Potent and Pure: Affordable Organic Skincare

I haven’t given up my efforts to find the perfect organic skincare line.

You might recall a few months ago, I reviewed this. It was good, but very pricey.

It left me wondering if there wasn’t a natural-based skincare line out there for those of us who don’t pull six-figure paychecks. You know — good, clean products free of parabens, phthalates, sodium laurel/laureth sulfates (SLS), artificial colors and fragrance that won’t cost an arm and a leg.

And wouldn’t you know? Those smart people over at Kiss My Face had the very solution I was looking for: the Potent & Pure Organic Face Care line.

Introduced this past January, the line boasts a wide array of products ranging from cleansers and toners to eye treatments and moisturizers. The traditional synthetic ingredients you find in most skincare lines are absent here — replaced instead with botanicals, vitamins, extracts and minerals.

I had the opportunity to try the Clean for a Day Creamy Face Cleanser ($15), C the Change Ester C Serum ($21), Eyewitness Eye Repair Cream ($19), and the Under Age Ultra Hydrating Moisturizer ($21).

The cleanser did a good job of removing my makeup each evening — it can even be applied with a cotton ball and swiped over the face to remove makeup, as opposed to the lather and rinse method. The moisturizing cream combines vitamins C and A — two vitamins that experts like Dr. Mehmet Oz recommend for daily moisturizers.

I also really liked the Ester C Serum. Recent research has shown that Vitamin C can be an effective skin lightener (similar to hydroquinone, but sans the side effects). With all of my hyperpigmentation issues, I was keen to add the product to my skincare routine. While I can’t really say that my brown spots have disappeared (I’m convinced nothing will make them go away), they may have lightened a little bit. (Or it could just be my summer tan helping them blend in. 🙂 Regardless, I’m going to keep using it.)

Because the Potent & Pure products are botanically based, the fragrances might not appeal to all. I didn’t find any of them particularly offensive, but the moisturizing cream had a floral rose scent, which can be off-putting for some.

The cleanser came in a good sized bottle, but the lotions and serums are smaller. That being said, a little goes a long way. These products lasted me several months.

I also received a one-day sample of the Intensive Repair Night Creme — which I really liked, as well as the Brightening Day Creme. Both were super-hydrating without the greasiness, a real plus for someone like me whose face feels “tight” during the dry months of winter. I’ll be investing in a tube of each.

I combed through the ingredient list for you purists out there, and the only ingredient I would put on the questionable list is Glyceryl Stearate. But overall the ingredients are remarkably clean. This line is certainly “greener” than most anything you’re going to find at a makeup counter or drugstore.

The best news is that the price point brings these products into the “affordable for most of us” category. Products range in price from about $15 to $23. If you want to give the products a try, be sure and visit the Kiss My Face site. They have a great tool to help determine your skin type and the Potent & Pure products that are best for you.

Potent & Pure can be purchased directly through the Kiss My Face website, drugstore.com and at retail outlets like Whole Foods Market.