free samples from omorovicza

There is something to be gained from subscribing to every beauty retailer out there: occasionally, you get a freebie! Omorovicza are currently offering free samples from their Moor Mud Collection, which includes the Refining Facial Polisher, Thermal Cleansing Balm and Deep Cleansing Mask. The link is here :)

Review: Decleor Aroma Lisse Energising Smoothing Cream SPF 15 [updated]

Hello! I’m becoming SO tardy with posting >.< Sorry. I feel like I do have reason to apologise because I’m getting quite a lot of hits from people searching for the ingredients in Decleor’s Energising Smoothing Cream (SPF 15) (£52/50ml) from the new Aroma Lisse range - which are nowhere to be found on my blogge. Sorry for the disappointment :( DECLEOR HOW ABOUT PUBLISHING SOME INGREDIENTS LISTS INSTEAD OF SENDING PEOPLE TO TRAWL THE INTERNET YEAH?

Anyhoos I’ve typed it up now so you’ve come to the right place! It took me a while to get round to it because the list is absolutely mahoussive. Like literally, not even figuratively, it’s the longest I’ve seen with 50+ ingredients o.O

Here we go….

Aqua (water)

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate - an emollient & thickening agent

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate - (AKA Octinoxate) Filters UVB rays [chemical filter]

Butylene Glycol - a ‘slip agent’

Ethylhexyl Salicylate - (AKA Octyl Salicylate) Absorbs UVB rays [chemical filter]

Beheneth-25 - a surfactant

Dimethicone - silicone

Beheneth-10 - a surfactant

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane - (AKA Avobenzone) Absorbs full-spectrum of UVA rays. [chemical filter]

Glycerin - a humectant

Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil - Contains Vitamin E. Helps repair the skin and reduce inflammation.

Mica - Mica is translucent and is often added to face powders because of its light reflecting quality, making skin look smoother and more radiant.

Cyclopentasiloxane - silicone

PEG-32 - emulsifier/thickening agent

PEG-6 - humectant

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloydimethyl Taurate Copolymer - stabiliser

Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil - anti-inflammatory properties

Phenyl Trimethicone - silicone

PEG-6 Isostearate - emulsifier

Aluminium Hydroxide - protects the skin

Parfum (Fragrance)

Phenoxyethanol - preservative

Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid

Propylene Glycol - a ‘delivery agent’

Stearyl Alcohol - a fatty alcohol

Triethanolamine - PH balancer

Caprylyl Glycol - a preservative

Dimethicone Crosspolymer - silicone

Limonene - fragrance ingredient

Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract - Ginger leaf extract

Pentylene Glycol - skin conditioning agent

Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract - moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties.

CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) - protects against short but not long UVA rays and UVB. (Zinc Oxide is broad spectrum, i.e. most UVA and UVB) [physical filter]

Xanthan Gum - thickening agent

Disodium EDTA - chelating agent

Polysorbate 60 - emulsifier & surfactant

Sorbitan Isostearate - fatty acid, emulsifying agent

Tocopherol - AKA Vitamin E

Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil - astringent properties. Can cause skin irritation

Citral - fragrance ingredient

Sodium Hyaluronate - a humectant

Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil - antioxidant properties

Hesperetin Laurate - anti-oxidant, humectant

Citrus Aurantium (Bergamot) Bergamia Fruit Oil - Astringent properties, apparently phototoxic

Citrus Nobilus (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil - Decleor have apparently proven that the anti-oxidant powers of mandarin essential oil helps maintain skins’ youthfulness (in vitro tests)

Biosaccharide Gum-1 - smoothes dry/damaged skin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride - an emollient

Linalool - Fragrance ingredient

Panax Ginseng Root Extract - Anti-oxidant properties

Methylisothiazolinone - preservative

Ethylhexylglycerin - smoothes dry/damaged skin

Citronellol - fragrance ingredient

Geranoil - fragrance ingredient

YAAAAAAWN. I made myself a tea halfway through that. Since no-one can be bothered with long-ass lists, I've tried to sum up the more important ingredients:

