Danielle gave me a sample of Arbonne FC5 Hydrating Eye Crème a month or two ago, and I just got around to using it. Here are my thoughts/findings:

Ingredients (provided at arbonnefc5.ca)-Water/Aqua/Eau, Lippia Citriodora Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Steareth-21, Polyacrylate-13, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Cellulose Gum, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Nicotinate, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Lecithin, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Hexyl Acetate, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Ethyl Acetate, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, 3-Hexenol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Geranyl Acetate, Allyl Caproate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citral, Limonene, Linalool.

The preliminary report that I created in the Cosmetics Database gives this product a hazard score of 7! Yikes. The ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are as follows: Retinyl Palmitate, Lippia Citriodora Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citral, Limonene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, and Linalool.

I guess I should’ve expected a high hazard score when I saw the mile long list of ingredients, but sometimes I am still pretty naive when it comes to companies who claim to use safe and beneficial ingredients.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of animal products/animal by-products, formaldehyde donating preservatives, petroleum based ingredients, benzene, mineral oil, phthalates, toluene, and PABA (according to the website).

Product Description(provided at arbonnefc5.ca)- “Hydrating eye crème minimizes the appearance of dark circles and fine lines to help revitalize skin, promoting a more youthful look.”

Price- around $30 for a 0.5 fl. oz. jar.

Performance- This eye crème does its job as far as minimizing dark circles and leaving my under eye area smooth, but it also tends to make my eyes water. Maybe I’m allergic to one or more of the ingredients? I’ve been limiting my use of this product to just before bed, since watery eyes and mascara are a recipe for disaster. I’m also not too eager to wear anything containing retinyl palmitate during the day/in sunlight.

Scent- No complaints here! The scent is fresh, bright, and delightfully fruity.

Rating- 6/10. I subtracted 3 points for the questionable ingredients and another since it irritates my eyes.

I may be young and not yet suffering from wrinkles, but I sure do love a good eye cream! Arbonne’s  RE9 Advanced Corrective Eye Crème is no exception.

Ingredients (provided at arbonne.com)- “Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Octydodecyl Neopentanoate, Sesame Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Decyl Oleate, Peg-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Alfalfa Seed Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Lavendula Stoechas Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Oil, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Clover Flower Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Thioctic Acid, Allantoin, Hydrolized Lupine Protein, Copper Gluconate, Panthenol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Polyamino Sugar Condensate, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium PCA, Carnitine, Caffeine, Coenzyme A, Stearamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool.”

I couldn’t locate this product in the Cosmetics Database, so I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. The ingredients with hazard scores higher than 3 are as follows: Peg-100 Stearate (3-6, depending on usage), Tocopheryl Acetate (4), Retinyl Palmitate (8), Ceteareth-20 (4-7, depending on usage), Lecithin (3-5, depending on usage), Phenoxyethanol (3-4, depending on usage), Limonene (6), and Linalool (4).  Additionally, there is no data for Octydodecyl Neopentanoate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide or Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s paraben free.

2. It’s free of petroleum-based ingredients (like Benzene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Phthalates, and Toluene). It’s also free of PABA and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.

3. It’s cruelty-free and there are no animal products or animal by-products.

Product Description(provided at arbonne.com)- “Exclusive blend supports collagen, reducing puffiness and diminishing dark circles.”

Price- from $40.00 to $55.00 for a 0.5 fl. oz. bottle.

Performance-  Unlike many other natural eye creams, this product is lightweight enough to be worn under makeup. It dries quickly and does not make my lids or under eye area look greasy. Since it can so easily be worn under concealer and with eye makeup, I prefer using this cream in the morning. However,I’m a little hesitant to use it on my lids because it does burn when and if it accidentally makes its way into my eyes. I usually just stick to applying it strictly under my eyes, and I enjoy the smoothe, glowing look this creates.

Scent-This eye cream smells delightfully fruity.

Rating- 7/10. I’m subtracting 1 point for the questionable ingredients, 1 for the high price, and another for the occasional eye burning.

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*Samples were provided by an Arbonne representative; opinions were provided by me.

In visiting my bag of samples recently, I found three samples Kiss My Face Eye Repair Creme. Instead of using each packet before opening the next, I put them all in a small container with a top. It seemed to be the sanitary and practical thing to do, and it was basically like getting a .5 oz container of eye creme for free!

