PRODUCT REVIEW: BIOGRAPHY GOLDEN RAY GLOW DROPS - BEST FACIAL OIL FOR DRY SKIN, BEST ORGANIC FACIAL OIL
BIOGRAPHY | GOLDEN RAY GLOW DROPS
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, New Pampering Facial Oils that Wow Me - from Kjaer Weis, Biossance and More - Best Facial Oils for Dry Skin, Best Facial Oil for Acne Prone Skin. You can still catch the full piece here.
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This past week was grueling. It was the coldest it’s been in over a year. I don’t remember it being this frigid last winter. Of course, that was in a pre-pandemic blur and I was having mid-life hot flashes.
At the start of the winter season in November, I set out to craft a series of blog articles on cold weather skin care and winterizing the skin to defend against skin-aging dryness and dehydration. I was determined to prevent myself from aging the entire year in the months between December and February! It began with my series on my top ten Winter Moisturizers. You can catch Part I here; Part II is here.
I followed up my series on the best face creams for dry skin and all skin types in the cold with a piece on the best hydrating face mists titled, Favorite Face Mists for Keeping Skin Hydrated in the Cold — available to read here.
Continuing with my recommendations for keeping skin optimally hydrated and preventing trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL, in mid-January I published an article on what I consider the best Hyaluronic Acid serums titled, My Favorite Humectant Serums — which you can catch here.
MY #SLUGGING ESSENTIALS: SKINFIX 911 OINTMENT AND SKINNIES WATERLESS SUNGEL SPF 30
And last week, I crafted an article on one of my favorite new skincare trends for keeping skin healthy, happy and hydrated in the deepest, coldest, tundra-like conditions: #slugging. My #slugging Essentials: Skinfix 911 Ointment and Skinnies Waterless Sungel SPF 30 is available to read here. I’ve been slugging just about every other night for the last two weeks and I have to say my skin is as plump and hydrated today as it is on any hot, humid day in July.
I had always intended to cap off my winter series with a final piece on the best facial oils for dry skin. I love facial oils! In fact, I prefer them to conventional cream moisturizers. I didn’t always understand facial oils and, like so many, thought they were somehow better for other people.
There is a really wonderful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, How Facial Oils Help Skin. Here is a glimpse of their insights:
You may have noticed more and more brands are launching pure oils like argan, jojoba, coconut, or blends of oils with all manner of tempting claims. But do these facial oils live up to their potential?
The research-supported facts about what plant oils can do for skin is rather fascinating. They're not miracles, but the right plant oil or a beautiful a blend of beneficial oils can make a remarkable difference for dry, flaky, or dehydrated skin; in fact, non-fragrant facial oils can be suitable even for eczema-prone skin. Facial oils are for anyone whose skin could use a boost of nourishing, smoothing renewal, especially when seasonal cold or drier climates disturb your skin.
What are Facial Oils?
Facial oils can include any fragrant plant oils (often called essential oils, but they are anything but essential—more on that in a moment), non-fragrant plant oils (your skin will love these) or synthetic oils (such as mineral oil—which gets a bad rap in the world of skincare but for the record, the research doesn't support the negative information you find on the Internet).
Despite the name, these oils can be used anywhere on the face or body—there's no research showing that certain oils are better for one part of your skin or another. Such a notion is without logic or science.
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ARE YOU SLUGGING YET? WATCH AND FIND OUT WHY IT’S THE BEST DRY SKIN SOLUTION!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
This isn’t my first article on facial oils; far from it. Given that my affinity for them goes back several years now, I think this may actually be my fourth or fifth piece. Some of my favorites include the Codex Beauty Bia Facial Oil and Herbivore’s Phoenix facial oil, an exceptional anti-aging facial oil infused with rose hip oil — one of the best non-fragrant plant oils for smoothing the look of lines and wrinkles and promoting optimal skin health.
Over the past several months, I’ve amassed quite the museum-worthy collection of facial oils in anticipation of this piece capping off my winter skincare picks. At one point just two weeks ago, there were still nearly a dozen oils in contention. Alas, I was able to whittle it down to my four favorites.
Each stands out for one reason, or several reasons — among them, uniqueness, superior quality, versatility, innovation and, as is the case with so many facial oils, sheer damn pleasure. That really is the gist of it. Facial oils are simply a pleasure to use! If you're not using a facial oil yet — either daily or every once in a while — now’s your chance to find one you’ll love.
How about one of these:
The list of my 2021 facial oil faves includes new brand Biography’s Golden Ray Glow Drops; luxurious, clean makeup pioneer Kjaer Weis’ The Beautiful Oil; the versatile Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil and acne-centric brand Blume’s Meltdown Acne Oil.
Let’s have a look at the benefits and characteristics of each in detail…
Biography | Golden Ray Glow Drops
I was first introduced to the Biography brand over a Zoom call several months ago. I loathe Zoom calls, but this one was actually interesting. Biography’s founder, Linda Thompson, has been crafting her smart, new brand and uniquely active facial oils for the better part of eight years. With intelligent and intriguing messaging (this writer appreciates that most!), the brand recently debuted with four facial oils in all, but the Golden Ray Glow Drops is my personal fave.
What We Do.
