Up until a few months ago, I was extremely skeptical of any product . I had tried a long-line of products in my life and I almost feel that cosmetic companies monetized on the ignorance of the general public, They kept going by fancy advertising from the late 90s to mid 2000s until the boom of the internet,
The urban Indian today is transcending into only those products that are good for him and ditching those with poor results putting competitors at cut-throat competition . So much that the organic beauty industry is fore-cast at 24$ dollars by 2024 Most products are all the same and have similar ingredients in different formulation order. (Drugstore products: those you see almost everywhere) often with questionable quality.. Market variants that appear as competitors are often products of the same parent company. Surprise!
High end products however, have a downside of not being available everywhere and to everyone (online shipping solves that for the most part) and being in-affordable by everyone (Even today) or are largely unheard of despite their good results and quality. If skin care and grooming was a basic need, then shouldn't everyone be able to do it? (Sorry, about the Utopian rant).
Hence I looked out for some quality yet affordable products that claim to have herbal ingredients and here are the reviews.
(Note: These are not paid reviews nor product endorsements)
Biotique Bio burberry hydrating cleanser( INR:170 or $2.44) 120ml
Made in Himachal Pradesh
With the packaging and the fragrance, I felt it was a wise-buy. As the name suggests, it is extremely hydrating unlike other cleansers that make skin feel like stretched grease sheet. Claims to do well on all skin types with extracts of:
*Burberry root
*Fenugreek
*Almond oil and Lodhra bark
My sensitive and acne prone skin wasn't the least affected,
* pigmentation reduction and even toned look after 3-4 days of use.
Founded by entrepreneur Vinita Jain in the 90s, Biotique is an international best seller and among the first Indian product to sell amazingly in Switzerland and I could see why. I do not know about their other products which they claim to have incorporated both Ayurveda and Biotechnology but I definitely want to try some.
Bottomline: Very good.
Aroma magic's peppermint exfoliating gel by Blossom Kocchar: INR 175 | $2.55, 100ml
Made in Haridwar, Uttarakand.
The exfoliating gel/ scrub that does not have micro-wax beads claims to be 100% alcohol, paraben ,phthalate and sulphate free with active enzymes. The packaging is extremely French garden like and the light pink gel spurts out of the tube with a little press spreading mild peppermint aroma around you. Suitable for all skin types. The logo boasts of : Earth to Bottle. personally Biotique's shadow fell over other similar products that I got because I had bought that first. I let the gel sit on my skin for 20 minutes to see the results despite the recommended 10 minutes.
Skin felt pore reduced, clean yet not dry, reduction of pigmented areas and a pampered feel lasted none the less. I applied it right after Biotique's burberry cleanser.
Bottomline: Good.
Streax walnut oil hair serum: 50ml , INR 50|$0.72
Made in Himachal Pradesh
Despite having walnut oil, this product still has silicone compounds which can leave hair frizzy and damaged forever in the long run. The day I got the serum, I had tangled hair in the roller comb and streax walnut oil hair serum was extremely handy in getting my hair out of the comb and vice-versa. It works well in the absence of a detangling spray. The fragrance smells almost down to earth against the sharp synthetic perfumery we normally get. I couldn't gather what percentage of walnut oil was in the formulation but overall agains Livon serums, I liked it better,
Bottomline: Average- Good
Organica organic Cotton Eyebrow threading thread: 300m| INR 50, $0.72
The 300 m reel package boasts of being the only organic cotton thread reel in India for beauty purposes. Which according to me is very appreciable but how that affects performance is the question we should really be asking. The reel is dyed mint-green to stay true to its "organic" label which made me think that Indians are mixing herbal and organic one too often. The thread after making a threading loop seemed turgid and traction-pulled hair out of follicles just as well as its inorganic counterparts.The thread didn't snap as often as other brands. But if buy choosing to buy this reel the only difference we are making is supporting an organic product, that kind of kills the results.
Bottomline : Average
Hope you found this useful. Happy New Year anyway moms!