Where to Find Us:
1) At the Fort Collins Winter Markets in the Opera Galleria - these markets are held 2 Saturdays per month from 10 am to 3 pm through March 2010.
2) Luminous Skinn in Fort Collins at 140 W Oak Street - open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Monday by appointment (call to schedule a facial and enjoy a spa experience).
3) Body Song in Loveland at 133 E 4th Street
To stay up to date with all the recent developments at Return to Eden Cosmetics, you can check out our blog here: http://returntoedencosmetics.wordpress.com/
We love customer feedback, so please use the blog as an excuse to comment on our products.
Before using Jar of Youth Face Cream
After 90 Days of Twice Daily Applications of Jar of Youth
date: 6/30/09
date: 9/30/09
These pictures are the same as above except auto contrast has been applied to both.
My aunt (who has rosacea) has graciously agreed to be a test subject
for new and existing formulas. She began using the Jar of Youth Face
Cream both night and day at the end of June 2009. These pictures have
not been altered, enhanced (other than as noted with auto contrast), or otherwise tampered with. Judge the
results for yourself (you can order some of the Jar of Youth face cream
for yourself at www.returntoedencosmetics.com/zencart).
From 6/30/09 until 9/30/09, my aunt was using a previous formulation of the Jar of Youth Day Cream both night and day. Here are the ingredients:
Purified Water, Calendula Distillate, Avocado Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acai Extract, Glyceryl Monostearate, Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Grapeseed Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Vitamin E, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Provitamin B-5, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q-10), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Pomegranate Extract, Acai Oil, Rutin, Glyceryl Monocaprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate, (Lemongrass Essential Oil)
Beginning in October 2009, she started using the most recent formulation. She is currently using both the day and the night cream as opposed to just the day cream. Here are the ingredients:
Day Cream: Purified Water, Calendula Distillate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Avocado Oil, Acai Extract, Aloe Vera Gel, Glyceryl Monostearate, Grapeseed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Glycerin, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q-10), Hyaluronic Acid, Rutin, Pomegranate Extract, Acai Oil, Green Tea Extract, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glyco
Night Cream: Purified Water, Calendula Distillate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Avocado Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Glyceryl Monostearate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Grapeseed Oil, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Evening Primrose Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Provitamin B-5), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Coenzyme Q-10 (Ubiquinone), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Green Tea Extract, Rutin, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews - These reviews are directly transcribed from written reviews and/or oral statements and have not been altered in any way.
1) Body Bar Lotion Bar - I love it! It is very soothing for dry skin. I use it on my hands and feet at night. It is a little oily when first applied but soaks in well and does not leave a residue (like other heavy creams do) in the morning.
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Frequency of Use and length of time used: ~once a week for 2 months
2) Milk & Oats Face Cream fragranced with Lemongrass Essential Oil - Not crazy about the smell! It did not cause me to breakout, and I am prone to breakouts.
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Frequency of Use and length of time used: ~once per day for 3-4 weeks
If you don't want parabens, you've got it. Synthetic fragrances not for you? You've got it! Your choice in fragrances and everything else (just check out our wedding favors page to see what we mean). We try our best to disclose everything to you and let you have a say in what you want.
From the Foothills of the Rockies, we offer you handmade face, body, and hair care products. We are a small family owned company with a rapidly expanding product line, and we are aggressively expanding our customer base.
We strive to create products that perform as intended and that are largely made from natural oils, fragrances, and humectants.
We are extremely conscientious of the ingredients that go into our products--we use only ingredients we feel are safe and necessary for the performance of our products.
As a small company, we are quite flexible in our ability to create custom formulas. Whether you are allergic to a certain ingredient or prefer scent-free products (or products solely fragranced with essential oils), we can customize any of our formulas for your needs.
We know you want your order as soon as possible, so we ship all orders by USPS priority mail. Orders totaling more than $20 will receive free shipping. All orders less than $20 will be charged $7 for shipping. Free shipping does not apply to bulk orders, the prices for our bulk orders are already incredibly reduced, and we cannot afford to offer free shipping on these items.
If you live in Colorado, you will be offered the option of in-store pick-up at shipping. If you do not live in Fort Collins, please do not select this option as we do not deliver or arrange for pick-up throughout the state.
If you live in Fort Collins, you can choose in-store pick-up at no charge. What does this mean? We will either deliver to your door (again, we do not arrange to meet you, we will deliver at our convenience) or drop off your order at Encore Bridal in Fort Collins.
Our website is a work in progress as is our shopping cart. We are working on the site bit by bit, but in the meantime, please bear with us.
You can order our products using either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. We hope to correct this problem in the near future.
