SKINCARE | Sibu Beauty - Sea Buckthorn Berry at Its Best!

Finding really good natural beauty products is tough because as much as I love the idea of having nothing but coconut oil and shea butter on my face, I still prefer a little bit of je ne sais quoi when it comes to ingredients. Can't a girl want a little finesse combined with something natural? There have been many green beauty companies that I have come across in the last two years and though I have come across Sibu Beauty before, I did not take it seriously as a full routine until last summer. 

Sibu Beauty features the one and only sea buckthorn berry (Hippophae rhamnoides) which is a superfruit rich in Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 fatty acids as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. All Sibu products are also GMO-free and contain no parabens, sulfates, gluten or artificial preservatives. When topically applied, sea buckthorn oil can be used to treat wounds, skin conditions and acts as an antioxidant hence its uses in anti-aging products. I had the opportunity to try out a couple of products from Sibu and months later I still have Sibu on rotation when I feel like my skin needs an "equalizer" so I DEFINITELY have some stuff to say regarding this brand!

The Sea Buckthorn Face and Body Bar* ($8.49 CDN) puzzled me at first, but then I realized that this was a SOLID cleanser! It becomes white when mixed with water and really gave my skin a thorough cleanse. This was wonderful to use in the warmer months when my skin felt clogged with sweat, makeup and whatever else was in the air. Now that my skin is drier, my husband is the one who still really loves this bar for his cheeks and beard area while I have had to switch to a more hydrating cream cleanser.

Ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Fruit, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Peel Oil

The Sea Buckthorn Nourishing Facial Cream* (30mL/$20.99 CDN) is one of my favourite products from what I have had a chance to try because not only does it smell good (citrus-like thanks to orange and lemon essential oils), but is the product that I feel brings balance back to my skin when it is "seasonally confused". It isn't too thick of a lotion and easily goes right into my skin without leaving me waiting to put my makeup on in the morning.

  

Ingredients: Water, Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil, Glycerin (Vegetable), Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Steroyl Lactylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice powder, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Sodium Phytate

My next all-time favourite product is the Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil* (10mL/$19.29 CDN) which can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions like rosacea (my co-worker started using it and the redness in her cheeks went down SO MUCH!), eczema and dermatitis. It can even be used for burns and cuts to aid in healing. I'm not going to lie, this oil doesn't smell the best. It's pretty pungent and while the scent eventually disappears, this is something I had to use as a night treatment (thank you hubby for loving me anyway!). I warm the oil up in my hands and press it onto my face as the LAST STEP in my skincare routine. This was wonderful for when my skin had funny dry patches transitioning into Fall. Whatever the hell that was, this oil REALLY helped!

Ingredients: 100% Therapeutic-grade Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil

I hesitated a little bit when trying out the Sea Buckthorn Purifying Mask* ($29.99 CDN) because I haven't had the best of luck with clay masks. I've always found them seriously detoxifying and drying and while I could have applied the seed oil first and then applied the mask, it seemed like too much work. For the sake of review purposes though, I gave it a shot and it was so much less intense than the typical clay masks! It never dried to an uncomfortable finish and had an incredibly creamy texture making it one of most comfortable purifying masks I have worn.

Ingredients: Water, Bentonite, SD Alcohol 40-B, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Oil, Kaolin, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Fruit Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hordeum Distichon (Barley) Extract, Vigna Acontifolia Seed Extract, Papain Enzyme, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Linoleic Acid, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Silt, Stearyl Phosphate, Behenyl Alcohol Phospholipids, Olive Fruit Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Levulinate, p-Anisic Acid, Orange and Lemon Essential Oils.

Final verdict: While the face and body bar was probably the only thing I wouldn't use on a regular basis, every other product gets a thumbs up from me! I know this review is coming a little late, but I used all 4 products together for the month of September and then have been rotating the moisturizer and seed oil as needed. My skin was pretty confused after coming back from Montreal and Toronto in August and the Sibu line was gentle, yet effective at equalizing my skin's "personality". The moisturizer was wonderful during the day and adding the seed oil to my nighttime skincare routine gave my skin a great glow as well as a wonderful suppleness. I loved the results from Sibu so much that I've got two more products to share with you next week!

Have you tried Sibu Beauty? If so, what did you think?