Lavender Butter

Unrefined Shea Butter=47.79%

Unrefined Mango Butter*=13.84%

Unrefined Coconut Oil*=13.83%

Unrefined Cocoa Butter*=6.30%

Sweet Almond Oil=2.71%

Apricot Kernel Oil=2.71%

Avocado Oil=2.71%

Olive Oil*=2.71%

Jojoba Oil=2.71%

White Beeswax*=2.07%

Vitamin E=1.04%

 

Essential Oil Concentration=1.58%

Spike Lavender (Spain)*=0.26%

Maillette Lavender (France)=0.26%

Lavender (Bulgaria)*=0.26%

CO2 Rosemary* (Morocco or Greece)=0.21%

CO2 Raspberry Seed* (Chile or Poland)=0.21%

CO2 Frankincense (India)= 0.11%

Ylang Ylang* (Madagascar) = 0.11%

Geranium* (Egypt) = 0.11%

Seville Lavender (Italy)* = 0.05%

 

*Organic

Unrefined Shea Butter=Fair Tale Ghana

Unrefined Mango Butter*=Oslove Organics

Unrefined Coconut Oil*=Nutiva

Unrefined Cocoa Butter*=Mountain Rose Herbs

Sweet Almond Oil=Essential Depot

Apricot Kernel Oil=Essential Depot

Avocado Oil=Kevala 

Olive Oil*= Bragg

Jojoba Oil=Cocojojo

White Beeswax*=Ancient Health Remedies

Vitamin E=Mountian Rose Herbs

 

Essential Oil Concentration=1.58%

Spike Lavender (Spain)*=Eden Botanicals

Maillette Lavender (France)=Eden Botanicals

Lavender (Bulgaria)*=Eden Botanicals

CO2 Rosemary* (Morocco or Greece)=Eden Botanicals

CO2 Raspberry Seed* (Chile or Poland)=Eden Botanicals

CO2 Frankincense (India)= Eden Botanicals

Ylang Ylang* (Madagascar) = Mountain Rose Herbs

Geranium* (Egypt) = Eden Botanicals

Seville Lavender (Italy)* = Eden Botanicals

 

*Organic

  My first 5 years making skincare products, I was making them solely for my son's skin problems.  When I decided to start this company, many of my recipes were already years in the making, but I was missing a key piece of information:  How much would I have to charge?

 After some calculator mashing, I was shocked.  35$ for two ounces?  I was told by a smart busy businessperson that this didn't matter, because artisan lotion was a niche product, and I should focus on the niche and give up dreams of lotioning the entire world.  This was probably sound advice, but this was conflicting with my vision for the company.   After all, one of the key reasons I started making products for my son, was because the special Eczema lotion that we were buying was too expensive.

Hence the Lavender Butter was born.  My 'original' recipe, which I still sell as the CO2 Royal Cream, was manipulated, lowering the amounts of mango and cocoa butter.   In hindsight, replacing the CO2 chamomile with lavender was obvious, but it actually took me some time to see the answer that was living inside of my Magic Spray.  Once I figured this out, it was on to choosing a lavender, I wanted to incorporate at least 2, which turned into 3, and once I found about Seville...I settled on four.  And one hand washes the other, so while the lavender spray inspired the lavender butter, the lavender butter then gave back to the spray, as the spray ultimately changed from a monofloral spray into the Meta-Lavender 4 region blend I make today.

 

Lavender vs UV Rays

Lavender and wound healing

Lavender antioxidant and wound healing

Lavender and healing

Lavender vs oxidative stress

Lavender vs bacteria

Lavender vs MRSA

Lavender vs acute inflammatory response

Lavender repels insects?

Lavender vs scars

Lavender vs hyperpigmentation

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture (1.7 fl. oz.) - 75$

Water is the first ingredient, and many of the other 45 ingredients seem suspect.  Example: "Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate."

But let's focus on what they call the key ingredients

Key Ingredients:

• Advanced Hyaluronic Acid Technology: boosts the skin's ability to retain water
• Coconut Extract: helps the skin retain moisture
• Fruit Oils: condition and restores suppleness

"Advanced Hyaluronic Acid Technology"  Common industry technique: casually say something that is not a thing and provide no explanation.   I think they just mean that the product contains hyaluronic acid, which is naturally occurring in skin, and what they're adding is either grown in a laboratory by bacteria or harvested from that red thing on the top of a rooster's head.  Seriously.  

