Unboxing Beauty

I recently received Guerisson 9 Complex Cream from Beauteque in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.  I am treating this review a bit differently and with kid gloves, as I know that the main ingredient is controversial and there are many people who are very opinionated about this ingredient.   As there are many people who are interested in this product, I hope that the comments section will be civil and not judgmental.

I am going to split this review up in three main sections

1. The main ingredient issue
2. The product
3. How it worked for me

The Main Ingredient Issue

The main ingredient of Guerisson 9 Complex Cream  is horse oil.   Horse oil has been used medicine for centuries, to help with burns, cuts and insect bites.   This history of using horse oil in a medicinal way goes back to ancient China and back in the 5th Century, it is believed to have been brought to Japan during the Tang Dynasty.   Horse oil is different from other animal fats, which are high in saturated fatty acids, because it has a greater ration of unsaturated fatty acids ~ essential fatty acids ~ than saturated and that is highly desirable in skin care products.  It contains two very important properties to help combat aging:

• Alpha-linolenic acids: an essential omega-3 fatty acid, normally only found in seeds (chia, flaxseed), nuts (walnuts) and vegetable oils (canola, soybean, flaxseed).  It is an anti-inflammatory.
• Linoleic acids:  an omega 6 fatty acid, found in vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower).   Linoleic acid helps strengthen and regenerating the moisture barrier in your skin, preventing dry skin.

The composition of the fatty acids in horse oil are fairly similar to human oil (sebum) and therefore, it can penetrate more quickly into your skin.   High quality and purity horse oil that is used in skincare will have been deodorized and decolorized.

image from http://www.claireskorea.com/shop/goods/goods_view.php?goodsno=168&category=001011

Now to Westerners, killing a horse to get its oil might seem cruel and we have issues with our horses being used in this manner.  But unless you are a vegan, we do use other animals for their body parts.  In Japan, horsemeat is a delicacy, basashi ~ raw, thinly sliced, like sashimi.  Even European countries eat horsemeat, like Germany and France and Quebec in Canada enjoys a bit of horseflesh too.  I know, I think of King of the Wind or Black Beauty, but in reality, however, horses do get slaughtered here too, for their meat (maybe not for human consumption in some cases), their hooves for glue, and hide.  I do not believe, however, that horses are just killed for their oil to be used in skincare products.  Horses are very expensive to raise and it makes no sense to me to slaughter an animal of this size and expense just to get its oil.   If that were the case, any skincare product made from horse oil would be hundreds of dollars, not under $30.00.   I have read that they extract the fat from the base of the horse’s mane, but if that is the case, again, why isn’t this stuff hundreds of dollars? There isn’t that much fat there.  So, I do believe the horse is killed ~ not just for their fat, but for meat and other products from their carcass.  Tough to think about, I know. I just wish that the industry would be transparent about this ingredient and how it is obtained. I have no issues using animal products, but I want to know the truth of it.

Using animal parts in beauty products is not unheard of ~ Lard and tallow are making a huge comeback in the DIY arena for soap making.  Beeswax in your lip balms and lotions ~  there was some bee destruction there.   And carmine ~ that red dye for your lippies ~ crushed beetle bodies.   I am just pointing out that the skincare industry already uses dead animal parts today and if that is worrisome to you, then it is important to read all of the ingredients and research them, as it is more common than not. 

Believe it or not, this product is very popular and gets rave reviews!  Let’s see how I feel about it 🙂

Guerisson 9 Complex Cream

Guerisson 9 comes in a bright orange cylinder cardboard container, which is sealed.  I had already broken the seals before I remembered to take the photo, but I assure you, my item was sealed with 2 seals.

When I open up the orange cylinder, my jar of cream is nested securely inside, with a spatula and an informational card written in Korean.

The horse logo on the front of the jar is actually embossed (slightly raised) to the touch and there is a holographic security sticker on the side of the jar, which if viewed in the correct angle and light, will have the Claire’s logo ~ the maker of Guerisson 9 Complex Cream.

Description: Horse oil is world renowned for its healing properties, extreme permeability to the skin and richness in essential fatty acids (EFAs).  The fatty acid composition of horse oil is very similar to our human sebum, enabling it to deeply and fully penetrate the skin creating a protective barrier that is anti-oxidative, antimicrobial (good for acne!), and preventive of premature aging due to water loss.  They enhance your complexion by improving the overall texture, softness, and hydration of your skin leaving it plumped and glowing!

• Contains purified imported German horse oil which is free from steroids, preservatives, or flavoring. The natural formula suits even babies and provides the most suitable care to sensitive skin.
• Rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E and a high concentration of ceramide to repair the moisture barrier and soothe damaged skin, in addition to niacinamide, adenosine, glycerin, peppermint leaf extracts, apple mint leaf extracts, sage and rosemary leaf extracts.
• This cream can minimize acne spots, scars, stretch marks, pigmentation, heal inflammation and burns, as well as whitening (brightening) the skin.
• Skin appears calmer, softer, smoother, brighter and healthier.
• Locks in moisture for up to 72 hours; suitable for the face, neck and body.

To Use:  This luxurious cream can be used day and night as the finishing step in your beauty routine.  Used alone or in combination with other beauty products, all over or on targeted dry/problematic areas.   Once you have cleansed and toned your skin, applied a serum or essence, massage in cream to help your skin lock in and further absorb anything previously applied.  For day time use, allow 5-10 minutes for the cream to fully absorb before applying makeup.  For external use only.  To ensure compatibility, test product on small patch of skin prior to use.

