Posts from — January 2009

A really unexpected perk from running this site is having high quality organic skin care companies contacting me and wanting me to review their products. Why’s that a perk? Cause they send me free trials . And hey, who doesn’t like free trials?

(Of course they also agree to my samples and review policy , just to make sure nobody expects a glowing review just cause they send me something… )

Anyways, a company I haven’t heard about before, The Body Deli , is one of the companies that contacted me, and upon reading about their products and philosophy I was intrigued. So I agreed to sample some products for them. And here is me delivering on that promise:

The Products:

Blueberry Fusion Antioxidant Scrub

and

Sea Cucumber Gelee

What and who is it for:
BFS is an exfoliant, while the Cucumber Gelee is a moisturizing gel.

About the brand:

As I haven’t heard about this brand before I had to do some online digging and rely on the information I received from the company. But overall the vibe I’m getting from them is very positive

So here is the gist:

Body Deli specialize in fresh, raw, organic skin and body care. Here is a quote from the flier they sent me “ our philosophy for a healthy lifestyle starts with a diet high in alkaline forming foods, enzymes, minerals, amino acids and rich in raw superfoods.” They’ve been in business for over 7 years now. And many of their products are so fresh, they require refrigeration…

You can read more about the company on their home page.

I also found that the founder had a blog going at http://cosmetichef.blogspot.com/. The main site has a more regularly updated blog.

Price:

I received my two samples for free. But the prices on the flier say that the blueberry scrub costs $36 for 2 oz and the cucumber gelee is $45 for 2 oz.

Packaging:

Both products came in recyclable glass jars.

Reading the ingredients:

What can I say? They look good. Almost eatable and definitely pronounceable. Here is the list for the blueberry antioxidant:

Organic Aloe vera Juice, Colloidal Oatmeal, Guar Gum, Organic Blueberries, Xantham Gum, Diatamaceous Earth, Vitamin E, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Jojoba oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Rose Hip Seed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Rosemary Oil Extact, Fresh Cells of Pomegranate, Kiwi, Potassium Sorbate.

The cucumber gelee looks just as innocent

Scent:

If I could use only one word, I’d say – “Fresh!”. Both jars smell fresh and real. The cucumber gelee reminds me of a green juice i make in the morning. And the Blueberry fusion – well, that one is just so delicious! It looks and smells like a fruit smoothie. In fact, every time I open the jar, I get smoothie cravings, because the berry smell is absolutely unmistakable. I have such a hard time putting this product on my face and not in my mouth…

Texture:

The Sea Cucumber Gelee is a gel. It’s slightly slimy. The Blueberry Fusion has a texture of a thick smoothie.

What does it do on the face:

I dutifully used both products on my face. My impressions from the too are different. If you can’t stand suspense, let me tell you that one did absolute wonders, and the other didn’t quite deliver, on my face at least.

Let’s start with the not so glowing news – the Sea Cucumber Gelee. I applied it cold on my face, and at first I liked the cool sensation. But then it just felt like an oily film. I generally don’t fancy the idea of a gel on the face at all – I like creamy texture. But since this was sent to me as a sample, I didn’t have a say on what I got to try (or I would’ve begged to try the “crème de la rose” ) So eventually I washed it all off, and put my regular cream on.

However, the Blueberry Fusion was a totally different story. The thing is, I have a horribly flaky skin. And on the particular day I decided to try it, I was supposed to go out for an important event. Therefore this was a do or die moment. I resisted the urge to eat this most deliciously smelling skin care product I’ve ever nosed, and applied it in a thin layer all over my face. Not wanting to take any chances, I only kept it on my face for a minute or so, and then washed it all of. My skin was the smoothest I can remember! It was a glorious moment, and even my husband noticed the difference right away. In fact he demanded that I do the same to his face as well (for the purposes of an objective scientific review, of course), and he loved the results as well. So, does the Blueberry Fusion deliver? You bet it does.

Verdict:

Naturally, if you’ve read the above section you know what it is. But I’ll reiterate anyways, just in case you skipped the rest of the post and are looking for organic skin care verdicts only…

Sea Cucumber Gelee by the Body Deli – I don’t particularly recommend it. It didn’t work too well or felt to pleasant on my face. But that could be just me. See if the company would send you a sample if you are really adamant about trying it out.

Blueberry Fusion Exfoliating Fruit Acid Polish by Body Deli – Yes! Yes! Yes! The smell alone makes it a great product. But the fact that it actually works wonders on a dreary flaky skin is its best selling point. Go for it. For sure.