Review: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil

But alas, retinol is not a friend to my skin. And I’ve tried many different kinds. My skin is sensitive, extremely dry, and I have eczema. Inevitably, retinol makes my skin flake and become even more sensitive — and sometimes I even get rashes.

I had given up on retinols until I met Luna. Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Oil uses a trans-retinol ester, which is different than most retinol-based products out there. I’m not sure if it’s the other amazing ingredients like avocado, chia seed, or grape seed or this retinol-oil, but this is the one retinol product I didn’t react negatively to.

My first impression was that the product absorbs well and quickly. The blue serum turns clear when massaged onto the face. There isn’t a very greasy feeling, and it works well with other products. After a few days of being in the clear without usual drying skin from retinol use, I started to use this more confidently to see if I would see the promised land of reversed sun damage. Try as I might (and I’m an SPF-fiend), come September, I always have some surface hyperpigmentation and tend to stick to vitamin-C based products to reverse the damage. This fall I used Luna, and I saw heavy-duty results after about three weeks of use. Sunspots cleared up, and my skin looked more revitalized and luminous (although the luminous part could be from the other products I was also using at the time). I wasn’t using anything else to help with hyperpigmentation on a consistent basis, so I attribute the results to this blue bottle.

For retinol-first-timers or who have seen adverse retinol-reactions, this one just might work for you.