Review: Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum
Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum, $125/1oz @ Sundayriley.com, Sephora, Barneys, Dermstore.com, Nordstrom, Beauty.com (there is also a Juno oil available specifically for the body)
I was really excited to try this oil serum for a couple of reasons:
1. C'mon....it's Sunday Riley!! Amazing ingredients, super effective products and a wonderful point of view.
2. So many face oils (in all price ranges) tend to have many similar ingredients, almost making me wonder what really is the difference between them? But Juno has a far from average ingredient list, and contains so many ingredients you don't find in other products - Black Cumin Seed Oil, Broccoli Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, etc. All together in one product made me think that this one was completely different.
I decanted Juno into a small 1/2 oz dropper bottle (available on Amazon, Container Store, and sites such as Gardenofwisdom.com) because I found the oil would drain too much from the pump and get all over the dispenser. Note: the instructions say to apply 1-3 pumps...do not do this!!! I did two pumps very quickly, since that's what the instructions said and before I knew it I had a palm full of oil!!! It was way too much for my face and I ended up just wiping (and wasting) most of it on a Kleenex.
If you don't decant into a smaller dropper bottle, at least make sure you pump the product slowly until you find the amount of oil your skin likes. Plus if you do use a full 1-3 pumps per use, it won't last long. As a note, you might check your bottle...I purchased this one from Sephora and it didn't come with a cap (neither does my backup), but I've noticed other sites and videos show it with a black and gold cap. Maybe that bottle has a different, more manageable dispenser?
First I spritzed with Avene Thermal Water to make my skin damp, and to trap maximum moisture. I rubbed 6-8 drops between my hands for a few seconds to slightly warm it up, then pat into my face and neck. Most of Juno absorbed right away, and all of it is absorbed within a couple of minutes. First thought was that Juno is very lightweight - no heavy or occlusive feeling.
The most surprising was that Juno felt soothing. Soothing! Every once in awhile I get too aggressive with a microfiber cloth when exfoliating, and Juno immediately calmed my skin. It made my oily areas balanced, and I sometimes didn't need to blot the entire day. For the rest of my face though, this did act as its namesake 'Serum' and I needed an additional moisturizer on top.
Active acne spots started drying up and healing more quickly, and the red marks left afterward seemed less severe. A few consistently clogged pores went away after a couple of weeks - hooray!! My skin looked brighter and healthier overall.
I used about 3/4 of the bottle. The rest I wanted to experiment with and added it to my CeraVe Cream that I use as body lotion - LOVE that combination!! And the main thing...I found no irritation or breakouts with this oil.
This is a really fantastic product and I'm very happy to have tried it!! If you a lover of oil blends and luxury oils in general, this is one you really should put on your Wish List :-)
I have been experimenting with singular oils lately (rice bran, meadowfoam, kukui nut), and have either had similar to or better results than Juno...for far less cost. Leads me to believe that for my particular skin, Juno is a nice-to-have rather than a must-have. I've
a backup Juno bottle that sits untouched. Think I am going to do a little experimenting, and will combine Juno with some of the oils that I've been testing. I want to see if I can improve upon the results I've already seen with the singular oils. Personalized luxury oil...I think so!!! If you have any experience mixing oils, I'd love to hear about it :-)
Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum ingredients:
Acai seed oil, Argan oil, Black Cumin seed oil, Blackberry seed oil, Blueberry seed oil, Broccoli seed oil, Carrot seed oil, Chardonnay Grape seed oil, Cranberry seed oil, Marula oil, Meadowfoam seed oil, Pomegranate seed oil, Red Raspberry seed oil
From the Sunday Riley site
...here's a list of what each ingredient is for:
- Argan (rich in Omega 6 and Omega 9, carotenes, squalene, and phenols; possesses a remarkable ability to nourish, moisturize and improve skin elasticity.)
- Black Cumin seed (prized since ancient times, calms acne and eczema, helps with auto-immune issues)
- Blackberry seed (great for damaged, blemished, or mature skin; high in Vitamin C, several types of Vitamin E, and lutein)
- Blueberry seed (very light, quickly absorbed, beautiful aroma; high in Omega-3 fatty acids, significant free radical fighter, helps heal eczema & psoriasis)
- Broccoli seed (contains 50% Erucic Acid (an Omega 9 oil): imparts luster similar to silicone and high in Retinol (Vitamin A))
- Carrot seed (natural UV fighter; stimulates circulation, improves tone and elasticity; nourishes, tightens, and rejuvenates skin)
- Chardonnay Grape seed (very light carrier oil, bursting with antioxidants; soaks in quickly)
- Cranberry seed (broad spectrum UV protection, unique 1-1-1 balance of Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9, high in retinol, great lipid barrier protection)
- Marula (highly nutritious oil from Africa; absorbs quickly, heals skin tissue, reduces redness, reduces transepidermal water loss, increases the smoothness of skin)
- Meadowfoam seed (penetrates the skin better than almost any other oil; absorbs quickly and leaves skin velvety soft)
- Pomegranate seed (contains anti-cancer Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA); improves elasticity)
- Red Raspberry seed (Cox-2 inhibitor, powerful free radical scavenger, high in retinol and Essential Fatty Acids; natural UV shield)