The Goodies

The ones that stand out to me are glycerin, sunflower seed oil and evening primrose oil. Theres also stearyl alcohol, oat kernel extract, hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate), soybean oil and ginseng root extract. On Decleor’s website, orange flavonoids (i.e. bergamot and mandarin orange peel oil), hyaluronic acid and ginseng extract are singled out as the ‘key active ingredients’. To avoid repetition of previous posts, let’s just say that I dislike orange flavonoids (‘citrusy stuff’). But never mind that: the problem with these key actives is that they’re all in smaller quantities than fragrance. (I underlined it for this reason.) I don’t know the actual quantities of these ingredients, but it’s pretty disappointing that there’s less of them than there is perfume!

SPF

In my ‘first thoughts’ post, I mentioned that I disliked products with added SPF because they tend to use chemical filters. Theres evidence on both sides regarding their safety but I prefer to avoid them. As predicted, the Energising Smoothing Cream contains chemical filters (Octinoxate, Octyl Salicylate and Avobenzone) so it’s a no-no for me :(

Petrochemicals

This contains a number of petrochemicals (silicones and butylene glycol) so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re on the mineral oil hating bandwagon.

Silicones
I really, really dislike silicones in skincare - and this moisturiser has loads of 'em. Like mineral oil, silicones are an occlusive moisturiser. They make the skin feel smooth and silky, but I think there are better ingredients like hyaluronic acid, AHAs, BHAs etc. That said, I do love my Elemis Marine Cream, which has good ingredients and yes: silicones.

Mica

MICAAAAHHH!! Or not. Mica is typically added to make-up for some sparkle, and I'd rather it stayed there - I don't need a shimmery face cream! I've flagged it up because mica can be the culprit behind adverse reactions to mineral make-up.

PEGs
A small number of companies offer PEG-free products, typically organic/'natural' brands - e.g. Estelle & Thild, The Organic Pharmacy, balance Me, REN, Burt's Bees, Melvita and Dr. Hauschka. What's so bad about PEGs for companies to offer PEG-free products? According to truthinageing.com, the main concerns are: 

• An enhanced penetration effect -> important bc if your product contains a load of other crap, PEGs will make it easier for them to get deep down into the skin.
• PEGs are not always pure -> PEG-6 (which is in this cream) contains the by-product dioxane which is a known carcinogen. A reputable brand should remove the toxic impurities but ... yah I'm worried too after reading that haha.
• Concerns re damaged skin -> PEGs may cause irritation, but that usually depends on the state of the skin and ingredients in other stuff you're applying. So the bottom line is: avoid.

Uguisi no Fun

This is a centuries old beauty secret hailing from the Edo period. Women in ancient Japan applied uguisi no fun, which loosely translates to 'Nightingale Droppings' to lighten and soften their skin. Scientists at Decleor have given this ancient secret a new lease of life by isolating the natural enzymes and - I'm kidding. Just checking you're awake ;)

Would I buy it? Having used up my sample, I would not. The ingredients just aren't all that impressive. Some people might appreciate the suncream and moisturiser combo but I prefer to keep them separate. I avoid chemical filters and the SPF is too low for me - and you'd need to apply a lot of it to even get that sun protection. As a moisturiser, I found it absorbed well but wasn't very hydrating. I'd probably need to follow with an emulsion in hot/dry weather. The pump packaging is great, making it more hygienic than most of Decleor's other moisturisers (which are sold in jars), but otherwise not a superior product!