It’s a short list: we make face oils. Namely, four active oil blends with the power to change your skin—and your story. We’re hawkish about our craft: what other companies may outsource, we handcraft from scratch, doing the meticulous designing, formulating, and clinical testing. The result is skincare that actually delivers what it promises: meaningful, visible change from naturally healing sources, bound to replace your creams and moisturizers in one fell swoop (or maybe four).
Did you catch that? “The result is skincare…bound to replace your creams and moisturizers in one fell swoop (or maybe four).” That speaks directly to me. I’ve long espoused ditching conventional face creams in jars to step up your skincare game.
The Biography Golden Ray Glow Drops is the perfect place to start your journey to optimizing your skin health. It’s a rich, luxurious blend of some of the best organic oils for nourishing skin and promoting skin heath.
Many of the oils Linda selected for this fantastic oil do double duty as potent antioxidants that help defend skin against aging environmental aggressors — something skin does well on its own, but that all skin types can benefit from in spades. I don’t believe you can have enough antioxidants in your regimen. In fact, I’ve begun to look at antioxidants as the unsung heroes of anti-aging skincare. Antioxidants are anti-aging. Sunscreen is anti-aging. Marketing average skincare products as anti-aging is not anti-aging.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
NEW PAMPERING FACIAL OILS THAT WOW ME - FROM KJAER WEIS, BIOSSANCE AND MORE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
What Are Antioxidants?
There’s an excellent article full of antioxidants insights on the Paula’s Choice website titled, How Antioxidants Fight the Signs of Aging. The experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team share this:
Antioxidants for Skin Benefits
Antioxidants play a unique role when it comes to diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Years of environmental damage (including unprotected sun exposure—one more reason to apply that broad-spectrum sunscreen!) slowly chip away at skin’s natural ability to look and feel healthy. As this damage builds up, skin gradually loses its ability to recover and bounce back as it once did. It’s not an exaggeration to say that after years of damage, skin becomes overwhelmed, and its “look young systems” begin to slow down.
Antioxidants in skin care step in to help shield skin’s surface from further deterioration by calming stressed skin and defending against the visible effects of pollution —something all of us encounter on a daily basis.
What happens as a result of applying antioxidants to your face is truly impressive: Skin’s appearance begins to turn around! It regains a firmer feel and more even skin tone—and those wrinkles you’re probably not fond of will visibly soften.
The Golden Ray Glow Drops facial oil is infused with multiple non-fragrant plant oils, many of which are organic. Among the organic oils are Jojoba Seed Oil, Camellia Seed Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Rosehip Fruit Oil and Raspberry Seed Oil, notably the first five ingredients in the entire INCI.
Most intriguing and unique about the formula is the inclusion of what the brand terms, French marine algae. I’m not aware that French seaweed is any more beneficial to the skin as seaweed anywhere else on Earth. But many forms of algae possess superb nourishing, hydrating and humectant benefits for the skin. Algae also has antioxidant properties for the skin. I love that Linda infused her already superbly pampering oil with it!
MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY AND MORE
Golden Ray Glow Drops has a deep, neon orange hue that reminds me of my favorite Phoenix facial oil from clean luxe brand Herbivore. I suspect it owes its rich color to the Sea Buckthorn Oil — as is the case with Phoenix.
It’s not too heavy, not too light. Just lavishing enough to prevent TEWL and keep skin feeling plump and healthy throughout the night. Hey, if you’re chilling a lot at home as I have been, you can even use it without sunscreen during the day — or as the perfect #selfcaresunday self-care treat.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Biography Golden Ray Glow Drops for $112 here.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
WINTER MOISTURIZERS PART I – THE BEST FACE CREAMS FOR DRY SKIN WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SKINFIX & MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
The Ingredient List of the Biography Golden Ray Glow Drops:
Jojoba seed oil* Camellia seed oil* Pumpkin seed oil* Rosehip fruit oil* Raspberry seed oil* Pomegranate seed oil Cranberry seed oil* Carrot seed oil Watermelon seed oil Avocado oil* Sea buckthorn oil* Amla oil* Natural vitamin E Marine algae Sunflower seed oil Safflower seed oil Rosemary leaf extract Cedarwood oil Palmarosa oil Ylang Ylang oil Frankincense oil Geranium oil * Organic Ingredient
The Ingredient List of the Kjaer Weis The Beautiful Oil:
Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus (Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract, D'Orientine S, Spilanthes acmella (Buzz Buttons) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Fragrance, Geraniol, Citronellol, Canola Oil, Limonene, Citral, Linalool,
The Ingredient List of the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil:
sii|emo 0 1, Pistacia Lentiscus (Mastic) Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate aox|sb, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Geraniol 
perfThe Ingredient List of the Blume Meltdown Acne Oil:
so|aox|emo|perf, Rosehip Oil emo, Tamanu Seed Oil so|emo, Sunflower Seed Oil emo 0 0, Comfrey Root Extract so, Olive Leaf Extract perf, Lavender Oil amic|perf, Jojoba Seed Oil emo 0 0-2, Tea Tree Oil so|aacne|aox|amic|perf, Helichrysum Flower Oil perf, Blue Tansy, Chamomile Flower Oil perf, Rosemary Leaf Extract aox|so|amic
