I first used this line summer 2008 through early fall. Unfortunately for this line, I was coming off using two other better quality products. So…
Products reviewed:
Sicilian Orange & Mandarin Body Cleanse, $30.95, 8.4 oz
Active Face Cleanse Gel, $30.95, 1.7 oz
Active Herbal Toner, $30.95, 4.22 oz
Number of times used: each product, more than 20
Overall: green beauty competition is tough and this line doesn’t make the cut
Review:
For some lines, it may just be where they fall in my review process. You see, any product on this blog is used at least 10 times, unless it something like lip gloss or deodorant. This line was used over a period of three months and then revisited to make sure my opinions were still valid.
The body cleanse :: For the money I expect a thicker product which won’t require the user to use more to get the expected lather. I’ve had companies tell me it’s low lather, but even when I used a small amount it took more product to cleanse my body in the shower. The bath stretched a bit farther, but not by much. Additionally, for the price and thinness of cleanser, I would expect better quality packaging. At the end of the first week of use, the verbiage on the bottle had smeared off, which ticked me off. You’ll find much better quality elsewhere for far less. Try Pattern Body Wash (black pepper is my fave!)
The face cleanser :: Facial cleanser is like an egg… you can’t really mess up that recipe. The cleanser is nice, but had an annoying habit of irritating my eyes after use. Also, I’m curious as to why it’s priced the same as the larger body cleanse with similar ingredients. There’s no logic or explanation to it. And to add insult to injury… again with the copy rubbing off after a short time. Pass this one by! Try Shea Terra’s Black Soap.
The toner :: This was the biggest disappointment of all and again, same price as the other items, for a cheaply made product. This one lost for me as everytime I used it the cloth came away clean. I had just interviewed a leading dermatologist who had given me the lowdown on the benefits of toner (sealing the mantle, re-hydrating the skin pH and removing excess dirt) so was ready to start reviewing. I was using the toner from Perianne before trying this toner. So after the second week of a clean swipe off, I used the toner from Perianne. For four days I did double toning. The answer was clear: THIS toner wasn’t quite as active as it purported. A toner needs to do the job or it’s missing the mark, yes? My recommendation? Any other natural-based toner at half this price.
Overall ::
Competition in green beauty is tight and being nice just doesn’t cut it, especially when the pricing seems a bit off. This line is carried in many places and I know some of you may absolutely adore it… great. But for my .02 cents, there are far better, more active lines on the market.
