Nature’s Pearl Skincare

Like many of the stories posted on the internet about “natural converts”, my story was quite motivated by the avoidance of chronic pain. At that time, I had another episode of swollen joints which left me incapacitated for 2 weeks. The swelling promptly recurred after an interval of 1 week.

One day, I was well enough to semi-limp into one of my favourite restaurants and by happenstance, there was a public presentation on Nature’s Pearl Skincare. The nice white plastic bottles were lined up in a row as the presentation started, and the presenter patiently expounded on the virtues of muscadine grape seed extract — the primary active ingredient in Nature’s Pearl Products. The main product was a muscadine grape seed supplement which seemed to be a promising candidate at alleviating my chronic arthritic pain. So, yes, I was interested in taking the grape seed capsules orally and using their topical skin care.

The background information was quite strong: muscadine grape seeds contain high amounts of antioxidants and resveratrol. Studies showed beneficial effects of muscadine grape seed extract on lessening in vitro cancer cell production, alleviating inflammation response, and increasing arterial diameter. And to satisfy my skeptical self, I was checking a couple of the scientific studies right there and then on PubMed using my phone internet. The studies were there. I would study them more later… when the lined-up white bottles called the Muscadine 20 stopped distracting me!

So, I bought the whole set of Nature’s Pearl Muscadine 20 skincare: the facial cleanser, the facial quality moisturizer, the soothing spray, the serum, and the exfoliating cleanser. I used these everyday for at least 4 months (from mid-March to mid-July). The products were meant to be layered as desired. Most days I used the cleanser, followed by the serum, then the moisturizer.

These products were formulated by celebrated organic skincare specialist, Linda Chae, who ensured that the ingredients were Certified Toxic Free (see the Toxic Free Foundation) and all natural. Her name behind these products lend a lot of credibility, in my view.

1. Muscadine 20 Gentle Foaming Cleanser – This cleanser is meant to be used all over the body and works both as a facial cleanser and body wash. I love the fact that you can just wipe it off
if there’s no water nearby to rinse. The cleanser is expressed as a very light foam and does not seem to leave any residue on the skin after rinsing. Effective against waterproof mascara and eyeliner. No feeling of tightness or oiliness was evident either. Retail cost: $31.95 USD

2. Muscadine 20 Ultra Rich Moisturizer – The first thing I noticed about this moisturizer was how well it spreads on my face and how I enjoyed its subtle bergamot aroma. This product generally followed a layer of serum after cleansing. My skin is combination-to-dry and usually has dry patches around the jaw and chin after cleansing. The ultra-rich moisturizer worked very well on the combination portion of my face, taming the oily portions while keeping the normal portions balanced. The apple of my cheeks remained quite dewy. The dry patches, however, remained a bit dry particularly around the chin and around the center of the forehead (the forehead area is odd as it would usually be part of the oily combination part). The occasional addition of a drop of Vitamin E oil normalized the dry areas. Retail cost: $41.95 USD

3. Muscadine 20 Skin Renewal Serum – a concentrate of muscadine grape seed extract designed to deliver anti-aging and skin renewing benefits. This serum was used right after cleansing. The immediate “felt” effects were those of tightening and firming, even around the eyes. In the first few seconds, it may seem like the serum is sticky but that changes quickly as the serum sets. Afterwards, the moisturizer can be applied. Retail cost: $46.95 USD

4. Muscadine 20 Rejuvenating Skin Polish – a unique exfoliating cleanser which uses grape seeds and grape skins. It is very gentle and does not have an abrasive feel. The skin feels utterly clean and smooth once done. I used this once a week and it was very successful at clearing out blemishes and polishing off dry patches. After 2 months of weekly exfoliation, I was able to lengthen the intervals to once every 2 weeks with no difference in skin texture. Retail cost: $37.95 USD

5. Muscadine 20 Soothing Relief Spray – as the name suggests, this spray has reparative qualities and is meant to calm the skin. I did not use it everyday and it was perfect for times when my skin looked redder than normal. It would feel slightly tacky upon first spray but quickly settles into a smooth finish. This spray can be used all over the body to relieve sunburn, small cuts, and minor irritations. Retail cost: $27.95 USD

General Review:

There were some noticeable changes in my skin texture and colour, as a result of using these products. However, because I used them in layers, it was difficult to determine whether certain effects were due to one product or to a combination.

THE PROs: Since my skin was already ‘pretty good’ with the exception of dry patches, I did not have much expectation in terms of changes. To my surprise at the end of 2.5 months, the pores on my nose bridge became small! The effects on my cheek pores were less because they remained visible (that could also be because the pores were larger). Skin texture and colour were more even and no new blemishes graced my face. Neck skin also appeared to be even.

Nature’s Pearl products are efficient and meant to be used all over the body. This strategy effectively lessens total skincare costs because it eliminates the need to buy duplicate products. For example, the Nature’s Pearl Moisturizer replaces eye creams, facial moisturizer, and body lotions. Thus, the cost of the products should be considered in light of these ‘replacement’ savings. The cheapest way to obtain these products is to buy the entire set as a preferred customer from an independent distributor. Better yet, become a distributor yourself to avail of the distributorship discount. You can have great skin and an income!

Being Certified Toxic-Free and 100% natural makes me feel good about these products, knowing that there are no known carcinogens, mutagenic agents, hormone disruptors, etc. on my skin.

THE CONs: The cost is affordable and comparable to other quality natural skincare. Given the relatively large sizes of the bottles and their multi-purpose use, the price is quite reasonable. At this time, there is an additional shipping cost and, for Canadian residents, a USD conversion cost as well.

The persistent dry patches on my skin were bothersome and I was sincerely hoping that continued use of these products would alleviate that. Two “coats” of the moisturizing lotion usually helped, although the patches only consistently disappeared when I used a drop of vitamin E oil. Nature’s Pearl recommended that the exfoliant be used more often than once per week, but I wanted to check how long I could last before needing to slough off the dry skin. Following the company’s recommendations would have surely taken out the dry patches.

Overall, these products were very good. As an introduction into 100% natural skincare, I was impressed and my interest was piqued enough to continue using natural products. I kept re-reading the ingredients list, trying to decipher the names and researching their beneficial effects. Future product reviews will be well served by my experience with Nature’s Pearl Muscadine 20. The ingredients list is extensive and appears well formulated.