Sunday Riley Luna

Its very true that you should never judge a book by its cover or choose an item of skincare based on its appearance, however I’m happy to admit that when I first saw Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Oil (£85) I was found myself intrigued by its enchanting name and the bewitching blue hue of the oil itself.

Marketed as a ‘next-generation retinoid oil’ that reduces the appearance of pores and wrinkles while fighting the signs of premature ageing and redness, I was sold.

I didn’t know an awful lot about retinoids so decided to do a bit of research before I started using the oil.

Retinoid products are chemically related to Vitamin A and help with acne, anti-aging, and hyper-pigmentation.

They work by aiding in the normalization of hyperkeratinization, which means they help your skin to get rid of dead skin cells at a more normal rate so that the cells don't bind together and clog your pores.

Aside from helping your skin shed more normally, retinoids also have some anti-inflammatory effects, reducing redness and helping to calm signs of stressed skin.

Luna is a retinol rich night-time treatment which helps to combat the signs of ageing while you sleep, if you hadn’t guessed by its etherial name.

Marrying traditional skin care ingredients with hi-tech processes is what Sunday Riley does best and the combination of powerful ingredients within Luna combine to promote skins strength, resilience, health and radiance.

The key hero elements within Luna are retinol (obvs!) and something called Blue Tansy.

A Trans-retinol ester helps to fight the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity while correcting the damage caused by external aggressors such as sun damage, pollution and stress.

Blue Tansy is the ingredient which gives this oil its eye catching hue. This deep-blue green oil is high in azulene and helps to heal damaged skin thanks to its strong anti-inflammatory properties. Its particularly helpful with the treatment of eczema and dermatitis, something that I personally suffer from.

German Chamomile, and Cape Chamomile (also high in azulene) work to treat inflamed, irritated skin and helps to lower any potential irritation associated with retinol use resulting in calm, soothed skin.

Cold pressed avocado seed oil, chia, and concord grape seed oils  rich in Vitamins A, B,C,D, and Omega 3 offer further anti-inflammatory properties and help top plump the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines.

The oil itself is wonderfully rich and a decadent, midnight blue hue.

Delicately fragranced, you require only a few drops of this magic oil at night time.

Applied to clean, dry skin, the blueish tinge of the oil becomes clear as you gently massage it into your face.

Quickly absorbed despite its high oil content, it instantly leaves your skin feeling soft and incredibly hydrated.

Come the morning my skin still feels fresh and firm, moisturised and healthy, ready for the day ahead.

I’ve been using Luna nightly for several weeks and while I haven’t noticed a massive difference to the appearance of fine lines, I will say that my pores appear to have reduced in size and my complexion has become more even toned and healthy looking.

Dry, red patches have all but disappeared and I’m left with a far more radiant looking complexion, even on the nights where I don’t get a full 8 hours sleep.

Pores have reduced in appearance to the extent that I often don’t feel the need to wear primer, so that’s a pretty good indication that something has changed!

I will say that because of the high retinol content, if you suffer with particularly sensitive skin it might be worth trying a patch test with the product first to ensure that your skin can cope.

Also, apologies to any mums-to-be but Luna isn’t suitable for use during pregnancy.

Sunday Riley Luna is available now from Cult Beauty and costs £85 for 35ml or £45 for 14ml.