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Is Gwyneth Paltrow’s new organic beauty line worth the hefty price tag?
Goop Skincare launched this month partnered with Juice Beauty. The first in-house beauty line offered by the lifestyle empire, Goop, and empress, Gwyneth Paltrow. It’s pretty much everything you would have expected from Ms. Paltrow. Expensive? Yes. High quality? Definitely. Organic? Obviously. Beautiful? Without a doubt. But is it efficacious? I test out the line to see if Goop Skincare is worth the price tag. Read on for a full Goop starter kit review below.
The starter kit (sold out online within the first week), contains four of the six Goop Skincare products – Revitalizing Day Moisturizer, Enriching Face Oil, Exfoliating Instant Facial, and Replenishing Night Cream. The kit gives consumers a taste of the beauty line organized around a three step (clean, treat, moisturize) regimen.
To be considered ‘organic’ a product must be at least 70 percent organic, as stipulated by the California Organic Products Act. Goop Skincare falls within the range of 73-99 percent, with most falling well above the eighties. They were able to meet this requirement by using antioxidant rich plant and fruit based juices instead of water or petroleum; the two most frequently used beauty product bases. This technology is a hallmark of San Francisco based Juice Beauty’s own line of organic skincare products.
Made in small batches, Goop products have a short shelf life (2 years) due to active, natural plant ingredients, such as, daffodil extract, sandalwood nut oil, linseed extract and sweet iris. The pretty white and gray packaging is eco-friendly and won’t leach plastic. The products have weight to them and feel refined. Washing up at night with Goop Skincare feels indulgent.
But how do the products perform?
Revitalizing Day Moisturizer – Made with Vitamin E and C, this product says it brightens, nourishes, and deeply hydrates. I didn’t notice many of those benefits. The fragrance is light and pleasant. The feel is light and not sticky, but my skin felt thirsty for more hydration. This product is best layered with the face oil. Also, this day lotion doesn’t have SPF. So make sure to follow with sun protection.
Enriching Face Oil – This oil is okay, nothing special. I’m in the midst of writing a face oil article and have tested over 20 different face oils this past month, and in comparison, this face oil feels average. The oil hydrates okay. It amplifies the moisture of both the day and night moisturizer, but isn’t enough hydration on its own. The texture is mid range. Not light, but not too heavy. Just so, so.
Exfoliating Instant Facial – The instructions say use 2-3 per week for 2-3 minutes, but Paltrow says on her website that she loves using this product every day. Personally, it was too strong for my skin (and a few others). The natural alpha and beta hydroxy acids act as a powerful chemical exfoliant. The tingly sensation felt nice on, but the burning, itchy, red skin I experienced immediately after washing was not. I applied the Enriching Face Oil and Replenishing Night Cream, but found little relief. I ended up washing everything off and applying La Prairie Dry Oil and the Goop night cream. Within 30 minutes the redness had subsided and my skin looked even and bright. If you have sensitive skin or use retinol products, be wary.
Replenishing Night Cream – This product is my favorite from the four I tested. The mousse like consistency doesn’t feel waxy or heavy. In fact, it feels deeply hydrating and light. I have dry skin and live in an arid climate. When I used this as my night and day cream, I saw beautiful results. Brighter, hydrated and smooth skin were apparent after two days.
Goop Skincare, prices range $90-140.
-by Amy Chang
Photographed by author
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