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Vicki Duong

January 23, 2019

SKINCARE REVIEW; Vitruvi Custom Face Oil

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Whether it’s in the formula or in the packaging if you tell me that I get to customize it myself I am sold. So when I heard that Vancouver based brand Vitruvi was venturing into skincare with custom blended face oils I was into it. Their site offers a short quiz you can do to build your own face oil customized to your skincare needs. I was lucky enough to attend a pop-up shop hosted at Kotn in Gastown and received a complimentary bottle of my own blend.

For the purposes of this review I will be going over the process of completing the questionnaire to build the custom oils online.

​Step One: Base Oil

 

Your base oil is what your face oil will primarily be made up of (about 50% of the dropper bottle). The kind of base oil you need is dependent on your skin type and the time of day you are planning to use the oil. Vitruvi has options for oily, dry, combo, sensitive, mature and normal skin. My skin type tends to be on the sensitive/oily side (actually everything about me tends to be on the sensitive side) and I was specifically looking for an oil for night use only. Based on this Vitruvi recommends either the Apricot Kernel Oil or the Hemp Seed Oil. I opted for the Hemp Seed Oil because it provides a little more hydration than the Apricot Kernel Oil.

​(If you want all the hydration, opt for the Avocado Oil – best for evening use only to give your skin lots of time to absorb in all that good good plus it has a bit of a deep green hue to it.)


Step Two: Complex Oil

Your complex oil are your superstar ingredient, you’ll want to add 3-4 full droppers of this into your formula. These oils are ultra-concentrated and based on your skin priorities. Are you looking for that dewy goodness or to calm down redness? This is when you can unleash your inner potion maker and mix and match your complex oils. I wanted to focus on clearer skin (it’s because I eat dairy sometimes even though I know better and wake up with new pimple friends every time I do) and dewy skin because I find that my skin lacks glow. Because of this I added Meadowfoam Seed Oil and Rosehip Oil. Meadowfoam Seed Oil adds plumpness back into your skin while being replenishing and nourishing, while Rosehip Oil soothes and repair blemishes. I have also used rosehip products in the past and am familiar with the way my skin reacts to it.

Step Three: Pure Essential Oil

This is when you put the final touches on your custom face oil. Pure essential oils is how you determine the scent of your face oil by adding a few drops. Debatably this might be the trickiest part, especially when purchasing online. I ended up adding lavender because it’s known for promoting a more restful sleep and cedarwood to cut through the floral scent a bit. ​Vitruvi does do a great job classifying all of the oils into one of four scent families; floral, citrus, herbal and woodsy.

The Verdict

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I always love a face oil at the end of my nighttime routine. Something about applying a few drops into your hands and then cupping your face feels so incredibly luxe. If you can combine it with a facial roller it becomes a whole self-care moment. There is something inherently more special about a face oil that you built yourself. My blend seemed to be the perfect fit for me and I always woke up the next morning with supple skin that was seemingly less irritated and red than it was the night before. I also found that this oil really packed a punch in the sense that a little bit goes a long way and I did not feel the need to layer it with other products and a few drops were more than enough for my entire face.

However it is pricey since you are buying each oil separately and blending them yourself. At this time there are no discounts or bundles available for the custom face oil, however if you go through the quiz you do get a free dropper bottle. Reviewing the sizes of all of the products needed to build your custom face oil based off the base oil you would be able to make 2 full bottles of the custom blend before you needed to purchase another base oil.

Reviewing all of the oils in my blend it would cost me $104 CAD before tax to purchase all of the ingredients myself to blend which is a hard pill to swallow, even though I loved the oil. For over $100 I want a face oil that gives me six pack abs and makes boys text me back in a timely manner. That being said, once purchased the complex and pure essential oils should last you quite a long time before needing to be repurchased. I also think that this type of product is great for users that have skin types or concerns that seem to change constantly since you could just swap out one ingredient at a time to suit your current skincare priorities.

The fine print:
Products were gifted, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Posted In: ARCHIVE, Archive Beauty · Tagged: beauty, clean beauty, skincare, vancouver, vitruvi

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