beYou is Mad for Be Fine - Affordable, Natural Skincare at its Best
2 Comments
OK readers, you know how passionate I am about organic and natural skincare and beauty. I’ve written on Suki, waxed on about Dr. Hauschka, praised Jurlique, and lavished love on Neal’s Yard. My biggest need in skin care products is for them to be free of all the “nasties” I’ve written about ad nauseum as well — parabens, SLS, petroleates, etc.
Well in these harsh economic times, how thrilled am I to have found and tested over the last 2 weeks a fabulous, affordable vegan skin care line, Be Fine Food Skin Care. All of my world’s have converged. This line, sold nation wide in drugstore chains like CVS, Rite Aid (in-store) and Duane Reade (in-store), was developed and inspired by food products and the importance of food-grade natural products in skincare. This beauty company sticks to the premise that I believe in: one shouldn’t smear and wash their bodies with products that are chock full of chemicals that are just going into the blood stream. Well Be Fine is banking that the mid-level shopper will feel the same way.
Be Fine’s ingredients are completely food driven, which is music to my ears. Be Fine’s Gentle Cleanser is a blend of sugar a natural humectant and exfoliant, invigorating mint, and oats and rice bran — both soothing to the skin. The Firming Toner has a mild exfoliant made from willow bark (the base for salicylic acid) and firming and smoothing it does. After using the toner, the skin is left comfortably taut and ready for a moisturizer or not. The cocoa based night cream utilizes the caffeine in cocoa to stimulate the skin and boost collagen.
My skin by nature is pretty sensitive and photo sensitive (meaning it tans easily but also prone to spotting), and Burt’s Bees is probably the last drugstore brand skin care product I’ve purchased, but most at the drugstore level, due to price points - the more layers of effectiveness the more expensive - don’t have the anti-aging and skin renewal qualities that Be Fine does. All in all I give the line an A+! And now with Kate Hudson’s hair care line, David Bubaii for Wild Aid, I can easily, confidently and affordably buy my beauty products at the drugstore.
Bravo!
Written by: Michelle Barge
sorry to be a bummer, but be fine is full of synthetics and toxic ingredients…read the label…
i am always encouraging people to please, read your labels and take your own health and well-being in hand, the marketers certainly won’t…be fine’s back panel will tell you everything you need to know about the “real food” behind the products.
Hi Michelle,
I’m having a difficult time understanding this post. I was interested in & happy to read the first paragraph about your love of natural skincare and your need for them to be free of “nasties” like “parabens, SLS, etc.” (which is also my love & need :)). This line peaked my interest so I checked out the ingredients of the first product you mention, the Gentle Cleanser. The second ingredient after water is SLS (which you refer to as a “nasty” ingredient).
I continued to read only to find PEG-150 and PEG-120 which studies have found to be carcinogenic (breast cancer specifically). Then I move on to the Daily Moisturizer thinking maybe this one product is the exception in the line. The moisturizer ingredient list is loaded with synthetics & toxins (PEGs, PVP, Disodium EDTA, etc.).
I completely understand the need of us all to cut back on spending in these uncertain & harsh economic times, but these aren’t cheap products. The Gentle Cleanser retails for $23.99 and the Daily Moisturizer retails for $19.99. Why spend that kind of money on a somewhat natural /
potentially harmful product when you could spend that same money on quality skincare that isn’t loaded with synthetics and questionable contents? Sure, it’s more convenient to run into CVS if you’ve completely run out of product, but how about Whole Foods or what about planning ahead & searching out free shipping options and/or discounts online so you can pamper yourself with absolutely natural and/or organic goodness?!
My real concern is mass consumer confusion about what is and what isn’t natural. While I love that the market is embracing the “green” movement, it is also tainting it by marketing products that are not truly pure and natural. The average consumer does not know how (or doesn’t have the time) to differentiate. This is one line that I would have to raise a “greenwash” flag about. They are branding this product to be natural, and while they may have some natural contents on the ingredient deck, mixing it with potentially toxic and carcinogenics ingredients is not what I would call a safe, natural or “green” product.
If you’re interested in truly pure skin care products, I would gladly offer some fabulous recommendations (and no I don’t sell anything or work for any skin care company…I’m simpy a passionate, obsessive consumer who researches endlessly).
.xoxo.
S