GLOSSIER | FUTUREDEW OIL SERUM HYBRID

This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: Facial Oils I Love that Make Me Excited for Cold Weather - Part Two. You can catch the full piece here.

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Just last week I was saying that it had been the coldest it’s been since mid-March. I was (and remain!) nervous that it’s going to a harsh, damp, brutally cold winter. And lo and behold, it’s snowing today.

To maintain optimal skin health in cold, dry, low-humidity weather, you need to make a real effort to keep your skin from dehydrating. How? With cold weather skincare.

I kicked off the FW21 season with my two-part series on the best face creams for dry skin and all skin types in the cold. Titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: Moisturizers I Love That Make Me Excited For Cold Weather, the series features my top picks for all skin types. Each of the articles highlights one cold weather option for each of the four major skin types — dry, oily/acne prone, sensitive, and normal or all skin types. No matter your skin type, there’s a moisturizer for you. Check out Part One here and Part Two here.

Then last week, I continued my series on Seasonal Skincare Transitioning with the first of two articles on my favorite facial oils titled, Seasonal Skincare Transitioning: Facial Oils I Love that Make Me Excited for Cold Weather - Part One. You can catch the initial collection of four facial oil faves here.

SEASONAL SKINCARE: THE BEST PRODUCTS FROM THE ORDINARY AND NIOD THAT GET ME EXCITED FOR COLD WEATHER!

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In part one, the first of my FW21 facial oils included Biography’s Golden Ray Glow Drops. While I’ve reviewed it on the blog previously, I’ve simply fallen in love with it all over again this year. It’s perhaps the most luxurious of the entire FW21 collection.

I’m a huge fan of the clean, democratically priced Naturium brand and have reviewed several of their face serums on the blog over the past several months. They have a number of Vitamin C serums and oils and the brand’s Vitamin C Face Oil is a wonderful formulation. Definitely check it out in Part One.

PRODUCT REVIEW: NATURIUM VITAMIN C FACE OIL – BEST FACIAL OIL WITH VITAMIN C

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The third facial oil in my initial article was Dr. Elsa Jungman’s Start Over Moisturizing Serum. It’s formulated to fix the microbiome by rebalancing surface bacteria and strengthening the skin barrier. Dr. Elsa is one of the few true experts on the skin microbiome, what makes it tick, and what it needs to tick right.

Lastly, I featured the Maelove Love 31 Precious Face Oil — my first product inclusion from the clean beauty brand. If you love a sensorial, fragrant facial oil Maelove’s Love 31 will certainly get you excited for cold weather skincare.

What makes facial oils so unique — and uniquely beneficial during cold weather? Well, a great facial oil is the heaviest moisturizer in your defensive arsenal against the dry, low-humidity air characteristic of the colder months no matter the climate. Most people don’t think of facial oils as a “moisturizer.” What usually comes to mind is a cream. And I know facial oils aren’t popular with everyone — particularly those with oily and acne prone skin. Psst…even an oily skin type can benefit from a facial oil suited for oily skin — like the Blume Meltdown Acne Oil.

PRODUCT REVIEW: BLUME | MELTDOWN ACNE OIL - BEST FACIAL OIL FOR OILY SKIN, BEST FACIAL OIL FOR ACNE

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In winter, I prefer facial oils to conventional cream moisturizers, especially the ones that regrettably come in jars. I didn’t always understand facial oils and, like so many, believed they were somehow better for other people, perhaps best for very dry skin types.

Oh the misunderstood facial oil. A lot of people dislike them because they tend to sit on the skin, or barely absorb into the skin’s surface. That’s kind of the point. They’re the most occlusive of all skincare products, meaning they’re intended to defend skin against moisture loss. They do that by occluding, or blocking water from escaping through the surface and dehydrating your skin.

What Does a Facial Oil Do and What Are the Benefits of Face Oil?

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.

One of the most important benefits of a well-formulated facial oil is to prevent dehydration through trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. Dehydration hasn’t traditionally been recognized as one of the main causes of skin aging. In fact, I consider both sun damage and dehydration to be the two key culprits in all signs of aging — including the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and even sagging.

My own neck is the perfect barometer!

During the colder months, the skin on my neck seems to hollow out as the layers dehydrate and deflate. As hard as I try, it’s often a losing battle. Fortunately, my skin bounces back around March. It’s a fascinating experiment as I struggle to keep my skin optimally hydrated in the cold. I’m much better at it now than I used to be; and that’s because I fully understand the effects of TEWL on skin health.

