Products for the ‘Eye Cream’ Category
RATING: 2.5 Trees
Product Link:
I have been using the fresh start eye cream off and on for two years now, along with many other of their products. As far natural goes they state that it is formulated without:
- Parabens
– Sulfates
– Synthetic Dyes
– Petro-Chemicals
– Phthalates
– GMO
– Triclosan
PROS
+Moisturizing
+Doesn’t cake under makeup.
+Contains a fair amount of antioxidants such as grape seed, vitamin e, etc.
+tub container makes it easy to get product out/not as wasteful
CONS
-did nothing for fine lines or circles
-not as natural as they claim: too many alcohols and PEG 100 Stearate
INGREDIENTS:
1.7 oz: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Squalane, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycolic Acid, Triisostearyl Citrate, Lactic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid Cyclohexasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Tocopherol Amyl Cinnamal, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Extract, Benzyl Salicylate, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.
*PEG-100= polyethylene glycol. It is made by combining oils with stearate acid, which can be an animal fat or synthetically produced, but appears to be more harmful in this composition) which rated a 4-7, (depending on usage), on EWG’s hazard rating, and was shown to be linked to cancer, skin irritation, and skin and organ toxicity. No thanks!
Final Verdict: I will not be buying this again, too many chemicals/alcohols and does not appear to work on reducing the appearance of fine lines. It is better than a lot of the “natural” eye creams I have tried however, so if you don’t mind that it has PEG100 or the other alcohols then it might not be such a horrible choice. Note: cetyl and stearyl alcohol are considered to be moisturizing and not harmful to the skin by many… They are coconut derived and hence can be considered “natural.” I remain skeptical but it shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent to buying a product in itself.
RATING: 4 TREES
Product Link:
I was introduced to this line through a series of masks when I went to a spa. So far I am a fan of this eye cream! Eminence entices me with minimal and recognizable ingredients. It looks like they also practice eco-friendly production which is pretty dandy! I have linked to their website but I like the user friendliness of this site a little better.
PROS:
+ Feels lovely on my skin
+ Supposed to help with fine lines
+ Minimal, recognizable ingredients
+ User friendly packaging
+ Concentrated, a little goes a long way.
CONS:
- not for daytime use! Crumbles under makeup.
- have not seen a dramatic reduction in fine lines, especially for the price.
INGREDIENTS:
Jasmine, St. John’s Wort Oil, St. John’s Wort Extract, Marigold Oil, Natural Cream Base, Bioflavonoids, Biocomplex (Vitamin A, Esther C, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid), Glycine Derivative, Jasmine Oil, Corn Germ ( Zea Mays) Oil, Glycerine.
FINAL VERDICT: I am not sure about how St. John’s Wart does topically as this is new to me? Glycerin tends to be an animal fat biproduct, so for you veggies, you would want to avoid unless it says “vegetable glycerin.” Aside from that, everything appears to be pretty safe with the only exception being alpha lipoic acid which is a derived from fatty acid. Skin Deep rates it as a “2″ on their hazard scale, (considered to be low). It has been shown to have reproductive, organ and neurotoxicity in some studies. It may interfere with thyroid or insulin, so if you use these medications you may want to consult with your doctor. It also shouldn’t be used by women that are breast feeding.I can’t imagine that applied topically they would be that strong, but you never know. I also must add that of all the “organic” creams that I’ve been looking at, this seems to have the least amount of chemicals. The benefits of alpha lipoic acid are that it is supposed to act as an antioxidant (reduces or helps mimimalize damage from free radicals that cause skin cells to break down/show signs of aging). Considering this seems to be the only potentially negative ingredient I’d say it is worth a go! I still wouldn’t say this is the best eyecream I’ve ever used and am disappointed that it crumbles under my eye makeup. I have not been using it at night so it’s hard to say if it’s really made a dramatic reduction in my fine lines. I wouldn’t rule out purchasing it again for a night-time eye cream because I love that it is primarily natural and contains anti-aging ingredients. At the very least it is preventative. However, I may be experimenting with some different products before going back to make a second purchase.
More random info on their green practices (from their website)
Best of Green Award winner for the best environmental practices in the industry
“Since our inception in 1958, we have been using sustainable farming and green practices to create organic products and are constantly looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We are proud to use wind energy, geothermal heating and solar power energy in the making of products; vegetable-based inks in printing and FSC certified post consumer recycled paper. Additionally, our Beyond Organic Collection is created using only Biodynamic® ingredients grown on our Demeter Certified Biodynamic® farm in Hungary . All of this while maintaining our position as the leader in quality organic skin care. Hand-made, cruelty-free without mass production for over 50 years. Our products are handmade (no mass production here) without any severe heating or hydrogenating processes that can affect the nutritional content and potency of natural ingredients. Clients immediately see and feel the difference evolving from the extremely high fruit content, and therefore, the high level of active ingredients. Vitamins are captured in their all-natural fresh base, offering dramatic results as actual seeds, pulps and peels impart regenerative and healing powers that only nature can produce. And, as we are proud members of the Cruelty Free/Leaping Bunny Association, we never test on animals.”
Get a clothes line or rack to dry your cloths. Your clothes will last longer and you will save money.