Ingredients (provided at kissmyfacewebstore.com)- Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Leaf Extract),* Glycine Soja (Soybean Oil),* Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Oil),* Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Olea Europaea (Olive Oil),* Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Xanthan Gum, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile Flower),* Euphrasia Officinalis (Eyebright Extract),* Crataegus Laevigata (Hawthorne Berry Extract),* Equisetem Arvense (Horsetail Leaf Extract),* Echinacea Angustifolia (Echinacea Leaf Extract),* Rosa Canina (Rose Hips Fruit Extract),* Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass Leaf Extract),* Tocopherol, Caprylic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Bisabolol, Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender Oil), Potassium Sorbate.
*Certified by Quality Assurance International

While Skin Deep does have an Eyewitness Eye Repair Creme in it’s database, it appears to be the old formulation. For this reason, I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. I couldn’t find Hawthorne Berry Extract in the database (which is why it’s linkless), and those with hazard scores higher than 2 are Retinyl Palmitate (8) and Potassium Sorbate (3).

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens, phthalates, SLS, animal ingredients, artificial colors or fragrances.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

Product Description(also provided at kissmyfacewebstore.com)-”Reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness with organic ingredients. Smooth the appearance of wrinkles and moisturize the delicate skin around your eyes. Natural and organic oils and butters leave skin looking hydrated and rejuvenated.”

Price- It’s $19.00 for a .5 fl oz. tube.

Performance- This eye cream is pretty lightweight, and it wears really well under eye makeup without looking shiny or dull. I doesn’t seem quite rich enough to use at night, but it’s perfect for daytime use. A little dab on your ring finger and a few gentle pats are all it takes!

Scent- It has a pretty faint that reminds me of this body lotion.

Rating- 8/10. I subtracted 2 points for the two questionable ingredients.

Would I purchase this item again? I might. It’s more reasonably priced than some other natural eye creams I’ve tried, but its ingredients aren’t quite as impressive as my other (also current) favorite daytime eye cream.

*Samples were provided by Kiss My Face. Opinions were provided by me.

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I received this a sample of Boscia’s Eye Treatment with my most recent Sephora order, and it seemed like the right product to try when I woke up a few days ago with a swollen eyelid. I’m not even sure if that’s the kind of “puffiness” that the product description is referring to, but I figured it was worth a try.

Ingredients (provided at sephora.com)- “Water, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vinyl Dimethicone/Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Betaine, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium (Willowherb) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Coix Seed Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Alanyl Glutamine, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Jujube Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza (Licorice) Extract, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Rosa Canina Fruit (Rose Hips) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil.”

This eye treatment receives a hazard score of 1 on the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Additionally, above I’ve linked to each ingredient with no data or a hazard score above a 2.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens (and all preservatives), sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, phthalates, GMOs, and triclosan.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

Product Description(also provided at sephora.com)-”Two combined amino acids and powerful antioxidants hydrate the skin from the inside to improve softness and prevent the signs of aging. Coix seed and vitamin E reduce puffiness and diminish dark circles, while willowherb, and other beneficial ingredients help accelerate cell renewal and smooth the appearance of fine lines.”

Price- My free sample came from Sephora, but a $38.00 .5 oz bottle can be purchased from either Sephora, Boscia, or Amazon.

Performance- I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that my swollen eyelid was back to it’s regular size within ten minutes of applying this stuff. I did apply it as soon as I woke up, so it might’ve returned to normal on it’s own. Still, the change was drastic and sudden. My eyes also looked significantly less tired after using it. Since the first application, I’ve been using it pretty sparingly to make it last. I definitely wouldn’t recommend putting this product underneath concealer or any eye makeup unless you use a very small amount and give it time to dry/set. The consistency is a little like petroleum jelly, and it made my concealer look oily and my eyeliner smudge in all the wrong places.  Maybe, since it’s a treatment and not a cream, it’s not meant to be worn under makeup? I’ve read a few reviews that rave about the way it looks under concealer, so perhaps it just takes a special touch?

Scent- I didn’t notice much of a scent, but it smells slightly medicated…like Blistex or Desitin or something. It fades pretty quickly so I guess it’s inconsequential.

Rating- I’m subtracting 2 points for the questionable ingredients, another for the high price, and 1 more for the slight greasiness. 6/10.

Would I purchase this item again? Probably not. I can’t really see myself spending $38 on .5 oz of anything that doesn’t exceed all my expectations. Also, there are a few ingredients that I could do without and might not want to put on such a delicate area of my face for a long period of time.

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Image Courtesy of Carenonline.com

I’ve been using The Answer’s Ideal Eyes Anti-Aging Eye Cream for several months now. While typing up Wednesday’s review of Karen’s Botanicals Perfect Lotion, I realized (after mentioning and then attempting to link to my review of the eye cream) that I’ve yet to actually review this fantastic product.

