little white truths

We received this oil in Marie Claire's Autumn 2016 Edit of The Parcel (reviewed here). 

I was pleased to see it because I'd never heard of Crop before and I'm always up for testing products from new brands, and since I'm dry all over and always have been - face, body, hair, you name it - there'll always be a place for a multipurpose oil like this in my collection.

Unfortunately it's not the greatest oil I've tried when it comes to the face - more on that below - but it works beautifully on my expanding belly (yep, I'm up the duff again), so I'll happily finish off the bottle and enjoy it for that.

Crop claims/product details:

• A nutrient-rich, high density, 100% natural oil 
• Multipurpose: can be used as a cleanser, an anti-ageing face and body treatment, or as a hydration-booster for hair and nails
• As a facial cleanser, it cleans deeply to remove makeup and impurities from the skin without drying
• Oleic acid properties in macadamia oil help hydrate the skin
• Linoleic acid properties help prevent water loss from skin tissue
• Palmitoleic acid properties help delay the deterioration of skin cells, making macadamia oil an essential ingredient in fighting the signs of ageing
• No parabens, phthalates or sulphates
• Cruelty free
• Store in a cool, dry, dark place
• RRP $18 AUD for 50ml
• For more information or to learn more about Crop as a brand, see its website here.

Verdict

This is an ok product and you have to love its low price-point. After receiving my bottle from The Parcel, I've noticed that you can find it in Coles - so it's readily available and it's worth hanging around for specials if you're interested in trying anything from the range.

It's a super thick oil with a barely detectable nutty scent. It's the thickness of the oil that bothers me, and this is why I don't feel it's suitable for most of its intended uses - even for my dry, dehydrated skin.

As a facial cleanser, it does dissolve makeup and grime but it's so thick that it's a nightmare to remove: I need to double cleanse with good products and hot water in the shower after using this, so I wouldn't recommend it for a morning cleanse unless you're happy to leave a nourishing/oily film on your face after use (which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you need the added hydration).

As a facial moisturiser, I have the same issue - it's so thick that I'm aware of it on my skin for ages after use and I do wonder how much is actually being absorbed, given that the product stays put and you can feel it, even the morning after if you apply it as an overnight treatment.

I've tried it on my hair and the story is the same. While it does make my hair look shiny, I can feel it when I touch my hair and it reduces the time between washes. Again, I wonder how much is being absorbed, since I have other oils that I use on my dry hair and I can't feel them after they've sunk in.

Maybe the product is being absorbed on my face and hair, but it's so thick that there's always going to be a residue left behind. In any event, I personally prefer facial and hair oils that are thinner and seem to vanish into my skin with no greasy after-feel.

Fortunately I love using this on the expanding regions of my body as they balloon during pregnancy. I'm hoping the product will keep those areas supple and help prevent any stretchmarks, if indeed any product can actually do this since stretchmarks are largely hereditary and there's not a lot you can do about them.

It's also good as a treatment for dry tootsies: just whack it on before bed and throw on some comfy socks, and you'll wake up with baby-smooth feet.

I guess the other thing to note is that, even though this product is priced reasonably, I'm getting through it faster than I do other oils because it's so thick and it's not one of those 'a little goes a long way' products because it doesn't spread as well as other oils.

All in all, I can find a use for this product but it's not my favourite - and if someone with dry, dehydrated skin finds this too heavy and rich, I can imagine that lasses with oily skin might run for the hills when they test this!

An ok product but worth testing before purchase just to check you're ok with the texture.