We try to send orders out as quickly as possible after the order is placed, typically within three business days. However, for large orders (i.e. gift sets and wedding/shower favors) we guarantee shipment within 21 days of placing the order. This gives us time to make the product and order in any necessary supplies (typically product containers) to complete the order. See our FAQ page for more information on this subject.
Return to Navigation Bar
Return Policy
Due to the nature of our products, we cannot restock or resell merchandise that has been opened. Your satisfaction is incredibly important to us, so if you are ever dissatisfied with a product, please let us know, keeping in mind that we cannot accept returns.
If an item arrives damaged, we will send a replacement.
Return to Eden Cosmetics is not responsible for reactions caused from use of our products. We highly recommend a patch test before using our products, and if you experience irritation, discontinue use of the product.
Return to Navigation Bar
About Our Products
Ingredients
Humectants
Aloe Vera
Excellent moisturizer and healing agent. Aloe Vera is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It also has anti-aging effects as it increases collagen synthesis and skin elasticity.
Glycerin (VEGETABLE)
Acts as a carrier attracting water to the intercellular space of the skin. We use ONLY vegetable glycerin, so no worries about petrochemical byproducts here.
Oat Beta Glycan (see information under Active Ingredients)
Return to Navigation Bar
Almond Oil
High in protein. Excellent for dry skin
Apricot Kernel Oil
Highly lubricating and soothing. Apricot Kernel Oil is rich in Vitamin E. Great for lip balm.
Avocado Oil
One of the most moisturizing oils. Perfect for older skin.
Cocoa Butter
Water repellent, protective, helpful for dry skin with some sun blocking qualities.
Coffee Butter
Hydrogenated soybean oil and macerated coffee beans form a wonderful butter that smells just like coffee. We blend it with cocoa butter in our coffee bars.
Grapeseed Oil
One of the least greasy oils, easily penetrates skin, has mild astringent effects. Excellent for those with oily and blemish prone skin.
Jojoba Oil
A liquid wax which will not go rancid. This oil most imitates human sebum and is an excellent carrier oil. Jojoba is an excellent oil for most skin types.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is best for younger skin.
Sesame Oil
Rich oil with anti-inflammatory properties. Contains sesamol, a natural anti-oxidant. Sesame oil can be somewhat occlusive (does not penetrate the skin well) and therefore comedogenic.
Shea Butter
A natural sunscreen and ideal for older skin. This butter may cause an allergic reaction in those sensitive to or allergic to latex. Please keep this in mind when ordering.
Sunflower Oil
Rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid present in skin sebum. Linoleic acid is present in skin sebum and the amount of this acid decreases in skin with age. Sunflower oil is non-oily, easily absorbed, and because of its high linoleic acid content, also recommended for people with acne prone skin--linoleic acid displays anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, sunflower oil contains high levels of Vitamin E. Recommended for both oily and acne prone skin types as well as aging skin. Return to Navigation Bar
Active Ingredients
Algae Extract with Pullulan
Stimulates collagen synthesis and tissue renewal. Provides antioxidant protection to skin. Algae extract can be comedogenic, so it is not recommended for those prone to acne.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Exfoliating properties of alpha hydroxy acids combined with the stimulation of new skin cells gives you a luminous luster.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Excellent conditioning ingredient and detangling agent. Does not cause product build-up.
Coenzyme Q-10 (Ubiquinone or commonly called Co Q-10)
Produced by the body, this compound is a natural anti-oxidant and an important molecule associated with aerobic generation of ATP, the body's energy molecule. We produce less Co Q-10 as we age. Supplementing Co Q-10 onto our skin through face creams results in increased collagen and elastin synthesis and reduces our exposure to free radicals through its anti-oxidant ability.
Our bodies produce hyaluronic acid naturally, and not just our skin. This remarkable compound is found in cartilage, synovial fluid, and the vitreous humour of the eye as well. Effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles, hyaluronic acid is also believed to help reduction in scar tissue. Lotions containing hyaluronic acid are prescribed for eczema treatment.
Jojoba Protein (hydrolyzed)
Effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
Marine Collagen (hydrolyzed)
Collagen, a main component of skin and a connective tissue, is responsible for its firmness. As we age, our ability to produce collagen diminishes making it imperative to provide the body with collagen or to provide the body with compounds that promote its synthesis. Marine collagen is a natural product obtained from fish.
Oats are known for their incredible skin benefits. Eczema sufferers can find relief by bathing in colloidal oatmeal (finely ground oat flour). Oat Beta Glucan is derived from whole oats and provides many of the same benefits. It attracts water to the skin thereby serving as a humectant and moisturizer. It also stimulates collagen synthesis, relieves itching and irritation, provides UV protection, and speeds wound healing. Find this ingredient in our Oats & Pomegranate Face Cream.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Stimulates collagen synthesis. Repairs stretch marks. Reduces appearance of wrinkles. Tightens, lifts, and plumps skin. Used in several of our face and eye creams for reducing fine lines and wrinkles and in our lip plumper for, well, plumping lips.
