Pacifica Skincare Products Reviewed :

Jasmine Wrinkle Defense Cream

Rehydration Treatment

Sea Algae Firming Lift

Pacifica Natural Skincare is a newish line out of Portland, Oregon. They started with a nice line of bath and body products, and now have introduced a basic skincare line. I've seen their products mostly at higher-end grocery stores, such as Wild Oats and Whole Foods. Their website (which has the worst URL name I've encountered in a long time) is: www.pacificanaturalskincare.com. This is one you'll have to bookmark. Like other lines (Beauty Cocktails comes to mind), Pacifica concentrates on products that contain only the purest, most natural ingredients. So you won't find some of the higher-tech skin technologies (retinol, for example) in their line, nor sunscreens.

Guide To Ra(n)tings:

Jasmine Wrinkle Defense Cream
author: Niall | date: 09/02

Size	1.2 oz	Price	$40	Where	Fred Segal, Santa Monica
Ingredients:
Botanical complex of organic german chamomile, organic ginko biloba, organic elderberry, white tea, marshmallow, echinacea, gotu kola, hops and stinging nettle extracts in dionized water; caprylic/capric triglyceride; glycerin, glyceryl stearate, soybean oil, stearic acid, safflower oil, shea butter, polysorbate 60, aloe vera gel, algae extract, sweet almond oil, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, coneflower (echinacea) and hydrocotyl (gotu kola) extracts, jojoba oil, ubiquinone (coenzyme Q-10), tocopheryl acetate (vit. E), hydrolyzed glucosaminoglycans, sodium hyaluronate, sorbitol, sodium PCA, plankton extract, liposomes of lecithin, tocopheryl acetate, and retinyl palmitate (vit. A), phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, methylparaben, betacarotene, essential oils of jasmine, geranium, clary sage and mandarin.

This is a lovely day/night cream for dry skin, or a night cream for normal and dry skin types. It has a luxurious texture and a wonderful aroma of jasmine. The cream is thick and unctious, and will definitely feel that way on your skin. However, it doesn't feel greasy, nor does it just sit on top of your skin. This would be the perfect treatment if your skin is going through a dry spell and needs to feel especially pampered. As far as I can tell, though, there is nothing in this cream that is even remotely "anti-wrinkle", so that part of the product name is just hype on Pacifica's part. Other than that, this cream is quite a treat for your skin and your sense of well-being. If only it were priced more reasonably. $40 is a little high for something that is just a moisturizer, however lovely it may be. At $30, this would be perfectly priced. Sadly, adding the words "wrinkle defense" also adds about $10 to the price. The price also gives one pause when you recall there are other skin-care lines out there that offer products that are just as "all-natural" and just as wonderful in their formulations---for half the price. I'm thinking here of Abra, and its great line of skin care products. But if you have the money and you like the product, go ahead and splurge. Your face will be happy.

Ra(n)tings

Effectiveness	Pleasure of Use	Value	Overall
4.0	4.0	2.0	3.0

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Rose, Oat Milk and Honey Rehydration Treatment
author: Niall | date: 09/02

Size	1.2 oz	Price	$27	Where	Fred Segal, Santa Monica
Ingredients:
Botanical complex of Japanese greet tea, thyme, grape seed and sea minteral extracts in deionized water; oat milk; glycerin; aloe vera gel; soybean oil; safflower oil; jojoba oil; non-fat dry milk; organic honey; rose hip seed oil; oat and soy proteins; phenoxyethanol; xanthan gum; panthenol; sorbitol; butylparaben; propylparaben; ethylparaben; methylparaben; essential oils of Bulgarian rose; benzoin.

A rich, highly moisturizing mask composed of ingredients to deeply sooth your skin. I really like this one. It is thick, but easy to apply. After a few minutes it has been absorbed into the skin. I left it on for 20 minutes and then rinsed it out. My skin was thoroughly hydrated and soft as a baby's bottom. And the pricing on this one is much more reasonable than of the Jasmine cream above. Highly recommended. (But they really need to shorten the product name. Or rather, they need to come up with one rather than just listing the ingredients.)

Ra(n)tings

Effectiveness	Pleasure of Use	Value	Overall
4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0

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Sea Algae Firming Lift
author: Niall | date: 09/02

Size	1 oz	Price	$30	Where	Fred Segal, Santa Monica
Ingredients:
Sea algae complex o fhawaiian red marine, laminaria digitata and blue green algae extracts; safflower oil, hydrolyzed glucosaminoglycans, organic apple juice, apple juice, sodium hyaluronate, soybean oil, honey, Japanese green tea extract, thyme extract, sea buckthorn extract, gotu kola extract, horsetail extract, seaween essential oil, phenoxyethanol, sorbitol, glycerin, xanthan gum, retinyl palmitate (vit. A), propylparaben, methylparaben, essential oils of clary sage, geranium, lavender and tea tree..

This is a serum for firming the skin. Unlike many such serums, it is also very emollient, which I like, containing exotic ingredients like Sea Buckthorn. My skin is too dry to tolerate a lot serums out there, because they leave it feeling a puckered and scraped off. Not this one. I'd have second thoughts if I had oily skin, but if you don't this is a very nice treatment. The lifting effect is subtle, not dramatic, so if you have serious lifiting concerns you might try something stronger. However if, like me, you just have little baby jowels, this works fine. And it leaves my skin feeling wonderfully toned and refreshed. Another nice thing: I don't use a moisturizer with it, since it is already very emollient. Same pricing comments made above about the Jasmine Wrinkle Defense cream apply here, however.

Ra(n)tings

Effectiveness	Pleasure of Use	Value	Overall
4.0	4.0	2.0	3.0

take me home, bud!