Arcona – Two is Company

Arcona is a luxury brand known for its high quality, organic ingredients and has been around for a while now, even before the recent “green beauty movement” escalated to new heights. With so much going on in the green beauty scene these days, it’s no surprise that there’s no dearth of brands flooding the market place every day, and so, it becomes even harder to make the right choices, but Arcona does make it easy for us because they are clearly here to stay – they know what they’re doing, and they invest a lot of time in researching the best chirally correct delivery system, and  in the highest sourcing of ingredients. Arcona products contain no petrochemicals, binders or fillers, chemical stabilizers, parabens, sodium lauryl sulphates, perfumes, dyes, or any other caustic, toxic ingredients. I was super pleased when I was given the opportunity to try some of their inventions, and in this post, I’d like to share my thoughts on two products that are perfect for these hot summer months.

White Tea Purifying Cleanser ($42/110 ml): It’s always a challenge finding a gel cleanser with good ingredients in the green beauty world, because these are much more difficult to effectively formulate, compared to a simple balm cleanser, which is why I’m super excited to share this discovery with you. This is an antioxidant gel cleanser that can be used as a morning cleanse, or as a second cleanse in the evening.

It contains cranberry enzymes to gently exfoliate and clarify, and Yucca, Vitamin E, and Aloe to nourish and maintain the skin’s balance. Because of the natural saponins, this cleanser produces a mild amount of suds, thus making it easier to spread a small amount of the product. So, in the long run, I see the tube lasting me for a very long time. Starting with a damp face, I usually massage a dime sized amount for about a minute, before rinsing off with lukewarm tap water. The cleanser smells very middle of Arcona’s signature cranberry scent – the smell quickly dissipates once you massage in the product and rinse off. I’m not a huge fan of cranberries, but the smell doesn’t bother me at all.

I love that Arcona provides the pH level on the product page – this cleanser has a pH level of 7.49, which is only slighter higher than the neutral number 7. In layman’s term, a pH level around 7 is the best – if it’s too low, the cleanser will be acidic, cause an icky feeling and won’t cleanse well, and if the pH level is too high, the cleanser will be alkaline and dry out the skin. On my combination/acne prone skin, the cleanser was very mildly stripping, but nothing too bothersome.

If your skin type is normal to oily, then this is the perfect gel cleanser to add to your kit during these warm summer months, when you want to get rid of the sweat and dust, and desire a very clean slate.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) 10%, Aloe Saponins, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Yucca Schidigera Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract ,Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, D-alpha-tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil , Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil

Magic White Ice ($42/35 ml): Since it’s so hot outside – 90F+ right now, and soon to hit 100F+ I’m sure – on most days, for my daily AM routine, I prefer to use a light, water based moisturizer, and Arcona’s Magic White Ice fits the bill perfectly. It’s a daily moisturizer with gel-like consistency, that’s designed to deeply penetrate, help protect against environmental damage,  and leave skin fresh and dewy. It hydrates skin with hyaluronic acid, cranberry complex, and mucopolysaccharides. It helps protect against environmental damage with Vitamin B5 and E, and clarifies skin with Totara extract.

The first time I used this product, I could really smell the signature cranberry fragrance, but over time, I have somewhat gotten used to it, and don’t really notice it anymore. If you’re sensitive to smell, I can say that after a couple of minutes, the smell does vanish. The pH level of this product, as mentioned on the product page, is 6.1, which seems to match what I would expect from a very light moisturizer. For my skin type, this moisturizer does a perfect job, without feeling too heavy.

After my usual cleanser, toner, and serums, I mist my face again with toner, and then spread about 2 pumps to my face and neck. I like to dampen my face before application, since it helps use less product. Most days, I also mix 1 drop of my favorite Odacité Pa+G Serum Concentrate with this face moisturizer, since I still have some acne scars to get rid of. The combination of this moisturizer and the Odacité serum leaves my skin supple, and ready for my final layer of sunscreen and finishing powder.

Similar to the gel cleanser, if you have normal to oily skin, this face moisturizer would be perfect for warmer months. With just 2 pumps every day, this bottle should last you for the entire summer!

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Glycerin*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Fructooligosaccharides (D-beta), Sodium Hyaluronate (L), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Juice, Camellia Sineosis (White Tea) Extract, Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Extract, Totara Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Tocotrienols (Vitamin E), Phytic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco- Caprylate/Caprate, Acacia Gum, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Essential Oils

Have you used any of Arcona’s wide range of products?