Clarins Calm-Essentiel Restoring Treatment Oil

This restoring treatment oil is presented in a white glass bottle with a dropper to deliver the oil. The outer cardboard packaging is also the Clarins white with lots of very small writing. The oil itself is clear & has very little perfume. Ingredient information states it is 98% natural and contains a clary sage extract, apricot oil and camellia oil - all of which are known to have soothing, nourishing and restoring effects on all skin types, but particularly sensitive skin. I used this at night after cleansing and normally mixed it in with the emulsion. Despite all the properties the ingredients have & on paper this should be very beneficial, this is my least favourite of the 3 products, as it took quite a time to absorb, and leaves a slight film. It's hard to tell when using the whole regime whether it makes a difference on it's own. I have put some on the back of one of my hands, with no other products - but it has only been a few days and to date apart from a bit more expected hydration, there have been no noticeable differences. Time might prove differently? I am on the fence - again it is expensive - over $90 - so it probably wouldn't make the cut.

This comes in a heavy, opaque glass bottle with a rubber dropper and an excellent seal – perfect for keeping the contents stable and uv-protected, and for dispensing precise amounts of product (which I found particularly useful for this oil). Very classy-looking too, and pretty in pink and white.

The floral scent is like the others in the range: pleasant enough but really strong - at least for me. (As a sensitive-skin girl, my face products are almost all fragrance-free.) I was a bit concerned about this, but the fragrance didn't cause a reaction. However, it was stronger, more floral, and longer-lasting (lingering for hours) than I would personally like. Not a deal-breaker though.

The oil itself is a nice, clean consistency; not gluggy, not watery. And it's definitely gentle. Leading up to the trial, my skin was tight, sore, dry and uncomfortable and stingingly reactive to my usual, gentle moisturisers. First night of the trial, I used the oil on its own, and it felt comfortable. Big tick. BUT it was nothing like as soothing and moisturising as the Calm Essentiel Emulsion, and it didn't melt into my skin nicely; it gradually matted down, but even then it felt a bit like a coating on my skin rather than a hydrating drink. This might be normal for an oil (I don't generally use them), but I didn't like the feel of it at all. I stuck with it for that week (doing my due diligence as a good little reviewer :)), but switched to using it as an additive to boost the hydration of my moisturiser (the Emulsion in the same range) – and that worked much better, although it made my face a bit slicky-looking, so I'd only use it at night.

Just two or three drops covered my whole face and neck, so the product would last me a year or more probably! So even though it's very expensive, it's very economical.

It seems counterintuitive, but I think if you had highly reactive skin that's oily or even maybe normal (or if you just generally like facial oils), this oil could be wonderful; economically better than the Emulsion, and just as gentle and effective (the key ingredients are the same), plus more flexible in its use. So while I'd highly recommend it for certain people, it's definitely not one for me.

To provide some context, I have very dry sensitive skin with rosacea. The type of rosacea I have its red hot skin with occasional pustules which is basically acne. My skin can get very dry and I needed something ultra hydrating.

I used this oil in combination with the soothing emulsion cream. I have not had a flakey face for two weeks. This is incredible stuff. If you suffer from super dry skin, this will be your saviour.

The fragrance is beautiful and luxurious.

The only downside is that it has made me breakout. This was to be expected.

I haven't use a facial oil in a while so was unsure what to expect from this product when I received it as part of the trial group. Firstly, the bottle is nice and solid and certainly holds a more than generous amount of product (a little goes a long way). Secondly, the dropper that dispenses the oil seemed to be a bit defective - as the oil did not hold very well inside.

The oil itself was less heavy and greasy than I had anticipated. It was a simple, clear oil with a mild and inoffensive scent. I attempted to apply it by itself the first few times but the instructions on application or process in-conjunction with other beauty routines was not clear so I reverted to mixing it in with the Clarins' emulsion. This seemed more effective and left my skin feeling very soft and supple before bed (I used it as part of my night time routine). I would suggest using the oil only at night unless you have severely dry skin as oils tend to be heavier and need more time to soak in.

