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Arbonne
Who are Arbonne and what do they do?
Arbonne was founded in Switzerland in 1975 by Petter Mørck and a group of biochemists, biologists and herbalists. Petter's vision was to create skincare products based on botanical principles that were "unparalleled in quality and effectiveness".
The company became a reality in the US in 1980 and the brand is now distributed worldwide by a network of independent consultants. The Arbonne range includes skincare products for anti-ageing, teen skin, blemishes, detoxifying and hydration. They also extend to aromatherapy, cosmetics, nutrition and weight-loss, and baby products. The Avon of the spa world, perhaps!
The Spa Spies were invited to try the Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa range, a collection of body products that use marine minerals to detoxify.
They say:
"It’s more than just an invitation to refreshing purity. Arbonne leads the way to health and well-being with SeaSource Detox Spa—a superior, unparalleled product line created for detoxification, restoration and total renewal. While it’s important to detoxify in today’s environment, it’s also just as important to give yourself a 'time-out' on a regular basis. This comprehensive line of products stimulates, strengthens and supports the body’s natural ability to cleanse and restore itself, helping to purify the body inside and out and return it to a state of healthy bliss."
We say:
"Pleasant products that do perform, but possibly lacking that spa glam factor."
Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa products - what have we tried?
5 in 1 Essential Massage Oil 177ml, RRP £29.50
Sweet Spy:
The Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil (phew!) packs a lot of uses into one product. The 5-in-1 oil can be used for body massage, facial massage, facial steam, bath soaks, and aromatherapy ("a small amount of oil may be massaged onto temples to promote a sense of well-being.")
The oil comes in a nice box, but it's a shame that inside there is a plastic bottle and a huge sheet of instructions. Like a medical product. It all feels a bit practical and not very spa. The pump dispenser is a sensible option for massage oil, but hardly cries out "decadent!" or "luxuriate in me!" from the bathroom cabinet.
Looking beyond the packaging, the 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil is a good product. As a massage oil, my skin felt hydrated after use. It smelt delicious (that'll be the lavender and bergamot) and is gentle enough to use on sensitive skin. The Arbonne product also performed well as a bath oil, leaving my skin smelling nice and feeling hydrated after my bath. I dutifully followed the instructions (few drops, hot water) for a facial steam, and my skin thanked me for it.
For my (usually normal, occasionally dry, rarely greasy) skin, the product was just too oily to use for facial massage.
Verdict: All in all, a fine product. But, I am a sucker for pretty packaging and for £30 I'd expect a little more.
Renewing Body Gelée 354ml, RRP £30.50
Sweet Spy:
The Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa Renewing Body Gelée comes in a shiny plastic container. For this price, I expected some nice heavy glass, or at least a matt plastic. After unscrewing the lid, I was disappointed to see a plastic disc on top of the gelée itself. Maybe this is necessary for transporting the product, but it is a bit fiddly to remove. Also, if you put the plastic disc back after using the product, it gets in a total mess. Yuck.
The Renewing Body Gelée itself is a strange product. There is a slight fluorescence to the pale-green substance. It made me wonder if it glowed in the dark (it doesn't). The consistency made me wonder if there is gelatine in the product (there isn't, as Arbonne has a policy of not using animal products or animal by-products.) It's gel, not too far removed from hair gel. The smell is, well, "interesting." Actually, I quite liked the scent, but others didn't. It's certainly not a very natural aroma, being a little reminiscent of cleaning products. The whole thing is like something from the future, and I half-hoped and half-feared that the "renewing body" aspect would mean my body literally regenerating in front of my eyes.
Once you get past the packaging, the consistency, and the smell, that leaves one question: how does the product actually perform? Arbonne claim the gelée "restores skin's ionic balance, for optimum moisture and to lock in skin renewing benefits." Tick - yes, it moisturises. They also say "this refreshing gel cools as it nourishes, hydrates and moisturizes for skin that is soft and smooth". Tick, tick, tick.
Verdict: This product is a little strange. There may be cheaper, better, options out there. Normal body moisturiser, for instance.
Foaming Sea Salt Scrub 200ml, RRP £23
Shy Spy:
Foaming and scrubbing are not actions I would usually expect from a single spa product. I wasn't sure quite what would ooze out of this squeezable tube that promised so much. Was it a foaming shower gel with exfoliating ingredients? Was it a salt scrub? If so, wouldn't chunky salt crystals be hard to squeeze out of a tube?
Before getting under the shower, I slathered a decent amount over my steam-moistened skin. The light citrus scent was refreshing and the thick, clear gel with small salt crystals was easy to spread over my skin. The tiny salt crystals are much smaller than you may see in a coarse scrub so this product wasn't at all abrasive. As this was really a shower gel or body cleanser containing some exfoliating ingredients, there was no oily residue after rinsing. If you have dry skin, you will need to moisturise afterwards.
