When I say Jo Malone, I dare bet that the first thing that comes to your mind is minimalistic tall square bottles of lovely fragrances, with an ivory label down the front. That’s the first thing to come to my mind, at any rate. I think pretty, light scents, wafting through the air.
I dare bet that skincare would not cross your mind. It never crossed mine!
So about a year ago (goodness, has it been that long?!) when this little jar of Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel landed on my desk, I did a double-take. Oh hello? What is this scorcery?
As it turned out, from browsing the Jo Malone store, I found out that they do do a small, select collection of Vitamin E facial skincare products. Not something that really jumps out at the consumer, nor is it something that you’d really be looking at, if I’m to be honest – their strength is in their fragrance range – but it is there. And if I might be so bold as to say so, this Vitamin E Gel is quite something.
The Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel comes in a small black glass jar, with the signature ivory and gold label that you associate with all Jo Malone fragrances. It is deceptively small, which made me overlook it for a while.
And then, I had to get my head around how to use it, because I knew next to nothing about it!
As the name indicates, this is a gel. It is almost like an oil-balm texture in the pot, having a viscosity that makes me think of a clear balm. In many ways, this reminds me a lot of the May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon, with its solid-to-liquid texture. The Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel has a similar sort of texture, where it slowly softens to an almost oil texture on your skin.
This is a Vitamin E Gel, that is supposed to have multiple uses. When I started out, it was due to my skin being irritated. I was going through a bout of skin irritation on my skin, where everything I used seemed to make it angry and bumpy and dry. For a spell, I used a little bit of this thick gel, warmed up between my hands and applied on damp skin, as a one-step treatment. Much to my surprise, it went a ways towards calming my skin, taming the flaky bits, and allowing it to heal and return to normal. I usually use the Blue Cocoon for this purpose, but I found that this served a similar (but not same) function, which is good if you can’t get your hands on Blue Cocoon. However, the price point is close so it’s not necessarily a dupe – just an option.
If your skin is feeling dry, I find that a dab of this gel on the dry, flaky areas helps to soften the skin and help it heal. The texture is rather thick and sticky (Vitamin E oil is similar) so I will warn you that it can feel uncomfortable, if you aren’t into these sort of textures.
However, I find that the benefits outweigh the inconvenience, for it works a treat at keeping chapped lips and flaky skin at bay. You can also mix a dab into your creams or moisturisers for your face and body, just to amp up the moisture element. Vitamin E is well known to help hydrate and heal the skin by encouraging skin to renew itself more quickly, and it is a known antioxidant, which is why it’s used in many products.
Here’s how a dab of it looks – a light clear, golden colour and to be honest, this little dab is a wee bit too much for the face, due to its thick, sticky texture. It will sink into skin, especially if you have dry skin, but it will take a while. I like this as an alternative to vitamin E oils, which I used to use a long time ago, but which fell out of favour with me, because of its texture.
I find that when I use this overnight, like an oil-mask treatment, I wake up with soft skin the next morning almost without fail. This is something absolutely worth having in dry climates and on planes if you travel often. It reminds me of a more comfortable, less smelly version of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (which I incidentally really like using, mind you) 😛
In fact, considering that this is by Jo Malone, there is no scent. It is so strange! I opened the tub, fully expecting to be hit in the face by one of their signature scents. However, there was none. There is no scent except for the smell I’ve associated with Vitamin E oil – a slightly musty “oil” smell.
While I appreciate its use and how I can use it for various things (including scratches and cuts – Vitamin E is known to help the skin heal faster and reduce scarring), I don’t know who I’d recommend this for. Perhaps, this might be for the person who understands the tacky feeling of Vitamin E oil and wants something more portable and easier to use (you’d actually hate it otherwise) or for the person who needs to calm irritated, dry skin. It is also for the person with deep pockets for this precious jar does not come cheap!
But if you think you might fall into this category, then definitely check it out next time you’re at Jo Malone. Walk past the wafting scents and the perfume bar, walk past the helpful SA (politely) and head towards the middle and back of the store, where the little shelf of skincare goodies sit. Then, test this out for yourself. I find it most intriguing!
IN A NUTSHELL
The Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel is a tub of Vitamin E gel in a thick, balm texture. The product will melt a little on contact with the warmth of your skin, and feel almost oily. When massaged into skin, the oil will eventually absorb but you will always have a sheen of oil on the skin, which makes this best used in the evening. I use it as a one-step routine, and it helps calm my skin, boost its hydration and allows me to wake up with soft skin the next morning. It is also amazing at calming flaky skin or dry, irritated skin and chapped lips. Perfect for travel and dry climates. Less perfect for humid weather and oily skin types. I like it very much because it did a lot to soothe and heal my irritated, dry, flaky skin. I now go back to this as an inconsistent “treatment” simply because my skin loves how it feels the next day.
PROS: Not scented, Portable, Nourishes and hydrates dry skin, Calms and reduces flaky skin, Keeps dry skin feeling comfortable, Works very well in dry air to keep skin feeling comfortable, Multi-use and can be used on face and body, Helpful to use on scratches and scars to promote healing (after it’s healed, not while it is still injured)
CONS: Expensive, Feels tacky and oily on skin so may not sit well for everyone
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone willing to spend on a jar of Vitamin E gel
PRICE: RM500+ | US$95 for 30ml
Here is the ingredient list for the Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel.
I’d not deny that it is actually possible to get very affordable Vitamin E oils from pharmacies. I used to be a big proponent of using it to help reduce scars (works, to a degree) and I’d buy whatever I could get from the pharmacy (some, more affordable than others). So, by all means, work within your budget 🙂
Did you know that Jo Malone made skincare as well? Do you have a favourite Vitamin E oil or gel product?
I don’t have any experience with the other Jo Malone Vitamin E skincare products to date, just this. I do however, have a very soft spot for their shower gel and bath and shower oils. I’ll tell you of my faves another day 🙂
Paris B
This is my first time hearing about the brand Jo Malone, I really like its packaging! So elegant yet simple. But the price at RM500+ is sky high haha, and the exchange rate doesn’t help either *sobs*
Ah Jo Malone makes some very pretty perfumes! You can check more about them and their layering technique in this link 🙂 It’s a luxury brand so the price is sort of expected, but still a dent to the wallet!
I was interested when u said it works well for u, and as an overnight mask. But then I saw the price, omg!!! I will go try it out at counter though.
Don’t worry Jean, when I first found out the price, my jaw dropped as well! LOL It’s a lot to pay for a brand that doesn’t specialise in skincare
Luckly it’s not too overly fragranced! Can’t imagine putting Jo Malone fragrance on my face 😀 But it does seem super steep in price.
Me neither Michelle! Lol! I admit my jaw dropped when I was first told of the price. It’s expensive even by JM standards!
The price justified from the highest grade lanolin used? Oh, it has beta carotene as well.
I imagined it to be fragranced from the line of perfume they have.
To be honest, I wouldn’t know much about the use of Lanolin (Never claimed to know a lot about ingredients to be honest, only how it feels) but it is nice. I personally find it hard to justify the price though – it’s steep! Oh and I was expecting fragrance too. It’s nice it doesn’t. But maybe that’s the only nice bit? Haha!