And now on to the cream that raised the most interest last week on my Instagram feed.
What is it? 'A unique moisturizer formulated with 70% starfish extract to actively hydrate, regenerate, and rejuvenate skin.'
What's in it? All of this....
Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients? Erm. Starfish?, fragrance, pegs, glycols
What's not in it? SLS, mineral oils, parabens
Who is it for? Designed as a regenerating moisturiser so essentially everyone, but particularly maybe for those concerned with signs of ageing/anti-ageing.
How do you use it? Apply as a normal moisturiser.
What's good/not so good about it? Here's the thing. It's a really lovely cream. It moisturises, softens, makes makeup application a dream and having played with it, is suitable for all skin types. It has a similar bouncy texture to the Body Shop mask - not as bouncy, but it's not runny. And it's completely reasonable at £25.00.
I didn't realise before I received the cream that it actually contained starfish, I thought it was just a kooky name. (I know. DUH.)
If you have no concerns about animal extracts and aren't vegetarian/vegan you will love this cream. It is really good. I'm neither vegan nor vegetarian and yes it feels hypocritical from someone who wears leather etc but I can't get past the fact that it's essentially 75% dried out and ground up starfish.
It obviously plays on the fact that starfish regenerate their limbs and thus it may stimulate your own skin. It has to be said though that expecting something that has been dried out, ground up and hydrolized to have a stimulating effect on your collagen is the same as calling a Pringle a crisp.
(It's not. It's reconstituted potato, rice, wheat and corn flakes pressed into a round shape, blasted with hot oil and sprayed with artifical flavours.)
Apparently starfish are culled in South Korea due to the rate at which they procreate and can inhibit shellfish farming etc. They are collected and exterminated as pest control. It still freaks me out a little though. As I said, if you have no concerns with that, it's a lovely cream. If the thought makes you feel a bit 'EEEWWW', maybe this is not for you.
Mizon Returning Starfish Cream is £25.00 and available here.
And while I'm on the subject of things in the water that freak me out, have you seen this!?!: