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Mirror, mirror, on the wall -- Who's the greenest of them all? Last week I said I'd give organic certified personal care products a whirl -- and first up's Miessence, an all-organic-certified line of skin and hair care products made by the Organic and Natural Enterprise Group (ONE Group).
Miessence is so safe that, if so moved, you could actually eat the stuff -- All the ingredients are food grade! The entire Miessence line -- made with certified organic cold-pressed and unrefined oils and therapeutic grade herb and flower extracts -- falls within the "low risk" category in the Skin Deep cosmetics database, which is really quite the accomplishment, even for most self-described "green" product lines.
So excitedly, I tried out the Miessence beauty regime -- a 3 step process of cleansing, conditioning, moisturizing, available for four different skin types. I gave all three steps of both the "Purifying" (oily or problematic skin) and "Balancing" (combo skin) lines a try.
What I found: The creamy cleansers were gentle -- but also left behind a light oil (mostly peppermint) residue. Those with dry skin might like the moisturizing effect of the peppermint oil residue, but I wasn't a big fan of this aftereffect -- especially since my skin's already on the oily side.
My favorite Miessence product was the conditioner, which was a light moisturizing liquid. I sort of felt my skin didn't need additional moisturizing after the conditioner, but I did try the moisturizer nevertheless. Luckily for me, this third step of the skin care regime turned out to be pretty light.
However, both the conditioner and the moisturizer had a very strong fragrance, created by all the organic essential oils and flower extracts used in the product. I actually found the combined smells of lavender, rose, and other plants way too overpowering -- and this pungency ended up being a dealbreaker for me. Even though Miessence products contain no artificial fragrances, I wouldn't recommend these products for those with a sensitivity to strong smells.
But if you're the type that loves dabbing on organic essential oils as perfume, you might really love the Miessence line -- which also offers hair care, sunscreen, and cosmetics products -- though it should be noted that not all products are organic certified. The Miessence sunscreens -- which I haven't tried and which aren't organic certified -- seem to be especially popular. Tiffany of NatureMomsBlog says the Miessence Organics Reflect Outdoor Balm SPF 15 is "very clean smelling and not sticky" with "added antioxidants and beta carotene to help nourish skin and protect it." That Balm's also Kath at Honest Skincare's sunscreen of choice. Monica Schenk of Low Impact Living recommends a gift pack from Miessence -- noting that the pack comes in a reusable gift sack! It's unclear, however, whether Monica's actually tried the products....
To see if Miessence is right for you, try out some free samples, available through An Organic Living! Get them now; the offer ends July 31, 2008. Miessence is sold via independent representatives and at a few specialty shops.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.
