When a moisturizer comes in a long standing box and tube packaging I get a bit suspicious about the product. You could say the product was being judged by its cover but, hey, one can’t always be immune to marketing strategies. Once again on the hunt for a natural moisturizer, I decided to suspend the suspicion and give this one a try.
Looking at the surface information, the packaging states that the moisturizer is 100% natural; An antioxidant moisturizer with aloe vera and green tea. At less than $15 for 120 ml, it’s cheap enough to try out for some time without worrying too much about misspending the money if the venture doesn’t work. The packaging does not come with bells and whistles — just a simple recyclable carton with a recyclable and familiar, squeezable, plastic tube.
The ingredients list was equally familiar and avoids a lot of the oft-noted toxic ingredients present in more expensive department store, drugstore, and designer brands. It’s not tested on animals. It also does not come with stupendous claims besides being “soothing”. The moisturizer contains:
Aqua, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid (www.greenbeaver.com)
Okay, so far, so good. So I tried it.
The context: Combination to dry skin, July to November months in Canada, used on face, neck, and décolletage, breasts (yes, people!), and hands. Total length of use: 5 months, 1 tube. The beauty of using the moisturizer in summer and fall is the ability to test the product in both the heat and the cold. That period of time is also ample enough to check for any emerging problems with semi-extended use.
The verdict? Nothing short of effective and efficient.
It absorbs quickly into the skin and does its job of keeping the skin supple without looking oily. I usually rub the lotion on both palms before spreading it on my face. That way, my palms get moisturized too. The product spreads easily, has a neutral, slight, and uneventful natural scent, and works on both the face and the eye area. I did not use a separate eye cream while using this product, so I know it moisturizes the optical region quite well.
Spreading it across a rather large area of my body, I expected the tube to run out much faster than it did. Yet it took 5 months to become almost empty. That’s impressive. At $15, the monthly cost is actually $3! But what happened to my skin?
The skin became supple and matte. No greasy under or overtones. No dry patches. No oily residue. Just good skin. And that didn’t change over time. What did change is my view of Canadian products as cheap imitations of foreign-based merchandise. This humble and hardworking moisturizer is at your doorstep, Canadians. Get one (or several).
[This moisturizer is widely available at health food stores, natural beauty stores, http://www.well.ca, http://www.greenbeaver.com, and other online shopping sites.]
The Majestic Mundane 
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