Review : Decleor Aromessence Mandarine Smoothing Night Balm

As promised many moons ago, here are the ingredients in Decleor's Aromessence Mandarine Smoothing Night Balm (£33.50/15ml). (No fancy botanical names in Latin. Sorry) 

Ingredients

Sunflower Seed Oil - contains Vitamin E. Helps repair the skin and reduce inflammation 

Cera Alba (Beeswax) - thickening agent. Emollient properties

Wheat Germ Oil - emollient

Evening Primrose Oil - anti-inflammatory properties

Coconut Oil - high in fatty acids and acts as an emollient

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract - high in amino acids which helps repair skin

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) - hydrating

Theobroma Grandiflorum Fruit Extract (Cupuacu Butter) - Contains oleic acid (a fatty acid) which is moisturising and plant polyphenols which act as anti-oxidants. [Says Lush]

Carnauba Wax - thickening agent

Limonene - fragrant. Found in citrus oils

Orange Peel Oil - detoxifies and helps improve skin tone

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil - used to stabilise products

Rice Bran Wax - occlusive moisturiser (I think?). Forms a barrier over the skin - like mineral oil hm...

Mandarin Orange Peel Oil - Decleor have apparently proven that the anti-oxidant powers of mandarin essential oil helps maintain skins’ youthfulness (in vitro tests)

Grapefruit Extract - anti-oxidant. Can be irritating in large amounts

Linalool - fragrance ingredient

Bergamot Fruit Oil - citrus oil (photo-toxic)

Michelia Alba Leaf Oil - fragrance ingredient

Tocopherol - Vitamin E 

Gardenia Tahitensis Flower - smells nice, not sure what it does in skincare

Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil - astringent properties

Soybean Oil - helps improve skin tone and is a source of anti-oxidants

Citral - fragrance ingredient

Bitter Orange Flower Oil - may help control oil production

Geraniol, Farnesol, Citronellol - fragrance ingredients

The night balm and the Aromessence Mandarine serum have a number of common ingredients (in orange), like sunflower seed oil and evening primrose oil which are both top five and of course the star ingredient, mandarin essential oil.

It's times like this that I think keeping this log is useful (to me, if not to anyone else lol) because I also noticed that a few of the ingredients are in the cleanser and serum from REN - products which mon visage did not like. Limonene, linalool and tocopherol are at the bottom of the lists so are hardly worth a bother. The balm and Omega 3 serum both contain wheat germ oil and the balm and the clay cleanser both contain sunflower seed oil in the top five ingredients, so I thought one of those could be the cause. I checked my Iris night balm from Decleor and found it has sunflower seed oil and wheat germ oil - yet didn’t give me any problems. In other words: I still have no idea whats wrong with my skin.

Anyhoo as usual I’m going totally off-topic and rambling on about ingredients when a one line review would suffice: I do not like. I tried the new Aroma Lisse products at the beginning of April but stopped after a few days because my skin broke out. At the end of April I thought I’d give this balm another go and in a matter of days, little spotties reappeared…

For that reason I wouldn’t recommend this product. If anything, I’d recommend the Iris night balm (£34.50/15ml) instead. The main ingredients in it are jojoba oil, hazel seed oil, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, shea butter and wheat germ oil so there is some similarity in the formula. (If you wanted the benefits of evening primrose etc. you could buy it as a separate product.) Both ranges are designed to regenerate and hydrate the skin, fight free radical damage and reduce the appearance of wrinkles - but have different target markets. (I wonder if 25-30 year olds were put off using a product recommended for "mature" skin (Jesus Wept I'm not that old/have I aged terribly etc.) and hence the new Mandarine range was born.) I’ve had a better experience with the Iris balm and it’s also free of the potentially irritating citrus extracts.

All Decleor balms are quite waxy, which I don’t mind and find to be quite nice for a little facial massage. My Mom, on the other hand, finds them weird and gross, having used only creams for the last 30 years. It’s definitely worth getting a sample if you’re interested in the Mandarine balm to try out the texture (and in case you have a reaction). The products are pricey but at least Decleor are generous with their samples!

Finally, old customers will be pleased to hear that the packaging of the night balms been re-vamped. The lid on my Iris balm didn’t close properly and was always wonky :/ Very annoying, given how much this little thing cost so in the end I transferred it into another pot. Thankfully, the new jars don’t have this problem :)

Review : balance Me skin bright hydrating face mist

Out of a grand total of 7 ½ reviews I’ve written so far, only two have been positive! To restore some balance, I thought I’d mention some of the products that I DO like and use every day. (Edit: unintended pun there. Har har.)