Once dry, my skin did feel slightly softer, but there was no miraculous difference. I'm not sure I would be tempted to exchange my regular aromatherapy shower gel and chunky salt scrub for this.
I was intrigued to find out what the exfoliating ingredients actually are. As this is a product manufactured in the US, it was virtually impossible to find a full list of ingredients. The US have only recently introduced a law stating that beauty product ingredients must be disclosed in full.
Verdict: Essentially a gentle exfoliating shower gel. Probably good for smoothing sensitive skin.
Sea Mud Face and Body Mask 236ml, RRP £29.50
Stylish Spy:
This mask arrived on my desk in some sleek, minimalist packaging. At home, I immediately got to work transforming myself from regular gal to mud-clad sea monster. As a first run, I decided to stay facial, and smeared the thick, dark-green concoction onto my newly cleansed face. I was pleased to find that it smelt considerably better than I thought "mud" might smell...
The mask was easy to apply and immediately began to tingle. I assumed that meant that something miraculous was happening. Once I was suitably slathered, I relaxed with some highbrow reading material (ok, ok, with Vogue) and began my allotted 10-15 minute wait. The mask became dry, which felt strange but not unpleasant. I used a face cloth and some warm water to remove it, and the mask came away without any major scrubbing.
The result? My skin felt softer, and appeared to have a more even tone. I used the mask twice more over the following week, and by the weekend I noticed a definite difference. With a new summer dress hanging expectantly in the wardrobe, I might have a go with it on my legs; I hope the effects will be as good.
Verdict: This product was easy to use and pleasantly tingly. I even had a couple of compliments about my radiant appearance!
Detoxifying Rescue Wash 473ml, RRP £26.50
Salubrious Spy:
The opaque white plastic bottle is pretty minimalist in design, with what looks like a seaweed design on the front. The directions on the back are more extensive, advising that the wash "may be used daily to detoxify the beauty of your body". I gave Arbonne the benefit of the doubt and put the beauty detoxification claim down to poor translation. Although on close examination it turned out the product is made in the US, and it’s just the formulation that’s Swiss.
The Arbonne Detoxifying Rescue Wash comes in a simple pump dispenser, which works well and minimises waste in terms of product, if not packaging. The product is thicker and slightly stickier than most shower/bath gels. I found it stayed on my skin long enough to lather it up with water, rather than slipping straight off. The gel was a straw colour and reminiscent of pale lemon curd. It also smelt pleasantly citrusy and was easy to rinse off.
Verdict: Overall I liked the gel, but for me it lacked any wow factor. Maybe I wasn’t convinced about detoxifying the beauty of my body...
Remineralising Body Lotion 24H 354ml, RRP £32.50
Single Spy:
The SeaSource Detox Spa range from Arbonne arrived in stylish white cardboard boxes, with a metallic blue- and-silver frond design. Inside the box is a plastic bottle containing the thick, white lotion. You have to take the lid off and insert the pump dispenser, which no doubt makes sure there's no spillage in transit, but then you do have to pump the lotion all the way up to the top the first time you use it!
The lotion glides on easily -- that'll be the shea butter -- though, I do wish the pump dispenser had been flat, rather than tilted. My hand kept sliding off it so my carpet got more softening and remineralising than it usually hopes for. My skin absorbed the cream well, leaving no trace of oiliness. The lotion is suitable for vegans, and is mineral oil-, sulphate- and paraben-free. What it does contain is marine botanicals to soften dry skin, but there's no overpowering scent, which is ideal, unless like you like smelling of seaweed.
Now, what's that 24H in the product name all about? Apparently, the lotion provides "a 24-hour shield against environmental pollutants". I can't measure that, but it's nice to know. It also contains humectants to guard against moisture loss, which, if it means that your skin stays soft, then I can vouch for that.
Verdict: Does what you want if you want softer skin.
Purifying Sea Soak 8 x 46g packets, RRP £40
Single Spy:
The white box contains eight metallic blue packages which in turn contain sea salt (the main ingredient) along with a variety of other lovelies including spirulina extract and oils of lavender, bergamot, rosemary and peppermint.
The product -- more powder than granular -- dissolves easily. Your bath smells nicely sea-like, though not too overpowering, and more earthy than marine, which I suppose is down to the mineral content. I was charmed by the instructions to soak in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes then "sit quietly to cool down as the sea water's trace minerals continue to treat the skin's surface". Anyone who knows me well knows that "sitting quietly" is something I have zero talent for. However, I did manage the soaking bit, and that was very pleasant. There's no residue, as you get with some marine bath salts, so no having your floaty experience interrupted by gritty particles.
The salts left my skin noticeably smoother. Sea bathing has long believed to have health benefits, and the antiseptic qualities of seawater can often smooth redness and increase softness. So, pricy but nice!
Verdict: Ideal for when you want to create a therapeutic marine experience at home.
Where can I buy Arbonne products?
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