L’Occitane Immortelle 28 Day Divine Renewal Program: 28 days! Challenge accepted!

One of the first things I shared with you when I kickstarted my YouTube channel, was to tell you about this brand new product from L’Occitane. It was a sneak preview back then, because this is only now available in stores, and I was all about tickling your interest!

This, is the L’Occitane Immortelle 28 day Divine Renewal Program, a set of products that promise to transform your skin over 28 days. What you get in a lovely gold box, is 28 vials of oil, corresponding to 4 weeks of specific use.

Containing the oil from the immortelle flower that is known in Corsica to repair and renew skin, each week promises something different to your skin, starting with:-

• Week 1 Gentle Exfoliation – the oil will gently exfoliate your skin to give you more even toned skin
• Week 2 Hydration and Nutrition – After the exfoliation, week 2 nourishes the skin and promises transformation
• Week 3 Balance – Week 3 then balances the skin to make it stronger
• Week 4 Renewal – The final week promises you smoother, more radiant and plumper, rejuvenated skin

What this is therefore, is a whole program to stick to, and I’d note that this is to be considered a “treatment”. So, you don’t use this often. In fact, you are only advised to use this programme once or twice a year (during the change in seasons) to rebalance your skin, as it faces a new season. Well, here in the tropics, you’d be hardpressed to find seasons to face, so you could use it perhaps once a year, just to give skin a kickstart.

This then is what the L’Occitane Immortelle 28 day Divine Renewal Program is. 28 days to a promise of better, more renewed, more radiant skin. Now, the proof as they say, is in the pudding! I was very very excited about the availability of this product, because I’d come across it much earlier in the year on Xiao’s blog. I’d been intrigued ever since, so when I was invited to preview it, I was so quick off the blocks to say yes, you could almost see the electronic dust trails left by my reply LOL! 😀

After a little more than a month, here’s my experience with it. It’s going to be a wee bit long (as per usual 😛 ) so settle down with a cuppa! I just needed to be thorough.

The oils come in single use plastic vials, in strips of 7. There are 4 strips in a pack, conveniently labelled so you know which is which. In case you get the strips mixed up, the week number is also printed on the vial itself. No chance of getting it wrong.

To use, break off a vial (I find it easiest to fold it down the line one way, then fold it back before breaking it off. It’s easier that way), then fold down the top along the line to break the seal, and pour the oil into the palm of your hand. You will get A LOT of oil. I’m a facial oil user, and even I was left wondering “Gee, what do I do with all this oil? It’s more than I use to fry an egg!”

But I was advised to be generous and use it all up without having leftovers, so like a good little girl, I did. The pool of oil is a little hard to manage, and you will find that it will be very VERY VERY oily. There is so much oil, you can apply it all over your face, down your neck to your decolletage and even use on your hands, and still have more to spare! That’s what I did.

I also found that the oils in the different weeks had different textures. Week 1 had a very significantly runny texture, that was almost like water so it was harder to control. Week 2 had a slightly more viscous “oil” texture so it was easier to control by then.

The other thing I found is that because there is so much oil on my skin, it never fully penetrated, and sat on it. So, for most of us, please be prepared to have a very oily face when you get into bed. Be sure you use old pillow cases because it will mark your pillows and sheets. There’s just so much of it.

To help things along for me, what I did after a few days, was to liberally mist my face with rosewater immediately before applying the oil and after. I mean LIBERALLY mist your skin. Misting my skin after I’d applied the oil then massaging it in was helpful too. This makes it easier for the oil to absorb into the skin and cuts some of the oiliness. While L’Occitane suggests that you can use this on its own or under a moisturser, there was no way I could use a moisturiser simply because of all that oil. So I thought that since this oil felt hydrating enough, perhaps it would do. I think that’s where I went wrong.

You see, I have been a little less than effusive about how effective this product is because I couldn’t complete the full 28 days. I’d love to have been able to tell you that this has changed my skin, or that I ended up with skin so radiant it looked like the sun was shining when I walked by.

But unfortunately, I took an enforced break after Week 2. I started out with skin that wasn’t too problematic. I didn’t have spots or signifcant bumps or problems. It was looking a bit dull, which was something I wanted to address.

Week 1 – The oil was very runny and liquid with a green grass smell, like that of cut grass. The oil, although light, tended to sit on my skin without doing much. After I hit upon misting my skin to help it along, it felt more comfortable, but it still felt like I had an oil mask on every night. I couldn’t put on any other skincare, and decided to use it on its own. Within the first few days, I noticed that my skin was feeling softer, especially in the day when I didn’t have the oil on. Week 1 was supposed to exfoliate skin, and after about 3 days, I started noticing some bumps appear on my skin around my jawline.