Going by my last few reviews, you might think that I have insane skin that reacts badly to everything. (I'm inclined to agree TBH) I've been using the skin bright hydrating face mist from balance Me for about three months and I can safely say that it doesn't break me out. Hurrah! Simply spritz 2-3 times after applying lotion and follow with your usual products. I haven't tried using it to set make-up because for fear of looking like I have melted candle wax all over my face. The mist isn't anywhere near fine enough!

Ingredients

Aqua 
Rosa centifolia (rose) aqueous extract - Antioxidant. Has hydrating and astringent properties. (Fragrant)  
Ananas sativus (pineapple) aqueous extract - Moisturising properties, contains AHAs
Glycerin - A humectant and hygroscopic i.e.  attracts and holds water from the environment. Increases hydration in the epidermis
Polyglyceryl-4 caprate - An emollient
Sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) - Hygroscopic. Increases hydration 
Citrus aurantium (neroli)* - Refreshing, helps control oil production (Fragrant)
Nardostachys jatamansi (spikenard)* - Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
Rosa centifolia (rose absolute)* - Moisturising (Fragrant)
Citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot)* - Astringent properties (Fragrant)
Pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium)* - helps control oil production (Fragrant)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)* - Anti-inflammatory properties. Yarrow contains fatty acids, salicylic acid and is high in anti-oxidants
Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile)* - Soothing

Benzyl alcohol - Preservative

Dehydroacetic acid - Preservative
Limonene**, Linalool**, Citronellol**, Geraniol** - Fragrance ingredients

*natural pure essential oil
**naturally occurring in essential oils 

Overall, it's a good mix of ingredients. If you avoid fragrance like the plague you won't agree of course. As obsessed as I am with skincare/ingredients, I like botanical extracts and all that jazz so I don't completely rule out fragrant ones. There are sources of AHAs and BHAs but I doubt they're in high enough concentrations to function as effective exfoliants. There are a lot of hydrating ingredients (esp. glycerin and hyaluronic acid) which sounds like DUH the most predictable observation ever, but you can't take that as given unless you've read the label! It's surprising how many products are labelled as one thing yet the ingredients on the back tell another story. Take this Balancing Mist from Jurlique, for example, which "restores and hydrates the complexion". The second ingredient is alcohol: go figure. Anyway back to balance Me. Speaking of alcohol, this mist does contain it but it's near the end of the list so it's a small(er) amount. The alcohol will stop it going mouldy not burn your face off.

If scare stories about parabens and the C-word have you shi**ing yourself and triggered a skincare exorcism, you'll be happy to hear that the formula is free of parabens and a host of other nasties. Like REN with its clean skincare guarantee, balance Me has a ‘promise’ to make products free of parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, DEA, PEGS, propylene glycol, artificial fragrances and colours. (They must be husband and wife because it's the same promise lol). If you’re hipster and believe in the benefits of “natural” skincare, you'll appreciate that balance Me also aim to create 100% natural products. Just be prepared to handle stuff that’s off by the odd percentile or so.

Overall, I like it. It’s refreshing, using it is mildly amusing (Yoon Seul & Oska’s mom in Secret Garden) and it does what it says on the tin. I wouldn't quite call it a skincare essential, it's more of a 'booster' product that helps keep the skin hydrated. The more products the merrier as far as I'm concerned! What I don’t like is the smell (smeeelll) which is VILE. I seem to have a knack for buying weirdly scented products: a mask that smells like poo, a cleanser that smells like lemony toilet cleaner and this. Which smells like bug repellent. But it’s fine, I can hold my breath for more than ten seconds. 

Price

It's £20 for a 60ml bottle, which is the starting price of most toners. I don't expect it to last as long as normal pour-y toners because using a spray bottle = product wastage. I can feel it settling onto my feet when I spritz -.- One bottle would probably go for six months.

