Is Le Prunier, the Facial Oil With a 25K+ Waitlist, Worth the Hype?

There’s a reason Le Prunier’s Plum Beauty Oil has a waitlist in the tens of thousands. The facial oil is sustainably made from the pits of plums, which are said to be superfoods—the high fatty-acid content in the fruit helps to seal cracks in your skin barrier and maintain moisture, and naturally occurring pro-vitamin A and vitamin E nourish parched skin and increase cell turnover. The venture is also a family affair: beauty entrepreneurs Jaqueline, Allison, and Elaine Taylor harvest the plums from their farm in Sutter County, located in Northern California, which has been passed through their family for over 100 years. It also helps that Chrissy Teigen raved about the product during one of her Instagram Live sessions. But does this facial oil actually produce results? Four W editors tested it to find out.

Stephanie Eckardt, Staff Writer

Do you like face oils? If not, why do you steer clear of them?

The only face oil I’ve tried is the GoopGenes “SuperNutrient” one, which I actually enjoyed. I have dry skin and have found that they don’t really hydrate—maybe because I’ve heard conflicting things about whether to use before or after moisturizing. Also, the skin on/around my nose can be oily and prone to blackheads, and it just seems weird to me to add more oil to my face.

Had you heard of Le Prunier prior to Chrissy Teigen discussing it on Instagram Live?

I hadn’t heard of Le Prunier, so I was glad that they included a little paper describing the company and why they use plums. As for Chrissy Teigen, she’s one of the last people who would entice me with an endorsement. But she does have money and access to countless products, and it certainly makes me intrigued that it would apparently change her life!

Describe in detail your experience using Le Prunier.

I could tell immediately that this would be similar to the GoopGenes, in both moisturizing and not feeling sticky. I actually found I could rub it into my hands instead of rinsing it off, as well as to moisturize my arms and hands, which helped with my unfortunate habit of picking my cuticles. I also wasn’t worried that it would stain my pillowcase (I used it before bed in addition to the morning, after washing my face). The scent isn’t my favorite, but I found that it goes away pretty immediately after application. Also, I wish I had noticed sooner that the info sheet mentioned you could use it on your hair, whereas the bottle only mentioned face, body, and décolletage. I plan to give that another go—I was pleasantly surprised to find my hair was silky after using it.

Would you use Le Prunier again?

Definitely. I can see myself using it daily in the winter, and it’s light enough to use in summer, too.

Maxine Wally, Senior Digital Editor

What’s your philosophy on face oils? Do you use them?

Generally speaking, I do not use face oils. My skin is oily as it is, and I’m nervous to add anything too slick onto my acne-prone jawline. However, I have read that some oils are, in fact, acne-fighting and okay for someone like me to use. Le Prunier is one of those oils, so I’m giving it a go.

Did Chrissy Teigen’s comments, in which she said Le Prunier was “holy” and changed her life, sway your opinion on this product at all?

How Chrissy Teigen feels about a beauty product makes very little difference in my life. But “holy” is an interesting way to describe a facial oil, and certainly piqued my interest of Le Prunier, of which I had not heard previous to this.

Describe in detail your experience using Le Prunier.

I know Le Prunier's scent is a controversial topic, but I loved the sweet, fruity fragrance. It reminded me of loquats, or the way that freshly chopped dates smell on a cutting board. It's super light yet sumptuous, and glides on the skin. I used it once a day at night on my face and the backs of my hands. I'd wake up the next morning looking moisturized and refreshed. A colleague of mine suggested I put it on my hair, too—I'll try that next time.

This product has been hyped because of its sustainability factor, along with its celebrity cosign. But did you actually see results?

I did see results when it came to overall glow and evening out my skin tone—I struggle with discoloration and sunspots and I found Le Prunier smoothed that patchiness out. I can't say I saw a marked difference in fine lines and wrinkles, but I personally am very lucky to have few wrinkles at 31 years old. I would definitely use Le Prunier again, and have integrated it into my nightly skincare routine.

Hannah Westbrook, Assistant Visuals Editor

Do you use face oils?

Face oils are hit or miss for me. I tend to use them more in the winter when the dry air makes my skin parched and flaky. Otherwise, the oil just sits on my face. I lean toward serums during the warmer months.

Does Chrissy Teigen’s cosign of Le Prunier influence the way you think about the product at all?

I try not to let celebrity and influencer opinions sway me…

Describe in detail your experience using this product.

I use oils at night so they can absorb into my skin while I’m sleeping. I used this in the evening for a few days. It felt like any other oil in terms of consistency and how it sat on my face. I will say the fragrance was very strong—I’m not a huge fan of perfumed beauty products, especially products that I use on the face. I have quite sensitive skin and it was pretty distracting. I actually started using this on my knuckles, elbows and knees and I had less of an issue with the scent when it wasn’t on my face.

Did Le Pruiner’s sustainability factor change the way you thought about the product?

I love that they are promoting sustainability and I enjoy seeing brands pride themselves on prioritizing environmental awareness. It was interesting to learn the actual science behind how this product works, rather than just believing that a serum or oil will help with little to no information about what’s in the product. It did help moisturize, especially my elbows, but as I mentioned, I unfortunately wasn’t a huge fan of the scent and stopped using it after a while.

Would you use Le Prunier again?

I would recommend it to people who don’t mind a perfume scent. For some reason, it just really affected me and I wish I liked it more because I don’t doubt the product works!

Oona Wally, Senior Visuals Editor

What is your opinion of facial oils? Do you use them?

Yes, but only during winter to seal in my moisturizer. I have dry skin and need a little boost during the colder months.

Describe in detail your experience using Le Prunier.

For the first week, I used Le Prunier every other day. It felt smooth and absorbed well into my skin. I did not really enjoy the smell, it reminded me too much of the prunes I used to be forced to eat as a kid. I did appreciate that the ingredients used in the product shined in terms of smell—it can be concerning when a product is “all natural” and doesn’t smell that way. After a week, I reduced my usage to once a week at night as the weather started to turn warmer and my skin wasn’t as dry. Honestly, I like using Le Prunier most on my hands while I’m watching TV. It’s a luxurious little treatment at the end of the day, and the oil really moisturizes my cuticles. It leaves my hands looking soft and hydrated.

Would you use Le Prunier again?

I definitely would, and do continue to use Le Prunier to this day—it’s a part of my nightly routine now.