ARCONA Los Angeles – proving green can be great
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Reviews of the White Tea Purifying Cleanser, the Wine Hydrating Mask and more…
photos: we heart this
I am ashamed to admit it, especially to our Green Monday fans, but I am not one of those people that actively seeks out natural skin care products. I know I probably should, but I feel that if a product makes my skin look fabulous, then who am I to discriminate? If it’s all-natural, great, if not, great. I just want my skin to look good. I’m vain that way *fluffs hair, stares in mirror*. With that being said, one brand that constantly wows me with the results just so happens to be oh-so-green and all-natural: ARCONA Los Angeles. Founded in 1989, using high-quality ingredients and luxury formulations, ARCONA has been wowing celebs and non-celebs alike (and the wht team) ever since.
ARCONA products were founded as an alternative to plastic surgery and irritating treatments and are developed to fight the signs of aging. The line relies on active ingredients like enzymes, antioxidants, and amino acids that work together to deliver gorgeous results. Plus you can expect every ARCONA product to contain a slew of beauty and youth-inducing ingredients such as high concentrations of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential oils, and more. What you should not expect to find; any irritating or toxic ingredients like petrochemicals, fillers, binders, parabens, perfumes, or dyes.
Even better, all ARCONA products are created in small batches and cold-processed to preserve efficacy. Their reasoning for this is that when skin care products are heat-processed (as many are), it’s like overcooking your vegetables—you lose all the good-for-you benefits of quality ingredients. As someone who is guilty of occasionally overcooking her veggies, I can appreciate this logic. I don’t imagine green beans that are limp and well, not green anymore, are particularly healthy, so I can see how this applies to skin care ingredients.
Recently the wht review team were fortunate enough to get to test out a few more of ARCONA’s all-natural, all-fabulous product and you can imagine my glee when I received the White Tea Purifying Cleanser ($42) as I ALREADY use this fantastic product! The timing was perfect, too, as I had just run out of my beloved cleanser.
This facial cleanser purifies and tones, leaving skin poreless and refreshed. It neutralizes free radicals; calms and protects skin with antioxidant-rich white and green teas; and nourishes and strengthens skin with cranberry enzymes.
The White Tea Purifying Cleanser has a gel consistency that applies beautifully with a Clarisonic face brush. You can really get a lather going with this.
The scent is faintly reminiscent of tea with a hint of citrus–the tangy fragrance is a perfect pick-me-up in the morning. After I use this, my skin does appear remarkably poreless, feels soft to the touch, and doesn’t get oily after an hour (this is impressive). My sensitive skin loves this cleanser and has loved it for well over two years now.
While I didn’t receive it for review, I have to mention that I also get great results with the Wine Hydrating Mask ($38). This is a moisture-binding mask that nourishes and replenishes skin, stimulates cellular renewal, reduce wrinkles, firms, and smoothes with ingredients like borage, macadamia nut and carrot oils, shea butter, and vitamin E. This mask smells faintly of wine, is thick and creamy, and the teensiest application leaves skin soft and clear. Not to be gross, but the enzymes in this eliminate any blackhead they touch and also help to fade marks left from acne.
This mask has really refined my skin and even though it’s technically a hydrating mask, it really is fantastic not only on dry skin types, but acne-prone skin can really benefit from this as well. For those of you keen on anti-aging benefits: this mask noticeably softens my laugh lines after one use. This is one of my favorite masks of all-time. (This is high praise.)
Make sure to check the comments, where my fellow review team members will be sharing their thoughts on the ARCONA product they tested:
Cranberry Gommage ($42/$75) – A purifying exfoliant that cleanses, tones, and decongests enlarged pores, leaving skin clearer, smoother, and more refined. This morning cleanser unclogs and minimize pores with cranberry and raspberry enzymes, plus exfoliates and purifies skin with salicylic acid, volcanic minerals, and sucrose that provide antimicrobial, antibacterial benefits. It also contians antioxidants that prevent free radical damage.
Magic White Ice ($38) – This hydrating gel moisturizes without clogging pores, protects against environmental damage and leaves skin fresh and youthfully dewy. White cranberry complex and hyaluronic acid moisturize; beta carotene, vitamins B-5, C, and E neutralize free radicals; Anti-microbial totara extract and grapefruit complex clarifies skin.
Lavender Hydrasol ($40) – This lavender hydrating spritz moisturizes and soothes, leaving skin fresh, glowing, and ageless. Organic lavender extract calms both body and mind, essential oils hydrate the skin, leaving it dewy.
Is anybody else out there wowed by this all-natural skin care line? Testers–Did you feel the love for ARCONA? we heartsters–If you’ve used ARCONA products, chime in and let us know what you thought!
Click here to check out the entire ARCONA Los Angeles line at beauty.com!
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I tested the Magic White Ice and it is FANCY. It’s definitely a gel, the texture is light and smooth and in no way heavy.
It’s scent is strange, but nice. You can smell a bit of the white cranberry and a light citrus from the grapefruit, but there is also an indefinable smell, a little more chemically? Not in a bad way, I don’t like my products to smell like a fruit salad. Can someone else help me define it, I’m at a loss here…
But the best thing about this product is it WORKS. I definitely notice a brighter complexion over the weeks that I’ve been using it. The bottle design is genius; one pump gives me just enough for my face. The bottle is designed so that the suction of the pump brings up the bottom of the pump like a push-pop – I know I’m going to get every drop out of this product. I really appreciate ingenuity like that, there’s nothing worse than trying to get the last fifth out of a typical bottle of moisturizer!
