Non-toxic Skincare: Luminance Skincare Sample Kit
Luminance Skincare is a non-toxic skincare brand based out of Benicia, CA and owned by Kim and Elena. It all began when Kim's wife, Priscilla, found her recurring migraines were caused by synthetic and typically toxic ingredients found in most conventional skincare products. Wanting to find a solution for his wife, Kim quit his engineering career and began making non-toxic personal care products. As a result, Luminance was formed! You can read more about their story on their website (https://luminanceskincare.com/).
When I visited their website to check out their product line and learn more about the company, a deal popped up offering a free (yes, free) sample kit including a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer if you just pay shipping (which comes out to be $3-4). After reading the glowing five star reviews on a handful of their products I was sold. I went ahead and made an order for the sample kit and the Acne Serum ($22 for 1oz). When my package arrived in the mail I noticed they also included a full sized Chamomile Eye Cream ($22 for 1oz) along with a note thanking me for the support and also a detailed instruction card so you know exactly how the products should be used. I'll take this time to mention that Luminance's customer service is on another level. They are so generous and very helpful if you have questions at all.
In today's post I'm going to focus on the sample kit which includes the Delicate Facial Cleanser, Rosewater Facial Toner, and Deep Hydration Moisturizer. I have plans for a future blog post where I'll discuss the other two products (and a few others) in more depth.
Let's start with the Delicate Facial Cleanser ($18 for 4oz or $30 for 8oz). This is a pH balanced, non-stripping, oil-based cleanser. You'll need to shake it before each use as the product separates. As an oily skinned girl I am always hesitant about oil based anything though Kim is insistent that this cleanser is great for all skin types. A core belief of Luminance is that, though genetics predisposes someone to have more oily or dry skin, people with very oily or very dry skin simply need to look at their cleanser and ask how clean and natural it truly is. Most soaps are too harsh for your skin and strip it of it's natural oils by using ingredients like Sodium Laurel Sulfate. The Delicate Facial Cleanser includes very simple ingredients: Coconut, Macadamia, Almond, Avocado, Grape Seed, Borage, Sun Flower, Jojoba, and Rosemary Seed Oils, in addition to reverse osmosis (RO) filtered water and Tangerine Essential Oil.
I begin by wetting my face and both of my hands. I then spray 4 pumps of cleanser into the palm of my hands and rub them together. Once a gentle lather is formed I massage the cleanser into my face for about a minute. I then rinse the cleanser off for about a minute until it feels like there's a tiny bit of product left on my face before patting my face dry with a towl. They encourage you to not over-rinse your skin as the ingredients in the cleanser provide benefits for your skin when a little is left on. One thing to note is I'm careful to use very little of the cleanser on my eyebrows because for some reason it sticks to them. The more I rub the cleanser in, the thicker and tackier it gets so I just avoid that area for the most part.
I then go in with 4-5 spritzes of the Rosewater Facial Toner ($18 for 4oz or $32 for 8oz). This toner is 100% Pure RO Filtered Rose Water and is meant to pH balance your skin after cleansing your face as tap water is too alkaline. The spray nozzle on the sample bottle provides the most perfect mist and the product itself smells so wonderful.
I'm still playing around with the right amount of product to use, how long to rub the cleanser in, and how much to rinse off or leave on. Some days after using the cleanser and toner my skin will feel tacky to the touch from the oil and rosewater. For the first week of using the cleanser and toner I was using the Deep Hydration Moisturizer ($27 for 2oz). As with all their products, the ingredients are all natural: Floral Anti-oxidants, Apricot Kernel, Grape Seed, Tamanu, Meadow Foam, Borage, Jojoba, Avocado, Sunflower Seed, Sweet Almond, Olive, Lavender Water, RO Filtered Water, Sea Buckthorn, and Red Radish Root. This moisturizer is listed in their Mature line and is a little too heavy for me, at least in the summer time. I noticed it never sunk into my skin completely and left my face feeling greasy. I'm saving this sample to try again in the winter time.
After concluding that the moisturizer didn't work for me, at least not in the summer heat and humidity, I began using my Origins GinZing moisturizer in place of it. Though this is a more natural product, it is not as clean as Luminance's products. I'm not sure how this impacted the results of these products. Additionally, I'm used to using a face mask two times a week. I planned to skip that step in my weekly routine while trialing out these products so that I could see what they did on their own. After about a week my skin felt like it had some product and dead skin buildup that needed to be removed so I weighed the options and decided to use one of the exfoliating face masks I had on hand. It's not natural but it was the only thing I had available to get my skin feeling smooth and clean. I also continued using my Sunday Riley oils at night after Week 1. After the first week I started applying the Acne Serum in the mornings after the toner. I haven't notices a difference so far but am going to continue using this product and will have a more in-depth post on this product later on.
The cleanser and toner samples lasted two weeks in total. I think they made my skin less red and more calm but not necessarily less oily. Luminance does mention that it can take two weeks to two months to see results. Considering how oily my skin is I'm thinking it will take closer to two months. Since I changed my routine around so much trying to find the right balance of products during the two week trial, and I didn't have quite enough products, I don't feel I can make any conclusions just yet.
In order to give their products a full test I went ahead and ordered full sizes of the Delicate Facial Cleanser, Rosewater Toner, and French Green Clay Clarifying Mask. I'm going to take a few weeks to completely detox from my current products and strictly using these Luminance skincare products, plus the Acne Serum, and the Hydration Moisturizer (I spoke with Kim about my concerns with the Deep Hydration Moisturizer and he was nice enough to send me a jar!). I also purchased their Non-metallic Organic Sunscreen that I'll put to the test on days when I'm outside. Once I finish up my current eye cream I'll begin using the Chamomile one they gifted me and let you know how that goes too.
Ultimately, my thoughts are that I need to give these products some more time to do their magic before I come to any definite conclusions. I'm excited to get my products in the mail so I can put them to a more true test and am planning to take before and after photos for you guys. Be on the lookout in a month or two for my full review and final thoughts on these products!