Talk About Skin Care - Laurel Whole Plant Organics

In May, Laurel Whole Plant Organics, formerly known as Sequoia Beauty, contacted me asking if I would be interested in testing out any of their products. I had never tried Sequoia Beauty but had heard a lot about their products from other green beauty bloggers so I was intrigued and eager to try their re-branded and reformulated products. I got to try out samples of their Eye Balm, Healing Balm, Nightly Balm, and Detox Mask as well as a full size bottle of their Ant-inflammatory Serum. My favorites out of the group are the Serum and Eye Balm.



I tried writing a brief background on the company but I couldn't do a better job than they did on their website so click here to learn more about Laurel Whole Plant Organics.

After just a few short days of using the Anti-Inflammatory Facial Serum twice daily my Mom started complimenting me on my skin, and how clear and glowy I looked. Despite the fact that this serum induces compliments I have a love/hate relationship with this oil. I love the oil itself, a lot, but I absolutely hate the smell of it.

This Serum is made with 26 whole, organic, active ingredients (like Chinese Skullcap, Licorice, Chamomile, and Astragalus, just to name a few), and is best for those with sensitive and/or reactive skin, cystic acne, rosacea and anyone showing signs of inflammation (which can include dry patches, redness, uneven skin tone, breakouts, eczema, collagen loss, and/or broken capillaries). This particular serum appealed to me because I struggle with many of these problems so I knew it would be perfect for my skin!



It's pricey coming in at $72 for 30ml (or just over 1 oz) but a small amount of this serum goes a very long way so you're actually getting a good amount of product for your money. It comes in a lovely, simple glass bottle with an efficient dropper that makes dispensing the right amount of product easy.

I love the formulation of this serum. It is easily absorbed into the skin and provides long lasting hydration without residual greasiness. After absorption it actually leaves my skin looking slightly matte instead of making me look shiny faced and oily. It is a pretty serious hydrator that isn't heavy or pore suffocating. My skin drinks this stuff up and is left feeling calm and balanced while looking fresh and healthy.

As you can probably tell I love this liquid magic, but like I mentioned above, I can't stand the smell. I've mentioned in previous blog posts that a lot of products, both natural and not, smell really weird on me. I'm not sure if I have a weird pH that interacts with ingredients or what but this product smells horrendous to me (and to people around me who are within sniffing distance). It doesn't smell offensive in the bottle, and actually smells kind of sweet, but once applied to my skin it has a really strong fishy odor that doesn't go away. It lingers for hours after hours and it's such a bummer because I love this oil and the way it makes me skin feel. I still use the serum and I enjoy the results but I wish desperately that it had no scent.

The Eye Balm starts as a solid and transforms into a luxurious liquid that goes on as smoothly as butter. I have ridiculously sensitive eyes and this balm doesn't irritate them at all. It's not too heavy but it is highly moisturizing and helps hydrate and plump up the fine, delicate skin under the eyes. It also has no scent, which is a really nice bonus!

The Healing Balm is an excellent multi-tasking balm that can be used anywhere on the face or body. It's great for serious dry patches and irritated skin. The Detox Mask didn't make much of an impression on me. I don't like or dislike it. I think it would be worth a try for those of who mask addicts who like mixing your own powdered masks. While I like the formula of the Night Balm I'm not a big fan of the scent.

To learn more about Laurel Whole Plant Organics you can visit their website here.