It works out to be £33.33 per 100ml which didn't seem particularly expensive .. until I compared it to the cost of other toners. I usually use Lancome's Tonique Douceur which comes in a 400ml gargantuan of a bottle. That costs £35.50 and works out to be £8.88 per 100ml. I also have Clarins' Camomile Lotion which is £23 for 400ml and works out to be even cheaper at £5.75 per 100ml. These aren’t called “value sizes” for nothing so probably aren’t the best comparisons, but I do have some normal sized ones too: Decleor’s Hydra Brightening Lotion works out as £16.33 per 100ml; DHC’s CoQ10 Lotion is £18.44 per 100ml and Givenchy’s Mist Me Gently is £22.00/100ml.

Here are a few more for comparison:

Gatineau Nasturtium Toner works out as £8.75 per 100ml 
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Toner (£12.50 per 100ml) 
Darphin Intral Toner (£13.50 per 100ml)   
Chanel Lotion Douceur (£15.00 per 100ml)  
Trilogy Hydrating Mist (£17.50/100ml)  
Sisley Floral Toning Lotion (£23.80 per 100ml)

The Organic Pharmacy Rose Toner (£23.95/100ml)

Dr Hauschka Facial Toner (£24/100ml)
Guerlain Lotion Preparatrice (£24.00 per 100ml)
Shiseido White Lucency Softener (£26 per 100ml)

It even beats Creme de la Mer! 'The Tonic' is £30 per 100ml and you know something is expensive when it's more expensive than Creme de la Mert.

The Hydrating Mist works out to be £15 above the average price (£18.15). Obviously, none of the lotions (chosen at complete random from John Lewis) are necessarily better - just cheaper, so it's something to bear in mind if you're thinking of purchasing.

Would I repurchase?

I like it but the product hasn’t really “wowed” me (except in replicating the smell of bug spray - incredible) and in light of my cost/value revelation that occurred in the last ten minutes, it's not something I’d rush to repurchase. There are plenty of other cheaper and perhaps better products to try. Only a few come in the form of a spray though, which I rather like using. I might try decanting some lotion into a Muji bottle or something ... would that work?

One Week On - Decleor's Aroma Lisse Range

So, I stopped using the new Aroma Lisse products after less than a week - care to guess why? SPOTS. Effing spots AGAIN. Standard way of knowing whether something works for me. I don't believe your skin needs to "get used" to new products - that’s your skin saying “Hello, I’m inflamed. Be a good fellow and stop torturing me aye?.” It started off with two spots on my cheek (where I’ve never ever had spots before). A few days later I sprouted two more spots on my forehead and figured that was the time to stop before they formed a constellation. Once again, I don’t know which product is the culprit, but since there are four spots for four products I’ll divide the blame equally.

I wish I could pinpoint one ingredient causing irritation but there are quite a few suspects: shea butter, citrusy stuff (mandarin essential oil, bergamot fruit oil, lemon peel oil), generic “fragrance”, fragranced essential oils or even non-fragrant essential oils … Which are all ingredients in some other products I use that haven't caused any problems! Perhaps I’m overloading my skin? Whatever the reason, I’m not particularly enthused by this line. Sorry Decleor.

April resolution: I’ve tested a lot of new products since the start of the year so for the next few weeks I’m going to give my skin a break and stick to my tried and tested routine.

Review : Decleor New Aroma Lisse Range

Today's most will probably be the first and last of its kind: a review of something that's NEW! Holy Crust on a Cracker. Decleor released their new Aroma Lisse range on 1st April, aimed at preventing and correcting the first signs of ageing. The line-up is:
~ Aromessence Mandarine Smoothing Serum (£49.50/15ml)
~ Energising Smoothing Cream (SPF 15) (£52/50ml)
~ Aromessence Mandarine Smoothing Night Balm (£33.50/15ml)
~ 2-in-1 Dark Circle & Eye Wrinkle Eraser (£32.00/15ml)

Since I do not have the benefit of sponsors to send me free stuff before launch, I visited a department store to nab some samples to try out ;) I wanted to snap pictures of the packaging and look up the ingredients (since Decleor do not publish ingredients lists online *growl* Even the "key ingredients" tab is blank!!) but ... well. I forgot. At least the sample of the Aromessence serum has the ingredients printed on the back. As for the rest... I'm trusting Decleor and hoping for the best haha.

