Beautycounter Brightening Collection + Rejuvenating Products Review

Oh my gosh, I’ve been so unusually excited to write a Beautycounter product review post for you over the past couple of months! I first mentioned I was giving the products a try in this post and requests for this review has been nonstop ever since.

First of all this post is not sponsored and I purchased all the products we’re going to talk about myself. I am always upfront about whether or not a post is sponsored because, well, I have morals and also because it’s illegal not to! Second of all, I do not sell Beautycounter products and won’t make a dime if you decide to purchase any. Or not! Woo!

Mmkay, back to the fun stuff. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that the majority of you have heard of Beautycounter by now. In case you haven’t, Beautycounter is a company that sells personal care products that are free from 1,500 questionable chemicals and ingredients, over 1,400 of which are banned or restricted in personal care products by the European Union. Personal care products are largely unregulated in the US and Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone.

To give you a brief background, I had zero skin troubles until I reached my mid 20s and developed adult acne basically overnight. I also developed melasma while pregnant with Lincoln, which spread and darkened when I was pregnant and nursing Cameron. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I became pregnant with baby girl and at this point in time I have dark brown splotches on my cheeks, forehead, and upper lip. Getting rid of melasma is like trying to remove permanent marker from a white couch with a dry kleenex. Needless to say I have pigmentation issues. Additionally my facial skin is extreeeemely sensitive. All that to say, I finally found a skin care combo that kept my skin relatively hydrated with minimal outbreaks using mostly drugstore products a few years ago, and have been sticking to it like a new mom to her 20oz coffee cup ever since.

That said, over the past year I’ve begun to use more natural personal care products. Specifically, I use this deodorant from Primally Pure and this face cleanser from Little Barn Apothecary, though I’ve been hesitant to change anything when it comes to the products I use on my face (aside from facial cleanser) for the reasons mentioned above. My mind began to change a few months ago though after glancing at the ingredient list on a jar of night cream I’d purchased from a well known department store beauty brand and seeing not one but two artificial food dyes on the list, plus over a dozen of unrecognizable ingredients.

In that moment, I had to ask myself, if you don’t EAT products containing food dyes (expect the occasional handful of Wild Berry Skittles – wish I could quit you!) then why are you smearing them all over your FACE?

It was time to make a change. I’d heard about Beautycounter from dozens of sources so I decided to give it a shot, and here we are! Before I get into the product reviews, here are a few initial notes/thoughts about my experience:

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• My melasma is tied to my hormones so while I had high hopes that Beautycounter products would help fade the dark splotches on my face, I didn’t expect them to work miracles and – spoiler alert – they didn’t. After talking with my dermatologist, I will most likely go the laser route (frickin’ laser beams – #namethatmovie) after I’m done nursing our third child. Also FYI, I have tried Rodan + Fields and Perricone products aimed at reducing melasma with no success.
• I liked the fact that you can order Beautycounter products directly through their website without going through a consultant. I personally did go through a consultant (a fellow blogger,) but you don’t have to.
• I’ve been using the products below for nearly two full months. As with any new skin care regimen, I gave it at least 2 weeks before starting to judge the product’s effectiveness in order to give my skin time to adjust.
• While Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone, it’s disappointing that they’re so expensive. This is a huge barrier to getting safe products to the masses and seems counterintuitive to their mission statement, which bothers me.
• Please make your own decision as to whether or not you should buy any of the products I’m reviewing. Everyone’s skin and situation is unique so it’s impossible to say what did or didn’t work for me, will or will not work for you.

Ok, I’ll stop blabbering now – I love talking skin care!! On with the Beautycounter product reviews….

No. 1 Brightening Collection

What initially attracted me to Beautycounter’s Brightening Collection was its promise to help achieve a “brighter, more even complexion” and that it was perfect for those concerned with “dull, uneven skin tone”. Given my issues with sun damage and melasma, I had very high hopes for this skin regimen. Here’s what’s included:

Brightening Facial Mask

“This nutrient-rich mask instantly gives skin a brighter look and more even-toned complexion. Polishing kaolin clay deeply cleanses, leaving skin revitalized and renewed, while vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of dark spots.”

• Product link.
• My experience: Since my skin is crazy sensitive, masks, scrubs, and exfoliators have always been a no-go for me. Unfortunately this mask was no different. The lower half of my face broke out into a rough, itchy rash (for lack of a better word) after using it once which took a couple weeks to clear up.
• Pros: Good sized bottle.
• Cons: Too harsh for my skin.
• Would I buy it again: No.

Brightening Facial Mist

“Active-infused and alcohol-free, this revitalizing mist preps skin, sets makeup, and refreshes throughout the day. Antioxidant-rich vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of age spots, while lime pearl extract gently promotes a brighter complexion. Perfect for all skin types and those concerned with dull, uneven skin tone.”