Guerisson 9 Complex Cream has spawned a lot of fake products out there and Claire’s, the company that makes this product, has provided some simple tests to prove if your product is real or not.   The images on the left are from http://claires.godohosting.com/claires_china/warning.html and the images on the right are from my product photos.   Items like the seals and the security sticker should be part of the real product and if those are missing,  you might have a fake item

1.  Turn the orange cylinder over and look for the Claire’s  name in Korean ~ I underlined mine in white so you can see it.  The product will not have it underlined ~ the photos have it underlined so it is easy to find.

2. The logo on the front of the cylinder should be close to the break of the top and bottom of the cylinder.   Fakes will have the logo higher up and the cylinder will be smooth to touch, unlike the real deal, which is slightly textured.  

3.  Some of the older jars are not embossed, but any newer Guerisson 9 Complex creams should be embossed on the lid.

 

Ingredients: Purified water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, horse oil/fat, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, beeswax, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol,Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Mentha Rotundifolia (apple mint) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract,  Melissa Officinalis (lemon balm) Leaf Extract,  Chamomile Leaf extract, Monarda Didyma (bergamot) Leaf Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Bixa Orellana Seed Oil, betaine, carbomer, polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7,  phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, titanium dioxide, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrated Silica, Disodium Stearyl Sulfosuccinamate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, fragrance, tocopheryl acetate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Centella asiatica extract, Camellia Sinensis (green tea) Leaf Extract, Ligularia Fishceria Leaf Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Human Oligopeptide-1/rh-Oligopeptide-1, Lecithin, Astaxanthin, Myristyl Alcohol, xanthan gum, adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide 3  cosDNA.com analysis

 

The cream is in a glass jar and when it is opened, I noticed that it is also doubled sealed as well ~ there is a sealing tape around the side and when that is removed, the lid seal will be accessible to remove as well.

The cream is a very pale yellow in color and it smells like citrus!  Not overpowering or anything, but a light citrus scent.  The texture of this cream reminds me of tub margarine and I am not a fan of this texture ~ it feels pretty strange to me, as it is like scooping out margarine.  However, when I rub it into my skin, it absorbs very quickly and does not leave a greasy film behind.  My skin is very hydrated and glossy ~ too glossy for my taste, however.  I have decided that this cream will be best used as a night treatment, not a day cream for me, as I have oily skin and do not want more shine to my face.   The swatches below were taken after I had applied a lip stain on my hand for another review, so that red mark is actually the remains of that lip stain!  It has nothing to do with this product.

According to Claire’s, you can apply this once every 72 hours, as it will keep your face hydrated for 3 days without reapplying.  As I wash my face twice a day, there is no way I am going to test this theory out.   I was pretty excited about this cream, as it does have a lot of nice ingredients ~ herbal (rosemary, sage, peppermint, lavender, apple mint, lemon balm, chamomile) along with snail slime, but…..it had one big warning ingredient for me.  I did do a spot test on my arm, as this product does contain rose extracts.   At that time, there was no adverse reaction, so I decided to try this cream out as a sleeping pack.

How It Worked for Me

I was a bit leery of this product, not because of the horse oil, but after I did the swatch, I felt that this cream would be better suited to dry skin, not oily skin.  However, I wanted to try it, so I decided to use it as a sleeping pack, as those are usually more hydrating.  Also, I have been using another product lately that I thought would be unsuitable for my skin type as it was marked for dry skin, but I had have great results with that (review about that product coming soon!).

• 1st day:  My face was soft, smooth, still hydrated in the morning when I woke up. However, I did get one whitehead on the side of my nose (arrggghhh)
• 2nd day:  Still soft and smooth, new whiteheads on my nose and chin.  GRRRRR
• 3rd day:  I used the cream only on my cheeks and forehead, avoiding my nose and chin area.  No breakouts in the morning.
• 4th day:  Well, it happened.  I started to get some welts on my face, which for me tells me that the rose ingredient finally disagreed with me, even though I had done a spot test earlier.  My face was still soft and hydrated though and since I avoided my nose and chin, no breakouts.

At this time, I stopped using the product.  I could have continued to use it as a sleeping pack, except my allergic reaction to the rose, which prior to receiving this, I did not know was an ingredient in the product ~ some of the reviews I had read didn’t include the rose ingredient at all, so I am not sure if this cream was reformulated or they accidentally left it out.

What do I think about this cream?  I think if you have no objections to a horse oil product, and you have normal to dry skin, this is a fine product to use.  I really liked the scent and how soft and hydrated my skin was in the morning.    I would also say if you have dry skin, you could use this as a day cream as well.  If you have oily skin, like me, I would recommend it only as a sleeping pack and to be careful around the areas where you tend to break out easily ~ for me, that was my nose and chin area.   The texture of this cream is strange to me, but it might be normal for those who use creams for dry skin ~ most of my creams are gel textured, not heavy creams, so I do not know.   If you are interested in this cream, Beauteque.com sells it for $24.90 on their website and does internationally ship to Europe and Canada as well as USA. 

 

[ product description from beauteque.com ]

 [ this product was received complementary for my honest and unbiased review ]