First Thoughts:
Aromessence Mandarine Smoothing Serum
Absorbs quickly and without any shininess - which was unexpected, because when I applied some against the back of my hand in store there was an obvious sheen. Smells like lemon rind.

Ingredients:
Hazel Seed Oil - moisturising, has astringent properties and helps protect skin against free radical damage
Camellia Kissi Seed Oil - moisturising. Have to mention that this originates from Japan! Banzai!
Sunflower Seed Oil - contains Vitamin E. Helps repair the skin and reduce inflammation
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil - anti-inflammatory properties
Evening Primrose Oil - anti-inflammatory properties
Mandarin Orange Peel Oil - Mandarin Essential Oil is a key ingredients in the Aroma Lisse range, which Decleor have apparently proven to have "preventive and correcting properties". This oil is made of 80% D-Limonene which "effectively stimulates youth protection within the skin by protecting and detoxifying cells from damage caused by free radicals. In addition it also repairs DNA damaged by UV radiation." Sounds great but general internetting hasn't produced anything to back up this claim! The most I've heard about Limonene is that it's an irritant and photo-toxic. Not sure what to make of this!
Bergamot Fruit Oil - another citrus oil, also known for photo-toxicity
Linalool - fragrance ingredient
Michelia Alba Leaf Oil - can't seem to find much on this, other than it being used primarily in perfumes
Lemon Peel Oil - detoxifies the skin and helps improve skin tone. I'm starting to feel some de ja va...
Tocopherol - AKA Vitamin E
Grapefruit Extract - anti-oxidant. Potentially irritating to skin but I've read that it's OK in small amounts
Soybean Oil - helps improve skin tone and is a source of anti-oxidants.
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil  - astringent properties. Like other citrus oils it can cause skin irritation.
Citral & Citronellol - fragrance ingredients

Night Balm
I found this to be much less heavy and oily-feeling than other Decleor balms (e.g. Iris and Ylang Ylang) but there is still some shine. You're going to bed so who cares? It leaves your skin soft and smooth like a baby's cheeks. Really. I've never found my own face to be so cute. Also has the less than endearing smell of lemon rind.
Update: full ingredients list and review here

Eye Cream
Even without an ingredients list to look at I'm pretty sure this contains yellow pigments to give it dark circle erasing properties. Try to dispel the image of yellow eye bags that that brings to mind - it won't make you look jaundiced. I was left with a yellowy residue on my ring finger after applying but I couldn't see any difference to the eye area.
Update: complete ingredients list & review here

Energising Smoothing Cream
The cream has a smooth, thick texture (thicker than Hydra Floral) but doesn't feel at all heavy on the skin. My make-up and other products went on fine afterwards, no piling or other annoyances. Unlike the Hydra Floral cream which is packaged in a jar, this product (full-size) comes in a twist pump bottle which has the benefit of being more hygienic and less fiddly without spatulas and all that. It's also better for preserving the ingredients. The downside is that product tends to get stuck in the bottom and wasted, as happened to me with the Aroma Purete Fluide :(
This product also differs from Decleor's other offerings in being the only moisturiser with sun protection (excluding the Sun Expert range, smartypants). I wish it wasn't though. I feel like it reduces the size of useful moisturiser with useless suncream because cosmetics/skincare with added SPF don't provide adequate sun protection. I use a separate suncream so it doesn't make sense to buy a moisturiser with SPF.
My other peeve with products+SPF is that they tend to use chemical suncream - which I avoid. I don't know whether this is chemical or mineral, but I'll update in due course.
Final comment: smells like lemon rind. Just take it as given that EVERYTHING SMELLS LIKE LEMON PEEL.
Update: complete ingredients list & review here

