Finding Arbonne

I just put through my first Arbonne order and haven’t spent this much on skincare probably ever. But when I tested out the samples the past couple of weeks I started feeling and seeing differences in the way my skin was behaving. Even in its hightened pregnancy hormonal state.

It all started when Natalie from I Heart Accessories said she had something new to share with me. I was intrigued because I had become a bit of a product junkie lately, on a mission to find something that worked better for my skin.

I find that many products, especially the drug store variety have too many perfumes and by about 4pm I need to wash my face again because it is greasy! Two things which were a non issue when I was using the Arbonne samples.

Natalie told me that the major difference with Arbonne formulations are they are natural and adhere to much stricter Swiss & European standards. They are certified vegan (which means they aren’t using any by-products from the rendering industry like animal fats), they are made without parabens and are ph balanced to your skin.

All of this sounds great, especially since many of us are going green in other areas of our lives, but if the products don’t work what does it matter?

I tested out a few different product lines from the anti aging RE9, the FC5 shampoo & conditioner and the ABC products for baby.

The RE9 products have a full range from face to body. I tried out the cleanser which has a light fresh orange scent and kept my face feeling clean all day whether I had a shower or not. I didn’t always use the toner but it left my face feeling fresh without being too stingy or drying.

The intensive renewal serum felt like a light moisturizer but it promises to firm and lift the skin and reduce fine lines. Honestly I can’t say anything about notice a disappearance of fine lines after a couple of days, but my skin did perk up and look less tired.

I really liked the eye creme. It is one of the few that I have tried that I really did notice a decrease in puffiness and less darkness under my eyes.

The Restorative Day Creme was another favourite. It was thicker than what I was used to for a day moisturizer but that was due to the built-in sun screen. Arbonne uses a zinc oxide base for their sunscreens which is barrier sunscreen instead of a chemical one. I find that zinc oxide works better and is less irritating for the skin but you do have to work a bit harder (but not that hard) to work it into your skin.

The ABC baby sunscreen is similar without all the anti-aging ingredients of course but a great option for children or people with sensitive skin.

The FC5 shampoo and conditioner were great and immediately reminded me of another brand I really love Kevin Murphy. There are similar principles behind the formulations and when you wash your hair with either one your hair ends up feeling super light and super clean.

The FC5 had a light citrus smell which is different from the richer smells (from the Kakadu Plum) of the Kevin Murphy line. If you are just worried about clean hair I would totally recommend the FC5 products but if you are looking for a full styling line of products and differing levels of moisturizing take a look at the Kevin Murphy range.

The first few times you use either line you will notice that you don’t get the same big lather you get with conventional shampoos – that doesn’t mean it isn’t working it will just take some time to adjust. This is a time you might want to rinse and repeat!

All in all I am a convert – I can’t wait for my first Arbonne order to arrive! If you are looking for an Arbonne consultant in Toronto you can contact natalie at iheartaccessories dot ca!