BRANDS I LOVE: CODEX BEAUTY - CLEAN, NATURAL SKINCARE FOR HEALTHY, YOUTHFUL SKIN

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What Is Trans-Epidermal Water Loss?

For a deep-dive into trans-epidermal water loss (or TEWL), there’s an excellent article on the health website Skin Better titled, What Is Transepidermal Water Loss and Why Is it Important? It’s available to read here. In the piece, the author explains TEWL as follows:

“The skin is comprised of three primary layers: the epidermis, the outermost layer; the dermis or middle layer; and the hypodermis, the undermost layer. When water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates from the skin’s surface, this is known as transepidermal water loss (International Journal of Pharmaceutics).
While TEWL is a process that your skin naturally regulates, certain factors that can damage the skin’s barrier function can also affect TEWL levels. Circumstances such as injury, low-humidity weather conditions and topically applied products that dry out the skin can impact TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients.
Transepidermal water loss can contribute to a variety of dry skin conditions, and although it is a natural process, there are ways that you can help your skin stay moisturized and hydrated. Hydration refers to the water content of the skin, whereas moisturization is the skin’s ability to retain those water molecules. Therefore, your skin needs both elements to maintain desirable levels of TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients. Humectants help to draw moisture to the epidermis, either from the air if it is humid enough, or from the underlying dermis in low-humidity conditions. Because water content that is drawn from the dermis can be lost through TEWL, it’s important to combine the use of humectants with occlusives. Together, these ingredients create a reservoir of moisture in the epidermis and act as a barrier on the skin to help prevent TEWL by sealing in that moisture. The occlusive agents simultaneously keep pollutants, toxins and harmful bacteria out (Skin Therapy Letter).”

MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE - BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS

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The Skincarma “Lock and Block” Prevents Dehydration

To start, preventing dehydration in the first place requires drinking enough water. That differs for each of us based on our weight, the foods we eat, and the climate we live in. It’s even more important during colder periods.

A good rule is to drink one ounce of water each day for every pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 lbs., you’ll need to drink 150 ounces of water each and every day to keep your body and your skin optimally hydrated.

Then, employing skincare to treat and prevent dehydration requires what I refer to as a “lock and block” strategy.

It begins with a dedicated humectant serum applied to the skin in both your AM and PM routines that helps to lock water in. Follow with a moisturizer composed of a healthy balance of both humectants and oils to block and prevent the trans-epidermal water loss that can lead to dehydration.

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF

SKINCARMA LOCK & BLOCK: THE BEST WAY TO KEEP SKIN HEALTHY & HYDRATED IN DRY, COLD AIR!

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

One of the great things about facial oils is they’re very often water-free, meaning they last a lot longer. Over the years, I’ve amassed quite the museum-worthy collection of facial oils. And I’m excited to share the second four in my two-part series on my FW21 facial oil picks.

Herbal Face Food’s The Serum I doesn’t seem like a facial oil from the name, right? It’s actually a super lightweight, concentrated serum-oil made with a slew of seriously potent botanical oils and extracts. It has an otherworldly feel on the skin and is one of my favorite product discoveries of 2021 — and a serious contender for the Skincarma Product of the Year.

The Strivectin Super-B Barrier Strengthening Oil is infused with the brand’s proprietary form of Vitamin B3, or Niacinamide. It’s a superb blend on non-fragrant plant oils as well as nourishing probiotics to help rebalance the surface microbiome.

The Paula’s Choice CBD Oil + Retinol is a genius formula and one of the best anti-aging facial oils with Retinol and super-soothing Cannabidiol or CBD. It’s hands down one of my favorite products from the brand.

And rounding out my facial oil picks is Glossier’s Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid. It’s a fascinating formula with benefits for the complexion that go beyond those of any other facial oil in my entire collection.

Let’s have a look at one of my FW21 facial oils, which I consider ideal for cold weather in part two of the series…

Glossier | Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid

I have had my eye on Glossier’s Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid for quite some time. Over the course of the year, I’ve really gotten to know the Glossier brand. I wouldn’t call myself a #glossierfanboy just yet. My affinity for the pink, girlie brand doesn’t go that deep.

But that’s not to say that I’m not an admirer of the brand’s relatively well-formulated, affordable skincare products. In particular, I actually quite like Glossier’s three “super serums” — Super Pure, Super Glow and Super Bounce.

In the grand scheme of things, the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum is not the best Niacinamide serum, but it’s effective for the price — and one of the best Niacinamide serums for oily skin or acne prone skin.

