Bobbi Brown
Radiance Boost Superfine Walnut Grain & Orange Oil Exfoliating Mask
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Making skin look smooth, soft, and radiant is a great goal, but Bobbi Brown's Radiance Boost Superfine Walnut Grain & Orange Oil Exfoliating Mask isn't the best way to do that. We'll explain.…
Housed in an apothecary-style tube, this creamy mask/scrub hybrid functions primarily as a scrub because of the abrasive ingredients it contains, including alumina and walnut shell powder. You'll see the latter as black specks, whose rough edges can tear at skin if you're not exceedingly careful when massaging this over skin.
Emollient ingredients and wax help to buffer skin from this product's abrasive texture, while also working to leave skin feeling smooth and soft. Nice benefits, yes, but you can get the same benefits from lots of other products that are more gentle on skin; for example, AHA and BHA exfoliants can do wonders to boost skin's radiance and smooth its appearance.
Even if you prefer scrubs, the amount of orange oil, while lending a fresh citrus scent, poses a risk of irritation. The sneaky part? As we explain in the More Info section, you don't have to see or feel the irritation for it to be a problem, which may be a surprise to you!
Ultimately, although this creamy scrub/mask will deliver visible benefits, the manner in which it goes about doing this just isn't a great approach to skincare. For best results, see the links above for our top AHA and BHA exfoliant picks—and watch your skin change for the better!
- Leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.
- Emollient ingredients help reduce the abrasiveness of the walnut shells.
- Large walnut granules have rough edges and can feel abrasive, potentially tearing into skin.
- Fragrant orange oil poses a risk of irritation.
- On the pricey side for what amounts to a creamy scrub.
Inclusion of Known Irritants: Irritation, whether you see it on the surface of your skin or not, causes inflammation and as a result impairs healing, damages collagen, and depletes the vital substances your skin needs to stay young. For this reason, it is best to eliminate, or minimize as much as possible, your exposure to known skin irritants, including fragrant oils, especially when there are brilliant formulas available that do not include these types of problematic ingredients. Fragrance free is the best way to go for all skin types (Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2008 & American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003)
The sneaky part about irritation is that research has demonstrated that you don't always need to see or feel the effects on your skin for your skin to be suffering damage, and that damage may remain hidden for a long time (Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008).
Bobbi Brown At-A-Glance
Strengths: A good cleanser and eye makeup removers; some impressive foundations, with options for all skin types and preferences; very good blushes and eyeshadows (powder and cream); several top-notch mascaras; mostly excellent brushes.
Weaknesses: Multiple moisturizers in jar packaging, otherwise great products hindered with irritating fragrant oils or fragrance components.
It all began with lipsticks. In 1991, New York based makeup artist Bobbi Brown debuted a collection of ten lipsticks at Bergdorf Goodman, expecting to sell about one hundred units in a month. She sold more than that the first day. From there, it's been mostly success after success, as Brown launched her classic foundation stick, wrote her first book, Bobbi Brown Beauty The Ultimate Beauty Resource, and enjoyed continued attention as an in-demand makeup artist and beauty educator.
Today, Bobbi Brown's makeup that continues to excel with superior foundations, true matte blushes and eyeshadows, and with all of the other basics that are essential to anyone's makeup wardrobe. It isn't the least bit surprising that this makeup collection continues to do so well, because for many it's one-stop shopping that combines classic makeup application techniques with enough fun-yet-functional products to keep customer's interest piqued season to season.
Turning to the skincare collection, there are a few excellent formulas, but unfortunately, many are packaged in a jar, which means their beneficial ingredients are rendered useless due to air exposure (and bacterial contamination from spatulas or fingers). In addition, some suffer from the inclusion of potent fragrant essential oils. Those that should be avoided are noted in their respective reviews. That aside, color is without a doubt Bobbi Brown's strong point, but you will find a few sleeper hits among the selection of skincare products.
For more information about Bobbi Brown, call (877) 310-9222 or visit www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com.
About the Experts
The Beautypedia team consists of skin care and makeup experts personally trained by the original Cosmetics Cop and best-selling beauty author, Paula Begoun. We’re fascinated by skin care and makeup products and thrilled when they meet or exceed our expectations, but we’re also disappointed when they fail to perform as claimed, are wildly overpriced, or contain ingredients scientific research has proven can hurt skin.
Our mission has always been to help you find the best products for your skin, no matter your budget or preferences. Beautypedia’s thorough and insightful reviews cut through the hype and provide reliable recommendations for all ages, skin types, and skin tones.
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