Garden of Wisdom Oil Sample Pack for Sensitive Skin, $9.25 for your choice of 3 oils from a selection of various oils. I chose Rice Bran Oil, Meadowfoam Oil, and Kukui Nut Oil. The sample sizes range from .25-.5 oz. Available at Garden of Wisdom. The site also has sample pack options for dry, dehydrated, eczema prone, oily, mature, etc. skin types. 

The site lists a description for each type of oil, as well as recommended concentrations and uses. Some oils cannot be used on the skin at 100% concentration, and need to be diluted with another oil so please read the descriptions. If you are at all curious about using oils, this is a really great way to test out several without spending a bunch! 

And so goes my continued journey into the world of oils!!! I chose to go with the Sensitive Skin Sample Pack, as I am very prone to clogs and irritation. I actually ordered 2 Sample Packs, and will review the other one later :-)

First up, I tried Rice Bran Oil. The description from GOW (Garden of Wisdom) says:

Rice bran oil is conditioning for dry skin, and softens roughness without leaving a greasy or oily residue behind. This oil helps to heal and repair damaged skin, while nutrition from fatty acids help to keep skin healthy.

My skin looked AMAZING with this oil!!! Seriously...it looked better than the results I had with Sunday Riley's Juno Transformative Lipid Serum (here). I know it sounds crazy but I would wake up in the morning and think, WOW - my face looks so bright and glowy...just WOW!!! My skin had such a clarity and brightness to it that I couldn't believe it. The only slightly negative is that it did not provide enough moisture (even when applied on damp skin) to my dry areas. But this is easily enough resolved by layering regular moisturizer on those stubborn dry spots. My Husband tried this oil, and loved it so much he switched from Argan! He immediately liked how well it absorbed and how much lighter weight it is than Argan. 

Next, I tried Meadowfoam Oil. The description from GOW says:

Meadowfoam oil is excellent for dry and dehydrated skin, as it is one of the best oils to help prevent moisture loss in the skin. It conditions and nourishes skin, leaving it healthy and smooth. Used on hair or in hair products it adds shine and nourishment.

My skin didn't look nearly as amazing with Meadowfoam as with the Rice Bran Oil. In fact it didn't look amazing at all...it looked just looked like normal skin. LOL!! That sounds crazy to say - oh, my skin just looks like skin!! But in this day and age of skincare technology, I think we are used to expecting more results. But the great thing about this oil is my dry areas definitely felt more moisturized!!! 

So my skin didn't look like the Heavens were shining a spotlight from above, but it was nice to finally find an oil that was close to what I've been searching for in terms of hydration. It's still not 100%, but given my crazy skin I have come to that there is no singular product that will work for every zone (dry, oily, etc) on my face!! And for the most part this does not clog my pores, except for one stubborn, tiny spot on my nose. It's not hugely noticeable, but still slightly buggy. So weird that it's only the one spot!! 

Last was Kukui Nut Oil. The description from GOW says:

Kukui nut oil is one of the lightest oils for use on the facial area, making it perfect for summer and during humid weather. Kukui nut oil is quickly absorbed into the skin, and is a great penetrator. It helps nourish the skin with healthy essential fatty acids, including linoleic and oleic acid. Kukui nut oil does not dry out skin and does not leave an oily residue behind.

Kukui Nut Oil has been fantastic in helping my skin heal from existing spots, and I am very happy to report that I'm almost 100% spot free!!! Mainly I'm working on fading the pigmentation that's left, but much of that is well on its way out. This isn't completely due to the Kukui Nut Oil, but whatever natural magic is in this stuff has really helped keep my pores clog free, heal the blemishes and really help fade existing marks. This is somewhat moisturizing, but not as moisturizing as the Meadowfoam. My skin also looks brighter than it does with Meadowfoam, but not as bright and clear as with Rice Bran Oil.

None of the oils felt heavy or greasy, and sink in pretty quickly. Rice Bran Oil felt the silkiest and smoothest. It also sunk in the quickest. Meadowfoam Oil was the least smooth feeling of the 3, but in a strange way felt the closest to a traditional moisturizer (well as close as an oil can feel to a cream based moisturizer!!). Kukui Nut Oil felt almost as silky and weightless as Rice Bran Oil. I do make sure to apply any of these oils over damp skin. Oh, and I forgot to mention that all 3 of these oils actually make my slightly oily chin and nose even less oily!!

Where does that leave me today with these oils? I've repurchased all three in the bigger bottles.  My Husband uses the Rice Bran Oil. On my skin, the best solution so far has been to mix Kukui Nut and Meadowfoam oil - 2/3 Kukui and 1/3 Meadowfoam. This mixture (topped with moisturizer on my super dry areas) has been my DIY luxury oil!! Kukui Nut Oil helps with blemishes, and Meadowfoam adds just enough moisture to be almost perfect. I have not been this happy with my skin in...well...I cannot even remember how long!!! 

When I feel my pigmentation issues from the spots are pretty much gone, then I'll experiment on a mixture which includes the Rice Bran Oil. You didn't think I'd forget about that clarity and brightness, did you?!!! I haven't added Rice Bran Oil yet because I feel the Kukui Nut Oil helps the most with the issues associated with blemishes/spots/pimples/what-have-you. 

Not everyone is keen on the idea of using oils, but I do believe they can do wonders for your skin. The key is finding the right oil for your skin type!!! It might take 1 try, or it might take 100...either way, when you find The One it can be love :-)

Have you found your Holy Grail face oil yet? What have been your experiences?