Review: Marie Veronique Organics Sun Protective Oil

If there is one thing that I regret doing (other than my worst beauty mistake of squeezing an ugly oilseed under my eye, that is), I think that will be not using sunscreen as early as I could. Frankly, the term sunscreen appeared only as late as my late twenties. That said, I’m willing to do anything to compensate for my mistake.

Slathering on sunscreen in the mornings is one. Although a sunscreen with SPF30 like Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Face Screen can do the job nicely (plus camouflaging my rosacea and some not-too-obvious pimple marks), I still want something extra to set my mind at ease, especially my eyes. Not being a make-up gal, I try not to muddle with my BB cream and blush palette in the mornings whenever I can. So my photochromic glasses (covering the front of my eyes but not the sides) are all that’s left for my ultra-vulnerable eye skin. I feel I’m urgently in need of some kind of protection for my eyes, no matter what it is. So when I ordered my MOV batch, I grasped the opportunity by requesting a sample of Sun Protective Oil as it is said that it can be used on the eye area.

Below is what SPO can offer according to MOV:

Provides extra UV protection with natural sun protective oils, such as emu, broccoli seed, red raspberry seed, and yangu.

No harmful chemicals, no waxes that can clog pores, no water that can evaporate and dry out your skin, and no nut oils that can go rancid with UV exposure.

Ingredients

Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) oil, Prunus armeniaca (apricot kernel) oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil), Persea gratissima (avocado) oil, Sesamum indicum (sesame) oil, Vitis vinifera (grapeseed) oil, Borago officinalis (borage) oil, emu oil, Sclerocarya birrea (marula) oil, Rubus idaeus (red raspberry seed oil, Calodendrum capense (yangu) oil, Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Brassica oleracea italica (broccoli) seed oil, Punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) oil, Calophyllum inophyllum (tamanu) oil, lecithin, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary oleoresin), Haematococcus Pluvialis (astaxanthin), Euphausia Superba (krill) oil, Curcuma longa (Curcuma) essential oil, Cananga odorata (ylang ylang) essential oil, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil, Daucus carota (carrot seed) essential oil.

Like other products by MVO, the ingredients of SPO are its gem. And like its counterpart Anti-Aging Oil, SPO is packed with different natural oils. The first on its ingredient list is the ubiquitous jojoba oil, which is an excellent base oil similar to our natural sebum. It penetrates our skin without leaving any residue. Next on the ingredient list is apricot kernel oil, light oil that has slight skin tightening properties. Both oils are light oils, which may give you a gist of why SPO can be easily absorbed into our skin shortly after application. But what provides SPO its UV protection property are other oils such as coconut, avocado, sesame, and emu. A high concentration of these oils, given that they are high on the ingredient list, can give you a natural protective barrier for the sun outside.

Texture, Scent, and Packaging

Like most MVO products, SPO is packaged in a light-insulated glass bottle (mine is a sample, but still packaged the same way), so the natural ingredients can be protected and not be oxidized as easily. SPO is yellowish and has a texture more or less similar to Anti-Aging Oil. It’s also herbally aromatic, though not as aromatic as Anti-Aging Oil. If you love MVO Anti-Aging Oil, you will most likely love SPO too.

A Minor Setback

If you are still reading by now and still remember why I try SPO in the first place, you may want to know how it fares on my ultra-sensitive eye area. Well, for this matter, I would say, more is not always better. It probably is too rich for my eyes that some oil seeds have grown under my eyes. So my advice is, don’t apply it topically to your eyes. For SPO, a little bit can go a long way.

Price

Like the rest of MVO’s products, SPO isn’t cheap (US$70 for 30ml). But don’t be scared away by its price tag because you won’t need a ton every morning. A few drops are all you need for the entire face. Of course, if you want protection for your neck. You have to count in the extra drops. Otherwise, 30ml can really last for quite a long time. Will I purchase it? Sure. If a little bit of splurge can buy me peace of mind and free me from further regret, I’m willing to spend a bit. Oilseeds on my eyes? A little bit of setback wouldn’t put me off. I’m still all for it. Yes, I am sold, completely and irreversibly!