This is a gentle daily scrub for all skin types. It has a grapefruit aroma that is refreshing to use in the morning. This scrub claims to clarify, smooth the skin, polish away dead layers of skin and minimize pores.
Directions state to gently massage on wet skin. For more exfoliation you can use on dry skin.
The first ingredient is water, then aloe vera leaf juice. The scrub in this is diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of silica that collect in the sediment of rivers and lakes. Many facial scrubs and at-home microdermabrasion scrubs use aluminum oxide crystals, so this is a nice alternative. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is the salt of lauroyl sarcosine (produced by the breakdown of creatine or caffeine), a modified fatty acid. It is a foaming agent and surfactant. Comfrey leaf extract, from Beautypedia; “topical application of comfrey has anti-inflammatory properties, but it is recommended only for short-term use and only then if you can be sure the amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids is less than 100 micrograms per application…” Matricaria extract (chamomile) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Calendula (marigold) flower extract is used for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Rosemary extract can be used as an antioxidant. Sage extract is an anti-inflammatory. Algae extract has antioxidants and healing properties. Sodium PCA has high water absorbing properties. Next is lactic acid, a popular alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps reduce breakouts, fine lines and other signs of aging. This contains grapefruit and orange peel oils. Grapefruit oil has mood-lifting properties and is an antiseptic to help clear skin. Orange oil is used mainly as fragrance. There’s lavender oil. Carbomers and xathan gum are thickening agents. Potassium sorbate and phenoxyethanol are used as preservatives.
I was worried about using this daily as I tend to think of facial scrubs as harsher, once-a-week treatments, but used this daily for one month. I used about a dime size, added water and massaged in small circles for about a minute. Surprisingly it was very gentle, especially when more water was added. The scrub in this dissolves a bit as it is massaged. I liked the smell and it was definitely refreshing to use in the morning. This product helped smooth the skin and clear the white bumps from my forehead and jawline. I didn’t notice a difference in the fine lines on my forehead or a reduction in blackheads around my nose. I used this scrub while using Retin-A as well. Retin-A causes exfoliation of the skin so there are little skin peelings that need to be taken off gently. This scrub does just that. With enough water added and gentle circles, my skin didn’t feel oversensitive using this refining scrub, as it might have been with something like YBF’s Prep, and the skin’s little peelies were taken off.
This product comes in a plastic bottle with a lid where you push one side and the other side pops up. Over time the lid became clogged, so I ended up having to take the lid off to use it.
I’ve continued to use this, not every day, but a couple times a week and will continue use.
I recently found this company online, Herbivore Botanicals, and bought four different face masks. Herbivore Botanicals is a company that focuses on using all natural, therapeutic and food grade ingredients. According to their website, their products are made without synthetic ingredients, chemicals, mineral oils, petroleum and SLS.
The Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask from Herbivore Botanicals is an AHA/BHA mask using aloe, fruit enzymes, willow bark and blue tansy oil to gently resurface, decongest and sooth skin.
The directions that came with the mask state to use the mask every day for 3 or 4 days and then a few times a week to maintain results. It should be left on for 15 to 20 minutes (5 minutes if you have sensitive skin). It is suggested to be followed with their Rose Hibiscus Face mist and Lapis Facial Oil. I don’t have these two products, so follow this mask with Your Best Face Skincare’s Uplift Toner Mist and facial oil, Slumber Blend Private Reserve.
I bought this mask in hopes that it would help clarify and clear my oily breakout prone skin (hormonal breakouts I believe). I used this for 5 nights in a row and am currently using twice a week.
Ingredients as per the website when I checked on November 21, 2015: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (plant derived), Papaya/Pineapple Base (Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Leaf Extract, Ananas Comosus (Organic Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) Leaf Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract.
I emailed Herbivore Botanicals to ask which set of ingredients were correct. They responded to my email the next day (I am always impressed when companies are so quick to respond and willing to answer questions). The website shows the correct ingredients and they are working on updating the ingredients on the packaging. Two things that stood out when comparing the updated ingredients; the natural preservative leucidal was changed to phenoxyethanol and the blue tansy went from near the top of the ingredient list to the bottom. I emailed to ask why the preservative was changed especially given the fact that this is advertised as an all natural company. The response was that the phenoxyethanol was chosen as an alternative to parabens and makes up about 1% of the formula. The leucidal was found not to work well enough to preserve the mask (this makes me wonder how effective leucidal actually is; I see it in more skin care products). They also shared that phenoxyethanol is included in the Handbook of Green Chemicals and is Whole Foods Premium Body Care approved. According to the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, in high concentrations it can be everything from an allergen, skin irritant, damaging to the brain and nervous system and a carcinogen. The CIR Expert Review Panel confirmed that phenoxyethanol is “safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.” In skincare this is generally used at 0.5-1% concentration. While I am surprised to see phenoxyethanol used in a product from an as-advertised all natural and chemical-free skincare company, it is obviously important to use an effective preservative.
