Before anything else, I just want to send my love to everyone who was affected by the awful events that happened in Paris last evening. My heart aches thinking about how devastating reality has been for you during the past day.
I am back with an overdue review of a skincare product that I have been using for a few months. I only took a temporary break from it three weeks ago, while giving the Kypris Antioxidant Dew* a try (which did not work for my skin at all, as I mentioned in this post). The Antioxidant Dew left my skin more congested than it had not been in a long time. After quitting the Dew, I went straight back to the Yuli M.E. Skin Fuel and my skin cleared out in a couple of days. Not a coincidence, for sure.
The M.E. Skin Fuel is a lightweight serum oil, possibly the lightest in the Yuli range in terms of consistency. The blend includes several plant oils and no essential oils at all. It does, however, have a very light jasmine-esque scent. Below is a breakdown of the key ingredients.
What’s in it
The first ingredient in the serum is Jojoba oil, which has a pretty clean record when it comes to blemish-prone skin. Most people with acne can safely use Jojoba oil as it is known to be non-comedogenic. It is also a source of fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory benefits¹. Jojoba can be used on several skin conditions, such as infections and wound healing, and has some benefits on aging skin. Jojoba oil is also know to provide long-lasting hydration to the skin².
The second ingredient is my all time favorite beauty oil, Argan. I already wrote a post (which you can read here) about some of the benefits of Argan oil, especially for combination and oily skin. Argan is known to have some balancing properties and somehow help “containing” sebum production. A more recent study³, has also highlighted the effective anti-aging benefits of Argan oil, making it a good option for mature skin as well.
The third ingredient is Apricot Kernel oil. This one is also know to be a great option for more oily skin types, as it seems to absorb very well and not leave a greasy layer on the skin. Apricot Kernel oil is also rich in vitamin E, and of course, fatty acids.
The fourth ingredient is one of stars of the game, Black Cumin Seed oil. According to several studies, Black Cumin has strong pharmacological potential in dermatology. Some of the effects that have been noted are: reduction of skin irritation, improvement of skin hydration, and improvement of the epidermal barrier⁴. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
Fifth ingredient is Pomegranate oil. According to a study, pomegranate oil may reduce UVB induced sun damage, such as wrinkles and inflammation⁵, due to a compound called Ellagic acid⁶.
Next, there’s Red Raspberry Seed oil. It is high in Vitamin A and E, and like Pomegranate oil, it’s rich in Ellagic acid. RRSO is also known to provide some UV protection, although scientists don’t recommend using it as sunscreen of choice until further studies and tests have taken place (they have not determinate the spf value). This is why I consider the M.E. Skin Fuel an excellent face serum for daytime, as it does not carry the photo-toxic risks that other face oils do.
Broccoli Seed oil has gain a bit of popularity among face oils because it has a silky texture that is very similar to silicone (it has a smooth, almost slippery feel to it). It is a source of sulforaphane, which has shown some protection from UV-caused, skin photo damage.
Sea Buckthorn is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients. It was shown to promote collagen production⁸. Like Broccoli Seed oil, it has some UV protecting properties⁹.
What the brand says about it
Yuli Skincare describes the M.E. Skin Fuel as “a precisely blended nutrient cocktail for skin loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, lipids, minerals, and phytonutrients suitable for all skin types, especially for younger and blemish prone skin. This silky textured, 100% plant based bioactive facial oil is fuel for skin to optimize its condition. Precious organic key actives such as Pomegranate Seed and Apricot Kernel fend off environmental and stress induced damage while repairing, renewing and stimulating skin on a cellular level. This potent nutrient powerhouse is ideal for those with normal to combination and blemish-prone skin as it calibrates sebum levels and speeds up recovery from skin damage. The transformative, multitasking Skin Fuel acts as food for skin, delivering optimal active nutrients daily to enhance skin quality, perfect cell function, and prevent premature aging. Your skin will be left clear, nourished, rejuvenated, and velvety soft.
How I use it
Morning and evening, after cleansing. I first spritz some hydrating mist (I just moved onto a new bottle of the MUN No 11 Anarose Toner* after finishing a bottle of Metamorphic Elixir). Next, while my skin is still damp, I apply 3-4 drops of the M.E. Skin Fuel face serum, (which comes with a glass dropper that allows for careful dispensing of the product), gently patting it all over my face until it’s evenly distributed (even around my eyes). At night, I usually add 1-2 more drops. Alternatively, I spritz a little toner into the palm of my hand, and then dispense a few drops of serum into it and apply onto the skin. This has become my favorite method of application lately, because I avoid getting face mist into my hair, I use less face mist, and the mix goes on so smoothly, covering my entire face and neck. I could probably get away with less product, but I like to use just a little extra.
My results
Honestly, I did not expect to love this serum as much as I now do, to the point that I will get a new bottle soon (I am actually almost out of it! I probably have just another 3-4 days of use.). I had great results with the Yuli Liquid Courage Antioxidant Serum and thought that no serum could have topped that one. Instead, my skin has been so healthy and balanced while using this serum that I even had some wow! moments looking at my skin in the morning. I have plenty of skin imperfections, and some of them (my very old sun spots, for example) would probably require medical treatments to be corrected, but I think that everything that a face serum could do for my skin in terms of improvement (balance, hydration, protection), I have experienced it all with this serum. In addition to that, I find that the lightweight, silky texture of the M.E. Skin Fuel works well under makeup (better than any other face oil I have tried).
For these reasons, I absolutely recommend giving this serum a try, if it fits your budget (it’s on the expensive side; just a little below $100). However, I must say that with Yuli skin care I never feel like I am over-paying, especially when I compare them to the some other luxury, green beauty brands. I often feel like I could make some of those products myself, mixing up the ingredients in my kitchen and get the same exact quality. The quality of the Yuli ingredients is, to my knowledge, as high as it can get. The formulas are carefully tested, and they are free of the ingredients I want to avoid in my products, such as essential oils and photo-toxic ingredients.
Just a quick FYI. I was once asked if I work for Yuli, since I feature their products quite often. Not only do I NOT work for them (I have never even met anyone who works at Yuli), I have never been sent any samples for editorial consideration, nor have any of their retailers sent me free products. I only give them glowing reviews because their products work very well for my skin and have worked great for many of my readers who have tried them.
The M.E. Skin Fuel serum can be purchased at Yuli Skincare.
Sources:
¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24442052
²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19146603
³https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25673976
⁴https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352241015000286
⁵https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007340/
⁶https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20113347
⁷https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077285/
⁸https://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=21393126
⁹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10552673