I give this 5 stars, it’s a GREAT product.
@lyssachelle – Ooooh, I think I may need to check out the Magic White Ice. I’m all for anything that makes my skin look brighter. I’m also all about a moisturizing product that doesn’t break me out and this sounded like it could be what I’ve been looking for…
As you can probably guess from my glowing post, the White Tea Purifying Cleanser gets 5 stars from me :)
Love the post @krista – I’m a huge ARCONA fan ever since I tried their Berry Fruit Bar face cleanser. They made me a beliver in bars of soap for the face again. Plus their ‘bar’ is round and in a cute little round jar to keep it dry.
And @lyssachelle – the Magic Ice wasn’t calling my name but now it is! Same goes for the Wine Mask which if Krista loves – I know will work on my semi oily skin. Thanks!
I also love the Cranberry Gommage exfoliate! While the smell is not so cranberry, it is sweet and it’s the formula that I love! There are plenty of fine exfoliating grains in this wash (I hate when they are stingy on the scrubbies) that work to suck the oil out of my skin and scrub away the dead skin. It washes away without a film leaving fresher, brighter skin and less noticable pores and blackheads! Woot. All of that work that without any tightness or sensitivity issues on my skin.
As a greenie, I love ARCONA and can’t wait to see what they have for us next!
Wow…I love this review. Everyone is saying they look brighter! That is exactly what I need right now as we enter into the winter. I get a little dull and my skin acts up as the seasons change. Boo. hehe The prices on these amazing products are so reasonable for what they offer and how they are made. Impressive.
Having combination skin can wreak havoc on my face when the seasons change. As the happy tester of the Wine Hydrating Mask my skin has been soothed! I’m officially in love.
When I first used the mask I scooped some out and went to apply it like a lotion, thinking it would absorb into my skin. Whoops! I got waaaay too much. A little bit goes a long way and while a lot of the formula is absorbed there is a protective film that develops over the skin. Wait about 20 minutes and wash it off. I immediately noticed that my skin looked overall much smoother and even in color, and my face felt so soft!
As I’ve now been using the mask pretty regularly (about a month or so) my combination skin is almost, dare I say, normal! No more dry patches with an oil slick forehead, even with the New England winter starting! The days that I use the mask I notice that my skin produces much less oil, probably because it’s moisturized enough to not need it. I haven’t noticed much of an improvement on my blackheads and blemishes, but here’s hoping!
The mask has a wonderfully relaxing mulled wine scent. It’s more spice than wine, but the mixture is beautiful and makes me want to bake gingerbread or take a nap all at the same time. I put it on an just take some time to relax or read a magazine. It’s so indulgent feeling and smelling!
For a mask this good, the price can’t be beat. 5 stars from me!
@mandaleem – I use my Clarisonic before I use the mask because I don’t want anything keeping the mask from penetrating. If you don’t have one, make sure you clean your face really well using a scrub or a soft washcloth before using the mask. Kiss those blackheads goodbye! Well don’t really, because that’s kinda gross :P
Good to know @Krista ! I don’t have a Clarisonic (it’s been a long standing item on my wish list, LOL) but I’ll make sure to give my face a little extra scrub before using the mask in the future.
Great post @krista. That cleanser sounds really nice. Love products that work well with my Clarisonic. Might have to give this a try.
I was the thrilled tester of the Lavender Hydrosol – actually I, my husband, and everyone that walked into our home this summer were! The bottle is long gone unfortunately, because it is a true luxury – so wonderful to have but not something I feel comfortable spending $40 on still. It was a good sized bottle that would have lasted me a good long time if my better half didn’t feel the need to bless the rest of the world with it – believe me I was upset when I found out it was gone! The thought that counted though was to share it and people did love it. Not one person that tried it ever had a negative comment – it was all “how refreshing!” A light spritz to the face (and neck and arms when needed) gives an instant refresh and calm. I loved it for the middle of the day pick me up when one job stops and you need re energizing before the next one begins. Or for that matter, its just as good in the morning to help make you feel like you’re happy you just jumped out of bed or the evening for well being and relaxation! Part of the reason this is almost ginseng-like in it’s energizing and at the same time calming abilities is probably that it has that most wonderful lavender in it. It’s not too strong either, as you wouldn’t want that all over your face if it was too overwhelming. It’s just the right amount of scent and doesn’t last too long either. It moisturizes lightly for a little while without being wet or greasy feeling and it gives a pretty glow after first applied. Everyone who used it looked just a little more awake and dewy. If I had a higher salary I would definitely buy this to have in my purse (although it’d have to be a pretty big purse…the bottle is good sized and fairly heavy). I can’t consider it a necessary beauty product enough to give it the I’d purchase it again 5 stars, but for what it is and how well it does what it claims to, it’s fabulous. 4 stars from me!
I have such crazy skin. It seems to bother me more over the holidays because of the stress. Arcona products sound like just the ticket for my problems!