When the editors at Elle magazine say a few drops of an oil can transform your skin, you better believe I’m going to be on it for a review!  That’s the case with Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil, a blend of seven essential oils that claims to provide 24-hour hydration and softness to hair and skin.

Personal Use and Opinions

Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil has a fine, silky, non-greasy texture that is very similar to Neutrogena Sesame Oil.  Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil also has a similar earthy-type aroma, despite the heavy floral content.

I would not personally use Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil or any other essential oils on my face, due to the fact that essential oils are potentially very irritating to sensitive skin.  The potential irritation to sensitive skin occurs because essential oils have been found to penetrate the deeper dermal layer of skin, improving drug delivery up to 30 times over baseline (in human cells: International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 1999; in mice: International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2002).  However, Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil still leaves the rest of the body significantly softer, particularly when applied immediately after a bath or shower, as essential oils act as humectants, sealing moisture into the skin.

Ingredient Analysis

The main ingredient in Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil is hazelnut oil, comprising 10% of the formulation.  Some practitioners of alternative medicine suggest hazelnut oil has a high protein content that “can help to regenerate cells” and other properties that “accelerate wound healing,” as in the book The Complete Guide to Making Oils, Creams, and Gels: 101 Herbal Cures.  Unfortunately, no research in peer-reviewed scientific journals backs these claims.  Instead, hazelnut oil’s benefits stem from its 85 percent oleic acid content – yes, that is the same primary constituent of olive oil!  Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that is known for moisturizing the skin, but it also penetrates deeply into the skin as well.  In fact, oleic acid enhances the penetration of skin care ingredients to the skin so much, it has been found to aid in the treatment of skin papillomas (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2004) when coupled with alpha-lactalbumin.

Next up is camellia oil, found in 2% concentration.  Of all the ingredients in Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil, camellia has the most skin-firming properties over time, as a study in the journal of Ethnopharmacology found camellia oil can increase collagen production.

Also found in 2% concentration is argan oil.  If you’re a beauty or skin care junkie, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about argan oil in the past few years.  Fortunately, it’s fairly well-deserved, as argan oil has three times the vitamin E of olive oil; hydrates well; and has antioxidant properties.  (Read:  Spotlight On: Argan Oil << FutureDerm.com)

The rest of the oils in Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil can all be found in 1% concentration.  Sweet almond oil is the essential oil most commonly used by massage therapists (About.com). This is because it absorbs into the skin at a pleasant speed and hydrates without becoming too greasy.

Gardenia is claimed by many to have “stimulating properties for the skin” and “relaxing properties for the mind and body” (source: 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols). However, gardenia does not naturally produce any sort of oil.  Therefore, any known beneficial properties of gardenia have been attributed to the fruit, seeds, and flowers, not any sort of manufactured essential oil (not a selling point!).

Jasmine has been proposed to have soothing and antiseptic properties (Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care), but like with hazelnut, most of these claims have not yet been substantiated in mainstream scientific research.

Last but not least, grapeseed oil has been a popular antioxidant for some time now, but it has not yet been proven to have significant anti-aging properties.  As pointed out in Dermatological Surgery, there are “no published clinical trials for the treatment of parameters of extrinsic aging [of grapeseed oil]” to date.  Hm…

Bottom Line

Personally, I would keep use of Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil to the body and hair, and not the face.  My rationale for this is three-fold:

• One, essential oils penetrate the skin more deeply than other types of skin care ingredients, creating a higher potential for irritation.
• Two, of all the ingredients in Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil, only argan oil and Camellia have strong backing for their anti-aging properties in the scientific literature.  That does not necessarily mean the other ingredients do not work as they say, but there are so many other skin care products on the market.  Wouldn’t you rather treat your face to ingredients that are absolutely proven to work?
• Three, Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil has a definite scent.  For cosmetic purposes as well as irritation (well, and my boyfriend’s sake), I do not use fragranced products on my face.

So while I love Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil as a body moisturizer, I would definitely hold off on using this one on my face.  Product Rating: 6.5/10 (High concentration of proven effective ingredients: 2/3.  Unique formulation or new technology: 2.5/3.  Value for the money: 2/3.  Sunscreen: 0/1).

(Read:  Lierac Sensorielle Official Website)

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Ingredients in Lierac Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil

Hazelnut oil (10%) Sweet almond oil (1%) Grapeseed oil (1%) Argan oil (2%) Camellia oil (3%) Jasmine extract (1%) Gardenia extract (1%)