Okay, so, yeah... I went and made another product for your face.
I couldn't help myself!
I know, I know, you just figured out what to do with this thing I call beauty butter. Or maybe you've just started with a natural skincare routine period, and now I've gone and changed it up on you.
Well, kind of, it's not really a change!
You can TOTALLY keep doing what you're doing if it works well for you.
If you've read my other blogs, you know that I was inspired to make this matcha green tea facial balm during a time when I was having a bit of an allergic reaction to an herbal tea I was drinking and needed to calm my red face down with some soothing relief. (Obviously I stopped drinking the tea once I realized that it was affecting my face!)
But I liked this balm so much that I perfected my recipe and decided to start selling it!
Personally, I've been using it as my day cream, and keeping my beauty butter as my night cream.*
So if you're wondering which one you should choose, my obvious answer is BOTH!
Haha!
Ok, I know sometimes you have to pick just one, so let's break it down and discuss the benefits of each.
And, FYI, this isn't about which one is best for your skin type.
As you know, I've designed all of my skincare products to be multitasking and great for all skin types. I myself have combination skin that's prone to clogged pores and breakouts, and I'm a 33 year old single mom to a 4 year old, so I'm going on my 5th year without sleep and need ALL of the anti-aging products.
If you're concerned about dryness, this stuff will heal those dry patches right up.
If you're concerned about oily skin, I can tell you that this stuff balances mine.
If you think your skin is "sensitive"** you're most likely using a product that's irritating it or need to change your diet.
Oh, and EVERYTHING I make is designed to be non-comedogenic, because why would anyone make a skincare product that clogs pores? Like, WHY???!!!
That makes no sense!!!!!!
Bottom line - you simply have to pick whichever one sounds the best to you.
So let's get down to it.
We'll start with ingredients.
Base:
Beauty Butter: shea
Facial Balm: shea
I just heart shea butter! It's anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, non pore clogging, rich in vitamins A, E, and F, it's incredibly creamy and smooth, and soaks right into your skin. Each of these products contains shea butter as the main ingredient.
Plant Oils:
Beauty Butter: grapeseed oil, rosehip oil, red raspberry seed oil
think - pore tightening, skin tone evening, anti inflammatory, natural sun protection
Facial Balm: evening primrose oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, red raspberry seed oil
think - omega rich, deeply moisturizing, soothing, anti-inflammatory, natural sun protection
Wax:
Beauty Butter: none
The beauty butter is wax free, which means it's less stable, and will basically turn into an oil once it warms up to your skin and will soak right in
Facial Balm: candelilla wax
The main reason that I'm calling this product a "balm" is because it contains wax. Candelilla wax is very light and non pore clogging, and I use just a tiny bit to give this product a stiffer texture than my beauty butter, and also so that the balm will form a bit of a protective barrier on your face. My goal was to make something that would hydrate, soothe, and protect my skin from the elements, without feeling too heavy and greasy. Which brings me to my next addition...
Thickeners:
Beauty Butter: none
Again, this is simply shea butter with added oils. Deeply penetrating, incredibly effective, but don't leave it in the heat because it will melt!
Facial Balm: Tapioca starch
I add a tiny bit of my favorite, tapioca starch, to this mixture, to thicken the texture and give it a more matte finish on your skin. Tapioca starch is crazy soft and soothing. I put it in almost everything, if you haven't noticed!
Coffee or Tea?
Beauty Butter: Coffee
The Beauty Butter contains roasted coffea arabica oil, which is full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and phytosterols, which quickly penetrate to deeply moisturize and heal dry skin. It also contains a tiny bit of caffeine, which acts as an astringent to tighten and de-puff.
Facial Balm: Matcha Green Tea Powder
The Facial Balm contains organic food grade matcha green tea powder, which is full of powerful antioxidants - specifically, polyphenols called "catechins" that can help reverse free-radical damage. It's anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and has anti-bacterial properties, so it's great for keeping breakouts at bay.
Essential Oils:
Beauty Butter: coffea arabica bean oil, frankincense oil, helichrysum oil, chamomile oil
Think - moisturizing, healing, regenerating, soothing
Facial Balm: carrot seed oil, neroli oil, sandalwood oil
Think - anti-aging, regenerating, moisturizing
Basically, these are ALL my favorite essential oils for the face, so you can't go wrong. Whether you're trying to fight acne, heal dry skin, or smooth fine lines, either one will do!
What about the color?:
Beauty Butter: bright yellow, thanks to the wildcrafted chilean rosehip oil and roasted coffee bean essential oil
This may make you look a bit more golden when you first apply (not necessarily a bad thing, right?!) but it will NOT turn you orange. However, if you apply a lot right before bed and sleep on a white pillowcase, you will notice that it's a bit yellow in the morning. Don't worry - it washes right out without staining!
Facial Balm: light green, thanks to the matcha green tea powder
This really doesn't make you look green at all, which is a bit of a bummer, because if it did it would be the perfect natural color correcting concealer for my easily flushed skin!
How do they smell?:
Beauty Butter: rich, earthy, with strong coffee and frankincense notes, followed by herbal helichrysum and chamomile.
Probably my favorite thing ever is watching people pick this up thinking it's going to be some sort of a scented body butter and watching their reaction. It's not scented to smell pretty. It's full of things that are really good for your skin. Some people love the way it smells, others hate it. I'm on team "who the eff cares because it makes me look pretty."
Facial Balm: grassy, fresh, matcha tea scent that's naturally earthy, with herbal carrot seed, floral neroli, and warm sandalwood.
Personally, I think this smells great, but it is a bit earthy and natural. Again, I don't "scent" my facial care products. Every ingredient has an actual purpose.
And, goodness... if you have any other questions, perhaps you should just order a sample!
;)
-XO-
* I don't always use a night cream. Sometimes (especially in the summer) I stop with facial oil. And sometimes, I even let my skin breathe after cleansing and toning!
** Seriously, everyone and their dog seems to have "sensitive skin" and, what does that even mean?! Are you SURE you're not just putting irritants on your skin? What's in your makeup? Are you eating something that's causing an allergic reaction?
My dog really does have sensitive skin tho... but I figured out it got a lot better when she stopped eating grains.
Moral of the story - ya gotta treat your skin from the inside-out first!
