If you’re in my 6 month transformational program, Joyful Body Method, you’ll know that part of what we do in re-building your foundation is looking at what you absorb (yes, what you digest and absorb), BUT also what you absorb through your SKIN!
Yes! Your skin is a HUGE organ of absorption! What you put on your body, will go on your body. It’s why I like to choose body care products as close to edible as possible.
You may be aware, our governments (most in the world) allow thousands of chemicals, known cancer-causing ones included, in your personal care products. It’s all because of ‘loopholes’ in industry regulations. As long as the company says it’s a trade secret, governments can’t ask what’s in it to ensure its safety. Seriously!? Yeah, I know, right!
On top of that, NOBODY has tested the INTERACTIONS of all the different chemicals in all the products we use, eat, spray in the air, drink in our water (and the list goes on). My approach is to REDUCE exposures as much as possible, and BOOST your body to handle the toxins that inevitably will get into your body (maybe one day we’ll live in complete harmony with nature again, and we won’t have to be so diligent).
Until that time, CertClean is one of those amazing companies trying to set things straight. They are working hard to make it easier for you to confidently shop for cleaner products, free of thousands of harmful chemicals. You can see some of their certified products in local shops already. The Clean Beauty Awards is one of their wonderful initiatives that help get some of these clean products recognized for their dedication to safer skincare.
This year, Clean Beauty Awards offered no shortage of AMAZING products. I was lucky enough to judge TWO product categories this year: Body Care and Face Care. As always, I definitely found some new favourites!
I should also note, that NONE of the products I tested made it to the top 3 in their category this year! SAY WHAT!? Some of the ones I tested were SO good, so I will definitely be testing out the ones that actually won to see what all the buzz is about!
If you want to see what I found when doing my due diligence in judging duties, I’ve made notes for you below. So without further adieu, here were my candidates to try out (in no particular order) for the FACE CARE CATEGORY, followed by the BODY CARE CATEGORY.
If you instead want to jump to BODY CARE first, you can do that BY CLICKING HERE.
FACE CARE
FRWRD: Organic Mushroom Super Serum
The smell isn’t anything to write home about but it is absolutely jam packed with nutrition for the skin. It includes astaxanthin, moss, chaga, turkey tail, snow mushroom (I didn’t even know there was such a thing), and evening primrose oil.
I have to say, the look inside the syringe isn’t appetizing. There’s a milkiness and it was kind of stained or clumpy. That being said, it felt great on the skin, so that’s what counts. Overall, it felt nurturing and I loved the ingredients.
CREATION SKIN SANCTUARY: Fortem – Catechin + Niacinamide Serum
Surprise message inside the packing for the win! I love beautiful packaging that is simple, but sophisticated. It’s also a highly functional dispenser, which shouldn’t be taken for granted.
It’s a very well-thought out formula from a health/healing/wellness perspective. There’s niacin amide, white tea extract, plant-based hyaluronic acid, nettle and more. SO MUCH packed into this to feed your skin. There are some preservatives in there, but looks clean overall
It was one of my favourites in the Face Care Category! It had a slippery feel, but goes on nicely, and is non-greasy. My skin felt great with this one. It worked well for me and I loved the niacin in there just as an extra boost against acne. I actually didn’t want to stop using this to go to the next product!
DR. LOUIE: Vitamin C Serum
I REALLY loved this one. It was actually the most energetically attractive to me. Meaning, when I put it on, I felt my skin was actually vibing with it! It felt fresh, and regenerating, and the super simple ingredients and focus of the product really attracted me.
Incredibly regenerative and nourishing. It left my skin feeling loved and nurtured! It’s no surprise why though, since it is packed with Vitamin C, glycerin, aloe and hyaluronic acid. Just one drop was all I needed to feel the effects.
AEOS: AEOS Realive Serum
Testing this one was a bit of a rollercoaster. I loved the idea of it initially (I mean gem essences – YES please!). The bottle shape seemed unbalanced (I’m supposed to be judging okay). BUT it had essences of amethyst, opal, emerald, quartz and other gems, plus witch hazel YAY!
Oh wait, but it has spelt seed (and I do NOT respond well to gluten- even on my skin).
Sidenote: I didn’t know until recently that I’m what is defined basically as “non-celiac celiac.” Meaning, even if I’m avoiding gluten (as someone with celiac disease would need to do), my gut immune system reacts like CRAZY to things that are even slightly similar to gluten, or sneaky sources of gluten – so yeah, I’m THAT sensitive.
But what the heck, I used it anyway. I honestly figured the gem essences would negate any spelt effects 🙂
I found my skin wasn’t too happy with this one. Just didn’t resonate well with me – MAYBE because of the spelt seed? I am not entirely sure. It just didn’t provide a healthy feel or texture for my skin. The feel was non-slippery and it did feel moisturizing though.
If you are not gluten-sensitive and you try this, let me know what your experience is 🙂
PEVONIA: Power Repair Age Correction
From the ingredients: Hibiscus, collagen, sea salt – it sounded good to me!
The packaging was a bit odd. It looks like a cross between lipstick and a syringe, with a fun little dropper-like applicator inside – with another lipstick-meets-syringe push/apply process.
I do love quirky things….
HOWEVER, the dispenser kept sticking after using for a while. It does have a slippery-feel, but feels good once on. My skin personally didn’t quite like it as much as other products.
