Essential oils have been used for years in the cosmetics industry but the “buzz” term is seldom fully understood. They are not strictly oils, but share the trait of oils in their poor solubility in water.
They are extracted using standard fragrance extraction techniques, including steam distillation. What this means is the physical properties of oils are separated based on their volatilities. I give you this information at the risk of sounding like an organic chemistry lesson because the Huile Absolue has a very heavy concentration of essential oils: you can feel the density of the oil as you apply it on your face, and you can smell the delicious combination of rosehip, sandalwood and geranium essential oils.
Rosa Canina (Dog Rose) which is distilled rosa canina plant, also known as the musk rose, is used for medicinal purposes, but in the case of cosmetics, is typically used as a fragrance. Did we find anything musky about this serum? Not really. It seems to be used as more of a balancing oil than anything else. The box claims that there the dog rose is rich in fatty acids and stimulates the healing process and boosts collagen production, but we are not 100% sure of these claims. But yes, there is a distinct smell of musky rose when you open the bottle and that is FABULOUS.
Sandalwood is typically used as a pleasant woody fragrant oil.There really is no other medicinal benefit to sandalwood apart from its cooling effect (as a kid in India, I used to grind sandalwood into a paste to apply to my skin to cool it down).
The Huile Absolue is a great primer for makeup, and also can be used as a cuticle oil for your nails. The entire blend has eleven essential oils, which can be a little much for someone with oily skin, but not as heavy for combination skins like mine. If you have dry skin, then these oils will soothe you in the winter time.
I used this serum for two weeks and the my face redness visibly diminished. If you like heavy, concentrated oil blends, it is indeed a veritable garden.
PS: We love the origami-style packaging that unfolds like a rose.
The oil retails for $70 here.
– Charu Suri
If you like this post, give it a LIKE and share it with your friends on Facebook
