Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Face Oil

I started collecting some new products from the Josie Maran line of face and color products with my last big Sephora trip and have already spent some time playing around with her unique blush formula.  I have started to use her skincare products over the past few days and am starting to understand and see the benefits of her unique argan oil formulations.  I purchased the face wash, face oil, and an argan oil foundation.  I haven't used the foundation yet and just started with the face oil but I have been using the face wash for the past few nights so I am going to start with that product for today.

I haven't used a cleansing oil for a quite a long time, there was a formula from Nude that I loved several winters ago and I wanted to try a face oil for the beginning of the cold weather months.  Most of last winter, I used a creamy formula from Clinique that I really enjoyed but I wanted to see if an oily formula would help my skin retain moisture better.  I liked the cream formula but I found that my face would still dry out rather quickly after getting out of the shower at night.  I wanted to see if this type of formula would reduce that effect on my skin as we head into the coldest months of the year.

The Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Face Oil is the only face wash that is offered in this line.  "A gentle, all-natural cleanser with nourishing argan oil to melt away makeup and deeply hydrate skin.  This effective, multitasking cleanser removes makeup and skin impurities while providing essential hydration. Sunflower, safflower, and grape seed oils cleanse the skin's surface and renew the complexion, leaving it healthy-looking and refreshed. Ideal for all skin types, the non-greasy texture leaves skin feeling moisturized—never tight or dry.", states the Sephora website.

Argan Oil is exclusive to the Josie Maran brand.  Sephora provides more details about this exclusive ingredient, "Argan oil restores the skin's natural moisture and pH balance. It is produced from the argan tree in the semideserts of Morocco. Rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, this organically grown ingredient is known to prevent skin dehydration, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and excess production of sebum."

I started by using two pumps of this product to clean my entire face however quickly realized that one and a half pumps is the perfect amount for completely cleaning my whole face and neck without wasting excess product.  This cleansing oil doesn't foam up and it was hard for me to judge the best amount without applying it to my face.  Once I pump the product into my wet hands, I rub my hands together to turn the product into a milky liquid and then apply it to a wet face and work it into my skin.

This product rinses clean and doesn't leave any makeup residue on my face.  The biggest fear that many people have with oils is that they will not fully remove makeup and will leave an oily residue all over the skin.  This product does neither of those things yet doesn't strip my skin of moisture.  I only wash my face at night to get my makeup off before applying night cream.  I have no reason to wash my face again in the morning so I can't comment on using this product more than once a day.  It hasn't irritated my sensitive skin and helps my skin to retain moisture during the cleansing process.  I doubt that this product would work as well for anyone will normal to oily skin types but it is fabulous for dry skin in the winter months.

I want to get a few more days in using this wash and then following it up with the face oil before I comment on the effectiveness of the face oil and the use of argan oil as an ingredient.  I am very happy with this product so far and look forward to trying more skin products from this line.

photo courtesy of Sephora