I've been looking for a more cost-effective product to use on my skin during the winter months here. I have combination skin where my oily T zone doesn't need more moisturizing but the rest of my face does. My regular skincare regiment consists of three, THREE Origins facial moisturizers. One of which I use up every one and half to two months and it's costing me a small fortune to maintain my routine!
Unless you have very specific and special needs, I firmly believe there is always a cheaper and equal or better alternative available. And the good news is because there is a growing demand for clean, non-toxic products, there are emerging products and companies now catering to this market and bringing into mainstream spotlight, essential oils like Tarte's Pure Maracuja Oil. The oil is almost 100% passion fruit oil, completely paraben-free, phthalate-free and basically non-toxic.
I got a hold of Tarte's Pure Maracuja first from a special deluxe sample pack. I tried the product, loved it and grabbed the full sized bottle during Sephora's VIB shopping event back in November.
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| The mini bottle on the right is from the deluxe sample pack. |
What is it? Official Description Reads...
This nutrient-rich oil contains vitamin C and essential fatty acids to hydrate sensitive, dry, and acne prone skin, leaving skin even toned and smooth without a greasy feel. Pure maracuja oil is a hydrating treatment oil known for its anti-aging and healing properties for firmer, brighter, and smoother looking skin, and will not cause breakouts.Ingredients
1.7 fl oz
Ingredients: Passiflora edulis seed oil, tocopherol.
formulated without parabens, formulated without mineral oil, formulated without phthalates, formulated without sodium lauryl sulfates, formulated without gluten
Maracuja means passion fruit in Portugese. Do you think you'd be more or less interested if they called this Tarte's Pure Passion Fruit Oil? :)
I was hesitant at first to try this because it's pure oil. The last thing I want is to is clog my pores and create problems. I jumped at the chance when there was a special deluxe sample of the product where I could try the oil without committing to the full sized 1.7 oz. I found Maracuja to live up to claims of moisturizing without being greasy and use over time improves skin textures.
Tarte recommends applying 2-3 drops at night to clean skin, essentially replacing your bedtime serum or moisturizer and I did just that. I replaced my Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment AND Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturizer and used the oil exclusively at night. There are days when the climate is extra dry here and I need to use some of my Origins moisturizer on the drier extras but the product works well on the rest of my face. I use 4-5 drops of the oil instead of the recommended 2-3. I would put it on the palm of my hand, warm it between my hands and put it on my face. I also use Maracuja in the mornings underneath my daytime moisturizer which is working out very nicely.
A few things I'd like to point out is you may not be used to how the oil feels on your face at first. The texture is completely different from serums or moisturizers where you can massage those into your skin. The oil is slick and while you should still massage it into your skin, it will feel like it's just sitting on your face for the next 15-20 minutes so you won't get that typical moisturized feeling. Rest assured though your skin is absorbing the oil. It just requires a bit more time.
The other thing I've noticed is while the oil works great for me, I've had the odd breakout in random areas that don't usually have problems which leads me to think the oil can sometimes be a tad too much some spots of my face.
The bottle and dropper is made of glass and comes in a nice box that is cushioned at the top. Should there be an accident where you drop the item, the thick cardboard around the box would absorb most of the shock.
The dropper is OK. If the oil's potency is better preserved when stored in glass, I am all for that, otherwise, I feel dropper to be cumbersome. You will find that there is excess oil dripping off the dropper when you pull it out of the bottle. To prevent waste, be sure to quickly move your hand underneath the dropper to catch the drops.
There are lots of good things to be said about Tarte's Pure Maracuja Oil but perhaps the best part is the product is suitable for a variety of skin types - dry, combination and even oily skin types. If you have very oily skin, I would first look into your daily cleansing routine before you start using oil to hydrate your face. If you have oily but dry skin, Maracuja is definitely worth a try. For those with dry, combination and sensitive skin looking for a form of natural hydration, this is a solid option to consider too. Try to put some on your hand/face at the store before you make a final decision.
Some of you might think $46 USD for 1.7 oz of passion fruit oil is expensive and to be honest, I don't know how much this is worth and how much it costs. The Amazon fruit is harvested, hand picked and extracted by Amazonian women (directly from package description) and the oil is undiluted, cold pressed before it gets to store selves. The fruit itself aside, the processing sounds like a lot of work. I hope the workers in the Amazon are being fairly compensated for their hard work. I do think however, Tarte is doing some good over in the Amazons so until I comes across similar-quality Maracuja oil at a lower markup, I will be happy to continue to buy Tarte's product.
If you want to find out more about Tarte's participation in SAP (Sustainable Amazon Partnership), you can read more about it here.
Retails for $46
Where to buy: Tarte's online and locally at major cosmetics and department stores.