As for why the blue tansy is near the bottom of the ingredients, it was explained by the company that it is a very concentrated ingredient, so does not take much to be an active ingredient in the product.
Let’s take a look at the other ingredients; this mask is in a base of aloe leaf juice. Hydroxyethyl Cellulose is a plant derived amino acid that can be used as a preservative, emuslifier, thickener and binder in skincare products. The fruit extracts come from papaya and pineapple. In the description for this product, it says that this mask has fruit enzymes. Are extracts the same as enzymes? According to Beautypedia, extracts are not the same as enzymes. The papaya enzyme is called papain and for pineapple is called bromelain. Beautypedia also says that enzymes are unstable. In looking for more information, some websites mention that enzymes are in the extracts. In any case, the pineapple and papaya enzymes break down the keratin in the skin resulting in smoother skin. Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract is a source of natural salicylic acid-like ingredients and can promote exfoliation and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) Leaf Oil is high in azulene which has anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant properties to calm the skin. Jasmine extract is an antiseptic and antibacterial.
This mask comes in a heavy clear glass jar. The packaging is simple and nice; however, I think an amber glass bottle would be better. Amber glass protects skin care ingredients and essential oils from UV light, thus extending the shelf life and effectiveness of the ingredients.
I love the smell of the mask. It’s herby and sweet. The blue color is natural and comes from the blue tansy. I put a thin layer on my face with a brush and let it dry on my skin for 20 minutes. Unlike other AHA masks I’ve used, the Blue Tansy mask had a warm sensation on the skin, not a harsh stinging. It rinsed nicely with just warm water.
The 5-day results:
I get these cyclical breakouts on the right side of my face with large pimples and inflamed, irritated and red skin. For some reason old acne scars seem to get redder during these breakouts. My skin takes a while to heal from this, about 10-14 days, and then breakouts start again 3 or 4 weeks later. I used this mask for 5 days in a row and was surprised by the effectiveness of this mask. So many products take weeks or months to see results, so it’s really nice when a product produces visible results so quickly. The mask took down the redness and inflammation of my skin and the pimples healed much faster than they would have without the mask. I’m using the mask about 2 times a week to keep inflammation down and hopefully reduce the size and redness of the breakouts, and so far it has worked wonderfully. I did get two pimples the usual 4 weeks later, but they were smaller and my skin was less red.
This has quickly become a favorite mask and I plan to keep it in my routine rotation.
Update December 27, 2015: It has been brought to my attention (via the comment below) that the ingredients have changed on the website and there are different ingredients on packaging dependent of when it was printed I assume. Ingredients on the website when I checked December 27, 2015:Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (plant derived), Papaya/Pineapple Base (Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Leaf Extract, Ananas Comosus (Organic Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) Leaf Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract.
I am assuming the ingredients on the website are correct and packaging will be updated. It looks like Herbivore Botanicals went from Leucidal to phenoxyethanol to Leuconostoc as the preservative. I was told by the company that Leucidal did not preserve the product well enough and they therefore went to phenoxyethanol. Are Leucidal and Leuconostoc the same thing? Leucidal is derived from radishes fermented with Leuconostoc kimchii, a lactic acid bacteria, so it seems to be the same thing to me, but I’m no expert.
I still love the blue tansy mask and don’t need to my skin care to necessarily be all natural and chemical-free, but Herbivore Botanicals seems to have made a number of changes to the ingredients (using the chemical phenoxyethanol) in the Blue Tansy mask in such a short time (this mask is still relatively new and I’m guessing they are doing reformulations). However, this causes confusion (and perhaps some feeling of being deceived) to customers looking for chemical-free skin care.
I have now finished using Olluminate Intense Eye Repair and started Correct on September 14, 2015. Correct, from Your Best Face (YBF) Skincare, is an eye cream that can be used day and/or night and comes in an airless pump. The company came out with a new formula in the fall of 2014. This is a cream that contains antioxidants and peptides and, according to the YBF website, is the “end-all-be-all” of eye creams. This claims to reduce dark circles, brighten, moisturize, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, combat sagging skin, reduce puffiness and lift sagging lids.
