What Is Skin-Balancing Facial Moisturizer?
The moisturizer we review today, Skin-Balancing Moisturizer, says its nutrient-replenishing Mineral Water formula with lightweight Rosehip oil will provide the ideal hydration for normal skin types (so, if you have combination, dry or oily skin, this probably isn’t the product for you). It promises to leave you with more supple and smooth skin so that you can apply your makeup flawlessly. It also purportedly contains natural antioxidants, revitalizing iron, and a wrinkle-fighting clinically tested collagen-boosting peptide. This peptide says Mineral Fusion will restore a youthful visage. We will examine the formula as closely as possible to see to what extent it converges with the clinically approved science behind keeping skin supple, collagen-rich, blemish free and young looking.
Ingredients
The bulk of the ingredients are:
- Mineral Water
- Aloe Leaf Juice
- Sunflower Seed Oil
- Shea Butter
- Iron Extract
- Lavender
- Vitamin E
- Cucumber Fruit Extract
- Vitamin B5
- Rosehip Oil
- Olive Leaf Extract
- Rosemary Leaf Oil
Firstly, it is important to note that the product contains alcohol which is why it is not suitable for anything other than normal skin – it will aggravate dry skin or skin conditions such as rosacea worse. Both the vitamins included here go far in any beauty regimen, with Vitamin E, in particular, being clinically lauded for its ability to spark collagen production, as well as be an effective free radical scavenger. Its properties are enhanced though when it is accompanied by Vitamin C – these two vitamins work in tandem and omitting one of them is a structural compound weakness in any skin formula. Vitamin B5 helps with new skin cell production. There are quite a few oils included, all with their enriching, healing and antioxidant properties. But a star oil according to science, Sweet Almond oil, has been omitted. We are not convinced of the strength of the research around the oils that are included, that this particular synthesis penetrates as deeply into the skin as it should and rejuvenates skin as aggressively as possible.
The manufacturer’s claim as to providing the ‘ideal’ hydration is also circumspect, as there is not a sufficient moisture barrier contained in this moisturizer. It is essential that once the nutrients and healing minerals sink in, they should be locked in for a certain amount of time. Only medical strength silicone can achieve this, and it is not part of the ingredients. Finally, do note that Mineral Fusion does not utilize a single clinically approved patent. In the natural beauty arena, such patents are an immediate sign that a manufacturer has indeed done their research, and has taken what science says to the next level by including a form of a scientifically hard-hitting ingredient that is superior. A patent that has caught our eye is Syn-Coll for its patented, synthetic tripeptide, that stimulates collagen and slows down aging. This kind of patent is what a real attempt at fighting fine lines and wrinkles looks like.
How To Use
The directions are rather scant. Mineral Fusion says you should smooth it onto clean skin morning and night. It is a cream-like product in a tube. We are not told whether to apply a thin layer or thick layer and whether you should leave the cream to sink in, or gently massage it in. At the end of the day, using a product incorrectly is as bad as using no product or the wrong product, so we are a bit surprised at the inadequate description.
What Is The Cost?
You’ll pay $22.99 for the 3.04 oz tube on the product website. If you sign up to receive emails, you’ll qualify for $15 off your first purchase. There are no discounts for buying a few rather than one tube of this moisturizer, whereas select top manufacturers offer a discount based on 3 or 6 or more of a product, given that you will need more of it if you make it your regimen.
Manufacturer’s Guarantee
You can exchange any Mineral Fusion product within 15 days if you are unhappy. It isn’t clear but it does seem that you can do so with a partially used product as well. You will only get a return for unopened goods though and you must initiate this claim within 30 days. This effectively means that if you’re unhappy with the moisturizer and you’ve started to use it, you won’t get your money back, making it a risky purchase. This guarantee doesn’t hold up well against those certain leading natural beauty product makers who offer at least 60 days as the guarantee period.
Our Final Review Of Skin-Balancing Facial Moisturizer
Although some good ingredients are included to deliver hydration and antioxidant density, the moisturizer isn’t vegan and there is no express assurance that it hasn’t been tested on animals. There is also no cGMP certification, which is the baseline standard for ensuring that the manufacturing process does not allow contaminants into the product or compromise ingredients and that the process itself meets certain acceptable criteria. Lead manufacturers go even further, by furnishing independent third-party testing to verify that their labels match the ingredients not only in substance, but also in dosage strength. So, at a minimum, the lack of cGMP certification flags concerns.
On the face of it, it also seems that there are far fewer than 10% active ingredients present on the whole, and zero patented clinically approved ingredients – we use this as a framework as it is what we have found the leading manufacturers of well-researched products to provide. Given that the guarantee is tenuous at best, and that the hydration that manufacturer says it provides isn’t locked in, we would not advise the use of this particular moisturizer. In any event, the formulation expressly excludes you using it if you have anything other than a normal skin type.