Ingredients (provided at carenonline.com)- “Rose hydrosol*, sunflower seed oil*, helichrysum hydrosol*, meadowfoam seed oil, plum kernel oil*, jojoba oil*, rosehip seed oil*, blue/green algae extract*, mango seed butter, distilled water, vegetable glycerin, macadamia nut oil*, emulsifying wax NF, green tea extract*, vitamin E, essential oils of elemi* and carrot seed*, rosemary extract and grapefruit seed extract.
*Certified organic ingredient.”

I couldn’t find this product in the Cosmetic Safety Database so I searched each ingredient individually. A disappointing amount the ingredients had large data gaps (which means they haven’t been “assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel”), and two of the ingredients had hazard scores higher than a 3 (emulsifying wax NF* & grapefruit seed extract). At least most of the ingredients sound like things that are found in nature, right? I’m taking a great deal of comfort in that.

*I’ve just been informed by Ellen Holder, creator of The Answer, that “the emulisfying wax used in The Answer for Skin’s products is EcoMulse, which is EcoCert approved for use in organic products but there is no where on EWG’s Skin Deep database to specify this.” She also said that The Answer For Skin uses “a combination of rosemary extract and a tiny bit of grapefruit seed extract to prevent mold and bacteria growth–a must for an eye cream.” All of this sounds logical, and it also eases my mind. And who better to hear it from than the creator of the product line?

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of parabens.

3. I will definitely be reusing the tiny glass jar that holds this product.

Product Description (also provided at carenonline.com)- “The Answer’s Ideal Eyes anti-aging eye cream is your best defense in fighting the aging process around the eye area. This thin-skinned area is often the first place to show signs of aging and needs powerful, yet super light and gentle, ingredients that can penetrate quickly and easily.  Ideal Eyes contains an arsenal of nature’s best anti-aging fighters.   Essential oil of elemi [EL-uh-mee] is highly regarded for boosting collagen support, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles and has cell-regeneration properties, rejuvenating wrinkled, sagging skin.  Combined with vitamin A-rich carrot seed and antioxidant-rich sea algae and green tea, this nourishing eye cream feeds the skin of your delicate eye area.  Moisturizing plant oils of meadowfoam, rosehip, macadamia, and sunflower seed are rich in vitamins A, C and E and rich fatty acids.  It’s like a complete balanced diet for eye area.”

Price- It’s a little pricey at $27.95 for .5 oz. Fortunately, I managed to snag a 5 ml sample size for around 5 dollars before they stopped offering it at carenonline.com (which was an amazing deal, because I’ve still got half a jar after using the eye cream once a day for months). Use this product sparingly as the directions suggest, and you’ll be much more likely to get your money’s worth.

Performance-I recommended this product to a friend, so I’m obviously a fan of it. I used it as a daytime eye cream before discovering Perfect Lotion, and I loved that it made my under eye area glow. When used sparingly, it never caused my eye makeup to run. I currently use it as a nighttime eye cream, and it fills this role just as dreamily. It’s gentle and soothing, and I feel good about the possibility of it preventing and/or delaying wrinkles.

Scent- It doesn’t have much of a scent at all, but I guess it very faintly smells like cinnamon.  Who knows why that’s the case, since cinnamon is nowhere to be found on the ingredient list.

Rating- 8/10. I subtracted one point for each of the two questionable ingredients.

Would I purchase this item again?- I won’t rule it out completely, but I might go for something with even better ingredients next time…especially since this product isn’t sold in a try me! size anymore. I’m afraid it’ll go bad before I even use it all if I splurge for the .5 oz jar!

As promised, below is my review of Karen’s Botanicals Perfect Lotion.

Ingredients (provided at karensbotanicals.com)- “Distilled water, Calendula extract*, Aloe Vera*, Olive oil*, Coconut Oil*, Vegetable emulsifying wax, Mixed Tocopherols (Non-GMO certified Tocobiol-vitamin E oil), Soy Lecithin*, Rosemary leaf extract. *Denotes certified organic. Use within 6 months of purchase.”

This product receives a hazard score of 0 on the  Cosmetic Safety Database, which is wonderful but not entirely surprising.

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of parabens & petrochemicals.

3. It’s cruelty-free.

4. It’s unscented, which is good new for people with sensitive skin.

5. The bottle is #1 plastic and can be recycled in Lake Charles.

Product Description (provided at karensbotanicals.com)- “A luscious, and unscented moisturizing body lotion. This is an all purpose lotion, gentle enough for the face, rich enough for the body. Formulated with a minimalist approach to ingredients for babies, children, and those with sensitive skin. This lotion was created in response to customer requests for an all purpose, pure and simple lotion that is gentle and non-allergenic. Made with an especially fabulous certified organic Coconut Oil, this lotion glides on and absorbs quickly and easily. It is a bit heavier and more emollient than our other lotions.”

