Arbonne Cruelty Free, Botanical Skincare Review

Environmentally-friendly, vegan, natural and cruelty-free – what more could you want? As a makeup artist who has worked with countless skincare brands, I was very excited to try Arbonne products.

This post shares more about the company and examines three of their latest products: Overnight Face Jelly, Micellar Water, and an Intelligence Counter Spot Essence review. These three Arbonne products can help oily skin and acne. Using my skincare knowledge, I will share applications tips and provide an overall summary on whether or not to buy.

What are Arbonne products?

Arbonne is an eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty-free company. Since 1980, the brand has focused on sustainability and have created products with high quality ingredients that do not harm people, animals or the environment. This is a summary of points from their website:

• Recyclable packaging including recyclable shipping boxes
• Committed to zero waste and achieving carbon neutrality
• Supports the UN Global Compact for sustainable and socially responsible practices
• Core philosophy = pure, safe and beneficial (recognised as cruelty free by Peta and certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organisation)
• Skincare is based on botanical principles
• More than 2,000 ingredients are banned from their products.

Having worked in the luxury retail industry for beauty, I’m aware that even the most expensive skincare lines can feature ingredients which I consider drying or potentially irritating. I like that Arbonne are strict with what they include. While I’m not qualified to debate the merit of their ingredients list, I do believe the brand has great policies in place. Not every company champions cruelty-free.

Arbonne Intelligence Counter Spot Essence Review

They say: “Treat spots and wrinkles in one step and wake up to even better skin”

I’m not sure about the wrinkles (I’m in my mid-twenties) but I’ve definitely awoke to better skin! On my first week with the product, I ignored the advice and generously slathered across my face in the evening. (The product advises to initially use every three nights and increase gradually.) A week later, my skin felt dry and looked a little dull. I cut back on the usage and this completely reversed the drying effect.

The Counter Spot Essence is a product that you slowly begin to fall in love with. When I first started using, I didn’t wake up to a flawless complexion. But over time, I started to notice my whiteheads vanishing quicker, my skin feeling less irritated,  and an overall more even complexion. The product has a nice pump attached which dispenses the ideal amount. I’ve been using since early July and there’s still product left – suggesting it lasts around 2 months.

The product is perfect to pack for travelling and nice to use when PMS wrecks havoc on skin.

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Paperwork Overnight Face Jelly

They say: “Spread this light jelly over your face before you hit the sack and let it recharge parched skin while you sleep. Good morning, baby soft skin!”

One of my favourite skincare products I’ve reviewed. At first, I was using as a night-time moisturiser replacement, but now use as an additional item. Put the gel on one hand and compare with the other – you’ll notice a glowing difference. The jelly makes my skin feel soft and as my mum commented: “look healthy”. I would define as a radiance boost – recharging dehydrated skin and replenishing “skin’s natural moisture barrier”.

Tip: If you have oily skin, you likely have dehydrated skin. This is a condition that creates oil in an attempt to make up for a lack of water. Dry skin meanwhile, forms from a lack of oil. Many believe their oily skin requires less moisture – this isn’t true. Oily skin needs lots of hydration, that has a light texture. A treatment like the Overnight Face Jelly is perfect.

The product contains Vitamin C, raspberry ceramide as well as Vitamin E. I’m not the biggest fan of the pump which you press down on, and would have preferred a similar style to the Counter Spot Essence.

New Arbonne RE9 Advanced Prepwork Micellar Water

They say: “Micelles (tiny bunches of molecules) in this formula trap dirt, makeup and daily grime while coconut water conditions skin with hydration.”

I was hesitant to review the Micellar Water because I’m old-fashioned and preach cleansing with water. I still stick to this principle and do not use this item daily. It’s nice when wearing heavy eye makeup and wanting a quick remover when arriving home in the evening (after a night of dancing), and for taking on overnight visits and packing in a suitcase.

Overall, non-irritating and easy to use. Nothing in particular stood out.

In summary

The good:

• Cruelty-free! I don’t believe they use chemicals such as SLS, which is packed in many luxury brand products.
• I’ve noticed results – I don’t have incredible skin but realistically, the products have produced the results I expect from good skincare.
• No irritation – my skin is sometimes sensitive but I’ve experienced no issues with Arbonne.
• Long-lasting products – in particular the Overnight Face Jelly has a nice size of 50ml. Creams are typically packaged as 30ml.

The not so good:

• The packaging – it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing. As it’s recyclable though, I can overlook this factor.
• The price – some products are priced towards a luxury market.

Products were gifted to me by Arbonne. This does not reflect my review or opinions.