PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: I SAPONI DELLA LUNA HEMP FACE CREAM

Cannabidiol- or CBD-based products are all the hype these days. Different types of companies are cashing in from the hype of cannabis and are launching products left and right from diet supplements to energy drinks, and it has also been incorporated into beauty products.

I wanted to find out and see if they are any good so I made a quick trip to my local organic shop to get hemp oil or hempseed oil. Unfortunately, it wasn't available but the saleslady recommended me an organic hemp cream instead. It's called Canapa Viso Crema (English translation: hemp face cream.) It is from an Italian company called I Saponi Della Luna. I was intrigued by it so I bought it and now, here I am, about to share with you my thoughts and experience using it.

SCENT

It smelled good to me although my husband said it smelled like rubber. I did not smell that at all. The scent kind of reminds me of a milk flavored wafer.

CLAIMS

On its website, the product claims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles with its immediate lifting effect on the skin and hydrates the skin thanks to its hemp oil component. It claims to be suitable for sensitive, dry, dehydrated, and acne-prone skin. It provides high fatty acid intake for dry and dehydrated skin and relief for sensitive skin and acne-prone skin.

INGREDIENTS

The cream is formulated with 'organic ingredients' and is not tested on animals.

The two main ingredients of this formulation are:

1.   Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Oil

It has hemp oil as the primary ingredient (second on the ingredient's list.)

At first, I thought hemp oil and hemp seed oil are the same, turned out they weren't. Hemp oil is actually extracted from the stalks of the plant and has traces (around 3.5% but could be higher especially products from Europe) of CBD or cannabidiol, while hemp seed oil is instead extracted from the seed of the plant itself and it has little to no CBD content.

Note that these two are different from CBD oil. CBD oil has the highest cannabidiol concentration (20%) among the three and it is commonly extracted from the stalks and flowering portions of the hemp plant. For those wondering, CBD is not psychoactive. It is one of the compounds extracted from hemp plant that has been wildly popular these days.

Benefits of this oil are the following:
     It is a good antioxidant,
     It moisturizes and prevents dryness without clogging pores.
     It reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
     It regulates oil production which can be beneficial to people with acne-prone skin.
     It is anti-inflammatory and plays a role in immune regulation which could be beneficial to people
     with eczema.

2.   Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Extract

Placed 8th on the ingredient list, this botanical extract is used medicinally in many cultures to promote wound healing. In cosmetics, it is used to enhance skin suppleness and prevent dry flakes.

INGREDIENT ANALYSIS

CosDNA analysis revealed three high-risk ingredients of this formulation - cocoa butter, limonene, and citral.

• Cocoa butter has a comedogenic rating of 4/5. Since it is very greasy in itself, it might clog pores and cause acne. ***The formulation itself is not greasy and I've used it for a couple of days and it didn't break me out but I think those who are extremely sensitive to cocoa butter should take caution.
• D-limonene has a safety rating of 6. Limonene is phototoxic which means that you should not expose your skin to the sun for up to 18 hours after application. ***I didn't know it is contained in the cream and I went out wearing it. It didn't burn me so its either the amount of the ingredient is not enough or I didn't stay under the sun that long to induce this reaction.
• Citral has a safety rating of 7. It is an irritant that can trigger contact dermatitis to those who are allergic to it. 

It also contains olive oil so those with sensitivity to it should also take caution.

TEXTURE AND CONSISTENCY

Although the formulation used cocoa butter, it is light and fluid in texture. Easy to spread.

APPLICATION

It didn't tingle, didn't make my skin red or itchy.

It applies beautifully but I believe it doesn't penetrate my skin and just dries up into a really really thin film on the top of my face. I say this because seconds after application, my face feels kind of tight but not like egg-white-on-your-face kind of tight but I feel the product is just sitting on my face.

First try - 27/11/2018

I applied it on top of my usual skincare products - a layer of an essence, a toner, vitamin C serum, and hyaluronic acid lotion to be precise- then I applied sunscreen on top and it balled up. It could be that one of the thinner products I applied prior is incompatible with it. I will try again tomorrow without the hyaluronic acid.

Second try - 29/11/2018

I eliminated the hyaluronic acid and applied the cream after the vitamin C solution. I waited for a few minutes before applying it just to make sure the layers of products are already absorbed. I gently spread the cream on my face and again, it dried into a very very thin film on top of my face. I applied my sunscreen after like I normally would. I was successful not to make it ball up. The only problem I encountered was when I applied my foundation, my skin looked patchy and it turned my foundation grey-ish.

Third try - 30/11/2018

After two failed attempts at using it as a moisturizer, I decided to use it differently. Since it forms a very very thin film, I thought it would work as a sleeping mask to seal all the products in. It was all going alright until I applied oil on top of it. Upon contact, it immediately balled up.

Fourth try - 01/12/2018

So, I was back to square one. It was a Saturday so I don't have to put make-up or anything. I used it again as a moisturizer but this time just on top of my Klair's Supple Preparation Facial Toner. It spread and applied nicely, no balling. I wore it the whole day without sunscreen and it was alright, not uncomfortable or tacky.

PRICE

It is a bit pricey considering its performance. It retails for 24 EUR/50mL.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When it comes to its claims, I experienced more of the lifting than the hydrating effect. The thin film it forms on top of the skin creates that sudden lifting effect. I personally didn't like it but it may be helpful for those with mature skin. 

I mentioned above that based on the CosDNA analysis, two of the contained irritants are limonene and citral. I also mentioned that it claims to be suitable for those with sensitive skin. Having those two ingredients in the formulation, I think I would not recommend it to those who have sensitive skin and those who already have an on-going skin irritation. 

I wanted this product to work so much but I guess it's not for me. The balling and patchiness are my main issues. I guess this product is not suitable for layering and can only be used alone or layered on a toner. With my current skincare routine, it just doesn't fit. I would like to try it once again in the summer but I'm a bit concerned with the limonene content reacting with too much sun exposure. Anyway, I'll keep this post updated if I will ever try it again.

Until my next post, ciao ciao. xx

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