Provitamin B-5
For skin: Promotes elasticity and healing. Soothing ingredient for irritated skin.
For hair: Repairs split ends, adds moisture and shine.
Soy Rice Peptides
Purportedly reduces discoloration beneath eyes by increasing microcirculation.
Vitamin C
Natural antioxidant. Provides anti-aging properties by stimulating collagen synthesis and preventing age spots.
Vitamin E
Natural antioxidant. Anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Natural "preservative" for oils as it prevents rancidity.
Return to Navigation Bar
Preservatives
A word about GRAS. GRAS is a term meaning Generally Recognized (Regarded) As Safe and means that a compound is recognized by experts as safe under conditions of normal use. This classification is given to an ingredient based on either scientific evidence or history of its use in foods and drugs. GRAS compounds can be used in foods and drugs.
As much as I hate to say it, preservatives are a necessity. And, sorry, we are NOT hopping on the Grapefruit Seed Extract bandwagon. As with everything, there are conflicting reports of whether Grapefruit Seed Extract is effective at all as a preservative, and it seems the only GSE that is effective is not natural at all but is rather a product synthesized from GSE marketed under the brand name Citricidal. What is clear from a bit of research is that GSE contains compounds which cause an estrogenic effect (this is also the reason why so many people are now afraid of parabens, which are also natural products & have a much longer track record of use in cosmetics, foods, and drugs than GSE). It is true, GSE contains many active compounds, but active compounds can be deadly--snake venom is one example. And, let's not forget, natural does not equal safe (formaldehyde is a natural compound, and we absolutely do NOT use formaldehyde or any formaldehyde releasing/forming compounds to preserve our formulas).
At present, we use blends of various preservatives to provide broad-spectrum preservation of our products. Whenever possible, we use preservatives that are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe and approved for food use in the US).
We do not use any compounds known to break down to form or release benzene or formaldehyde.
We are constantly analyzing new preservative systems which utilize safe, effective, and non-toxic preservatives, and we are working with non-traditional preservatives and self-preserving systems as well. Here is a list of preservatives you will find in our products.
Potassium Sorbate/Sorbic Acid
A GRAS paraben-free preservative with anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties used in foods and wine. A naturally occuring compound found in the mountain laurel ash. Sorbic acid/potassium sorbate is well tolerated by most individuals and is non-irritating and with relatively little risk of causing increased sensitivity over time. Sorbic acid has been proven effective against mold, yeast, and some bacteria at a concentration of 0.01%. Approved for use in the US, the EU, and Japan.
Please note: Sorbic acid is known to cause sensitization in some individuals over time. Because of this, we are creating a line that is sorbic acid free (which we feel will be especially beneficial for those with eczema, rosacea, and sensitive skin). If you are sensitive to sorbic acid and are interested in a product on our site that lists sorbic acid/potassium sorbate as an ingredient (or a product which has not yet been updated to include an ingredients list), please let us know. We can customize the formula and use a different preservative for protection against mold/yeast.
Sorbic acid is used as a preservative in foods and beverages.
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is non-sensitizing and has excellent activity against bacteria. It is approved for use in the US, the EU, and Japan.
A non-traditional preservative with excellent biological control. It is approved for use in the US, the EU,
and Japan.
We know you hate to see this on a list of preservatives, but believe it or not, these really are some of the safest preservatives available to the industry and a mountain of solid scientific data shows that parabens are metabolized by the body into para-hydroxybenzoic acid.
Parabens
are GRAS compounds and approved for use in foods (methyl and propyl
paraben are approved for use in food in the US, methyl, ethyl, and
propyl paraben are approved for food use in the UK). The US, EU, and Japan allow the use of parabens in cosmetics without restriction (i.e. they can be used in leave-on or wash off products, suitable for use in products designed for the eye area, etc.).
Methyl paraben is found naturally in blueberries . . . that's right, those good for you little berries contain methyl paraben.
We aren't here to make decisions for you, just to provide you options and information.
If you are dead-set against parabens, let us know, we will let you know if we can devise a suitable preservative alternative for the product you are interested in. We currently do not have anything in our product line that contains parabens, but we reserve the option to use this class of preservatives.
Literature-For more links, please visit the FAQ, BQ, and Article Links Page.
http://www.basf.co.kr/02_products/03_chemicals/specialty_chemicals/data/TI_Protectol%20PE_ES1494e_Jul2004.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabens
Return to Navigation Bar
|