Will I be buying the full sizes?
The day cream is lovely - it's so hydrating and "smoothing" just as it claims. As much as I like it, the SPF has put me off. :( As for the eye cream, I'm not too keen on putting lemon juice around my eyes. It stings a little if you get it in the tear ducts! The Aromessence serum and night balm are my favourites - and these are the products which I think Decleor do best. I'm quite impressed with the amount of anti-oxidants in the serum, but I'm not entirely sold on the mandarin and citrus oils. Which is only like the whole point of Aromessence "Mandarine". I have at least five serums in my collection to use up before I even consider buying another! The night balm is another thing that I "want" but don't "need". (Have multiple night creams and balms) Yah I have way too much stuff in general. Maybe when I've managed to get a list of ingredients and when my other stuff runs out I'll make a little trip to Decleor...

Prices:
First of all, Liberty has 10% off this week *runs to Regent Street like maniac* Right. The Serum works out to be around £326/100ml and the Baume around £223/100ml WHICH IS FLIPPING INSANE. Have you seen what a 15ml bottle looks like? It's about the size of a Haribo sour dummy. Complete joke. Once you've mustered up the courage to buy a serum/balm, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. Decleor = Fantastic.

Review : Superfacialist Neroli Daily Brightening Cleanser

I’m quite happy with this purchase from the Superfacialist range. I picked it up in Boots -15 minutes before closing time- without enough time to properly research the ingredients (which I’m usually very particular about, but my cleanser ran out that day :( The horror!) Rush-purchases usually turn out to be poor-purchases for me but this one worked out quite well!

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Vitis vinifera (Grape) seed oil, Polysorbate 60, Glycerin, Sorbitan stearate, Cetearyl alcohol, Mangifera indica (Mango) seed oil, Isononyl isononanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Sweet orange) peel oil, Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter orange) oil, Citrus limon (Lemon) peel oil, Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin) oil, Litsea cubeba oil, Canarium luzonicum (Elemi) gum nonvolatiles, Cananga odorata (Ylang ylang) flower oil, Pullulan, Benzoic acid, Sodium hydroxide, Dehydroacetic acid, Sodium hyaluronate, Hibiscus sabdariffa (Hibiscus) flower extract, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Citric acid, Citral, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

Translation?

{ It’s a long-ass list so I’ve put some important ones in bold: }

Aqua - …

Grape seed oil - non-fragrant, moisturising, and a well-known anti-oxidant

Polysorbate 60 - a surfactant

Glycerin - an emollient

Sorbitan stearate - a thickening agent

Cetearyl alcohol - a fatty alcohol (moisturising)

Mango seed oil - an emollient. Anti-inflammatory and high in fatty acids.

Isononyl isononanoate - an emollient

Phenoxyethanol - a preservative

Carbomer - a thickening agent. Gives products a gel-like texture.

Sweet orange peel oil, bitter orange oil, lemon peel oil - I’m lumping these together as fragrant plant extracts. Orange peel oil detoxifies the skin and helps improve skin tone.  Bitter orange oil is refreshing and calms the skin by helping control oil production. Lemon peel oil acts as an astringent and antiseptic.

Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin) oil - another fragrant plant extract. Supposedly has anti-bacterial properties.

Litsea cubeba oil - a mild astringent. Has a lemony smell.