• Product link.
• My experience: I’ll never be a person who considers blasting themselves in the face with a mist or skin water to be refreshing so, while this product was nice, I’m not obsessed with the idea of including a mist in my daily skin care routine.
• Pros: Lovely scent, product was quick to absorb, and it did actually feel refreshing after a shower. The product also lasts a long time so you get your money’s worth.
• Cons: The directions say press slowly for a gentle mist but when I did that the product just leaked out. I had to really blast the pumper to get the product out.
• Would I buy it again: Nice product overall, but since I can’t determine if it helped my skin, and I don’t like spraying stuff in my face, it’s a no.

Brightening Facial Oil

“This citrus-scented facial oil quickly absorbs and penetrates skin to awaken and replenish. Lightweight and silky smooth, our proprietary blend of seven natural oils moisturizes and improves radiance. Omega-rich marula oil provides intense hydration while antioxidant vitamin C brightens and evens skin tone. Perfect for all skin types and those concerned with dull, uneven skin tone.”

• Product link.
• My experience: I’ve tried a few facial oils over the past year with no results to write home about, but was looking forward to trying this one. I also fell hook, line, and sinker for the product description: “...oil provides intense hydration while antioxidant vitamin C brightens and evens skin tone.“
• Pros: THE SCENT – like pure orange peels (Beautycounter doesn’t use artificial fragrances either.) Loved it! The oil itself is fast-absorbing and lasts a really long time. I use 4 large drops every night before my night cream (see below) and after 2 months I haven’t even used 1/4 of the bottle.
• Cons: No cons. Great product.
• Would I buy it again: Yes!

Overall thoughts on the Brightening Collection: I think I was expecting this collection to work miracles on my skin tone but I didn’t see enough results to justify the cost and/or re-purchase the entire collection. I’ll most likely get another bottle of the facial oil when I run out because it did provide great hydration. Again, my melasma isn’t going anywhere for awhile so that’s definitely part of the reason why I didn’t get the results I’d hoped for. Additionally, I feel like regular use of the mask would have improved the collection’s performance on my skin.

Mooooving on!

Rejuvenating Line Products

I added a couple products from Beautycounter’s Rejuvenating Collection to my order a la carte because they promised to not only help even skin tone but also tackle wrinkles and offer exceptional hydration. I was SO THRILLED to see results using these two products. Not only did they keep my thirsty skin very hydrated but I saw noticeable reduction in fine lines/wrinkes on my forehead, eyes, and vertical “marionette” smile lines. Here are the products I tried:

Rejuvenating Radiance Serum

“Our Rejuvenating Radiance Serum helps even the look of skin tone, improve hydration, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles thanks to a combination of vitamin C, mixed fruit acid complex, and algae and marine extract. Lightweight and easily absorbed, the formula is a must for layering under your moisturizer.”

• Product link. 
• My experience: Anything with the word “serum” in the product name is usually a go for me – great marketing, Beautycounter!
• Pros: Extremely lightweight and fast-absorbing. Great scent and perfect for smoothing on straight out of the shower before my moisturizer and Brightening Collection facial mist.
• Cons: None, except to request a bigger bottle of it!
• Would I buy it again: Of course I can’t determine exactly which product helped reduce my wrinkles – most likely it was a combination of several – but I feel in my soul that this serum played a huge part. So yes, I would definitely buy again.

Rejuvenating Night Cream

“Lock in moisture as you sleep for skin that looks and feels smoother, firmer, and more hydrated by morning. Formulated with marine extracts and safflower oleosomes, the cream helps intensify the nightly cycle of natural skin repair.”

• Product link.
• My experience: I have so many jars of failed night creams in my bathroom that I could open a CVS. My biggest complaint of the ones I’ve tried is that they’re thick and heavy yet somehow don’t provide lasting, effective hydration.
• Pros: LIGHTWEIGHT yet super hydrating! It was even light enough to put on in the morning after the Rejuvenating serum / before the Brightening facial mist when I ran out of my regular, non-BC moisturizer. I credit my extremely soft skin after two months of using Beautycounter products to this night cream.
• Cons: This is more of a beef I have with night creams in general – I wish it came in a pump vs pot.
• Would I buy it again: Yes! Loved this night cream. My skin is so, so soft because of it.

Overall thoughts on the Rejuvenating products: Big fan of the two Rejuvenating products I tried. Do I wish I would have gotten the whole Rejuvenating Collection versus the Brightening Collection? No. The collection comes with a few products I don’t have a need/desire for, plus it’s double the cost. I like the fact that I can order only what I’ll use and will definitely order these two products again.

Final Verdict

While I didn’t see a major difference in my skin tone after using these Beautycounter products, I enjoyed and appreciated their quality and safety, and the results I DID see in the form of increased hydration and a reduction in fine lines will keep me ordering. I have the Countermatch Collection on standby for when I run out of the Brightening/Rejuvenating products and can report back on those if you like? I also plan on ordering Beautycounter’s All Over Sunscreen to use this spring/summer. No plans to try their make up line just yet.

What about you? Have you/do you use Beautycounter products? What did you think? Which are your favorites?