Almost empties - a review of Juice Beauty, Aromatherapy Associates and Yours Truly Organics | Review
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Have you ever used a product for so long it made you think "why have I not run out of it yet?". A realist would suggest this questioning could be because I am not enjoying them as much as I did, which could be true - I have a quick attention span and I like to change up things from time to time otherwise I get bored. The downside of constantly rotating skincare is that most products need consistent use to show their benefits. In addition, I usually just about can finish up a bottle before it's "use before" date. Now, say it takes you 4 month to use a moisturiser. That is fine because most green beauty products are good to be used within 6-12 months since opening. Now imagine you have 4 open bottles of moisturiser and some are need to be used within 6 months of opening. This puts pressure to either use up the one with the shortest use by period or face the fact that after a while you will be using moisturisers which have lost their freshness and maybe even went bad. Apart from wasting product and money and causing some breakouts (ain't nobody got time for that!), this situation is just heart breaking! In addition, this takes up extra storage room in your bathroom. I do not mind having a stash of various unopened bottles and jars tucked away in a box but doing this to my opened products risks of completely forgetting to use them. Of course, it is different if you are using same type of products which are doing different things. For example, I have a number of opened face masks at any one point because I usually have an acid peel mask, a clay based mask, a scrub and a couple of masks from Niod. But I don't see the point of having more than one open hyaluronic acid serum because they will be doing the same thing. You get me?
The first guy I am going to talk about is Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive (VEGAN). For those unfamiliar with Juice Beauty, it is an American company created with mission to "to create organic and natural formulations that perform as well as conventional beauty products yet never compromise on the luxurious experience". Their eco-stance is also impressive - products are certified organic, vegan, cruelty-free (with PETA and Leaping Bunny certification), the packaging is recyclable and ink is soy-based, ingredients are largely locally sourced and solar power is utilised during the manufacturing. Oh, they also donate to 5 charities. The company is not shy from using celebrities to PR their products, such as Alicia Silverstone line (sadly has been discontinued). Their current celebrity 'face' is Gwyneth Paltrow. I was slightly surprised with such choice because there was a lot of online media coverage regarding her face-palming incidents. But hey, it was not my decision and they were not obliged to ask for my humble opinion.
Back to the product. I bought it a good while ago after seeing the massive hype on Youtube. In fact, this was the first acid-peel I have ever tried so I did not know what I should be expecting. This jar is 60ml and I purchased it on Naturisimo for £42.50. You might have noticed I bought a sensitive type. I don't have sensitive skin but the full strength is £48.30. It is a no-brainer choice and if you are unfamiliar with acid peels I would certainly recommend to start with the sensitive type! The instructions are slightly different than those of the full strength type in the sense that there are no recommendations of gradually increasing the usage time - for full strength directions advice to keep the peel on face 5 minutes for the first time you are using it, 10 minutes for the second time and 15 for the third and all the subsequent times. Sensitive type advices to keep for flat 10 minutes. The first time I used the peel I kept it on for 10 minutes and the next day I found my face has patched of peeling skin, as if it got sunburned. Not going to lie, I was slightly nervous my face might fall off but with subsequent uses this was not an issue. In hindsight I wish I used the gradual increase method. The product is promised to target uneven skin tone, blemishes, hyperpigmentation and fine lines. For me, I wanted to clear out my pores and clean up my blemishes. Did it help? Yes. Was it a miracle? Not quite. It certainly made me a fan of acid peeling (even though wearing all year round SPF is now a 'must' rather than 'recommended'). It did decongests my skin but it does not shrink my pores to invisible state or miraculously unplugs every black head (unfortunately).
Let's talk about what's inside the jar - green-yellow gel which has very sharp smell. I cannot describe the scent any better, I do not like it but not in the sense it is overpowering or too fragrant, not at all. It just has some sort of unpleasant note which does not make you want to smell it again. The jar comes with a second lid to make the contents air-tight after opening. It is a jar and with every jar comes great responsibility (that is trying not to introduce an array of new germs every time you dip your fingers to scoop out some peel) - I must admit I prefer pumps and tubes over jars.
Ingredients: Organic juices of pyrus malus (organic apple juice)*, citrus medica limonum (organic lemon juice)*, aloe barbadensis (organic aloe juice)*, glycolic acid, vegetable glycerin, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, sodium hydroxide, caprylhydroxamic acid, xanthan gum, caprylyl glycol, vitis vinifera (grape seed extract), tocopherol (Vitamin E), retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, citric acid.
* = Certified organic ingredient
The summary
The good: very clean list of ingredients yet efficient
The bad: the price will break your bank, or at least will make you question your habits
The notable: celebrity affiliations - are we paying for the name?
Next we will focus on UK brand Yours Truly Organics Balancing Toner (VEGAN). The founder of the brand has suffered from acne in her youth. Being fed up of hiding her skin, she decided to create a line specifically for people who share her problem. Their philosophy is "beautiful skin is achievable using ingredients that are in the best interest of your health". The line includes cleanser, toner, serum and a face balm. That's it. Clear and simple. Ingredients list proudly feature organic however unlike Juice Beauty the price is more moderate (but the range is much smaller too).
One thing I did not like it that the spray tube does not reach the bottom of the bottle (see photo below) so eventually I had to unscrew the nozzle and pour the toner onto cotton pad every time I wanted to use this product. I am not sure if I have a faulty bottle or this needs to be improved for the rest of the stock.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Flower Water*, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Glycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder*, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli Oil)*, Cymbopogon Citratus (Lemongrass Oil)*, Maltodextrin, Oat Beta Glucan, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral***, Linalool***, Geraniol***, Limonene***. * Ingredients from organic farming ** Made using organic ingredients *** Component of natural essential oil 99% of the total ingredients are from natural origin 90% of the total ingredients are from organic farming Natural and Organic Cosmetic certified by Ecocert Greenlife according to Ecocert standard
The summary
The good: Targeted for oily skin types but not stripping or drying
The bad: The website has all products sold out, you need to source in other places
The notable: Simple line with only 4 products
And last, but not the least, Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Skin Serum. Aimed at oily/combi/blemished skin, this serum promises to hydrate the skin while controlling the shine and minimising the pores. The products is a pale yellow gel-like serum which smells of oranges and sinks into the skin like a dream.
The bottle comes in 50ml with a pump mechanism. The cost is £36 which can be a bit breath taking but to be honest this bottle lasted me for more than 6 month! Does it work? To an extent, my shine was slightly less than usual but not vastly reduced. I did not find this to be very effective for me so I would not repurchase it. In addition, the ingredients have silk (so it's not vegan) and carbomer which is a synthetic polymer.
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aqua (Water), Citrus Aurantium Amara (Orange) Flower Water, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serica (Silk), Sodium Carbomer, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Amara (Petitgrain) Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate*, Coumarin*, Geraniol*, Citronellol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, Farnesol*.
*Natural Essential Oil Contents
**Natural Plant Extracts
*Natural Essential Oil Contents
**Natural Plant Extracts
The summary
The good: Never ending! Plus the bottle pump is super efficient at getting the last bits of serum so none is wasted
The bad: Has carbomer which is a synthetic ingredients
The notable: Not vegan because of silk
Plot twist - by the time this post was written I have finished the peel and the serum (whoops!).
Agave Bun x
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