Their other 2 key ingredients:

 Coconut extract- Coconut extract is...not really a thing.  I mean, it is a flavoring, but it's normal for it to contain no coconut whatsoever, go ahead and try to source some coconut extract and you'll see that nothing natural exists by that name.  Even giving them the benefit of the doubt, and assuming they are not using any of the available market options,  that they are producing this ingredient themselves with actual coconut, extract indicates extraction via chemical solvent.  

"Fruit oils-" This one is funny, because, at first glance, there are no fruit oils in the formulation.  Buttttttt, technically, an olive is a fruit and olive oil is the 29th listed ingredient.  Points for creativity.

 

 

Fresh Youth Lotus Preserve Moisturizer 1.7oz - 50$

I couldn't actually find a full ingredient list for this one (suspect), but as with the last product, it features hyaluronic acid, likely harvested from rooster combs.   I can't find much scientific validity behind their key ingredients ("Super Lotus" and "star fruit leaf extract"), but many plant compounds are understudied, and I'd give their efficacy the benefit of the doubt and be more concerned with the lotion containing only trace amounts of these ingredients.

 

Look at their attempt at a scientific pitch

 

Research Results:

• Proven to visibly smooth skin and improve radiance*
• 100% noticed more even skin and a youthful look**
• 98% said their skin felt stronger and protected**
• 98% felt their skin was immediately soft and supple**
• Delivers 24-hour hydration***

*clinical assessment on 41 subjects during 4 weeks
**self-assessment on 61 subjects during 4 weeks
***instrumental test on 11 subjects

 

They don't link to the studies.  The number of subjects is absurdly low.  Also,  how do you "clinically assess" radiance?

 

Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Rich Cream 1.7 oz -109$

This one is interesting, they don't claim any key ingredients, here's the full ingredient list

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Octyldodecanol, Behenyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Yeast Extract, Guanosine, Cyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract, Secale Cereale (Rye) Seed Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Red 4, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, PEG-100 Stearate, Tribehenin, Polyacrylamide, Polysilicone-11, Yellow 5, Limonene, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate, Disodium EDTA, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Water, Citronellol, Laureth-7, Coumarin, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Fragrance

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 7%

 

At this price point, water and glycerin as your first two ingredients is disappointing.  Why is the jojoba oil hydrogenated?  Paraffin comes in many forms, and is derived from fossil fuels.    Why are there four types of alcohol?   What is C13-14 Isoparaffin?

Shipping to hot areas:  This lotion melts at about 80 degrees, so shipping to hot areas can be problematic.  In such instances, the lotion will be chilled and insulated and should go unmelted, provided it doesn't have to sit for hours in a hot mailbox.   If it does melt, it's still perfectly fine to use, you'll just be sad because the jar will look half empty and you'll have lost the fluffy texture.  

Skin conditions:  I can't claim to treat Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea, Shingles, Hives, Sunburn, or Dermatitis, without registering as a pharmaceutical. That is in my future plans, but for now, I'll choose my words carefully and just say that people with these conditions often use a moisturizer for symptoms, and that all three of my lotions were MADE FOR those people.  My son has extremely sensitive skin and a host of other skin problems.  My anecdotal evidence is that this worked for him, and when people with other conditions came to me crying with happiness about how much the lotions helped, I realized I needed to offer them to the world.     I hope to usher in natural treatments as potential competitors to pharmaceutical options and spar with those companies on a grand scale, but that goal is millions of sales away.

Daily sun protection:  I plan on eventually getting the expensive SPF testing done, but the ingredients in this formulation are obviously  occlusive and it has an approximate SPF of between 10-15

Allergy test:  Always allergy test skincare products before you use them!  Rub a little bit on your inner bicep, and wait for 30 minutes.  It shouldn't hurt, turn red or break out.

Acne-Prone Areas:  If you have acne-prone areas that are already having trouble with excess oil production, it's a good idea to avoid putting occlusive ingredients like cocoa butter on those spots.  My best friend has had incredible results against acne using Fibonacci's Flower followed by The Golden Custard.  Those products weren't made to treat acne, so this came as somewhat of a surprise to me, but it makes sense given the properties of geranium and helichrysum.   I also have a Non-Comedogenic prototype for sale, and foresee more specialized products targeting ance in my future.

 

Product by weight:  The available sizes (2, 4, 8 oz) are the amount by volume.  The lotion is whipped, so the amount by weight is about 25 grams for the 2 oz, 50 for the 4 oz, and 100 for the 8 oz.  One-half of a gram can cover your face and neck.  Unless your face is huge.  Then it'll take more.