Price- $13.50 for an 8 0z. bottle and $44.00 for a 32 oz. bottle. Unless you’re going to be using this all over your body every single day, then I’d recommend getting the smaller bottle since it’s supposed to be used within 6 months.

Performance-I’ve been using this product on my face as a night cream (with The Answer’s Ideal Eyes Anti-Aging Eye Cream under my eyes) and as an eye cream during the day (with Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion on the rest of my face). I love that it’s heavy enough to use as a night cream and still light enough to use under my eyes without making my eyeliner melt away. I wake up with unbelievably soft skin after a night of wearing this lotion on my face. Fortunately, this is the first lotion that I’ve used in quite some time that isn’t too rich for my face.

Scent- You know that really faint, nondescript scent that most or all unscented lotions have? It smells like that to me. It isn’t unpleasant, and it is fleeting, which is exactly what a person wants in an unscented lotion, right?

Rating- I’m gonna say 9/10, and that’s only because if I were going to use this stuff as an all over moisturizer then it could get a little expensive.

Would I purchase this item again?- Definitely!

*This product was provided by Karen’s Botanicals; the opinions were provided by me.

Today’s post is less about Christmas gifts and more about advice. My friend Kristen recently had a couple of questions for me about moisturizer and eye cream. I decided address most of her questions in a post since they all seemed pretty relatable.

Her Problem:

She told me that she’d been using Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face and Eye Creams for several years, and that she had no problems with them other than their price and her lack of knowledge concerning their ingredients.

She asked me if I had any suggestions for a more natural moisturizer and eye cream, as well as whether or not I knew of another reliable place that rates health and beauty products and their ingredients (since she couldn’t find her current moisturizer and eye cream in the Cosmetic Safety Database).

My Response:

I told her that I didn’t know of or use any other sites to analyze the ingredients in products, since the CSD has such an expansive list of ingredients. I did send her links to another site I came across that used some sort of system to rate her current moisturizer and eye cream, since she seemed curious about the ingredients. I was sure to tell her that I was unsure of the site’s reliability.

I searched for a couple of the ingredients from her current moisturizer and eye cream on the CSD that I was pretty sure were hazardous, and found that Cyclopentasiloxane (an ingredient in the eye cream) and Myristyl Myristate (an ingredient in the face cream) were both linked to cancer.

I suggested that she try Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion, since it’s my absolute favorite moisturizer, hands down, and it only has a hazard score of one (not to mention that  it’s way less expensive than Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream).

I gave her two recommendations for eye cream, Skin’s Apricot Mango Eye Cream and The Answer’s Ideal Eyes Anti-Aging Eye Cream,  both of which have great ingredients and are about half the price of Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Eye Cream. I told her that the former is better as an evening eye cream since it tends to smear eye makeup and the latter is better for daytime use specifically because it makes my under eye area sort of glowy, which is something that I actually love.

Hopefully my advice helped Kristen, and perhaps it will help a reader or two as well!

Apricot Mango Eye Cream, by Skin

Ingredients- Apricot kernel oil, Jojoba oil, macadamia nut oil, mango butter , olive oil, vitamin E oil, vegetable emulsifying wax, distilled water, glycerin, grapefruit seed oil.  (The first five ingredients are certified organic, and I love that there are so few ingredients in this product.)

Product Description (provided at Carenonline.com, where I ordered this stuff)- “For those who want a truly natural, organic eye cream, free of fragrance, harmful chemicals and even essential oils, this is it!   This is a rich, fabulous eye cream that even the most sensitive will find gentle and easy to use. It has Apricot kernel oil for the sensitive skin around the eye area to smooth and regenerate, jojoba oil for exceptional absorption, mango butter to help heal, protect, aid in wrinkle reduction, and to soften the skin, and macadamia nut oil to moisturize and  help protect the skin. This eye cream goes on creamy but not greasy, yet continues to moisturize the skin around your eye area all day.  Light enough to use during the day under your make-up but rich enough to use as a night cream.”

Price- $24.95 for 1 ounce, and 1 ounce may not seem like a lot, but since it’s only meant for the very tiny patch of skin underneath the eye..this stuff is gonna last forever.

Performance- This cream is ideal for using right before bed. I used it in the morning as well, but it tends to make my eyeliner not stay on as well as it normally does. Overall, I’m into it. Since I’m only twenty and don’t actually need eye cream yet, I don’t have much to say about its effect on fine lines.  I’m really just using it as a preventative measure.

Scent- I expected this to smell really fruity because of the name, but it actually has a really delicate milky/floral scent that can only be detected when first applied.

Rating- This eye cream deserves at least an 8. 2 points were deducted since it makes my eyeliner kinda smudgy.