Eyeseryl is a tetrapeptide said to reduce puffy eyes due to loss of elasticity and water accumulation in just 15 days (according to the manufacturer’s studies). It reduces the puffiness by inhibiting glycation. Glycation is the process that causes collagen and elastin to lose elasticity. Water accumulation is usually due to two things; poor lymphatic circulation and increased capillary permeability (ability of large molecules to pass out of the capillaries into the surrounding tissues; when this increases, it causes swelling). Eyeseryl works by decreasing the permeability of the blood vessels thus decreasing the amount of fluid accumulation. Haloxyl is designed to reduce dark circles caused by pigmentation and broken capillaries. It helps to thicken the skin, boost circulation and remove accumulated hemoglobin to lighten the dark circles. Leucidal is a natural preservative made from the radish root. Syn-Hycan is a tripeptide that lifts sagging skin by stimulating hyaluronic acid in the skin, increasing decorin and lumica (involved in the regulation of collagen assembly). Uplevity is a tetrapeptide that fights sagginess by over-expressing genes involved in cellular adhesion thereby enhancing collagen and elastin. Syn-Tacks is a combination of two peptides that interact with protein structures at the dermal-epidermal junction and stimulates laminin (a protein), collagen and integrin (cell adhesion receptors). Matrixyl Synthe 6 stimulates six major constituents of the skin matrix and dermal-epidermal junction including collagen, hyaluronic acid and laminin. Tego Pep 417 is said to boost the activity of collagen, hyaluronic acid and fibronectin (glycoprotein that binds to integrins). Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer (and) silica increases viscosity and acts as a stabilizer. Alpha arbutin promotes lightening and whitening of the skin and promotes even skin tone. Matrixyl 3000 is made of two peptides that mimic the appearance of broken down collagen causing the skin to produce more collagen and elastin. Renovage, also known as Teprenone, is said to stabilize telomere length. Telomeres allow cells to distinguish chromosome ends from broken DNA. Telomeres shorten when a cell divides. When they become very short they trigger cell death. Cells can only replicate a limited number of times (this is called the Hayflick limit). So maintaining the telomere length could extend the Hayflick limit and delay cell death. While finding more information about Renovage (Teprenone), I found out that Trepenone is the brand name for a drug called geranylgeranylacetone used to treat gastric ulcers. It appears that geranylgeranylacetone works by influencing heat shock proteins. Heat shock proteins are a family of proteins that are produced by cells in response to exposure to stressful conditions. When heat shock proteins are reduced cells appear to live longer. So it seems that cosmetic companies have the theory that Teprenone may be helpful when applied to the skin. This is a bit confusing; does this work in the skin by maintaining telomere length or by influencing heat shock proteins. I found an article better explaining this here. Relistase is a peptide used to increase skin firmness and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Polyquaternium-10 is widely used in hair care because of its antistatic and moisturizing properties. It is also used as a film former, giving sheen and coating to hair strands. This ingredient can be seen in skincare as well. Caffeine has been shown to constrict blood vessels and can temporarily reduce swelling and contribute to less puffy under-eyes. Cupuacu butter comes from the cupuacu tree. It is related to the cacao tree, and used as a moisturizer. It has beneficial fatty acids. Aspen bark is an anti-inflammatory. Spin-trap is an antioxidant. Homeostatine acts as an anti-inflammatory and is said to prevent and reduce wrinkles. Tetrahydrodiferyloylmethane is a derivative of turmeric used as a skin whitening ingredient and is sometimes seen as an antioxidant. Sepilift DPHP works by firming tissues in the skin by stimulating the contraction of collagen fibers and protecting the skin fibers. This smooths wrinkles. Lipochroman-6 is a scavenger of free radicals. Dimethyl isosorbide works as a solvent and reduces the thickness of products.
This product has a lot of ingredients including many actives and peptides. Peptides are relatively new in skincare and many of these peptides do not have independent studies done on them, but rather studies done by the company that manufactures the peptides.
My eyes look okay for my age. I have dark circles and a couple fine lines. My eyes can sometimes look a bit puffy in the mornings. I probably didn’t need to buy this eye cream; for something like this to work, it needs something to repair. However, I get pretty excited by new skincare ingredients and sometimes can’t help purchasing new items. So, I got my husband to help with the review of YBF Correct. He’s a year older than me and has puffy eyes, dark circles, crow’s feet and wrinkles. He often gets comments that he looks really tired. I was surprised that he agreed to try the eye cream; I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m crazy for all the skincare products I have and he just splashes his face with cold water and uses bar soap for cleansing.
