This cult, royal-approved brand has been making the best body care for 100 years—now, their foray into skincare has my seal of approval

I’m all for creating little moments of luxury in my beauty routine however, if I’m being honest, it’s something I struggle to make time for. While it’s all well and good for us beauty editors to preach about the importance of taking time out for self-care with at-home facials and intensive body care routines, more often than not, you’ll find me hastily slathering on a concoction of serums and moisturisers because I’ve overslept. That’s not to say I don’t want my products to create a self-care moment, but rather that they need to deliver too. So, when I heard that body care brand Olverum was launching into skincare and that they promised to bring their years of aromatherapy know-how into an edit of supercharged facial products, I just had to know more.

If you haven’t heard of Olverum before now, don’t worry. Although the brand has over 100 years of heritage behind them, they’ve flown relatively under the radar until recently. Founded in the 1920’s, up until this year they’ve focused solely on body care, creating products that combine luxurious formulations with the wellness benefits of essential oils. In that time they’ve racked up an impressive list of fans including Amanda Holden and skincare expert, Caroline Hirons. It’s even rumoured that you can find Olverum body oils in many of the royal families' stately homes.

And, it’s this level of luxury that I hoped their newest launches would bring to my skincare routine. Made up of just four products: a cleansing balm, two moisturisers and a facial oil, Olverum’s first foray into skincare is concise and considered. What sets Olverum apart from other skincare brands, however, is that alongside delivering efficacy in terms of formulations and ingredients, each of their products are infused with aromatherapy oils that aim to turn the simple process of using them into a sensorial spa-like experience. I’ve been putting them to the test for a few weeks now and I’m ready to share my thoughts.

A beauty editors review of Olverum’s skincare range

1. Olverum Alpine Revive Cleansing Balm

I’m a huge fan of a cleansing balm so I was excited to try Olverum’s version. What first caught my attention was its colour. Rather than a traditional white or yellow tone, Olverum’s cleanser is black. This is due to Alpine Heilmoor Extract, a type of therapeutic mud, which is known for deeply cleansing the skin while also strengthening and supporting the skin barrier. Alongside this, you’ll also find plant-based squalene and rice bran wax to hydrate while a blend of eucalyptus, juniper and rosemary oils give it a calming, and almost medicinal scent.

On the skin, it has a slightly grainy texture which gently exfoliates making this a great cleanser for removing stubborn makeup. It then emulsifies easily and washes off to leave skin feeling hydrated but not greasy. Rather than feeling like a chore, this is a cleanser I look forward to using at the end of the day, which for me proves it’s worth.

2. Olverum Procellular Defence Day Cream

Designed to protect, strengthen and boost skin’s radiance, Olverum’s day cream offers triple threat appeal. To do this, it’s infused with an antioxidant complex of vitamin-c packed algae, reishi mushroom, known to improve skin elasticity, and cica, which calms and soothes.

I’ve been testing it for a few weeks now and I have to say I’m pleasantly impressed. While I imagined this would be a heavy, thick cream, it’s actually incredibly lightweight with an almost gel-like texture. This means it sinks into the skin quickly yet leaves no sticky or wet residue like traditional gel creams. Instead, my skin looks smooth and hydrated with a soft matte glow.

3. Olverum Procellular Defence Night Cream

By comparison, the night cream is everything you’d hope a night cream would be. Rich and nourishing, it feels like an indulgent treat to apply and use. What’s great about this formula is that it’s designed to work in harmony with your skin's circadian rhythm, restoring your skin while you sleep. This means you’ll find retinoids and niacinamide to boost collagen production and hydrate respectively.

What I love most about this night cream, though, is the scent. Drawing on the brand's extensive knowledge of aromatherapy, it combines a blend of lavender, chamomile and ylang-ylang oils, all which work to promote a more restful night's sleep. I like to slather on a thick layer of this before heading to bed to really let it get to work.

4. Olverum Pure Radiance Facial Oil

If there’s one product Olverum is known for, it’s their oils, and so I had high hopes for the newly launched facial variation. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t disappoint—this is an oil that gives you that spa-like feeling at home. Rather than simply focusing on hydrating the skin, this supercharged formula contains a blend of vitamin A, to boost collagen, vitamin F, to support the skin barrier and vitamin E, to nourish. The result is an oil that not only leaves skin looking soft and hydrated but will also work to reduce fine lines and boost skin health over time. For best results, Olverum suggests applying this using a facial massage technique, so I've been opting for this when I have a little more time to allow it to better work into the skin.