It does feel like a true serum therapy, and if you’re looking for a hyaluronic acid boost, it definitely delivers on that.
Belle Visage by ELEMENT APOTHEC: Broad Spectrum CBD + CBG Botanical Face Serum
I noticed even before I opened the cool packaging that it had a very strong floral smell. The scent personally bothered myself and my husband, so I didn’t use it long. I tried to follow the directions for what was recommended and my face was basically covered in oil. It was just too much for my skin to absorb nicely, without looking oily and orange!
I ended up testing it on my hand, and would still wipe it off after a bit to dull the scent down (I think it’s the jasmine in it that was the trigger for both my husband and I?). It still would take a bit of massage to get it absorbed and not have an orange hue – even with a few drops, so the dropperfuls were way too much still.
That being said, even testing on my hand for a short period of time and only using a couple of drops (not the recommended dropperfuls ), I could tell it made my skin soft and supple.
Overall, I didn’t like the scent. It was definitely moisturizing, but the directions are overkill with the amount and the orange hue and oily-texture is not ideal- so only a few drops should do.
Okay, let’s break down my experience in the BODY CARE CATEGORY now…
BODY CARE
PURA BOTANICALS: Cocoa + Rose Body Oil
Ummmm I could eat this. Okay, maybe the texture of eating an oil off the spoon wouldn’t be great, but WOW! The smell is intoxicatingly rich: Like cocoa, with the enriching and supportive scent of vanilla, and the slightest hint of rose. I’m usually not a huge fan of rose, but this is so subtle and works to enhance the cocoa even more (in my opinion). It’s very full- bodied. I sound like I’m describing wine….and it IS THAT luxurious.
It does have an oily feel (it’s an oil soooo), but my skin was in need of deep hydration. You may have some drip-age with the applicator, but I was really going for as much as I could at once – it just smelled too good not to be greedy about it.
LYLA NATURALS: 100% Squalene Oil
I have to say, I was really surprised by this product. I wasn’t quite sure how a seemingly “plain” oil (that is an extract of olives, but somehow not just olive oil) was going to be moisturizing, without being oily.
Well, I am so glad to say my initial perspective changed. It was actually one of my favourites in the body category!
It does leave a bit of a sheen, which I LOVED (especially on my legs), and it was super moisturizing, but not oily at all!
I loved knowing it was so natural as well, and my skin just drank it up!
The applicator does drip a bit (as with a lot of the body oils I tried), but it’s worth it for supple and smooth skin, without greasiness.
FARMER’S DAUGHTER: Lavender Hand and Body Lotion
Definitely not a vegan product (for those that want to know) and it does have some preservative agents in it, but overall clean. It smells like lavender, so that’s a win for some, and a thumbs down for other people. I didn’t find it too overpowering.
It does have a bit of a thick or greasy feel, due to the beef tallow, but if your skin is super dry, this would be a good option. Because of that same reason, I personally felt a bit of residue was left, but again it does the job for super dry skin.
Perfect size to take on the go and great for dry winter hands.
BLACK CHICKEN REMEDIES: Balm of Ages (Multi-Purpose Remedy Balm)
I feel like this could have had it’s own category under “medicine.” It has 19 healing ingredients including beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil, shea butter, sea buckthorn, calendula, jojoba, arnica, and frankincense.
It comes in a tin, which is a rustic touch. I actually love the smell. I like earthy and natural. Mind you, if you have any memories of grandparents smelling like they’ve lathered themselves in medical ointment – this may take you back (maybe not a bad thing depending on your memories!). But seriously, I like the herbal smell. Maybe because I intimately know these herbs and how healing they are?
It does have sort of a greasy feel, but there’s lots of nourishing oils and I don’t care. If you don’t want to have lots of shine on your hands or body as you go through the day, maybe apply at night. Energetically I felt it was soothing, in a grounding, medicinal way.
PEVONIA: Crepe no More Body Cream with Longan fruit
This product works! It wasn’t greasy at all, so it hydrated, without any residue. It’s not necessarily marketed toward me (more age-defense targeted), but regardless, it’s a fantastic product.
I have to mention that the inside of the box was corrugated- and for some reason it enhanced the experience for me lol. This was REALLY hydrating, WITHOUT any greasy feel. It’s the main thing I noticed with this one. SO much so, that when my grandma asked if I had recommendations for a cream that was hydrating without being greasy or slippery, I gave her the rest of the product to try for herself.
Here’s what she said: “so absorbing & skin softening in minutes. I wish I had used it years ago.”
So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my reviews! I always enjoy trying out new products and am so honoured to have had the opportunity yet again to take part in Cert Clean’s Clean Beauty Awards. If you’ve tried any of these, let me know YOUR thoughts!
If you’re looking for my previous reviews for other categories, CLICK HERE FOR ODOUR CARE, and CLICK HERE FOR BODY WASH. If you’re looking for even MORE reviews, PurPicks, a partner of the Clean Beauty Awards, is a wonderful way to explore clean products. The site is based on real reviews and offers products only with a 3rd party certification. It’s a favourite resource of mine for cleaner personal care picks. You can access it here, at PurPicks.com
Let me know your favourites, whether they’re from my list here or not. I’m always into testing out new ‘clean’ products 🙂
