Product: Intelligent Nutrients Plant Stem Cell Skin Science Renewal Complex ($55, Intelligent Nutrients)
I love beauty products of every kind, there is nothing more exhilarating to me than the first pump, the first whiff of a new product’s scent, the first application, etc. I started at a young age when my mom started me on the Clinique 3 Step system, and since then my routines have evolved from Lazlo peels to even dabbling in La Prairie (the alcohol!). My most recent interest is in clean products. I think ounce for ounce, a well made, high quality clean product trumps all other products each time. I’m particular about saying ‘clean’ products because my personal theory is that a product doesn’t have to be 100% natural to be good for you, I just don’t want it to contain anything bad for me. There are some chemicals that can be good with no side-effects, and there are some naturals that can irritate or even be toxic!
In my quest to up my skincare to equally high-end, beautiful products that have better formulations, I landed upon a brand called Intelligent Nutrients. Intelligent Nutrients was started by Horst Rechebacher who was the founder of Aveda. His mission in creating Intelligent Nutrients was to create a line using non-toxic, 100% food based, organic ingredients. To prove how safe his products were, during a demonstration, he even drank an entire bottle of his cleanser.
I knew their key technology was the Plant Stem Cell and antioxidant rich Intellimune complex so I decided to try their Plant Stem Cell Skin Science Renewal Complex, which I’m told is their most concentrated product that combines all their core skin science philosophies.
The product is described as a spot treatment for scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, and other skin imperfections. I decided to use this on my forehead and smile lines since that is where most of my fine lines have begun to form. I also have some fresh acne blemishes on my forehead that I did not use the Ultimate Perfecting Serum on (I used that to get rid of old scars- click the link for my review on that wonderful product).
The first time I used this product, I felt like a scientist with the vial and dropper. The scent is strong and herbal but not unpleasant like how some synthetic fragrances are, in other words, you’ll live. I covered my “problem spots” with a few drops and massaged into my skin. The complex is easily absorbed and does provide some moisture.
The instruction say to not use anything else over it as that could compromise the effectiveness of the product. This is actually in line with what Dr.Hauschka and YULI say about letting your skin detoxify at night. Immediately after I put the product on, I could feel a slight… effect. It wasn’t a tingle but I could tell the product was pretty active.
After 2 weeks of use (they recommend using no longer than 30 days), I still have my fine lines, but they are ‘finer’ and less apparent. I also noticed places where I feel new potential breakouts really calm down when I put this over. In general, I have come to the conclusion that this is like a very natural version of a Retinol treatment without the risk of biotoxic accumulation. For $55 a vial, $130 for 4 vials – I think the price might be slightly high. However I would repurchase this again if my skin really needs an added dose of pampering.