(Psst…if you want the best Niacinamide serum, check out my picks of the Best Niacinamide Serums and Treatments here.)

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER SUPER PURE NIACINAMIDE + ZINC SERUM - BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM FOR OILY SKIN

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Also ideal for oily and acne-prone skin is the Glossier Super Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Serum. While the $28 Super Glow is a relatively uncomplicated formula, it’s packed with intrigue in the form of pure mineral magnesium, or Magnesium PCA. Minerals help to regulate water flow within the skin’s layers to balance out hydration levels and maintain skin health.

Rounding out the brand’s three super serums is the Glossier Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum. I featured it in my recent blog article titled, New Hyaluronic Acid Serums I Love from Farmacy Beauty, Herbivore, Glossier and More - Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums, Best Hydrating Serums For Face. Psst…you can catch the full piece here.

Also priced at $28, the Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid serum is a viable option if you’re in the market for a well-formulated hydrating serum at a great price.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER SUPER BOUNCE HYALURONIC ACID + VITAMIN B5 SERUM - BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUM

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Glossier’s Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid is the most unique product I’ve experienced from the brand thus far — and the most unique in my FW21 picks of the best facial oils. Glossier says Futuredew delivers “an instant dewy glow that lasts.” And it sure does.

The first time I tried Futuredew I didn’t know what to expect. With its thick, opaque, pink-hued texture, Glossier had me thinking Futuredew was a super lightweight foundation. But it’s remarkably transformative on the skin. The Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid is indeed some sort of hybrid — one part replenishing facial oil, one part complexion perfecter.

On the replenishing side, Futuredew is a blend of nourishing non-fragrant plant oils that help to moisture skin and prevent TEWL. Among these are a high concentration of Squalane, at ingredient number three — after useless water and humectant Glycerin. Squalane is a superb, skin-compatible plant oil.

What Is Squalane and What Does Squalane Do for the Skin?

There’s an excellent article crafted by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What is Squalane Oil and How Does it Benefit Skin? The piece delves into what makes Squalane unique — and why it’s so uniquely beneficial to the skin.

What is Squalane Oil?
Squalane oil is an emollient, a type of ingredient that works very much like skin’s own oil (sebum) to prevent moisture loss. Chemically, it’s a hydrocarbon, a group of ingredients made of only hydrogen and carbon. Common skin-friendly hydrocarbons for skin include petrolatum and mineral oil; squalane is the primary one from the plant world, so it’s a good alternative if you want to avoid petrochemicals.
A unique aspect of squalane is that it’s a modified form of squalene, one of the key components in our sebum (1, 2). This fact makes squalane an ingredient skin instantly recognizes and knows how to use, but there’s more to the story than simply being an emollient.
Some people wonder if squalane is a vegan ingredient; traditionally, the squalene from which it’s created was derived from shark liver oil. Today, the majority of skin care brands using squalane are choosing a plant-derived, sustainable source. It occurs naturally in olive, wheat bran, rice bran, and amaranth oils (1, 3). Paula’s Choice uses olive-derived vegan squalane. It can also be produced via biotechnology from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae, where it’s often referred to as sugar derived.

If you’re curious, you can read the entire piece here.

In addition to Squalane, the Glossier Futuredew formula contains some of the best anti-aging, antioxidant plant oils including Jojoba Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and Grape Seed Oil. These combine to give it a heavier texture on application that dries down surprisingly quickly, leaving a soft, velvety feel on the skin.

On the complexion perfecting side, Futuredew contains a pinkish tint that blends into skin to help even out skin tone. It’s not so crazy that it looks like makeup — or is even discernible on the skin. There’s also a small amount of light-reflecting mica. It reminds me of a lightweight BB cream.

I honestly wasn’t expecting to like Glossier’s Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid — let alone include it in my top picks of facial oils. It’s so unique I just had to. It has really surprised me!

What I like about it: The Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid is one of the brand’s better formulas and it really has surprised me. I thought I’d seen it all! I love its rich blend of skin-compatible, replenishing plant oils that help to prevent moisture loss. Combined with its complexion enhancers, it’s ideal for re-invigorating a dry, dehydrated, sullen complexion.

What I don’t like about it: Because of its complexion enhancing properties, it remains on the skin as intended. That can feel slightly uncomfortable if you apply too much of it. (And I have!)

Who it’s for: All skin types except perhaps very oily or acne-prone.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid for $24 here.

SHOP GLOSSIER FOR FUTUREDEW OIL SERUM HYBRID