Ever since I was introduced to Trade Secrets as an ambassador last year, I have been perusing their online selection for their fairly extensive collection of natural skincare options. Juice Beauty is a California-based natural skincare company with a large number of their ingredients being certified organic. While there are still synthetic ingredients present in their products, there are of course no parabens, propylene or butylene glycol, petroleum, sulphates, PEGs, phthalates, TEA, DEA, GMOs, silicones (YES!), artificial dyes or fragrance. Out of all the Juice Beauty products, the Green Apple line was the one that suited by current skincare concerns, but I wasn't sure what to purchase. Thankfully there was a trial Green Apply Age Defy* ($51.40 CDN) kit that gave me the opportunity to dip my toe (face?) into the best of the Green Apple line.
The Age Defy kit focuses on anti-aging using organic fruit acids like apple, white grape and lemon juice to create powerful anti-oxidant cocktails to enhance and brighten skin tone. The kit comes with approximately 2-3 weeks worth of the: Cleansing Gel (60mL), Age Defy Serum (7mL), SPF 15 Moisturizer (15mL), Age Defy Moisturizer (15mL) and Green Apple Peel (15mL). I wished there was an eye cream in here, but I was able to supplement with one that I was loving already. I am taking you all backwards in time as I actually reviewed this for 3 weeks starting the last week of September (until the serum ran out).
Normally, I would be squirting things out onto my palm and showing you the consistency, but everything was pretty much a neutral clear-ish colour. There also wasn't a lot in each and I wanted a good chunk of time to review the products before sharing my thoughts on them.
Green Apple Cleansing Gel - This is a brightening cleanser with the first ingredient being organic apple juice (yay!) followed by lemon and aloe juice. It smells very citrusy and has the consistency of a creamy gel. It's not too viscous and is meant to be applied in massaging circular motions to dry skin twice a day. As you massage, the consistency changes from a clear to whitish foam which is then rinsed off with warm water. Incredibly enough, I found this cleanser quite enjoyable as it left my skin feeling like I had just used a cross between a cream and "squeaky clean" cleanser.
Green Apple Serum - The serum was not my favourite in terms of consistency with its jelly-like finish. It is oil-free and has a similar ingredient list to the cleanser with the addition of organic evening primose oil and CoQ10 further down the list. I was using this twice a day and at the end of 2 weeks I was having to really dig for the last remaining bit of serum in the bottle. I didn't feel like this serum did a lot for me, but is an incredibly lightweight serum for those that prefer something not too heavy.
Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer - As this contains a physical sunscreen, it has a thicker consistency that is not the easiest to spread across the skin. I felt like I was almost tugging at my skin to cover every inch. It also leaves a slight whitish cast to the skin which darker skin types may not appreciate. Once I apply foundation or BB cream, the cast disappears. The hydration factor was quite good and I did not have any dry patches throughout the day, but I have a feeling this was because the moisturizer sat on top of my skin instead of penetrating it.
Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer - This was my nighttime moisturizer and there were even some mornings when I swapped this for the one with SPF because THIS one I liked! It smells good (like honey!) and feels naturally hydrating, thanks to the addition of shea butter. My skin was happiest with this moisturizer and is one I would purchase in a full size.
Green Apple Peel Full Strength - Ah, this one is meant to be a chemical peel/exfoliator and is only meant to be used once a week. So, what's really nice about this peel is the inclusion of BOTH AHAs (lactic and glycolic acid) and BHAs (willow bark extract) meaning that exfoliation is happening on the skin surface as well as inside the pores. This is actually a great spot treatment for a pesky pimple! This product was gentle, but effective enough to give my skin a killer glow without leaving me irritated. After trying this out, I will definitely repurchase this!
Final verdict: I am grateful that this kit exists because I found two products that I love. I was glad that the serum was also included because I would have been pretty disappointed if I had purchased the full size at almost $70. Discovery kits like this are a great way to get acquainted with a new line and help you figure out what products will work best for you. Pricing at Trade Secrets is pretty reasonable and for those looking for more natural skincare options, Juice Beauty is definitely worth a try.
Purchase Juice Beauty at www.tradesecrets.ca
No comments