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Tarte has yet to produce a Rainforest of the Sea product that wows us, and their Rainforest of the Sea Deep Sea Collagen Super Serum continues that trend. Sadly, despite some intriguing ingredients, this serum’s benefits for skin are shallow at best.
On the plus side, this glass bottle-packaged serum with a dropper-top applicator contains some very good non-fragrant plant oils and the algae it contains provides soothing hydration. But you can find both types of ingredients in many other products that don’t have this one’s problems.
The glass bottle packaging is clear, so it must be stored away from natural light. Otherwise, ongoing light exposure will degrade the effectiveness of the antioxidants, plant extracts, and oils.
Another concern: The dual-phase formula must be shaken before each use, but doing so, even vigorously, doesn’t keep the water and oil phases blended together. When you go to apply it, you will see separation and both parts must be remixed on skin in order to get the benefits of each.
Next up is how greasy this can feel unless you apply sparingly (as in one drop). In a sense it’s good that a little goes a long way, but even one drop still delivers a potent dose of skin-irritating fragrance--and the scent lingers. See More Info for details.
The main fragrance culprits are orange and lavender oils, but the gardenia flower and fragrance ingredient limonene definitely serve as accomplices. We’re not sure if a rainforest smells like this, but even if it does, these fragrance ingredients aren’t skin-caring.
Summing up, this has more issues than positive traits. We love the blend of avocado, coconut, argan, and Japanese camellia oils, but our list of best face oils features these types of non-fragrant plant oils minus the frustrating formulary issues.
- Contains some very good non-fragrant plant oils.
- Algae delivers soothing and hydrating benefits.
- The two phases don’t mix well when serum is shaken.
- Tends to feel greasy even if applied sparingly.
- Contains fragrant plant oils and extracts that can irritate skin.
- Clear packaging means it must be stored out of direct light.
More Info:
Why Fragrance Is a Problem for Skin: Daily use of products that contain a high amount of fragrance, whether the fragrant ingredients are synthetic or natural, causes a chronic sensitizing reaction on skin.
This reaction in turn leads to all kinds of problems, including disrupting skin’s barrier, worsening dryness, increasing or triggering redness, depleting vital substances in skin’s surface, and generally preventing skin from looking healthy, smooth, and hydrated. Fragrance free is always the best way to go for all skin types.
A surprising fact: Even though you can’t always see or feel the negative effects of fragrant ingredients on skin, the damage will still be taking place, even if it’s not evident on the surface. Research has demonstrated that you don’t need to see or feel the effects of irritation for your skin to be suffering. Much like the effects from cumulative sun damage, the negative impact and the visible damage from fragrance may not become apparent for a long time.
References for this information:
Biochimica and Biophysica Acta, May 2012, pages 1410–1419
Aging, March 2012, pages 166–175
Chemical Immunology and Allergy, March 2012, pages 77–80
Experimental Dermatology, October 2009, pages 821–832
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008, pages 191–202
International Journal of Toxicology, Volume 27, 2008, Supplement, pages 1–43
Food and Chemical Toxicology, February 2008, pages 446–475
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003, pages 789–798
This bi-phase cocktail of marine-based collagen and marine plant extracts and nourishing oils delivers powerful antioxidant benefits to keep skin looking fresh, supple, and radiant.
Tarte Cosmetics At-A-Glance
Tarte Cosmetics CEO and founder Maureen Kelly started Tarte in 1999, out of a desire to create a cosmetics line that would prove that glamour can be good for you. This comes in the form of products that highlight naturally-derived ingredients in their marketing campaigns, and occasionally taking swipes at the concept of synthetics in makeup.
This is ironic, as Tarte uses more than a few beneficial synthetically derived ingredients in their formulassilicones, synthetic fragrances, preservatives and on and on. However, well forgive them that as whats ultimately important is whether their products meet your needs, and to that we can say the brand excels in many areas at what they do.
However, a few products are a bit on the pricey side and there are a few iffy shades and textures to consider among their foundationsnoted in their respective reviews. A few caveats aside, most of Tarte's foundations, blush options, eye pencils and an ever-expanding range of innovative products demonstrate that color is what they do best.
For more information about Tarte Cosmetics visit www.tartecosmetics.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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