizer - very hydrating and left my skin soft and shiny for over half a day; had to reapply in certain drier areas by late afternoon

3. Last step in nighttime routine - reacted poorly with the lotion I applied beforehand by rolling up into flakes; same result even with different serums/treatments :(

Basically the argan oil was good at hydrating skin but did not play well with others.  Given the various layers of toners, serums, etc I use at night I felt like I was wasting product because the argan oil would mix with them in strange little clumps and slough away.  (At first I actually thought my dead skin was exfoliating off in an epic way haha...)  When I skipped those and used only the argan oil my face was dry again by morning so it wasn't enough to use it alone.

I now apply the argan oil after cleansing and toning during the day but avoid using it after serum, lotions or acne treatments at night because they just don't mix well and I'm too lazy to wait until one layer is completely absorbed before trying the next.  I'm sure there's a systematic way of figuring out the most compatible products, order of application, amount of wait time for absorption, etc. that'll make the argan oil a little more amenable to sharing my facial real estate, but I don't have the patience to solve that puzzle.

Now since I wear BB cream every day and adding argan oil leaves me looking too greasy, one might wonder why I would and where I fit argan oil into my daily routine.  However, it works out well because the first thing I do once I get home from work is to double cleanse my face of its make-up.  If I had great-looking skin I'd chuck out my BB cream immediately because no matter how lightweight it sits I can't wait to clean it all off every day.  There's absolutely no way I'll try to save time by waiting until the end of the day to remove my make-up and then do my nighttime skincare routine in one go. This way I can use argan oil as a moisturizer in the late afternoon/early evening after my make-up is removed but before I go through my complete nighttime skincare routine.  If I'm just at home I don't care that I have a super shiny face! =P

Summary

• Packaging:     4/5 (hygienic; semi-opaque; hard-to-control pump)
• Smell:             4/5 (slight natural plant odor)
• Performance: 3.5/5 (hydrating; very dewy; doesn't mix well with others)
• Value/Price:   3/5 (don't remember exact $ but I've bought cheaper)
• Recommend? Yes (for simple skincare routines, dry skin)
• Repurchase?  Maybe (this brand is $$ but smells better than other argan oils)