Lina Hanson Global Treasures

It’s been exactly one year since I was first introduced to Lina Hanson’s Global Treasures balm and in that time I have developed a whole new appreciation for balms. In case you missed my initial write up, you can read it here. As we’re approaching winter again, I thought it would be helpful to share a full in-depth review of this beauty.

 

 

Lina Hanson’s Global Treasures is a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned, though truth be told, I loved it before I even used it. Firstly, it looks like a jewel thanks to the jade-amber colored balm with gold specks. I know that everyone went through a moment for blue balms and oils, but I much prefer the clean, fresh feeling that this green balm presents especially as it feels less gimmicky. Although it was the looks that initially drew me in, it was the ingredients list that had me hooked.

camellia sinensis (thea) seed oil,* butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter,* prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil,* theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter,* citrullus lanatus (kalahari melon) seed oil,** pearl powder, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf powder,* tocopherol**** , gold, coffea arabica (coffee bean) oil,* vanilla planifolia (vanilla) bean extract,  citrus nobilis (mandarin) oil,* limonene***

*organic ** wild harvested ***naturally occurring in essential oils ****non-gmo

As a big fan of green tea and it’s health benefits, I could not love this more. It’s first ingredient or the base of the balm is green tea seed oil which is extremely soothing, packed with antioxidants and penetrates quickly into skin which allows the balm to pull an effortless melting act once it touches your skin. The green color comes from the green tea leaf powder, better known as Matcha which is having a well deserved moment. Matcha is a super concentrated form of green tea that contains what Women’s Health calls the motherlode of polyphenols that curtail inflammation and just make skin healthier. In other words, this balm is the real deal that goes beyond a stunning visual. For those who are curious, the gold specks actually come from real 24K gold which is said to help circulation and brighten the complexion. The addition of pearl powder was particularly welcomed as it’s known to be used in traditional Asian beauty recipes to give that translucent glow. Perhaps most impressive is that all these gorgeous ingredients come together in this one balm, making it quite the special treasure.

What pictures will not tell you is that this balm smells like a dream. Cocoa seed butter, coffee bean, vanilla bean and mandarin oil form a smooth, rich scent which only further accentuates the lusciousness of the balm. I never thought of myself as a cocoa lover but the way this is balanced with vanilla and mandarin is perfection.

Impressions

Lina Hanson Global Treasures performs like an absolute dream. As someone who has experienced clogged pores and congestion from green brands that release thick products, I can vouch that Global Treasures caused none of the congestion I had experienced from other balms and moisturizers even after continuous use. As a girl who has been on Accutane and can still break out, this is especially important to me. I approached it very cautiously at first, only using it around the driest parts of my cheeks and forehead then gradually began to use more and more as I saw that my skin was responding really well. As a balm, this thing absolutely melts and has a silken texture that makes it disappear into skin. It’s really quite splendid as you get the extra nourishing and dryness fighting power of a balm but with the performance of an oil serum.

Compared to other balms, this is a finer texture which means it sinks into skin fast and won’t be too heavy on your skin but don’t let that lightness mislead you, this is effective. I still only needed a pea sized amount to dab onto dry spots. The first time I used this balm as a lip balm, I thought it would not be sufficient as it disappeared within seconds but my lips seemed to magically heal within 5 minutes of applying this stuff. One of the best uses for this balm is as an under-eye treatment. It might be the brightening and complexion enhancing ingredients such as 24K gold, pearl powder and the natural caffeine content of the actives (cocoa seed, coffee bean, matcha) that makes this balm a natural at performing as an eye serum. The balm texture also meant eyes are more nourished while those beautiful ingredients kept fatigue and dark circles at bay. My eye area just looked brighter and more awake. I would not hesitate to recommend this balm solely as an eye serum because it is that good.

Final Thoughts

What I really love about Lina Hanson’s Global Treasures is that it’s the rare product that manages to look beautiful yet perform even more spectacularly. I often see products that have a flashy color or feature a trendy ingredient in a rather lackluster formula *cough* read here *cough*. I know that this strategy works because we all judge books by their covers even though we shouldn’t but in this case, Lina Hanson took care of us by making sure the ingredients and performance behind her eye-catching balm actually delivered. The ingredients are the highest quality of non-gmo and organic sourced botanicals and there are still times where, as I’m applying the balm, I’m like “this is literally gold meets matcha that I’m rubbing on my skin.” I really want to applaud Lina Hanson for developing what I consider to be one of the most photogenic, genius balms ever that actually works beautifully and is packed with stellar ingredients. This is one of the most skin pampering products I have used and doubles as one of my favorite eye serums.

You can purchase at these locations:

Credo Beauty
The Detox Market
Violet Grey
Lina Hanson