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Skincare Review – High Sierra Botanicals
by Joey on August 17, 2010
Holly Beatie is a former competitive athlete from the Sierra Foothills who, after her retirement in 1997, decided to take a journey of self-discovery and healing. Her reevaluation of her life lead her to the study of flowers, herbs, and the development of all natural products for the body and skin – High Sierra Botanicals was born. Using either wild-crafted or organically-grown products, Beatie handmakes her own products from scratch. Her products all contain pure therapeutic essential oils, organic herbs, healing/nutritional oils and butters, and flower essences. I was sent five products from her line.
A summary of my thoughts: These products are effective but highly moisturizing, so much so that the majority of them aren’t appropriate for the humid, muggy NYC summer. My dry skin will love them come the fall/winter, though. The packaging isn’t the most aesthetically-pleasing, but the products that they contain work, and work well.
Glisten Up: Glisten Up is a toner/cleanser that comes in a bottle that requires you to shake it onto a cotton pad. The smell is pleasant. I was surprised at how moisturizing this toner was; it didn’t dry out my skin, but actually added a layer of moisture to it while still giving it a clean, fresh feeling. My skin was not red after using it, which usually indicates minor irritation (my skin is very dry and sensitive). I found that I could only use this product at night, though – NYC summer is very humid and muggy, so despite my dry skin, I have to use very little moisturizer. Using this product at night ensured that I would wake up with soft, glowy skin. Once the weather cools down, I can use this twice a day. This retails for $11 (2 fl. oz).
Ingredients: Rose hydrosol, Witch Hazel, Elder Flower & White Grape Extracts, Apple Cider Vinegar, Polysorbate 20; Avocado, Olive, and Jojoba oils; Essential oils of Lavender, Grapefruit, Geranium, Rosemary, Thyme; 6 Flower Essences.
Wrinkle Wrangler: Wrinkle Wrangler is an extremely potent moisturizer, housed in a small screw-top jar. It contains over 50 ingredients, including numerous oils and butters. Beatie describes this as being soothing and luxurious, and she’s right. It’s just too luxurious for the weather right now! I only need the tiniest amount of this moisturizer (at night only!) and my skin is moisturized for hours and hours. I like to really rub it into my skin to help improve circulation, and decrease any inflammation. This moisturizer is good for a year if stored in a cool environment, so I’ll be sure to put this away for the winter, when it’ll be a godsend! I’ve also been using it on my body as well, and it’s great for softening up rough skin. This retails for $12 (for 15 ml) or $33 (for 50 ml).
Ingredients: Oils: Apricot, Hemp, Olive, Coconut, Jojoba, Grapeseed, Wheat Germ, Rosehip; Lanolin; Aloe; Cocoa, Shea, Mango butters; Mimosa wax; Manuka Honey; Raw Silk; Rosewater; Herbal extracts: Angelica seed, Selfheal, St. John’s Wort, Comfrey Leaf, Seaweed, Horsetail, Rosemary; Citric Acid; Essential oils of Elemi, Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Myrrh, Neroli, Orange, Fennel, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Cedar, Carrot seed; 14 Flower Essences.
Mudslinger: This is such an appropriate name for this mask. It’s goopy, it’s messy, and it looks exactly like mud. I was turned off initially by the texture and scent of this mask (it smells very herbal), but then I used it. WHOA. Let me describe this first. This mask is so…un-masklike! Most masks are pretty drying for the skin, and leave the skin red or irritated – at least that happens to me a lot. Mudslinger is so comforting for the skin, yet it left my skin looking clearer and cleaner than it was before I used it! This mask contains clay, which helps draw out impurities from the skin. It contains mild exfoliators, which also help draw out impurities but also helps to brighten the skin by removing dead skin cells. Also, it has oils to moisturize. It is a facial in a jar, and I’m glad I gave it a chance despite my very turned-off initial reaction to it. Once a week usage (again, at night) refreshes my skin and leaves me looking as if I had a relaxing vacation! My only gripe about this product is the packaging. This mask is very oily, and it’s contained in a jar – the jar leaks! I think this would be best in a squeeze tube. This retails for $33 (50 fl.oz).
Ingredients: Raw silk, Squalene, Rose hydrosol, Shea Butter, Oils: Avocado, Pumplin seed, Jojoba, Wheat germ, Raspberry seed, Rosehip,Vitamin E; Clays: French Green, Pascalite, Rhassoul, Canadian glacial, Moroccan Red; Aloe, Oats, Lecithin, Manuka honey, Royal jelly, Nettle, Alfalfa, Chlorophyl, Rosehips, Irish Moss, Aloe, Marshmallow, Rosemary, DMAE, MSM, CoQ10, Essential Oils: Geranium, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang, Carrot; 10 Flower Essences.
Harmoneyes: Interestingly, this was also the one product I was able to use during the day! Beatie describes this as a creamy serum which helps nourish and bind moisture to the eyes, among other benefits. This was more of a slightly gritty, runny cream; despite the texture, it sank right into the skin underneath my eyes. I enjoyed this because it moisturized but created a velvet surface which was perfect for applying makeup onto! At night, I’d prefer something more cushy and oily. This retails for $15 (10ml).
Ingredients: Aloe, Beta Carotene, Rosehip, Raspberry, Evening Primrose Seed Oils, Polysorbate 20, Algae, Cucumber, Green Tea Extracts, Ellagic & Hyaluronic Acids, Raw Silk, Squalene, DMAE, Citric Acid, Essential oils of Chamomile, Carrot Seed; 10 Flower Essences.
X-Zit: This is a roll-on blemish treatment, which I like because I can carry it around whenever a stupid pimple pops up on my face. It is antibiotic and anti-bacterial, and helps to kill blemishes without making my skin red or peel-y. It does take a few days to work, but it does work! This retails for $8 (10ml).
Ingredients: Glycerin, Aloe, Rose Hydrosol, Witch Hazel, Jojoba and Wheat Germ oils, Polysorbate 20, Essential oils of Lavender, Bergamot, Petitegrain, Cypress, Cedar, and others; 5 Flower Essences.
So, bottom line? I really enjoyed the products, but the majority of them aren’t appropriate for my skin at the moment. I will love these more when it gets colder. Also, after reading about the rest of the products, I really want to try Headcase Aura Spray (since I have chronic migraines) and Stressless Tresses Hair Tonic! What are your thoughts?
