Murad Essential C Day Moisturizer SPF 30

Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum

 

Packaging/Pricing:

20-25$ for 30ml (1fl.oz). This serum comes in a tinted plastic pump bottle, which feels neither luxurious nor cheap, but serves its purpose well.

Ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and Bioactive 8 Berry Complex, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vit C), Tocopherol (Vit E), Lauric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Polyphenols, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, Glyceryl Monolaurate, Linum Usitatissiumum (Flax) Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Camelia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Laminaria Digitata (Kelp) Extract, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil.

MEDYSKIN Vitamin C Beauty Oil

NOW solutions Clarify and Illuminate Age Transformation Toner (plus comparison with Vitamin C & Acai Berry and Green Tea & Pomegranate Toners)

Packaging/Pricing:

 

227ml (8fl.oz) for ~12-16$ (here on IHERB). A simple opaque white plastic bottle may seem a little bit too plain and unappealing, but is functional and practical.

Naruko NRK Essential VC Brightening and Deep Hydrating Mask

Packaging/Pricing:

Set of 10 pieces for ~30$.

Ingredients:

 

Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Irish Moss (Carrageenan), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Malpighia Punicifolia, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Honey Extract, Carbomer, Hydrolized Hyaluronic Acid, Soluble Collagen, Triethanolamine, Allantoin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Lecithin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance.  

Excellent (very beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial ingredients, not extensive research available or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary formulation wise, but not a skincare per se) 
Bad (anything that shouldn't be in skincare, irritants and fragrance)

Lanoline Manuka Honey Skin Renew Firming Serum

This is an interesting find from a TJMaxx store. I haven't heard of this company before, but I was drawn to this serum. Though it is not perfect ingredients wise, it was still quite appealing. Apparently, Lanoline is one of the brands under umbrella of New Zealand's Natural Collection company (by Pearson and Craig Cosmetics - here). Despite the name, Lanoline products are actually mostly based on rosehip oil, not lanolin. These cosmetics are paraben and mineral oil free. I've expressed opinion regarding those two ingredient before. They are perfectly safe ingredients to use. Unfortunately there is a scare campaign going around, which has no scientific backing to it. 

Packaging/Pricing:

Skincare Cosmetics Retinol Advanced Brightening Serum

Packaging/Pricing:

~24$ for 30ml (1fl.oz). However if you are lucky, you can find it at TJMaxx for 13$! It is also sold on Ulta.com (here). The product comes in opaque plastic pump bottle (but I appreciate that you actually can tell how much product is left). Though the opalescent white-pink packaging looks quite high-end, the plastic is a bit cheap, and the bottle is not "weighty" (looks better on the shelf, than when you hold it in your hand). Not that it matters much, but something to note.

[I have to say, that ingredient list on the product I've purchased is very different from the one I've found on Ulta.com (official website does not provide the full list of ingredients). I assume, that the one I've purchased from TJMaxx features an old formula. Sadly I have to report that an older version, before reformulation, is much better. However I will be reviewing the newer version, since it is the one that is currently widely available.]

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Propanediol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Morus Alba Root Extract, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid.

MEDYSKIN Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum

Packaging/Pricing:

 

30ml (1fl.oz) This serum comes in a brown glass pump bottle, which is the best possible option, since it is air tight and not clear to keep ingredients stable, but still you are able too see how much product is left. I purchased it at TJMaxx only for 7.99$ US. I found the company's website, where they charge 42$ for a bottle. You can also find it on Amazon.com at around 20$ mark, which is a good price in my opinion.

Ingredients:

 

Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbil Glucoside (Vit C), Pumpkin Extract, Tamarindus Indica, Licorice Root Extract, Acrylates/C-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol.

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se)

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in skincare, usually fragrance)

[On the side note. I like that ingredient list is both on the outer paper packaging and on the bottle itself. I don't need to keep piles of cardboard in my house.]

Ingredients Discussion:

 

I am always excited when I find not hugely known brand with amazing formulations.

