Joanna Naturals ~ Facial Oils Review

 

Joanna Naturals are a British Indie Artisan Natural Skincare brand, whose products all contain natural plant-based ingredients. All products are Vegan.

 

Joanna Naturals offer ten different facial oils - each one formulated to address particular skin issues and concerns.

 

I first became aware of the brand when I received a bottle of Joanna Naturals So Calm Facial Oil in a Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box last year. I remember thinking back at that time that this was exactly the oil I would have chosen for myself. 'So Calm' is particularly suited to Rosacea prone skin; environmentally stressed skin; skin prone to redness and sensitivity and also dry, mature and damaged skin.

 

Although I don't have Rosacea, I do suffer from redness and my skin can be very reactive and sensitive, particularly around the changes in the seasons. So it was perfect timing that I got to first try out 'So Calm' in November, just at the time when my skin was struggling with adapting to cold, harsh winds outside and the intense dryness that comes when the central heating is turned on inside the home!

 

 

Joanna Naturals ~ So Calm Facial Oil

£16.00 for 10ml/ £38.00 for 30ml

 

Ingredients

 Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil infused with Stellaria Media & Urtica Dioica, *Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, *Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, *Symphytum Officinale Leaf (Comfrey) Nigella Sativa (Black Seed) Oil, *Cannabis Sativa (hemp) Seed Oil, *Prunica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, Tocopherol, *Oenothera Biennis Seed (Evening Primrose) Extract, *Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit (Sea Buckthorn) Extract, *Ribes Nigrum Seed (Arctic Blackcurrant) Extract, Alpha Bisabolol, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Golden) Oil, *Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, *Chamomilia Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower, Lavendula officinalis, Pelargonium Graveolens. Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Citral.*organic

This oil is a powerhouse of botanical super oils. Let's take a look at a few of these ingredients and see what they bring to the party.

Rice Bran Oil ~ This is one of my favourite skincare oils. High in Vitamin E, Vitamin B and Omega-9, Rice Bran Oil promotes hydration, may help with pigmentation, evens out skin tone, contributes to the diminished appearance of fine lines and soothes itchiness and sore skin. I was interested to see that it's infused with Stellaria Media (Chickweed), which has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antifungal properties. This infusion will soothe and calm stressed and irritated skin. Urtica Dioica is the good old stinging nettle, and whilst this may not sound like an ingredient that might be found in skincare, it's actually got lots of beneficial properties. Dried nettle is great for acne prone skin as it's an anti-inflammatory and an astringent.

Rosehip Oil~ Jam-packed with vitamins A, C, D and E, Rosehip Oil also contains oleic and linoleic acid. These fatty acids are well known for their moisturising and anti-aging properties, fatty acids boost skin hydration and restore elasticity to battle fine lines and wrinkles.

* Sea Buckthorn Extract ~ I always do a little happy dance when I spot Sea Buckthorn in an ingredients list. Another oil which is packed with fatty acids and is a fantastic natural source of vitamin C. It has that beautiful deep orange colour, which I can't help linking to a more nourishing oil (even though that's probably erroneous!).

Thoughts:

 You can see from the photo above just how beautiful this oil is, with it's rich, intense amber colouring. And this is a rich and intense oil. It takes a little longer to absorb, so I do choose this oil for night time use. I like to let it feed my skin overnight.

I do have quite a huge collection of facial oils - and it's a much loved collection. Despite many of the oils sharing the same ingredients, it's interesting to note how they are all so different from each other. It's never just a case of 'Pick an oil - any oil' - I've come to understand which particular facial oil will hit just the right spot on any occasion.

I find myself mostly reaching for the 'So Calm' oil if my skin is feeling particularly delicate or reactive. For example, this is the perfect oil to use after micro-needling when my face is feeling a bit hot, bothered and sore. Plus I know that it's also the ideal oil to use after a micro-needling session as my skin is more receptive to it's nourishing properties. By the morning, when the oil has worked it's magic overnight, my skin is no longer feeling the ravages of an aggressive treatment and is soothed, soft and well hydrated.

 

 Unsurprisingly, Joanna Naturals were recently Commended for the So Calm Facial Oil in the Beauty Shortlist 2019 Awards.

 

Joanna Naturals ~ Intense Facial Oil

£16.00 for 10ml/ £38.00 for 30ml

 

* This product was gifted to me by the brand.

 

 Ingredients

 *Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, *Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Red Raspberry) Seed Oil, *Simmondsia Chinensis​ (Jojoba Golden) Oil, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Seed oil, Olive Squalane, Nigella Sativa (Black Seed) Oil, Tocopherol, *Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, *Oenothera Biennis Seed (Evening Primrose) CO2 Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cylindrotheca Fusiformis (Marine Algae) Extract, *Calendula Officinalis Flower CO2 Extract, Alpha Bisabolol, *Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf CO2 Extract, Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) Seed Oil, Ubiquinone (Co-Enzyme Q10) Tocopheryl Acetate, Lavendula Officinalis, Boswellia Carterii,​ Citrus Aurantium, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Farnesol.*organic

 

 

Thoughts:

After sharing my first impressions of the 'So Calm oil, Joanna contacted me as she thought that I might prefer her 'Intense Facial Oil' and very kindly sent me some to try out.

And she was right! If I thought that the 'So Calm' oil was rather fabulous, I was even more impressed by the 'Intense' oil!

It has the same deep and intense amber colouring as the 'So Calm' oil but this one is slightly less heavy on first application.
I like to use the 'Intense' oil in my evening routine. With the beautiful and relaxing scent of Frankincense, Lavender and Neroli, using this oil rates very highly on the 'Joy Scale'!
I choose this oil for when my skin is behaving well as it maintains and prolongs that happy skin equilibrium.
The Intense Facial Oil absorbs quickly without leaving any residue but is still rich enough to nourish my skin overnight and I always wake up with soft and plump skin. I may not always have had the best night's sleep - but my skin at least looks refreshed, healthy and well rested!