Canarium luzonicum (Elemi) gum nonvolatiles - fragrance ingredient

Ylang ylang flower oil - purifying. Another fragrant plant extract

Pullulan - an emulsifier

Benzoic acid - a preservative

Sodium hydroxide - a surfactant. Used to adjust PH levels

Dehydroacetic acid - a preservative

Sodium hyaluronate - AKA the star ingredient of Hydraluron. Boosts hydration and helps prevent moisture loss

Hibiscus flower extract - anti-oxidant, contains AHAs

Potassium sorbate & Sodium benzoate - preservatives

Citric acid - used to adjust PH levels

Citral, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene & Linalool - fragrance ingredients

I felt sufficiently familiar with most of the ingredients so I thought it would be a safe purchase. Now that I’ve had time to look them all up … I think there are far too many fragrance extracts for a product that doesn’t even smell nice! (More on that later) It has a high content of grape seed and mango seed oil which is nice but I’m not fond of lemon peel oil, which is very acidic and messes up the skin’s PH level. The cleanser does have other ingredients that adjust PH levels, but I have no idea whether it's PH balanced!

On the back of the tube, it’s written that the product is formulated with hibiscus extract “to deliver optimum cleansing benefits”. That didn’t make sense then but I think it refers to the exfoliation properties of AHAs which are found in the hibiscus plant. It’s also probably why this is labelled as a “brightening” cleanser. As for the hyaluronic acid, “renowned for its hydrating benefits” … that all goes down the sink.

As an aside, Superfacialist also do a Rose Cleanser, which was my initial choice but in the few minutes I had to read the label two things made me change my mind. The first was shea butter, which acne and spot sufferers are advised to avoid. I’ve used products with shea butter without any problems but I didn’t want to chance it with something I wasn’t able to try beforehand. The next was fragrance - not the same as fragrant plant extracts/essential oils. Fragrance is an irritant and I thought it might give the cleanser a floral scent. Which I equate to the smell of air freshener so no thank you.

As it turns out, I might have better off with the smell of pot pourri because the smell of this cleanser isn’t at all pleasant. It has a funny citrusy smell … kinda like cheaply scented lemon cleaning products :/ I do not megusta.

Texture

I was expecting a cream cleanser but it’s actually a gel. Not my fave formulation, but that’s just my preference. (If I was clever and knew what carbomer was, I would have known it's a gel.) When massaged over the skin, it foams up slightly and feels quite cool and refreshing.
I use it in the morning and evening as my second cleanser to remove the last traces of ick and grime and it does the job. For the sake of experimentation, I tried using it on its own to remove make-up and suncream and it’s a complete fail. I’m ok with that since I didn’t intend for it to replace my oil cleanser.

The Verdict

Overall, I’d put this in the “average” product category. I don’t really dislike it (it works) but neither am I particularly fond of it (smell, texture). I don’t like it as much as my previous cleanser from Decleor (Aroma White C Brightening Cleansing Foam) but that costs £23.50 and Superfacialist costs £7.99. I got it for even less with 1/3 off the price for £5.33 so it’s a bargain by comparison.

I’ve been using this for over two weeks, and as far as the effects of daily use go, I can vouch for it not causing my skin to break out. The “brightening” effect? No. Assuming brighter skin = exfoliated skin, AHAs work best when left on the skin not washed off in a minute, so I’m doubtful of the brightening claim. As much as I think proper cleansing is the most important step in your skincare routine, if I’m going to spend (more) money on anything, it’s going to be on products that stay on my face for longer than five minutes. All I want a cleanser to do is cleanse and cleanse effectively. Minimal/no harmful ingredients. Maximum benefit with ingredients like salicylic acid, anti-oxidants, etc. that complement my routine but I’m not paying a premium for them. I’m happy to spend £50 on an anti-oxidant treatment (as much as one can be when parting with money) but a £50 anti-oxidant cleanser? Forget it. So for a cleanser that cost little over five pounds, I have pretty low expectations!

Would I recommend it?

If you’re looking for a cheap cleanser, this might be for you. It beats a lot of cleansers in the same price range, many of which are formulated with mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulfate and alcohol. It has too much fragrance for my liking though. I don’t mind products with fragrant plant extracts (like this Carrot Butter Cleanser), but I don’t like products with fragrance added with no apparent benefit. Also if you’re thinking of using it as your first cleanser to remove make-up/suncream, don’t bother. As a second cleanse, it’s ok. The smell and gel-formulation have put me off repurchasing but it’ll do in the meantime!