Pay special attention to that adorable little Aloe Vera plant hanging out on the bottle.

I know that I’ve discussed my potentially greasy face with you guys before. I have to be careful when choosing a moisturizer, and I  usually try (and fail) to steer clear of oil-based moisturizers (with the exception of eye creams).  When I read the description for this product, I knew that I had to at least give it a try.

Ingredients- (provided at karensbotanicals.com)- “Aloe Vera gel*, pure vegetable Glycerine, Melissa extract*;  Bergamot, Tea Tree, and other selected essential oils. *Denotes certified organic. Use within one year of purchase.”

Product Description (also provided at karensbotanicals.com)- “A clean, light, and cooling moisturizing lotion that absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling moisturized and supple without greasiness. Formulated for all skin types, it is especially effective for acne or oily skin because it contains no oils or butters. It is perfect for all skin types during the summer or in hot climates when oil based moisturizers are too heavy. Aloe Vera Lotion is also an excellent and soothing treatment for sunburn, inscet bites, and other dry or irritated skin as Aloe itself it is both moisturing and anti-bacteria.”

Price- $14.oo for four ounces, and even a small amount of research on natural moisturizers will prove to you how cheap this is.

Performance- After washing my face with Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Olive Oil Cleanser and toning my face with Karen’s Botanicals Melissa Rose Toner, I put a dime-sized amount of this in my hand and then pat all over my face. I put a little extra under my eyes in the morning ( I typically use Skin’s Apricot Mango Eye Cream at night), which makes me feel and look like I’ve gotten more sleep than I actually have.  And Karen’s not lying: this stuff is great for a sunburn or any other type of burn.  I’ve been occasionally applying it (alternating between it and Burt’s Bees Vitamin E Bath and Body Oil) to a burn that I recently got on my arm at work, and it’s healing very nicely. Before drying on my face and elsewhere, the Aloe Vera lotion tends to feel a little sticky, but this quickly fades as it dries.  Besides, anyone who has ever used Aloe Vera before knows that it can be sticky. The results are well worth the temporary stickiness. My skin feels tight in a good way after using it, and I’m experiencing minimal breakouts.

Scent- The sample smelled completely different than the full-sized bottle, which is puzzling but also a good thing.  The product in the full-sized bottle smells a little spicy like a dessert (specifically, a pie), but it retains the natural scent of Aloe Vera.  I find it to be a really clean scent.

Rating- Nine out of ten. The product lost one point for its fleeting stickiness. Regardless, this is my new favorite summer moisturizer.  To be fair, someone with extremely dry skin would probably need something a little heavier that this.  I feel like I always give Karen’s Botanicals products really high ratings, but I guess that says something about the quality of her products.

Performance- It makes my skin feel like soft, smooth heaven, and my (perpetually ashy) legs still feel moisturized at the end of the day.

Ingredients- It’s straight up coconut oil.

Price- I can’t remember the exact price. It has been a minute since I bought it, but prices on the internet range from five to twenty dollars. If you use the kind found in the cooking section (Mine has shrimp on the label. I don’t prefer it.), like me, I have a feeling it’s closer to five dollars.

Scent- It’s a very, very light coconut scent. It is in no way overpowering, like tanning oil or a sno cone. I can’t really wear perfume because it usually makes me feel sick, but I could probably rub this inside my nostrils and be fine. That’s not a bogus situation either. Sometimes excessive blowing of the nose will call for such extreme measures.

Rating- I’m thinking nine. I’m deducting one point because when it’s really cold I have a little trouble getting it out of the container.