One-Month Results:
My husband and I have been using YBF (Your Best Face) Correct eye cream for one month four days (September 14 to October 18). This cream comes in an airless pump and has a thin consistency that spreads around easily. It has the almond-nutmeg smell similar to other YBF products. We used this every morning and evening around the whole eye area up to the brow bone. The first few times I used this it had a sticky feeling that lasted about 5 minutes. My husband said he felt that there was a film on his eyelids. Once we started using less at a time it was only slightly sticky as it was absorbing, only for about 30 seconds. A little goes a long way; about a quarter pump covers both eyes. The eyelids felt moisturized to the touch for hours after application, not a sticky or heavy feeling, but a silky moisturized feeling.
Top photo Sept 14 Bottom Oct 18
Left photo Sept 14 Right photo Oct 18
The top and left photos are from September 14 and the bottom/right photos are from October 18.
In looking at the before and after above, I notice a very subtle difference in the larger crease on the under eye and a bit less puffiness. It’s hard to tell a difference in the color as the lighting is unfortunately not the same (used a smart phone camera and a flashlight app). I was hoping that the freckles around my eyes would begin fading, but not the case yet. It looks like the after photo had better focus so I see more fine lines, but the bottom eyelid definitely has less of that larger crease and the overall color looks more uniform.
I’m not sure my eyes are “old” enough to warrant the full benefit of this eye cream (which is why I got my husband’s help), but I see a subtle difference in my under eye color and fine line on the lower lids.
Top Sept 14 Bottom Oct 18
Left Sept 14 Right Oct 18
I’m pretty impressed by my husband’s after photos. There is definitely less puffiness and there is a reduction in the dark under eye circles. The eyes looks brighter and less tired.
A close look at the above photos shows reduction in some of the smaller wrinkles and lines.
We are going to use this for another 2 months and will post another review. The results thus far are definitely promising.
Three-Month Reults:
My husband and I have now been using Your Best Face Correct Eye Cream for three months, September 14 to December 19, 2015, morning and evening.
I don’t really notice much more of a difference between one month (September 14 to October 18) of use and two further months (October 18 to December 19) of use in the above pictures. There is perhaps a bit more reduction in a couple fine lines.
Above, the eyes are a bit more discolored in the after photos, but there is further reduction in the fine lines and wrinkles. I think with continued use the wrinkles will smooth out even further. I am disappointed that the yellowish under eye color seemed to come back (though could be due a number of variables).
When my eyes need it, this will be the eye cream I would try again. It is expensive but there’s still some left in the bottle after two of us using it twice a day for three months (six months for one person).
Balance from Your Best Face Skincare is a cream that claims to fight new breakouts and decrease damage and duration of existing breakouts, as well as regulating oil over time. It can be used alone or with other skincare products. Reformulation review here.
Nylon-12 is the ingredient that absorbs excess oil on the skin, eliminating shine. L-carnosine is a combination of two amino acids, alanine and histadine, and is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Ppg5 Ceteth-20 can be used as an emollient and surfactant. When used as an emollient, it creates a dry silky feeling on the skin and reduces the slick feeling of oil on the skin. Tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and can regulate the oils that cause breakouts. C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is used to create a smooth consistency and can be used as a stabilizer. Vitamin B5 and niacin are used to reduce breakouts. Alpha bisabolol, sodium hyaluronate and azulene sooth and hydrate the skin. Lavender oil is used as an antiseptic. Cedarwood oil properties include antiseborrheic (anti-oil) and antiseptic. Niaouli oil is an antiseptic and bactericidal (kills bacteria). Triethanolamine is an amine produced by reacting ethylene oxide (considered toxic) with ammonia (also toxic) and is used as a buffering agent and surfactant with its primary use as a pH adjuster. The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel) found that Triethanolamine was “safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with the skin, the concentration of Triethanolamine should not exceed 5%.” Triethanolamine is third-last on the ingredient list, so this would be under 5%. Still, this information is pretty unfortunate as Balance is not a rinse-off product and one that I like to use daily as it really helps my skin. This product also contains paraben du. There is a good article on the YBF website about why they use this paraben. Azulene is considered to have a calming effect because of its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
This product is for people in their teens and 20s when still dealing with excess oil. Oil production is supposed to regulate as one gets older, but in my case, at 34, I’m pretty sure I’m stuck with my oily skin. This extra oil on my skin causes breakouts, enlarged pores, blackheads, and a shiny face about an hour after cleansing (most of my skin issues and what I am trying to fix and prevent). I get one or two big pimples every few months and redness and many small pimples on the right side of my lower cheek that stay a long time. If I use a lotion or moisturizer (I use a glycolic lotion) my face stays shiny all day. I found YBF Balance about a year ago. This product goes on very nicely, under or over other products including foundation. It absorbs into the skin fast and the skin feels smooth and looks matte for the whole day. You can apply this throughout the day if needed. Some may not prefer the matte look, and it may look a bit strange if you are used to seeing a shiny face in the mirror. Using this, my breakouts and redness are reduced and I don’t get the urge to wash my face in the middle of the day because of the extra oil. This product is supposed regulate oil production over time; I’m not sure I’ve really noticed that. It apparently has a very light lavender scent but I didn’t really note any scent. I wouldn’t really consider Balance to be a moisturizer; it creates a silky, matte feeling on the skin and is not drying.
