I have incredibly persnickety skin, and always tread lightly when it comes to introducing new things, as it often decides it is having none of that, thank you very much, and rewards me with a fresh batch of blemishes. But there comes a time in every girl's life that she realizes she is a) running out of her trusty Amber Cream, and b) wanting to try to actively help her (gradually showing signs of age, poo) skin, rather than just not piss it off. And so I started trying to inspire myself to do the natural diy skincare thing, to little avail––turns out I suffer from a severe case of laziness, who knew?.
However! I read a post from Liz about an anti-aging moisturizer from Rainshadow Labs, and was intrigued by the natural ingredients (long ingredient lists can be scary, but less so when they're all natural oils and extracts), ridiculously low price ($3.95 for an ounce), and fact that everything is produced here in Oregon. I spent some time browsing their extensive website, and finally settled on a few products to try. Shipping was around $11, but three samples were free (this isn't advertised anywhere on the site, so I'm not positive if this is a normal occurrence), so I ended up with 7 or 8 1-2 oz jars/bottles of various potions for around $30.
I've spent time testing most of the products, but will focus on them one at a time, since to do otherwise would surely result in thousand-word-epics that no one would want to read. (On the upside, now that I've given the whole spiel about the company, I shan't need to repeat it!) Today's product: QVMT Moisture Treatment for Sensitive/Acne Skin.
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| seen here, after a few weeks' usage |
I have sensitive and acne-prone skin, so this of course sounded right up my alley. The lotion is yellow and looks and smells like lemon custard, though it's a rather more astringent brand of citrus than you might want to eat, closer to kitchen cleaner than delicate dessert. The smell fades within a minute of application, which is fast and easy; the texture is lightweight, nearly whipped, and quickly absorbed, but it doesn't sacrifice moisture, leaving my skin pleasantly smooth and soft.
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| It's in the center; it's thinner than the Super Skin Rejuvenating Creme, and thicker and creamier than the Oil Free Lotion (both to be reviewed in the future). |
I find I use more than I did Amber Cream, but it also absorbs more quickly; a dip of my ring finger into the jar provides enough for my whole face, though, and based on my usage so far, a 1 oz jar should last close to 2 months of daily wear. The thing I find most impressive about it is how gentle and calming it is––it's very soothing on my blemish-ridden skin, and applying it to freshly vigorously-scrubbed post-swatching arm leads to an immediate reduction in redness and irritation, to the point that I can do many batches of swatches in a row with no visible evidence.
The science of the claims from the website description is outside my area of expertise, but the effects they describe have been absolutely true for my skin:
Actives purify skin and provide extreme antioxidant benefits. Turmeric reduces inflammation, gotu kola stimulates cell renewal, licorice lightens discoloration, and sage, goldenseal, propolis, sandalwood, and melissa all kill bacteria while soothing the skin and renewing damaged or irritated tissue. Jojoba oil, which rates zero on the comedogenic scale moisturizes without clogging pores since it is a liquid wax not a true oil. A high end treatment for the most sensitive of skin.
I think if you have dry skin, or live in a place with dry winters, it wouldn't be moisturizing enough, but for my oily skin in our wet winters, it works great. And have I mentioned that it's $3.95/oz?! The jar packaging isn't the most sanitary, but since I only ever apply it with freshly-washed hands, I'm not bothered by it.
Here's the ingredient list; like many RL products, aloe is a primary ingredient, which is one thing my skin loves. It's also lacking in coconut-derived ingredients (no parabens, either!), as those break me out, so if you are also sensitive to such, this may work well for you too.
Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, (2s)-2-Amino-5-guanidinopentanoic Acid, Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Wildcrafted Symphtum Officinale (Comfrey), Organic Echinacea Purpurea (Echinacea), Organic Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola), Organic Salvia Officinalis (Sage), Organic Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme), Organic Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal), Wildcrafted Resina Propoli (Propolis), Organic Avena Sativa (Oat), Organic Curcuma Longa (Turmeric), Organic Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice), Santalum Album (Sandalwood Essential Oil), Melissa Officinalis (Melissa Essential Oil), Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Essential Oil), Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol.
As usual, I've said way more than needed, but the takeaway message is: this is good shit. I would definitely buy it again. $3.95/1 oz, $33.41 for 32 (!!) oz, available from Rainshadow Labs
Stay tuned for next week's (hopefully shorter) post about the Super Skin Rejuvenating Creme!
What's your favorite moisturizer? Have you tried anything from Rainshadow Labs?
