Phew!
That’s my skin breathing a sigh of relief.
Winter’s almost over and my face survived it unscathed. After last year, it wasn’t a done deal. My first winter in London was HORRIBLE for my skin. A couple of weeks in, I had already started to resemble a crocodile!
This year, I was better prepared. When the temperatures started dropping to inhuman levels (that’s anything under 15 degrees Celsius for me) and those harsh winds started blowing, they found me armed with a facial oil.
Facial oils are awesome. They’re so moisturizing and make even the driest skin soft and supple. Take that winter!
But, they can be dangerous. They won’t kill you obvs, but they can give you pimples. Not as bad, but I guess that’s something you want to avoid, too?
That’s why I opted for a dry facial oil. Caudalie Divine Oil, to be precise.
What’s In Caudalie Divine Oil?
GRAPE SEED OIL TO MOISTURISE SKIN
This is the main ingredient. It’d better be because we all know Caudalie is famous for using all kinds of grape-derived extracts in its lotions and potions.
It does a couple of things for your skin:
- It’s very moisturizing: It seals moisture in, leaving your skin softer and suppler.
- It prevents wrinkles: It’s full of antioxidants, including resveratrol and vitamin E, that kick those nasty free radicals away.
The best part? Grape seed oil is lighter than most oils out there so you don’t have to worry about it giving you pimples. Unless your skin is very oily. Then, I guess it could happen.
SESAME OIL TO MOISTURISE SKIN, TOO
Sesame oil is derived from sesame seeds.
“Really, Gio?,” I can hear you ask. “Tell me something I DON’T know.”
Fine. This oil contains almost equal amounts of oleic and linoleic acids, so it’s very moisturizing. Like all oils, it works by creating a protective barrier on the skin that keeps moisture where it needs to be. In your skin.
Plus, it’s rich in vitamin E, too, so it can help prevent wrinkles to boot.
Related: What Vitamin E Can (And Can’t) Do For Your Skin
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Texture
Oily, but not too greasy.
Fragrance
Think a warm, sensual floral with a hint of musk. It hangs around for quite a while, too, making your body and hair smell amazing.
How To Use It
Caudalie Divine Oil is a multitasker that can be used in many different ways:
- Bath treat: Pour a few drops in your bathtub to make your skin smell amazing
- Body moisturiser: Apply it after a shower, focusing more on drier areas.
- Face moisturiser: It’s the last step of your skincare routine at night.
- Hair conditioner: Apply it to the lengths and tips of your hair.
- Hair mask: Spray it generously on your hair, wait 10 minutes, and then shampoo as normal.
- Nail moisturiser: Massage a few drops on your nails.
Performance & Personal Opinion
The other reason why I love facial oils? They’re super versatile.
Caudalie Divine Oil can be used everywhere. Face, body, hair… you name it, it goes there. Ok, I wouldn’t put it on my lips but you get the point.
I love love love using it on my body. My super dry skin laps it up immediately. It sinks in straight away and leaves NO greasy residue behind. There’s something else it leaves behind, though. Super soft skin. For the whole day.
On my combo face, it performs a little differently. On the oilier areas, it takes a while to absorb but still does a great job of moisturizing skin. Unless your skin is uber oily, I honestly don’t think this’ll give you pimples.
You know who may have a problem with this? Sensitive skin. This stuff is packed with fragrance. That’s not exactly skin-friendly. It can easily cause irritations. Even in the deepest layers of the skin where you can’t see it.
Talking about hair, mine is oily so I use only the tiniest amount on my ends. This works like a charm. My hair suddenly is much easier to comb, doesn’t break as easily and looks very shiny, too.
But if I go overboard and apply a drop too many? Then I’m left with an oily and greasy mess where my hair used to be.
Overall, a pretty decent oil. I only wish Caudalie did the oils do the smelling (seriously, there’s no need to use this much fragrance in an oil!).
Related: Is Fragrance In Skincare As Bad As Paula Begoun Says?
Who Is This For?
Dry skin.
Who Is This NOT For?
- Acne-prone skin
- Oily skin
- Sensitive skin
Packaging
A tall, see-through bottle with a spray applicator. Sleek and practical.
Does Caudalie Divine Oil Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Divine Oil is a dry oil that moisturises, nourishes and enhances your skin thanks to its unique formula. | I wouldn’t call the formula unique, but it does all that. |
| It envelops the skin with a subtle, floral and sun-kissed fragrance, with woody notes. | True. But fragrance can be irritating for sensitive skin. |
Price & Availability
50ml, $32.00/£18.00; 100ml, $49.00/£28.00 at Asos, Blue Mercury, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Nordstrom, Sephora, and SpaceNK
Do You Need It?
If you’re looking for a multi-tasking oil you can use from head to foot, this is a good option to consider.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Balance Me Radiance Face Oil (£30.00)
- Maelove Love 31 ($74.95)
Ingredients
Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Sesame Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Isoamyl Cocoate, Coco-Caprylate, Parfum (Fragrance), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Butylphenyl Methylpropanediol, Limonene, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol.
I like the brand Caudalie! Their ingredients list for their products seem quite fresh. They´re also not extremely expensive like some pharmacy brands (I can only buy them here OTC in the pharmacy).
Speaking of hair, would to see another hair article! I´m obsessing about hairbrushes now. Hehehe, already read your hairbrush article from years back.
Barbara, I like their products, too. And they’ve just released a new line that has more antioxidants than just resveratrol. Yay! I’ll feature it on the blog soon.
Is there anything in particular you’d like to know about hair?
So hair… I guess I´m trying to go more the “natural” route. Something without SLS and is it worth it. Also if hairbrushes matter. I ended up getting a wooden comb for after the shower because my hair tends to tangle. And also a boar hair bristle brush for normal brushing. I actually like it! I bougth both from a local comb and brush maker in Spain so that makes me feel good too! 🙂
Yes, brushes matter. 🙂 I’ve already written about it, as you know. 🙂 Is there anything else I haven’t covered in there that you’re curious about?
Ah, SLS-free skincare. I’m trying to go down that route, too, but my oily mane and the London pollution aren’t making the job easy. As soon as I find something good, I’ll let you know. I feel like, if it works here for my hair, it’ll work for everyone. 🙂
I’d love to read a post about hair as well. Personally, I feel like my hair is combination – oily at the roots and dry at the ends. I have started using a leave-in dry oil on the ends only and that has helped. I’m not big on washing my hair everyday so I use dry shampoo a lot too. I recently just started washing with conditioner first, then shampoo, the conditioner again as I read somewhere that was better for your hair. But I’m just guessing here for the most part. Any alternative thoughts on how to manage the mess on top of my head would be great!
April, I had never heard that about conditioner first, then shampoo, then conditioner again. Usually, what I do is a pre-shampoo treatment with olive oil. I apply it on the lengths of my hair, wrap it well, go to bed and wash it all off in the morning. It prevents your shampoo from stripping too much oil from your hair. But don’t apply it on the roots if they’re oily. Hope this helps.