Category — Reviews

I ran out of my favorite and most organic moisturizer completely. But before committing to yet another full blown tube, I’ve decided to test some potential replacements. And now that I’ve completed yet another experiment I am dutifully bringing you my personal account of my experience with Lavera Wild Rose Moisturizing Cream.

Now, I realize this one does not yell organic on the cover, but it is a reputed natural skin care line, so I decided to give it a shot and let my face take a hit. It does contain organic ingredients, so that’s a good start. We’ll go from there.

Lavera Faces Wild Rose Moisturizing Cream

What and who is it for:

“Light moisturizer for a healthy & radiant skin.”

About the brand:

Lavera is a German brand. Lavera translates as “the truth” from Latin. According to the company’s site, Lavera was founded in 1987 by Thomas Haase who studied natural means of skin care because he had a skin condition (neurodermatitis). Twenty years later the line is growing in its world-wide popularity and celebrities are pushing it everywhere. Lavera also received some notable awards from BioFach, which is the most prestigious Organic Trade Fair in the world.

Lavera Naturkosmetics states that their products are 100% pure organic plant oils, herbs, flower extracts and essential oils. The products are free from parabens, petroleum and synthetic ingredients, are cruelty free and designed for sensitive skin.

Price:

Around $30 for 1 fl oz.

Certifications:

BDIH certification.

Packaging:

A standard cream in a tube in a box packaging.

Reading the ingredients:

Water, Alcohol, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Palm Oil, Shorea Stenoptera Butter, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Shea Butter *Sweet Almond Oil*, Sodium Lactate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract*, Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Myrtus Communis Water*, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Rapeseed Sterols, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Parum **, Citral**, Geraniol**, Citronellol**, Limonene**, Linalool**

* ingredients from certified organic agriculture
** natural essential oils

What can I say… I am not a chemist. None of these ingredients are from the “to avoid” list. For a moisturizing gentle cream the alcohol seems to be way too ahead at the list. But other than that nothing rings my panic bell, so I’ll say it’s a go in terms of purity…

Other Claims:

“A complete cream, the natural ingredients of rose, orange and gingko leaves stimulate the skin’s renewal process. At the same time, plant moisture and hyaluronic acid bind the moisture to the skin to give a soft feeling.”

Scent:

This is probably the cream’s strongest point. It is very pleasant in a sensual and appetizing kind of way.

Texture:

Very light cream. Spreads in an extremely thin layer. And is very soft and smooth.

What does it do on the face:

It moisturizes and has no ill-effects in terms of reaction.

I found it to be a little thin on my face and I needed more towards the end of the day to feel normal. Which tells me that it is probably not strong enough for the REALLY dry skin, but good for normal skin. Or that I need to crank up the humidifier.

Verdict:

Nice, pleasant and pure. Not as organic as some of the other creams I’ve tried, but also a bit cheaper for that. Perfect compliment for normal skin. But if you have a REALLY dry skin, this will probably not be enough.

Luckily for my risk-averse wallet, you don’t have to buy a whole bottle of an expensive cream to assess whether you’ll like it or not. Most skin care manufacturers also make those tiny little sample packs that the sales people usually carry (though they hide them behind the counter, and unless you ask, you’ll never know what they have). Weleda, though, has these tiny packs of their actual product in cute little tubes that have all the feature of the real thing (the box, the tube, and the no need to master the logistics of preserving the tinsy amounts of precious cream for future date in a flimsy paper pack…)

What I’m trying to say is that I went to one of my favorite “health” stores and saw a display of travel-sized tubes of Weleda products for a buck or two. Before I could stop myself, the Weleda Skin Food has found itself in my shopping cart, and a day later all over my face… Which is the basis for this report… As I’m sure you’ve already figured out.

But enough of the intro. Let’s get down to business.

Product name:

Weleda Skin Food (it doesn’t actually say “cream”) in English, but does in French…

What and who is it for:

The package states that it’s “for dry and rough skin”, which is ME! ME! ME!

About the brand:

Please consult my epos on Weleda. I can’t think of anything else to add to that monumental work and I can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t read it!

Price:

Usually around $20 for 2.5 oz. 

It is frequently on special here:
Weleda Skin Food
(they also have a smaller 1 oz tube
Weleda Skin Food – Small
though it is significantly bigger than the one I got).

Certifications:

BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetic

Packaging:

My sample tube is a “mini-me” of the real aluminum tube with lining (so no, you’re not putting aluminum on your face…) The tube is then in the box… Waste of material, if you ask me, but hey – it’s the industry standard. And the box and insert are fully recyclable, so don’t sweat it. I just like writing about it.

Reading the ingredients:

Water, sunflower seed oil, lanolin, sweet almond oil, alcohol, beeswax, glyceryl linoleate, hydrolyzed beeswax, fragrance, viola tricolor extract, rosemary leaf extract, shamomilla recutita flower extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, cholesterol, limonene, linalool, geraniol, citral, coumarin.

The fragrance and the last five ingredients are from natural essential oils. Of course, in the ideal world we’d have no alcohol… But the world is not quite there yet, so I’m not gonna be too picky.

Reading the insert:

“Weleda Skin Food nourishes, restores and protects the skin, maintaining the skin’s moisture levels and keeping the skin feeling smooth and supple. This intensively nourishing formula made with extracts of organic Pansy, organic Chamomile and biodynamic Calendula, is ideal for both children and adults. Skin Food is the natural choice for everyday care of the face and body. It is especially recommended for dry skin, particularly on the hands, feet and elbows.”

Scent:

When you apply it, you can smell a shot of orange. At least that’s what I think it is. A very potent shot of something citrussy.

Texture:

This took me by surprise. The cream is thick. I mean really thick. It doesn’t spread out the way all my previous creams do. It feels waxy when applying (which wouldn’t have surprised me had I read the ingredients first – beeswax!). Not moist at all. But once it’s on the face, it feels totally normal. So I think the texture basically means that you need more of it per application then you would of something like Dr. Hauschka Quince Day Cream, or you need to rub harder, which is not always a good idea when it comes to face. Perhaps that’s why they recommend it for hands, feet and elbows…

What does it do on the face:

Nourishes it. Plain and simple. No fluff. If your face is dry and rough (after a dry and windy day, for example), it will make you feel human again. This is also good for other body parts. I heard people rave about the miracle work it does to dry elbows… I haven’t tried it on my hands, as they have been surprisingly normal lately.

Verdict:

One of the more reasonably priced organic ventures. Hard to go wrong here. I think it’s a necessity – not for daily use, though, but for those extra dry and rough moments. Unless, of course, your dry and rough moments are a daily occasion.