Week 2 – In week 2, the oil was a little thicker with less of a grassy scent. I still used the misting method to get it to feel more comfortable on my skin, but there was still a lot of product and it still felt like a mask. There was so much, the oil actually would sometimes drip down the sides of my face. So be very careful. I don’t know maybe I have small hands or something. But I noticed that by week 2, the bumps on my skin weren’t going away but were growing and “merging”, and I was starting to get bumps along my cheeks.

At this point, I’d pause and tell you that I faced my teen and early adult years with bad acne, with scarring that has only just started to fade, with time. I came from a time and place when information about acne and knowledge of dermatologists was few and far between, and the only way I got through it was through sheer perseverance and will. It’s no wonder I’m this fascinated with skincare, really. In recent years, since I started blogging over 8 years ago, my skin has been fairly well behaved and in these 2 years, I’ve had the best skin I’ve ever had. So to me, bumps or breakouts anywhere on my face is a sure sign something is wrong and I never ever turn the other cheek. I’ve been there and I’m never going back there.

With that bit of personal history in mind, when I completed Week 2, and realised the bumps on my skin which appeared to be clogged pores, weren’t going anywhere but were multiplying, I have to say that when my hands hovered over the strip of oils for Week 3, my will faltered, and I regretfully closed the box.

Within 4 days of stopping this programme, I noticed that the bumps had stopped “spreading” and within a week, I’d gotten my skin back to normal, with lots of exfoliation and drenching it with moisture. 2 weeks thereafter, it was as if, the ugly bumpy, clogged skin episode had never happened.

I still haven’t gone back to Week 3 and Week 4. I realise that by now, if it was supposed to operate as part of a programme, it would make absolutely no sense to use them again. So what I might do is just use them periodically, just so they don’t go to waste.

I noticed that Xiao mentioned in her experience the bumps appearing for her in Week 2 as well. While I’m not sure if we had the same experience, I salute her for perservering and completing the programme. She mentioned that the oil isn’t suitable to use on its own in the harsh winters. I’d agree. The oil isn’t hydrating enough for skin especially if you have dry skin.

But I live in the tropics, and while I have dry skin, it’s not chronic. Besides, if you do try this oil, you’ll know that it’s nigh impossible to put anything else over your face once you have this oil on. Perhaps under? But I felt that it might then prevent this oil from working at its best? I don’t know to be honest. If you plan to try this, please quiz the sales people till they can give you a definite answer.

All I know is that when I stopped, the bumps on my skin went away and that is my unfortunate experience with this 28 Divine Renewal Oil Program.

I’m not saying this is a bad product however. I will tell you that there are any number of people online who have tried it (It’s been available elsewhere in the world for longer so do your research) and have found it useful for them to give skin a kickstart and reboot. I’m just not one of them, which could be to do with the ingredients or the technique or even just the lack of moisture. I can’t say. All I’d say is bear everything in mind and go into this with your eyes open, and if you do try it and love it, please share your experience with me! 🙂

IN A NUTSHELL

The L’Occitane Immortelle 28 day Divine Renewal Program is an at home skincare treatment program for 28 days to stronger, more radiant skin. The box contains 28 vials of oil that you apply on your skin each night for 28 days, with each week performing a different function. Each vial does contain a lot of oil, so do be careful with applying it and be prepared to have a very oily face, neck, decolletage and hands. I find that misting your skin with some rosewater helps it absorb more easily, but you will still end up with a lot of oil. I couldn’t complete the full programme as I broke out after Week 1 and 2. There are others who have attested to positive results so it’d be advised to do a bit of research before splurging. I don’t think this is one for the young ‘uns however. Perhaps if you’re in your 30’s and up and feel like your skin needs a reboot, then you might be a candidate. But younger than that, you’re just wasting your money IMO 😛

PROS: Well labelled and packaged to make it easy to follow, Skin felt softer almost immediately after first use (before I broke out), Pleasant scent

CONS: Very messy as there is a lot of oil in each vial, It’s hard to get the product out of the vial, Not hydrating enough on its own if you have dry skin

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who feels their skin needs a reboot and is familiar with using face oils

If you squint a little, here’s the ingredient list for each of the weeks’ oils. They’re a little different to suit the different requirements and functions.

Have you tried this 28 day Divine Renewal Program? Did you notice a significant difference to your skin? Is this something you’re interested in?

I was crazy fascinated by this when I first heard about it, so I feel sad that it didn’t work for me. One of those things, I suppose. But if you’ve tired this and you’ve experienced positive results (or even negative ones) please do share. I’m curious as the proverbial cat! 😀

Paris B

L’Occitane Immortelle 28 Day Divine Renewal Program 28 x 1ml Price: RM588 | £85 | US$130 Availability: L’Occitane stores and online (MY) USA, UK