Product Review: Josie Maran Argan Oil

The Issue: After moving into our new apartment, my face promptly lost all moisture.  My face was soooo dried out and my lips got really chapped.  My usual regimen consists of:

Face Wash: Philosophy's Purity Made Simple
Astringent: Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil Eliminating Astringent
Night Time Cream: Origins A Perfect World Skin Guardian Serum (I also slather my neck in this stuff which smells a-mah-zing!)
Day Time Cream: Philosophy Take A Deep Breath

After my face started feeling like Tales from the Crypt, I discontinued the astringent and became even more generous with my night time cream without luck.  As I usually wander around with a slight glisten to my face, dry skin issues are not something I'm familiar with at all.  I ran over to Sephora to see if I could find something that would do the trick without a $$$ price tag.

The Product: After much perusing, I came across Josie Maran's 100% Pure Argan Oil.  According to Sephora: this 100% Pure Argan Oil is a legendary oil that's rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco.  100% Pure Argan Oil is first cold pressed to ensure the best quality, highest-grade oil.  It is housed in a recyclable glass bottle and purchased from women's cooperatives in Morocco to support their social and economic welfare.  These cooperatives work within a UNESCO biosphere reserve that ensures the protection and reforestation of Argan trees. 

Sephora - Josie Maran Argan Oil

BUT, despite all the good-for-you and do-good benefits, it also came with a not so fun price tag of $48 for 1.7 oz.  I did not want to spend that much, nor did I think that I would actually use the entire bottle, nor was I positive that face oil was actually the route I wanted to go - in my head, face oil = vegetable oil, and I didn't want to look like I'd spent the summer over a deep fryer.

The girl at Sephora said she used it on as her everyday moisturizer without issue and I knew the reviews online were good, so I decided to bite the bullet and spend the $48.  When I headed over to the cash register, I started looking through all the small sized products they keep at the check out line for impulse buyers (hello!  that's me!  target audience!).  This time it paid off!  Josie Maran had a much smaller 0.5 oz bottle for $14!

The Regimen: Based on Sephora's sales girl's instructions, I began using 1-2 drops of oil mixed in with my regular creams for the next week (I told you I looked like the Crypt Keeper...face oil on top of regular creams = she must have agreed).  If I happened to go into the bathroom and see a dry spot, I would massage a drop directly into my skin.

The Review: Now for the verdict.  This stuff is amazing.  My face didn't feel greasy and the oil absorbed quickly.  It mixed right in with my other products.  My skin is usually quite sensitive, but I had no irritation.  The dryness went away in about a week, but it started feeling and looking better immediately.

Now that my skin is back to normal, I haven't had to use the product in a couple of weeks.  I'm really glad that they had the smaller bottle for less moo-lah, because I have probably 90% of the bottle left...which should see me through the cold DC winter.

Anyone else tried this product?  What did you think?  I'm adding it to my pin board as one of my products I love!