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Green People Facial Oil Anti Ageing
by koshkha
Just over two years ago I had two operations on my neck which left me with a very neat but quite long scar just above my collar bone. I was determined to reduce the brightness of the scar and religiously applied my Bio Oil both day and night so that 6 months later, the scar just looked like a light wrinkle. I'd got rather carried away ... with the amount of Bio Oil I'd bought and decided that if it could do such wonderful things for scarred skin, it might be good on my neck and facial skin as well. Every week or so I would give myself a little home facial, massaging Bio Oil all over my face. I loved the effect it had on my skin but I hated the smell. Bio Oil smells like an old lady's soap drawer (an old lady whose grandchildren buy her really cheap nasty soap) and is far too flowery and cheap scented. I wanted to see if it would be possible to find another facial oil that didn't come with the unpleasant scent of Bio Oil.
I get daily alerts from Group On and one day they sent me an offer for an organic cosmetics website called 'Green People'. From memory the offer was something like £30 of product for £12. On the Green People website I found a variety of intriguing products including the 'Anti Ageing Omega Rich Facial Oil' which sells for a rather intimidating £16.95 for a 30 ml bottle. I probably wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have the offer but I popped it in my basket, added a day cream and a couple of small sample sized bottles of other products and placed my order.
I hadn't come across Green People before and probably many readers also won't know them. Their 'story' is that the company was started in 1997 by a mother called Charlotte Vohtz whose young daughter suffered with eczema and allergies. She set out to create products home-made natural skin care products which were free from alcohol and parabens, contained as many 'organic' ingredients as possible and avoided things like SLS, phthalates, petrochemicals and synthetic colours and fragrances. 15 years later they have over 100 products and those who are interested in knowing more about the history of the company and its products will find plenty of information on the website.
I would have to be honest and say that I really have no commitment at all to the idea of organic cosmetics and toiletries. Having spent the first 13 years of my working life with companies who supplied various ingredients to the food and cosmetics industries, I'm a firm believer in science first and products that have been properly tested and formulated. Whilst I might hunt down organic food, I'm pretty dismissive of small companies playing at mixing 'natural' stuff together and claiming it's somehow better for us. I can understand that some people do want these types of products due to allergies or ethical reasons but I personally have no strange allergies other than sticky plasters and my skin is not problematic.
My order arrived a few days later and I was keen to give the facial oil a go. It comes in a small glass bottle with a pump top with a plastic cap on top. The oil inside is yellow in colour and dispenses easily with just a gentle push of the pump top. I recommend to start with just two pumps onto your fingers and to then spread it between the fingers of both hands before rubbing it onto the skin. The oil is quite thick and doesn't spread as easily as the Bio Oil which I'd been used to, so I soon developed a technique for getting it onto my face. I start at my forehead, massaging it in circles and then drawing it down the side of my face and under my eye sockets. A second couple of pumps will give me enough for the rest of my face and for the top of my neck and another two would do your décolletage if that's an area you want to take care of.
Once the oil is on, it sits on the surface of the skin for quite a while and I periodically give it another little massage. This is not a product that's quickly sucked up by the skin and I find it takes a few hours for the slightly 'basted' feeling to go, leaving me with really soft-feeling skin. I love the way it makes my skin feel but it needs to be applied when you've time to spare and don't mind being a bit shiny. I definitely don't recommend putting this on if you're going out shortly after. I tend to do it when I'm going to be home all day or in the evening before bed. I'd recommend not using it before bed if you're using your favourite pillow cases as you could leave an oily mark.
The thing I like best about the oil is the smell. It's made from a mix of oils including jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, thistle seed oil, rosehip seed oil, avocado oil, rose geranium oil, and rosemary leaf oil. I think most of the smell comes from the rose geranium and rosemary oils. I even like to smell the oil as it lingers on my fingers after I've applied it and rather than wash my hands, I tend to just rub the oil into my hand skin.
The product is 100% certified (whatever that means) and contains 99% certified organic ingredients. Some of the ingredients are Fair Trade registered too. It's safe for 12 months after opening although I'm happily still using mine more than 18 months after I bought it. I've become a lot more patchy about using it after I had to stop carrying it with me in my bag as I was repeatedly picked up for it by airport security. I still have half a bottle and I only tend now to use it when my skin is feeling particularly dry.
The claims made for the product include that it is suitable for people with eczema and psoriasis, that the rosehip oil improves skin 'elasticity', that the product helps support the structure of the skin and that it has 'proven anti-ageing action'. I don't have eczema (although I have done in the past) so I can't comment on that and I think the other claims are pretty much what you'd expect for any kind of skin oil. I certainly can't comment on whether it's really anti-ageing as I use such a bundle of other products as well that cause and effect are hard to determine. All I can say is that I love the way this makes my skin feel and I turn to it whenever my skin feels particularly dry and thirsty.
At £16.95 it's not cheap so I'd recommend to check you like facial oils first by trying something cheaper if you can. If you know that you like this type of product, then this is a deliciously juicy blend of oils that's a pleasure to use.
