There aren’t many water-based facial moisturizers that my skin likes. Some clog my pores, make my skin feel and look like a greasy mess, or contain too much fragrant/essential oil which irritates my skin. I received a bottle of the Odacité Beautiful Day Moisturizer with the Best of Green Beauty 2015 Box* from The Detox Market (which is still available, btw), and I was genuinely interested in trying it, (I had tried a little sample a while back), but I was also concerned that one of the main ingredients in it was coconut oil. It worked surprisingly well for my skin.
The Beautiful Day Moisturizer comes in a bottle with pump(which is of course my favorite packaging choice). A bottle with pump is a good way to protect the ingredients from contamination, (no finger dipping=no bacteria entering the product). I keep mine in the refrigerator. One of the main features about this skincare line is that the ingredients used are fresh and they preserve their qualities better when stored in a cool environment. The added benefit about storing it in the fridge is that it feels refreshing when I apply it to my skin, which is especially lovely in the morning.
Ingredients
As for the ingredients, this is a simple formula (not too many ingredients), which is something I appreciate, knowing that my skin is sensitive to so many ingredients. The brand emphasizes the presence of MSM (a sulfur compound) and DMAE in the formula. Although more evidence is needed to call it a miracle ingredient, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) can penetrate deeply into the skin and provide hydration, and has shown to be effective at soothing irritated skin¹, improving rosacea symptoms. DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a naturally occurring compound that has skin-firming properties. From what I was able to find out, it is not clear how DMAE actually tightens the skin (what happens at a cellular level?), but it was used in a placebo-controlled trial and had “acute skin-firming effects”². In addition to MSM and DMAE, the Beautiful Day Moisturizer contains a blend of organic oils and plant extracts in a base of organic aloe vera juice, and is preserved with organic willow bark extract, rosemary extract, and neem oil:
- Aloe Vera effectively hydrates the skin, has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes the healing of wounds³
- Coconut, Olive, and Jojoba oils moisturize the skin. According to a preliminary study, Jojoba helps the skin to retain moisture for long periods of time (up to 24 hours)⁴
- Calendula extract has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the skin and help to heal any blemishes due to its flavonoid content (quercetin and rutin)
- White Tea extracts provide antioxidants. According to Kingston University researchers, white tea extracts “protect the structural proteins of the skin, specifically elastin and collagen”⁵
- Vegetable glycerin is added to prevent water-loss and help the skin to stay hydrated.
This is the full list of ingredients:
Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) (Organic), Coconut Oil (Organic), Lavender (avendula angustifolia) (Organic), Emulsifying Vegetable Wax, Vegetable, Glycerin, Palm Stearic Acid, Calendula officinalis Extract (Organic), White Tea (Camellia sinensis) Extract (Organic), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis ) Oil (Organic), Olive oil (Olea europaea) (Organic), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol), MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide), Black Willowbark (Salix nigra) Extract (Organic), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract (Organic), Neem (Azadirachta indica) oil
Whenever I try a new skincare product I always think of how I would improve it according to my preferences. It is always a long list of changes, but I would not change much about this moisturizer. As someone whose skin is sensitive to so many things, less = more. Possibly, I would add chamomile, swap coconut with Argan, and maybe add another hydration boosting ingredient like Tamarind or Hyaluronic Acid. That’s it. I really like it and it has worked well the way it is.
How I liked it
The Beautiful Day Moisturizer has a lightweight, fluid consistency that sinks into the skin immediately and leaves no greasy residue. Although so light in texture, it feels hydrating and moisturizing and takes good care of dry areas. However, keep in mind that my skin is not very dry. I think that it may work well for all skin types, but very dry skin types could maybe add a drop or two of face oil in it to give it a little boost (don’t you love doing the beauty chemist thing?). I have also used it under makeup, and I like that it makes a good moisturizing base, without creating that greasy, slippery feel that makes foundations glide and move around, rather than actually stick to my skin. I am not sure how this will work for my skin during a humid Florida Summer, as water-based moisturizers tend to almost evaporate from my skin in Summer. Will update you then. For now, it has been just right during December and January.
The very fact that I have not mentioned a water-based facial moisturizer in a long time has probably already given you an idea of how much I like this one. I also love its delicate scent. It is actually unscented, but it has a delicate, naturally occurring coconut scent (I can maybe smell some flowers, too? Nothing overpowering anyway).
As mentioned above, I received mine in the Best of Green Beauty 2015 Box* (great value for the price), but it is also sold individually at The Detox Market ($75 for 60 ml). I compared the price of this moisturizer with other moisturizers from luxury green beauty brands, and it actually turned our that the Beautiful Day Moisturizer, although expensive, comes in a generous size. However, if you would like to sample this moisturizer before committing to a full-size, and a try few more Odacite skincare products as well, you can purchase an Odacité Discovery Kit (they have three different ones for the different skin types) and try a complete regimen. The Discovery Kits are also available at The Detox Market (here).
I received quite a few requests to review this product after I posted a picture of it on Instagram, so I hope that this was helpful. If you have any questions, or if you have tried this product yourself and would like to share your experience with it, please leave a comment below (I have been replying to all of my comments, lately 😎).
*gifted sample
¹Berardesca E, Cameli N, Cavallotti C, et al. Combined effects of silymarin and methylsulfonylmethane in the management of rosacea: clinical and instrumental evaluation. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008;7:8-14.
²Grossman, R. The role of dimethylaminoethanol in cosmetic dermatology. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2005;6(1):39-47.
³14. Davis RH et al. Anti-inflammatory and wound healing of growth substance in Aloe vera. Journal of the American Pediatric Medical Association, 1994, 84:77–81.
⁴Meyer J1, Marshall B, Gacula M Jr, Rheins L. Evaluation of additive effects of hydrolyzed jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) esters and glycerols: a preliminary study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008 Dec;7(4):268-74.
⁵https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6882-9-27
