Written and photographed by Lais Lacher.
REVIEW
JoElle Skincare products are created by Joelle Lyons, the personal esthetician to Michelle Obama.
I was excited to review JoElle Skincare’s Ultra Luxe Pumpkin Peel as my skin was in major need of some pampering. I had just returned from a trip to central California and my skin was dry and peeling. The Pumpkin Peel claims to improve the clarity and texture of skin, diminish the appearance of fine lines, and hydrate skin.
The first thing I did was to examine the ingredients. The product is packed with natural ingredients including pumpkin, papaya and pineapple enzymes which loosen dead skin cells. It also contains glycolic acid which is a type of fruit acid used for deep exfoliation. It did not contain additional chemicals such as fragrance or dyes which is a plus for people like me with sensitive skin.
Opening the product, the first thing I noticed was the smell. If you are a fan of pumpkin pie like me then you will delight in the smell of this product, if you aren’t then the scent is hard to avoid with it slathered on your face.
After cleansing my face, I applied the product in circular motions as the directions recommended avoiding my eye area. There are a few white granules in the product that are supposed to serve as the primary exfoliation, but there were too few of them to be effective. After I applied the mask, I could feel the enzymes going to work almost immediately feeling a slight stinging sensation on my face. I left the product on for 15 minutes as directed and I removed it with warm water. After I removed the product my skin felt tight and tingly needing more moisturizer than usual. After the second and third application over the course of a week I noticed a lighter, rosier, and more uniform complexion.
Overall this is a great product. It was effective and made of quality ingredients. I did a comparison online to other pumpkin based peels and many of the products that claimed to be 100% natural contained alcohol, parabens, fragrance and chemical preservatives. There were a few comparable pumpkin based peel products with slightly different ingredients and benefits. The skin condition that you are trying to correct, whether it be acne or dry skin, will help determine which product is best for you.
This product is also on the higher end of its competitors at $41 per ounce but with the 30% discount available to Fashiontographer readers this product becomes a reasonable option (see code below).
INGREDIENTS
Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) pulp, purified water (aqua), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, zea mays (corn) kernel meal / starch, C12-C15 alkyl benzoate, glycerine, pharmaceutical grade glycolic acid, bromelain (pineapple enzyme), papain (papaya enzyme), asafetida extract (water, butylene glycol, ethoxydiglycol, ferula foetida (asafetida) root extract), yeast extract (plant pseudocollagen), salix nigra (willow) bark extract, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower extract, allantoin, panthenol, daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E acetate), phenoxyethanol (and) caprylyl glycol (and) sorbic acid, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil and olibanum (frankincense) oil.
1