A Blemish Cream That’s Not Neutrogena
Every now and then blemishes happen to the best of us no matter how well we take care of our skin. We rely on Neutrogena to clear our skin quickly, but as we’re always up to try something new, we thought we’d give Balanceme’s Congested Skin Serum a try. A British brand founded in 2005, Balanceme prides itself on being natural which they define as products made with “sustainable, renewable ingredient[s] that [are] kind to your skin – and to the earth. We only blend with 100% natural fragrances. All our ingredients are either naturally occurring, derived from or identical to natural ingredients. We put the percentage of natural on all our labels. Those below 100% are preserved with an Ecocert approved preservatives that contain Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid.” The brand has also never tested on animals, used parabens, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, microbeads, DEA, TEA, artificial fragrances and colors.” Major kudos. The moment we opened the Serum we noticed two things: it smells absolutely amazing (like a field of wildflowers) and it’s insanely runny (one thing we’ve noticed with natural brands like Vitaman is the lack of focus on texture). The latter part is somewhat understandable since it was meant to also control oily skin. It did feel lightweight and not even noticeable when it dried and we never felt like our skin was dried out. The product’s star ingredients include kanuka, which is an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial oil which helps to combat skin infections and irritations and used to target acne-causing bacteria on the skin; may chang, an essential oil with antifungal and antibacterial properties used in skincare to target excess oil and enlarged pores; eucalyptus, renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties; and moringa, a nutrient-dense oil, famous for its ability to boost radiance, target fine lines, and balance a combination to oily skin where acne and blackheads are typically found. We really wanted to like this product, but after giving it a couple tries, we just didn’t feel it was effective. Particularly those who scar easily, you want to get rid of your acne ASAP. You also have to use the product within 6 months of opening it, but if you’ve got your acne under control via an effective skincare routine, then you (hopefully) won’t need it that much. Where the brand excels is in its commitment to protecting mankind and the earth, even down to its diagrams on how to recycle its packaging. Unfortunately this is a pass for us.
Balanceme Congested Skin Serum, $26.00
Price point: High
More brands should be like Balanceme in providing instructions on how to recycle your personal care products after use