As you know I’ve always been a fan of drugstore brands when it comes to beauty. Why spend money on creams and potions when you can spend it on clothes? For years I’ve used brands like Olay and Boots No.7 which I’ve been lucky enough to track down over here at Target. However, since well and truly landing in my 40s I’ve found I have been tempted by more ‘hardcore’ products that claim to do all sorts of fabulous things to ‘aging’ skin. I still haven’t been lured to spend a fortune, though MM did buy me a pot of La Mer as part of my 40th celebrations – oh how we laughed. I used it for a bit and ended up giving it to him to finish as it was just so thick and stodgy – I like a fluid type consistency that is immediately absorbed. Anyhow, after conversations with Avril, I also learned that some of my drugstore favorites may not be as effective as I’d hoped, based on the number of chemical ingredients etc. they have. While questioning their efficacy, this is where my interest in organic beauty products began – yes it’s that granola effect creeping in again…:)
So a couple of weeks ago while doing the weekly shop in Whole Foods I decided to take a peek down their beauty aisle. It was quite overwhelming with a huge range of price points – lots of products claiming to be all natural. How on earth do I make a choice as to what to try? Well the following criteria were important to me:
1. Price – I like to use my products – and not use sparingly worrying about how much each scoop or blob is costing me – the price has to be reasonable.
2. Claims – will they do what I need them to do – mainly reduce wrinkles, even out tone and texture and firm my scarily sagging neck. And do they have reviews that can back up some of their claims?
3. Green – how environmentally friendly are the products, and is the company on the search for greater good? If I’m going organic I might as well go the whole hog.
As I perused the shelf one brand jumped out at me based on price and the prettiness of their packaging – Acure. Without knowing anything about them, except for what I read on the packages, I walked away with a pot of Line Eraser ($19.99), radical wrinkle complex ($29.99) and the seriously firming facial serum ($22.99). As long as they all did what they say on the tin I’d be in a good place!
Once home I read their comprehensive website and I was thrilled to learn their ‘mission‘ – “to provide healthy skin care products using the purest Organic and Fair Trade Certified ingredients in order to help raise money in the fight against breast cancer. For each facial care product sold, we donate 5 percent of out after tax profit to Bright Pink.”
Having used all 3 products for a few weeks now I am very happy with the results. I use the radical wrinkle complex daily as my daily moisturizer and my skin is so much softer. I’ve been using the firming serum as a night treatment, and though firmness is hard to measure, the skin on my neck certainly looks more even. Having decided to stick with these products I wanted to investigate more of the Acure range.
Acure sent me the following to try – all of which have now become part of my regular beauty regimen:
1. Marula Oil ($15.99) – I alternate this with the firming serum at night. It diminishes scars and blemishes and can also be used on your hair. It is absorbed really quickly and you don’t need a lot at all – I rub it all over my neck, face and décolletage.
2. Coconut pumpkin bodywash ($9.99) – the smell of this is incredible – I started using this on vacation and by the beach it was perfect. It creates a really rich creamy lather – great for skin that has been in the sun – and mmmm that scent is just divine!
3. Sunscreen SPF 30 – I use this everyday on my face with the radical wrinkle complex. It is really light and non greasy. I’ve used it under make-up too with no problems.
4. Brightening facial scrub ($14.99) – this is a bit scary looking the first time you use it – it’s green as it contains sea kelp and chlorella growth factor – but I assure you it is divine to use. It is exfoliating and yet doesn’t feel too abrasive – it is great for washing the day away. Of all the products that Acure were kind enough to send to me to try this is my absolute favorite.
So I am now a loyal Acure user and advocate – and I can sneak in a new item every time I buy a gallon of milk:) If you are in the US you can also buy online on their site and I even found a few coupon codes after googling. Unfortunately they are not available on shelves outside the US at the moment but I’m sure they will be soon – you can make requests via their Facebook page here. For now you can buy internationally via www.iherb.com and www.spiritbeautylounge.com.
This is not a sponsored post, though some items were provided courtesy of Acure.
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