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Green People Fruitful Nights
by Campbell87
**Where/Why/Price**
I received a 10ml sample of the Green People Fruitful nights back in September 2011 in my Glossybox. The 10ml sample would set you back £3.60 to try out through the Green Peoples official website, and the full size ( 50ml) is £14.95. Personally, I think £3.60 is a little steep for just 10ml of product! ...
**Packaging**
My sample came in a little white soft plastic squeeze tube with screw lid. Soft plastic is great as it's easily cut open so once you can squeeze no more you can open it up and scoop out the remainder that is clinging onto the sides of the tube. It has an aqua blue strip along one edge, making it look quite clinical. It claims to be 90.1% certified organic, suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
**Product**
It claims to minimize and eventually banish blemishes, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, smooth skin and texture, as well as removing dead skin cells and reviving tired skin. For use with normal, dry and oily skin, it recommends those with very sensitive skin avoid. I was a little skeptical about it being able to cover all three-skin types but I still gave it a go. The cream itself is quite thick, and smooth. It's grey in colour and it doesn't smell as fruity as you might expect! The smell reminds me of damp cardboard that has started to dry out. Considering it's active ingredients are jojoba, rosehip and hibiscus I was expecting something with a more pleasant fragrance. The unpleasant smell lingers for some time too which is off putting. The cream itself is absorbed easily into the skin but it does leave behind some residue and feels quite heavy for a night cream. I know rosehip is recommended as a treatment for can scars and jojoba a treatment for oily skin, so I was expecting some great results.
**Use**
Using only at night time, apply a pea sized amount across your face in a tapping motion, avoiding the eye area. Green People recommend you apply this sparingly, which means it is going to last you quite a while. The 10ml sample I received lasted me well over 4 weeks, but after some skin reactions, I had to cease using it, leaving about 1/6th of product left in the tube.
**Good**
I'm only in my 20s, and as this is designed for ageing skin I wasn't expecting to see any dramatic results. I was surprised however to find my skin was starting to look a lot smoother after a weeks use, especially around my cheeks My skin did feel quite refreshed in the morning once I had rinsed with cool water.
**Bad**
My skin appeared mattified in the morning but felt as though it had a thick film smeared across it. I wouldn't say it improved my acne at all, or controlled my oily skin. I have no fine lines or wrinkles to comment on either. I also noticed that after around a fortnight the skin near the outer corners of my eyes had started to mottle and become dry and sore. I kept to applying it to m t-zone and cheeks but I was quite concerned about the reaction around my eyes (I did try to keep away from them as much as possible!). The smell was pretty over powering too, which made for an unpleasant experience!
**Conclusion**
It had some good qualities but I cannot see this becoming a staple in my beauty regime. Perhaps for older skin, the rich fatty acids it contains would be beneficial, especially in improving texture and elasticity. It has however, introduced me to the Green People range, which I was previously unaware of and I am intrigued by some of their other organic products!
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Green People Organic Vita Min Mask
by rotunda
I have used a few products from the Green People range which I buy from my local little health food shop - it seems to be the only place which stocks this range where I live! One of the latest things I have been using is their absolutely gorgeous Vita Min Mask.
I first bought this is a small 10ml tube but once I had used it ... all up I went on to purchase the much larger 50ml pump, which cost me £11 but actually worked out far cheaper than it would have done had I bought the equivalent in tubes.
What can I tell you about this lovely facemask? Well, everything in it is organic. I mean everything! It also contains no nasty chemicals or colourants and is so kind to my skin. It is suitable for even the most sensitive of skins and I guarantee it will not irritate or aggravate your skin in the slightest.
I use the Green People Vita Min Mask about once (or maybe twice) per weekand every time I use it, it makes my skin feel softer, smoother, plumper (I don't mean fatter!), refreshed and completely hydrated. I love it!
I usually apply it whilst I am lying in the bath and tend to use it either on a Friday or a Saturday night. I leave it on for around thirty minutes, by which time it has usually started to dry out just a teeny weeny bit. Whilst I am still sitting in the bath I then remove it with clean cotton wool buds and gently splash my face wit cold water afterwards.
The mask itself is rich and creamy in consistency and I just love the soft fruity smell. It contains seaweed and avocados and the texture of it is wonderful. It spreads across my face so easily and feels light and soft. I feel quite pampered as I lie there in my bath tub just waiting for it to do its work!
By the end of a busy week at work my face is in need of a little pampering and I find I usually look a bit worn out and ready for a couple of lie in's as I do work extremely long hours. The Green People Vita Min Mask is a lovely luxury I really look forward to after a hard week and I honestly feel that when I have used it my face looks less tired and more alive and fresh. Not bad for £11.
Overall I can really recommend this lovely product. I particularly like the fact that I know I am not applying any horrible man made chemicals to my skin and I just adore the gorgeous scent.
I suggest that if you are going to try this for the first time and you are not sure, then you buy the smaller tube first. You will not be disappointed though, and like me, I am sure you will then go on to buy the bigger size.
Review also on Ciao as member rotunda.
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