Review: Integrity Cosmetics Organic Skincare

Organic. It makes me think of healthy food, apples straight off the tree, and chemical-free products that are better for the environment and better for you.

But one of the areas where we use a lot of chemicals without even really thinking about it is our skincare and makeup! You almost overlook it, but I don't even know 10% of the ingredients listed on the back of my products...

I don't really shop or eat organically, but a few weeks ago while I was working at the MindBodySpirit Festival, I discovered Integrity Cosmetics, a Melbourne-based brand that provides certified organic skincare products.

As there isn't much organic skincare on the market at the moment (If you asked me to name one, the only one I can think of is Miranda Kerr's KORA Organic range), I didn't really know much about it, so curious, I tried out a few of their products. The girls at the stall recommended the Purifying Cleanser, Nourishing Moisturiser and the Rejuvenating Serum, and actually, they were all so lovely! They seemed to work just as well as my usual skincare, but without all the nasties - bonus!

At the time I couldn't buy anything as organic products are generally a bit exxy for a university student, but I entered their gift voucher raffle, because, well why not? But then I won!

I received a $15 voucher to use on their online store, and decided on the Protecting Moisturiser and the Rejuvenating Serum, both in sample 5ml sizes.

So because there aren't many organic skincare options around, and since I didn't know much about the topic before this, I thought I'd do a review of these two products and share what organic skincare is like with you!

**This is a non-sponsored review and all opinions are my own**

Protecting Moisturiser

I'm naughty and barely ever use sunscreen because I have oily skin. I normally just use makeup and skincare that already has SPF in it, as I'm yet to find a sunscreen that works with my skin. So I was happy to find a moisturiser that could look after me in the sun :)

It's definitely thicker than the moisturiser I'm used to, more like a body butter.

Like a sunscreen, you do need to massage it in a bit, but once it soaks into your skin, it feels really nice.

How to use:
After cleansing in the morning, apply a small amount all over face and neck. It's also pretty versatile and application isn't limited just to your face! It also works great as a hand cream, and mine felt velvety smooth after using it.

My thoughts:
While the protecting moisturiser contains sun-protecting properties, I wouldn't exactly call it a sunscreen. It contains some zinc oxide, which provides some protection, so it's great if you're not going to be in the sun very much, like only waiting at the train station to go to school or something. If it's summer or a really sunny day, I'd go for a sunscreen over this, but it still does the job for light sun exposure and days spent mostly indoors.

Plus, it was such an amazing makeup base! My foundation glided over it and my skin looked really even, so that was an unexpected bonus! I went to uni in the city, and it lasted all day, with NO shine! I came home and my makeup had not moved, so I'm really loving this one. It's winter here at the moment, and my skin gets a bit tight and dry in cold weather, but my skin soaked this all up and felt plush all day! It also has a scent, it's kind of a macadamia oil smell, which if you like, you'll love this :)

Price: 50 mL $47 AUSD

Rating: ★★★★☆

Rejuvenating Serum

I've never used a serum product before, but after finding out that serums are like super versions of your stock-standard skincare, I thought I'd give one a try. The one I chose is like the powerful big brother of moisturiser, as I always find my cheeks and nose a bit dryer than the rest of my face. 

When I took it off in the morning,
I did notice that the colour came off onto my makeup wipes,
so it does have a bit of a tint.

I initially thought it'd be more like a gel,
serum just kind of sounds like that, but it kind of like the consistency of sauce haha
In a good way! I couldn't think of another way to describe it haha.

Sorry about my chipping polish...

How to use:
Think of serum like a face mask; you don't need to use it every day, just occasionally. You use it in your usual nighttime skincare routine instead of moisturiser. Cleanse your skin first, then apply to your face and neck, but not too much because serums are a lot more heavy duty than moisturisers.

My thoughts:

As soon as you start using it, you notice the almond-y fragrance, which is quite nice although a little strong for me, and probably due to the sweet almond oil listed in the ingredients. That's something I love about this brand, is that the ingredients are all normal things like green tea, olive oil, honey etc. not crazy chemical names!

It's nice and light, so I could also use it under my eyes. Even though the back of the packaging said to use it instead of moisturiser, you can still apply some moisturiser afterwards and the serum will kickstart your skin into drinking it all up. It's suitable for all skin types too, which it a nice bonus. Thanks to winter, my nose is the first place to get dry, and sometimes even flake (eww) so I pack on the moisturiser at night to combat it, but this serum fixed it all in one night! No more constantly checking the compact mirror for me :) 

Price: 50mL $57 AUSD

Rating: ★★★☆☆

All in all, I was quite impressed with these products, especially the protecting moisturiser. I never thought that organic products would do this good a job, so I'm very happy that they're not only better for the environment and for my skin, but work almost exactly (if not better in some areas) than the non-organic skincare that I normally use.

Try going au naturale with organic skincare, you'll be surprised by how good it is!

Visit Integrity Cosmetics

*Prices correct at time of upload.