SKINCARE | Farmacy Beauty New Day Exfoliating Grains Review

I first saw Farmacy Beauty in Sephora Bellevue back a few months ago and was instantly captivated by the wooden caps and its "green beauty allure". I am cautious of brands that claim to be natural and green and I hate it even more when writers, editors and *gasp* even bloggers use the terms so loosely. No, we are not scientists (though I have the degree), but sometimes we say that a brand is "natural" because the press release says it is. When Farmacy Beauty came to Sephora online and then as a review opportunity on Brandbacker, I thought this was the time to look into the brand more closely.   

Founded by Mark Veeder, the main concept of Farmacy Beauty is: "Farmer cultivated, scientist activated". Ya'll know I love products that are actually grown on a farm from my previous job experience and that's what Farmacy is all about! All products are powered by a patent-protected variant of Echinacea purpurea called Echinecea GreenEnvy. GreenEnvy is grown on a farm in upstate New York and is an Echinecea variant that blooms completely green. 

E.purpurea contains a very high concentration of cichoric acid which has been shown to inhibit the enzyme hyaluronidase (breaks down hyaluronic acid in the body) as well as protect collagen from free radical damage (Wikipedia, Dec. 2015). Only cichoric acid from the roots are used in Farmacy products as that is where it is most concentrated. GreenEnvy is then cold-processed at a lab two hours away from the farm. Studies with collagen-induced arthritis in rats show promise with treatment using cichoric acid extract in that rats with the treatment exhibited reduced paw-swelling (awww!) and lower expression levels of arthritic protein indicators (Jiang et al, Dec. 2015). What this means is that all Farmacy products should improve skin at the cellular level as they firm and protect skin from collagen-breakdown.

After that illustrious introduction, let's get into the actual product - the New Day Exfoliating Grains* ($38.00 CDN)! This is a powder cleanser/exfoliator that requires about a tablespoon of water to create a thick paste. What I noticed right away in the ingredients list (I had to find the list on Sephora's website) is that this is both a chemical and physical exfoliator - cranberry and Adzuki seed powder for physical and citric acid/willow bark extract for chemical. I should also note that citric acid is an AHA and willow bark extract is a natural source of BHA meaning that this product could potentially be your cleanser, exfoliator, chemical peel and salicylic acid treatment. All done with what I am assuming to be naturally-derived ingredients based on the foundation behind the company. 

How to Use: Pour a small amount of the grains about the size of a quarter - into palm and blend with a few drops of water. Mix until a smooth, foaming paste forms. Massage onto skin with gentle circular sweeping motions. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry.

Ingredients: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Powder, Citric Acid, Water (Aqua), Mannan, Phaseolus Angularis (Adzuki) Seed Powder, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Patented Echinacea Purpurea 'Greenenvytm' Root Extract, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract, P-Anisic Acid, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Spirulina Plantensis Powder, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate.

Once water is mixed in, the paste that forms is creamy and I just rub in circular motions all over my face concentrating on my forehead, nose and chin. I have some broken capillaries on my cheeks so I have to go easy on them with any sort of physical exfoliant. You can see the cranberry seed powder!

Final verdict: I know that for some, the thought of adding water may be too much work and that is perfectly ok! We all have our preferences when it comes to skincare and I know that if I'm exhausted, I want as few steps as possible in my skincare routine. I do like an anhydrous cleanser though as it means, it lasts a hell of a lot longer than ones that contain water and I can travel with it since it is no longer classified as a liquid!

As for the results? Your skin will glow after use, though mine felt a bit tight when I used it first thing in the morning. My skin was happier with the Exfoliating Grains at the end of the day. I don't know why. The cellular changes I believe will be more noticeable with the serums and moisturizers, but as I have only been using this product for less than a month, I cannot attest to my collagen levels improving. I want to believe everything about this company because at this point, most of it checks out! Reviews for the other products look good, pricing is reasonable and though my experience with this product wasn't revolutionizing, my research on this company has been. The research behind cichoric acid is legitimate and is being used to develop treatments for rheumatoid arthritis as it also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. The biology side of me is very pleased. I have now added the Firming Night Balm to my LOVES on Sephora and can feel that this is the beginning of a brand new relationship.    

Farmacy is available at www.farmacybeauty.com and www.sephora.ca

Product provided by Brandbacker.