Beautycounter Review: Cleanser, Peel & Oil

Yay for non-toxic skincare! I’ll be doing a Beautycounter review of three skincare products here. They will be the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, the Rejuvenating Face Cleanser, and the No.2 Plumping + Jasmine Facial Oil.

Note: I am not affiliated with Beautycounter in any way, nor have I ever been. I am not a Beautycounter consultant and I did not get these products from a consultant. This review is entirely honest and unbiased.

Why I Bought From Beautycounter

I first heard about Beautycounter years ago, well before I really got into natural beauty. Even then, I heard some amazing things about them. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the MLM business model, so I avoided looking into their stuff despite the positive reviews.

When I was pregnant with my first child I really made an effort to only use non-toxic beauty products. This meant I got rid of almost everything I had bought from Sephora and drug stores and started doing a ton of research on products you could only find in health food stores and online.

One of my favourite resources is SkinDeep, which an amazing tool for finding out the toxicity behind the ingredients in your makeup and skincare products. During my research I came across Beautycounter again, and this time noticed just how much they were mentioned as having non-toxic products by the SkinDeep website, other wellness bloggers, and YouTubers. I looked into them again, but this time I was turned of by their prices.

Currently, I’ve been using non-toxic, natural beauty products for quite some time, and at this point, I’m pretty well versed in exactly what constitutes ‘non-toxic’ and what I’m willing to spend for that. Plus I’m pregnant again and this pregnancy seems to be taking more of a toll on my skin than I was expecting, so I figured maybe it was time to try something new…

I started using the the following Beautycounter products on Sept 18, and have been using them daily for a week now.

I didn’t specifically set out to buy products that were meant for oily skin, which is what I have. Instead, I choose these three products based on curiosity and need. I needed a new cleanser, the facial oil had amazing reviews, and I really wanted to try the overnight peel.

I’ve also been dealing with eczema for a few years now, primarily on my cheeks. Recently the eczema had been much better after I stopped using certain products. Although, I still need to be careful in choosing products that don’t aggravate those trouble areas. That being said, this review will also touch on how the products affected my eczema. Here are my thoughts:

Overnight Resurfacing Peel

This is one of Beautycounter’s newest products so it was hard to find unbiased reviews for it online. Being pregnant, I can’t actually go out and get a real chemical peel, so this was the next best thing. I put this on after using the cleanser, and wow does this stuff go along way. Two tiny drops almost seemed too much. It spread nicely on my skin, although the smell was nothing special. It says on the bottle there might be a tingling sensation, and there definitely was, although it was quite minor and not at all uncomfortable. My eczema wasn’t irritated, although the tingling lasted a little longer around the eczema than on the rest of my face.

About half an hour after putting it on I noticed how much firmer my skin felt, which was actually really neat, because it didn’t feel or look dry, just firm. I used it again the next morning after a shower, and I didn’t notice a tingling sensation this time, but it still seemed to make my skin feel firmer. After testing it for a few more days, it turns out I only get ‘the tingle’ when I use this immediately after cleansing my face.

This one is currently $75 CAD, and while that seems steep, based on the results, I would use it again. Also, based on how little I use each time, I think that $75 is going to last me awhile.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Rejuvenating Face Cleanser

I really like the smell of this one. The first time I used it I didn’t take off any makeup with it, but it seemed to cleanse nicely. I used it the next day to remove makeup (tinted moisturizer & concealer), and it worked about as well as every other cleanser I’ve tried. With a cloth, scrubbing lightly, it got about 95% of my makeup off, so it definitely will remove makeup, you just need to scrub a bit. Also, it didn’t irritate my eczema at all. A few days later I used it to remove my eye makeup, and while it worked pretty well, I don’t think it’s really meant for eye makeup… also, I got it in my eyes, and it stung a bit. My bad.

Overall, I think the best parts of this one are how it cleans nicely without making my skin feel dry afterwards. Even without immediately following with a moisturizer or oil/serum, my skin didn’t feel dry; which was actually a nice change. Also, only a few drops of this stuff will clean your whole face; so that’s a plus. And again, the smell… the smell is really nice. I’m not sure it’s worth the steep price of $54 CAD (but maybe?) but I’m definitely planning on using it until it’s all gone. After that I might try the ever-popular Cleansing Balm.

Final Score: 8/10

No.2 Plumping + Jasmine Facial Oil

I’ve been testing out facial oils and facial serums for a little over a year now and they seem to work nicely on my skin. I alternate between moisturizer and oils, not really needing both since my skin is naturally oily.

I’ve tested a handful of oils from ClementineFields and EcoDiva, and have had varying reactions from all of them. One of them really stung on my eczema and another seemed to dry up and not give much moisture. Another one smelled terrible, but the rest, fortunately, worked pretty well. My all-time favourite is the Bio Booster facial serum from W3LL People. It’s has turmeric in it, so it has natural anti-inflammatory properties and gives my skin a nice glow. The smell is kinda… spicy I guess? It’s not a fantastic smell, but it’s still a great serum. It’s basically the bar at which I will judge all other facial oils and serums by.

The No.2 Plumping Oil has a lovely smell that reminds me of the perfume my mom wore when I was younger. I used the cleanser first, then added the oil. My skin felt pretty good afterwards; both clean and hydrated. I didn’t really notice a glow or much ‘plump’ but it did feel and smell nice.

The second time I put this on my face I noticed my skin seemed to retain the moisture for hours, and I feel like this would be really helpful for someone with dry skin, although it might be overkill for someone with oily skin. This one also worked well with my eczema.

The plumping oil goes for $82 CAD. Again, this seems high, but compared to other non-toxic facial oils on the market, $82 is actually a pretty standard price. Although, The W3LL People serum I love so much goes for $38 CAD for half the size.

Final Score: 7/10

To Conclude

While I didn’t notice any improvement in my skin tone after using these products for a week, I still enjoyed them. It’s also hard to gauge long-term effects of skincare products after only a week. This is especially true when pregnancy is already wreaking havoc on my skin. I think next time I’d like to try the Countercontrol line, since those products are meant for oily, blemish prone skin.

Overall, the winner here, for me, was the Overnight Peel. Maybe it’s because it’s so different to anything I’ve tried before, but the fact that my skin felt firm for so long after using it really made me feel like it was helping my skin. I also really liked using Beautycounter products because of the ingredients. Beautycounter is so committed to leaving harmful ingredients out of their products, and this is key for me. Also, as a graphic designer, I can really appreciate the aesthetic and eco-friendly nature of the packaging.

Update: Sept 2019

It’s been a year since I did the original Beautycounter review above. I just used up the last of the face cleanser this month, although I haven’t been using it every day. The cleanser removes makeup better than other cleansers I’ve tried over the last year, but not so well to justify the price. I actually gave the plumping oil to my mother. I just found it added too much oil to my already oily skin. This was especially the case when I was pregnant. I still use the overnight peel occasionally. It still seems to firm my skin well, but I haven’t noticed any improvements from it. Overall, I likely won’t try Beautycounter products again. The ingredients are great, but the price is just too high. Additionally, I don’t like the idea of supporting MLMs.

Feedback

Have you tried Beautycounter products? If so, do you have a favourite? What should I get next from Beautycounter? Let me know in the comments below.

Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered any type of medical advice. The information provided in this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health condition or disease, and should not be substituted for professional care. Every human is biochemically different and what works for one person may not work for another. If you suspect or have a medical condition, consult an appropriate health care provider.