Balance would take the place of blotting papers or oil absorbing powders/makeup. I often see people comment on makeup reviews that their oily skin causes foundations to break up and slide off their face, and I just want to leave comments everywhere saying to try this product, as it would resolve that issue. Balance is one of my must-haves.
This product is affordable, as it does not contain the two products in almost all of the other YBF products, spin trap and lipochroman.
This is probably my favorite product and one that I will continue to buy, as it definitely calms the redness in my skin, absorbs excess oil and reduces breakouts; but there must be something else that can be used in place of the Triethanolamine. YBF Skincare often reformulates their products; I hope Balance is on the list.
Update May 12, 2019 – Balance has undergone reformulation; you can find the review here.
YBF Prep is a microdermabrasion scrub from Your Best Face (YBF) Skincare (not to be confused with YBF Beauty). This is a physical exfoliant that claims to brighten skin, fight free radicals, smooth and prevent wrinkles and heal and protect with vitamins and antioxidants for a smooth complexion. This can also be used on the hands.
Directions state to use at night one to three times a week on clean damp skin. Apply in a thin layer with small circular motions and rinse with cool water followed by a moisturizer. This can also be left on as a mask for 15 minutes to get more benefit from the botanicals and antioxidants. I like to follow this with the YBF Clarity mask.
Like most of the at-home microdermabrasion scrubs, this contains aluminum oxide crystals. Meadowfoam seed oil comes from the seeds of the limnanthes alba that has antioxidant properties and skin softening benefits. TEGO Pep 4-Even (tetrapeptide-30) reduces hyperpigmentation. Leucidal (radish root ferment filtrate) is used as a natural preservative instead of something like phenoxyethanol. Relistase (glycerin, acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine) is a tetrapeptide used to treat sagging skin and lack of firmness. Licorice root extract is a salt derived from the licorice plant and can improve the appearance of dry skin by restoring suppleness and also acts as an anti-inflammatory. Matrixyl 3000 reduces wrinkles by stimulating collagen production. TEGO Pep 4-17 is a peptide that boosts collagen and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles. Kojic acid inhibits the skin pigment melanin and is used as a skin whitener. It is, however, a known skin irritant. Aspen bark extract is derived from the bark of the American Aspen. It contains salycin, an aspirin-like substance, that has calming and anti-inflammatory effects. It has also been shown to inhibit the growth of molds, yeasts and E. coli. Hydroxyethylcellulose is a gelling and thickening agent. Spin trap (phenyl butyl nitrone) is still a pretty rare ingredient in skincare that YBF uses in most of its products. It is an antioxidant that works by stabilizing free radicals that are spinning out of control. Turmeric root extract is an anti-inflammatory and helps with acne and hyperpigmentation. Allantoin is a naturally occurring nitrogenous compound used as a skin conditioning agent. Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that prevents wrinkles and sun damage. Lipochromin-6 (dimethylmethoxy chromanol) is an antioxidant. Tetrahydropiperine is derived from black pepper and helps to increase dermal absorption therefore enhancing the performance of other active ingredients.
I have used a couple other microdermabrasion scrubs including ZO Skin Health Offects Exfoliating Polish, Susan Lucci’s Youthful Essence Micodermabrasion System (this was about 8 years ago) and Astara Daily Refining scrub.
I have used Prep on and off for about 2 years. It has YBF’s, what I will call, signature scent as many of their products I have used have the same smell – kind of a mixture of almond and nutmeg (I think from the meadowfoam seed oil); they use similar ingredients in their line. The aluminum oxide crystals are very fine. You can add more water if your skin is more sensitive or dry. I like using this as a mask as well, as there are so many beneficial ingredients that I don’t want to wash off right away, but if you are short on time, this can be used as just a scrub. The crystals are in a creamy base that rinse very well. After rinsing my skin is not irritated or red and doesn’t feel stripped of moisture. After a couple months of twice-a-week use my skin is much smoother, and I always get whitish bumps and congestion on my forehead which disappear when I use this. Over time fine lines on my forehead are reduced as well.
This has great ingredients and peptides and it lasts a very long time, as you only need a bit of product for each use.
Raiyne On Beauty 