I received this serum to try in combination with an emulsion (moisturiser) and a green-tinted face cream, all designed to soothe red, sensitive skin.

First impressions? That is a beautiful, generous-sized bottle of serum. This baby is going to last me a while!

The bottle has a nice wide base, so it doesn't get knocked over easily, and is a simple, standard screw top lid with dropper application. This is nice as it allows me to use as much or as little as I want.

I used this serum by combining a couple of drops with the emulsion and applying it to my face in the evening. It kept my skin hydrated and nourished. I liked that I could apply it on its own or mixed with the emulsion. Mixing is fast for lazy people like me, but layering would provide heavy-duty protection.

On the downside, Clarins are not hot at providing instructions. I had been mixing the serum with the emulsion (a suggestion I did find on the box), but partway through the trial Beauty Review contacted me with more information about use - including the information that the serum should be used last. I would have assumed the emulsion should be used last, so this was helpful information. However, Clarins should do us a solid and put that information on the box!

All up, this is a versatile product and good value for money for the Clarins Calm-Essentiel range.

I was thrilled to be selected to trial Clarins Calm- Essentiel Restoring Treatment oil and have been raving about it since its first use! The product is contained in a heavy bottle and is distributed using a pipette. The oil is scented with clary sage and musk coming across clearly. I used the treatment oil in the evenings, after cleansing and moisturising. I dispensed a few drops into my palms and warmed the oil up and then used long strokes to apply to my face and neck. My skin drank up the treatment oil and I just adored the smell- it’s very grounding. I found the oil to be perfect for my red, wind chapped skin- when I woke in the morning after using it, my skin was plump, soft and clear. As this product contains protective properties, I am excited to see the long term benefits that come with continued use.

I've been using the Soothing Emulsion in conjunction with the Restoring Oil for the last 10 days.

The oil has a very mild and pleasant scent and a couple of drops goes a long way when mixed with the Soothing Emulsion.

I needed three pumps of the emulsion along with three drops of the oil to cover my face (four of each to also cover my neck with a little on the backs of my hands - which have also benefitted from this treatment). The oil was absorbed by my skin relatively quickly and was non-greasy.

After the fourth day I noticed some small breakouts, so dropped the oil back to every second day, which worked fine with no more breakouts.

Overall I have noticed a definite reduction in my rosacea and redness in my skin. I am very prone to blushing, which is normally a prickly burning sensation on my face and neck, however this has also toned down since using this regime and is not so painful/annoying.

Overall I'm pleased with these products and they have achieved good results on my skin as they promised. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone suffering from redness and rosacea.

Fantastic product, smells so good, easy to apply, you don’t need much. The packaging is simple and very informative, and made from recycled and ethically sourced materials.

I read somewhere that you can use this as a stand-alone treatment, and it really works so well! Before using this oil treatment, my skin was dry, itchy, flakey, red, unevenly toned, and sensitive. I have been using the entire regime which includes redness corrective and emulsifying creams, but the star of the show is this restorative treatment oil! I use this day and night. During the day it helps to prep my skin for makeup and keeps it moisturised all day long! At night time it really has a chance to soak up all the goodness and I wake up looking bright and clear.

Since using this oil I’ve noticed a massive improvement in my skin tone, plumpness, and even my under eye wrinkles have started diminishing!

Can’t find a single fault. I’d pay whatever they were asking for another bottle :p

I was a bit unsure when to use this at first (ie before or after the emulsion as a few oils I have used in the past have been applied before the final moisturizer step) however we got some great tips from Clarins and they said to use it as a last step.

Using this in the evening is great as you can really layer it on for extra treatment without worrying about how makeup will go on over it! The texture is quite thin, and I lost a fair few drops when I opened the bottle. The dropper gives you good control to put as little or as many drops on your skin as you want and then a gentle massage in with fingertips distributes it easily enough. I added extra to my forehead as I get quite dry in cold weather and it worked a treat! My skin felt super soft in the morning after using this!