There has seldom been a product that created a bigger hype than the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil. Despite its hefty price tag, you probably saw it in about a dozen 2015 favorites from countless bloggers and Youtube stars.

The oil, which some claim has transformed their skin and changed their lives, comes in a pretty blue bottle, while the product itself has a dark cobalt color, almost like ink. I’ve tested the sleeping oil for a couple weeks now and it does indeed perform the magic everyone raves about. This made me curious about what is actually inside this dreamy azure bottle.

What stands out the most is the ingredient blue tansy, also known as Moroccan chamomile, which is a frequently used ingredient in ancient Chinese medicine. Blue tansy is said to have a calming and re-balancing effect and also causes the oil to be an ultramarine color, or at least I thought so.
However, if you peer down to the bottom of the bottle, you’ll quickly notice that this product contains CI 61565 green and CI 60725 violet, which are chemical dyes that are responsible for the extremely deep blue color.

You might think that this doesn’t necessarily have to be a deal breaker, right? It is after all only color. Think again: the above mentioned particular dyes are no longer allowed for use in color textiles within the Europe Union, since tests have shown that they are actually cancer producing. This is a fact that most bloggers neglect to mention as they praise this dreamy bottle as their holy grail. Would you really want to put an ingredient that is not even safe enough to be used in the clothing industry on your bare face every night?

An organic alternative: May Lindström’s Blue Cocoon

Through my research I came across May Lindström and her Blue Cocoon balm. This amazing concoction not only has the same prominent blue color, it is also rich not only in blue tansy but also Lavender Oil, Shea Butter and Camelia Seed Oil. The best part of all is, that May Lindström is an organic brand, only using ingredients that are cruelty free, wild crafted, sustainably produced and organic. You will not find any parabens, sulphates, silicones, artifical dyes or gluten in their products. This all speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

The big test: comparing the effect of both products

Even though I hesitated to use the Luna Oil again, I wanted to try out both skin care products and directly compare them by putting Blue Cocoon on the right side of my face and the Luna Oil on the left side of my face. The goal: to find out which part of my face would look better and healthier after letting the treatments sink in overnight.
I count myself as one of those people who haven’t been blessed with perfect skin. I went through the very typical and harsh acne phase as a teen, leaving a lot of scaring on my face. My other concern has always been balancing out my combination skin. Meaning, I try to combat the oily demons on my T-Zone while nourishing the dry patches on my cheeks. This is an act that is hard to perform most days as my skin is also extremely sensitive and does not like harsh cleansers or certain ingredients. Nevertheless, I try a lot of products, always looking for something to improve my skin’s texture and even out my complexion.

The application of Blue Cocoon feels almost luxurious. As soon as it comes into contact with body heat, the balm melts into a light oil, making it super easy to apply. I only used a small dab and my skin absorbed the balmy oil really quickly.

From the Luna oil you just need a few tiny drops, which I massaged right onto my cleansed skin with my fingertips. Make sure to dampen your skin right before, as it will help for all products that contain oil to be absorbed more quickly. Neither of the two products left behind a greasy residue, so after you can just jump right into bed.

In the morning, still half asleep, I stumbled towards my mirror and flipped it around for the slightly scary, magnifying side. My skin looked even, no redness or dark circles under the eyes. What I definitely noticed was that the pores of my skin on the side that I moisturized with Blue Cocoon were almost undetectable. Especially around my nose where I tend to struggle with large pores, the effect was just incredible. Also, my foundation just glided on so much better, and it looked great all day long. I kept using blue cocoon and can also recommend it as a primer, as it perfectly prepares your skin for all your makeup steps.

My final thoughts
If you struggle with inflammation, and your skin likes to act up like mine does, go invest in Blue Cocoon. Not only is it organic and sustainable, it’s also a real treat for sensitive, troubled skin. The smell itself is enough to calm me down in the evening and the balm has just the right consistency. It leaves your skin feels moisturized and nourished but not overly oily. The Luna Oil might feel like an obvious choice, but it certainly cannot keep up with ‘heaven in a jar’ by May Lindström.