Where does the line between hopeful science and plant stem cells get drawn? I found myself contemplating this as I considered Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Repair Eye Treatment ($45) and Moisturizer ($65). I want to believe everything the package says, but can I? Both the eye treatment and the moisturizer use fruit stem cells and a fat-soluble vitamin C to repair damaged skin on the level of its DNA. Exactly how the fruit stem cells work upon damaged skin is left a little vague, but the list of fruit juices, shea butter, and fatty acids convinces me of the efficacy of the treatments more than any stem cell theory.
The eye treatment packaging threw me for a loop. The gel is dispensed from a tiny hole on a smooth, rounded plastic applicator, and according to the directions, the user should massage the gel into the under-eye area with the applicator. The massage should increase circulation, and so the health of the skin. This feels a little gimmicky, and it bothered me for two reasons.
First, no matter how gently I worked the applicator over my under-eye area, I could still feel it tugging at the skin. I’ve long used only my ring fingers to tap on eye treatments, since they’re the weakest fingers on the hand, and so tug and pull at the skin less. As I used the applicator, I could practically feel all my delicate collagen and connective tissue coming loose and sagging. Alright, I exaggerate, but after one use I ditched the applicator and used my much gentler ring fingers. Secondly, the list of active ingredients in this gel is so long, it should be a star in its own right. The applicator seems either unnecessary, or proof that all the Good Things in the gel don’t work as well as they should.
Both the eye treatment and facial moisturizer work well, but not as well as others I’ve used lately, and certainly they fall a little short of their price range. To be fair, organic ingredients that really work at all don’t come cheap, and this company boasts that 98% of their ingredients are. They aren’t without merit, especially not for a certain type of consumer. If you put organic ingredients in the first or second spots on your list of priorities, this might be a brand to investigate. Their web site points out, quite believably, that 64% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into our bodies. I know I’m not as vigilant about that as I should be, and some of my favorite brands contain parabens and sulfates. I often wonder as I’m slathering on my (very effective and moderately priced) skin treatments if I’m not trading the appearance of skin health now for my real health later. At the very least, Juice Beauty removes that worry from the table. Peace of mind coupled with decent results must be worth something.
But, we believe that testing is believing and we are giving away ONE Stem Cellular Repair Eye Treatment to one lucky reader, valued at $45. Simply leave a comment below to be considered (deadline is April 14th).
In addition to the giveaway, we have a special code to BeautyStat.com readers: enter STAT upon checkout to receive a free Organic Facial Moisture Concentrate with any JuiceBeauty.com purchase. Offer valid for one week until April 7th.
– Katharine McKenzie
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