A Bit of Shopping

I have to admit, I am a little bit addicted to shopping at TJMaxx. It has an adventurous feel to it. You never know what treasures you can find each time you go. Sometimes I emerge with empty hands, sometimes I find too much and blow my budget. I can spend several hours going through one ingredient list after another (since it is a deciding factor for me when I purchase a skincare product). My limit is 20-25 products at one go (it is hard to process more information than that on one trip). Also, products are 30 to 50 % of original price, so I can afford to try out more products. Unfortunately there is a downside: there are a lot of discontinued products, which you cannot repurchase if you happen to like them. I may review one of these products in the future. So here is my recent catch...

Left To Right: Juice Organics Pomwash cleanser and Pompeptide moisturiser, Sonoma Naturals Chia Oil, Skincare Cosmetics Retinol Anti-Wrinkle facial serum, Elizabeth Arden 2 in 1 cleanser, Hydra-Splash toner, Perpetual Moisture 24 lotion, Alpha Hydroxy Anti-Wrinkle 10% Glycolic treatment

Left To Right: MEDYSKIN Natural Argan oil, 7 Day Facelift retinol serum, Vitamin C anti-aging serum, Line Eraser eye serum

 

List of Products:

• Juice Organics Pomwash facial cleanser (6.99$ / 150ml)
• Juice Organics Pompeptide facial moisturiser (5.99$ / 60ml)
• Sonoma Naturals Chia Oil anti-oxidant facial treatment serum (9.99$ / 30ml)
• Skincare Cosmetics Retinol Anti-Wrinkle facial serum (12.99$ / 30ml)
• Elizabeth Arden 2 in 1 cleanser all skin types (7.99$ / 150ml)
• Elizabeth Arden Hydra-Splash alcohol-free toner normal/dry skin (7.99$ / 200ml)
  
• Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture 24 lotion (14.99$ / 50ml)
  
• Alpha Hydroxy Anti-Wrinkle 10% Glycolic treatment oil free (6.99$ / 50ml)
• MEDYSKIN Natural Argan argan oil (7.99$ / 30ml)
• MEDYSKIN 7 Day Facelift retinol serum (7.99$ / 30ml)
• MEDYSKIN Vitamin C anti-aging serum (7.99$ / 30ml)
• MEDYSKIN Line Eraser eye serum (7.99$ / 30ml)

P.S.: After coming home and closely examining products, I realized that I overlooked very irritating coriander essential oil in MEDYSKIN argan oil blend. So that product I am not recommending putting on your face!

Now solutions Vitamin C and Sea Buckthorn Moisturiser

This is another offering from my favourite natural brand Now. It is quite a basic moisturiser, with very nice formula. I am not hugely in love, since I love very concentrated treatments and prefer serums as my non SPF choice of moisturisers. I use it as an evening neck/decolletage cream. It has light lotion texture, that is not sticky or greasy. The scent, in my opinion, is a bit cheap, somewhat fanta/orange juice like, but not offensive or disgusting.

 

Packaging/Pricing: 

59ml (2fl.oz) Retails for ~8-13$ US. You can find it in some whole food stores. I bought it on IHERB.com (here) for 9.93$. It comes in opaque tube, that is reliable, appropriate packaging. As I mentioned in my other Now brand review, packaging may seem not appealing to some, since it lacks the luxurious feel. But I am perfectly content with it, since I don't have to pay more just for a pretty bottle. I am all about ingredients.

 

Ingredients:

Water, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetyl alcohol, glycerin, glyceryl stearate SE, glucose & lactoperoxidase & glucose oxidase, stearic acid, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl glucoside, olea europaea (olive) oil (extra virgin), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (Vit C), hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) seed oil, niacinamide (Vit B3), tocopherol (Vit E), orange-grapefruit aroma, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, potassium sorbate, citric acid.

Excellent (only beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial, not extensive research or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary, but not a skincare per se)

Bad (irritants and anything bad that shouldn't be in skincare, usually fragrance)

 

Ingredients Discussion: 

This moisturiser features minimal, but well balanced formula, that can address all skin needs. Ideally, in any skincare product you should have three categories of beneficial ingredients