A review of Herbal Choice Mari’s organic extreme repair serum for normal to oily skin.
Packaging
The organic extreme repair serum comes in a dark blue glass bottle with a pump dispenser, which they call a “bio-energy bottle” at Herbal Choice. You can get a full size, or a trial size of 14 ml / 0.5 oz first, to get to know the serum a bit. Great for those of us with a fear of commitment when it comes to skin care. 😉
Texture
The serum is quite runny and dark yellow, almost golden, with a hint of green. Very interesting texture. It’s not an oil, but it has something oily to it. It’s definitely not a cream, but it is quite creamy, even though it’s still very runny. Ever heard of a runny, creamy yellow-ish oily serum? Well, now you have.
Scent
I think the scent of the organic extreme repair serum is quite particular. I’m not sure it can be called ‘good’. It smells very natural, reminding me of plants and perhaps even something earthy. Personally, I like it, although I believe it could not appeal to some people. It’s nothing like the classic main-stream artificial fragrances that many skin care products hit you in the face with. The gentle fragrance of natural oils and herbs in this organic face serum reminds of some kind of medicinal balm, which I find quite pleasurable and soothing.
Ingredients
Ingredients, INCI: Organic olive oil, organic moisturizing blend (organic olive oil, purified water, organic carnauba wax (plant based), organic sweet orange oil, organic jojoba oil, potassium carbonate (natural earth mineral)*, organic geranium oil, organic bergamot oil, organic bilberry leaf, organic burdock root, organic sage herb), organic argan oil, organic jojoba oil, organic rose hip oil, organic hemp oil, organic primrose oil, organic calendula oil, organic turmeric root, organic bilberry leaf, organic green tea, organic shiitake mushroom, organic witch hazel, organic horse chestnut, organic lavender oil, organic geranium oil, organic tea tree oil. * Not present in final product, dissipates during manufacture.
Herbal Choice Mari makes very natural, organic skin care. This looks like a great cocktail of botanical oils. There are so many! Witch hazel is known to refine pores. Geranium essential oil promotes skin cell regeneration, improves elasticity and circulation (which makes it a nice anti-aging skin care addition) but it also is astringent and antiseptic (making it a good essential oil for acne and other skin issues at the same time). Calendula has been known as a powerful healing plant for an eternity. Lavender essential oil is restorative and healing to the skin… Tea tree essential oil is amazing to heal little wounds, pimples, rashes – it’s my go-to remedy for anything unwelcome on the skin.
Turmeric is a plant I know best for the good it can do to the liver when taken internally. Apparently it also has loads of good things to offer to the skin.
The one thing I wonder about with this organic extreme repair serum (as with other Herbal Choice organic skin care products) is the fact that the serum contains water, but it is not entirely clear which method of preservation is used.
What I like about Herbal Choice Mari’s Organic Extreme Repair Serum
- I enjoy the strange, earthy scent.
- This organic face serum is very nourishing. I tried the extreme repair serum for normal to oily skin, and it makes me wonder how rich the one for dry skin is!
- Amazing, how almost all ingredients are from organic agriculture!
What I like less about Herbal Choice Mari’s Organic Extreme Repair Serum
This doesn’t apply to the organic face serum directly, but I’m put off a bit by the fact that I keep finding mistakes on the website. In the ingredients (which I copied from the official website) organic geranium oil is listed twice. I hate to sound unpleasant, and I know we’re all human, but stuff like that just makes me wonder… c’mon guys, the ingredient list of a product, shouldn’t that be accurate? What happened to double checking, or triple checking?
My bias here is that I’ve previously pointed out an error regarding the organic lipstick on the Herbal Choice/Bella Mari website. It was listed as “organic lipsick” even though none if the ingredients appeared to be organic. Again, humans make mistakes, sure, but the term ‘organic’ isn’t something to just randomly pop into the title of a product page, or is it?
Final thoughts & other Organic Face Care Reviews
I enjoyed the organic extreme repair serum, my skin felt well nourished for sure. That being said, I still prefer Annmarie Gianni’s facial oils. There’s a fairly significant price difference between Herbal Choice’s organic extreme repair serum and Annmarie Gianni’s facial oil. The good thing is that both offer trial sizes for just a few bucks, so nothing prevents you from trying both and making up your own mind.
- Herbal Choice Mari’s organic extreme repair serum can be found here. Look under Herbal Choice Mari > Facial Moisturizers > Repair Serums.
- Annmarie Gianni’s facial oils – just in case you like to compare – can be found right here.
Pricetag: around US $ 25.95 for 100 ml / 3.4 oz.
What do you think of the organic extreme repair serum by Herbal Choice?
Please share your own organic skin care reviews and tips!
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