May Lindstrom Skin Facial Collection "The Chocolate Box"

May Lindstrom of May Lindstrom skin is considered a true pioneer in the world of Green Beauty skincare. A self-taught herbalist and formulator, May uses her long history of personally dealing with chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis and also her studied background of working with bespoke clients to create formulas designed to work with one’s own body and the power of plants to change skin for the better.

I have watched and heard several interviews with May over the years and have become intrigued by her skincare philosophy (that largely involves stimulating the skin through circulation boosting ingredients to help heal, feed, and renew) and also her luxurious and sometimes unconventional looking products, called affectionately by the brand “skin treats” that often sound like something in between a fine dining dessert and a witch’s special potion. The brand is all about nature and ritual and the relationship between our external skin and our internal world-— all things that I am always here for.

But it all means nothing of course if the products do not do well for my skin, so I am eager to share my thoughts on my experience with the brand in depth. For reference, I have dry sensitive skin that can sometimes get hormonal or stress-related breakouts intermittently and am also somewhat inflammation and redness-prone at times. i am going to be reviewing the products based on my trying the Chocolate Box ( $70 USD) a 7-piece sampler of May Lindstrom's facial collection in deluxe mini travel sizes. This is in my opinion the best way to try this brand as the prices for these items in full size are all extremely high and no smaller sizes (even these travel minis) are sold individually like I’ve seen in some other brands at or near this price point. Although, with any purchase from the brand, you do get to select two travel minis of your choice for free except if you purchase the Chocolate Box on its own.

All prices and sizes given in each mini review will be for the full-sized item at current full price. All items are exclusively sold on MayLindstrom.com

Note; The one product May Lindstrom sells that the Chocolate Box does not include is the Happy Galaxy Body Oil, which is said to be a blue tansy, rose, jasmine, neroli, and citrus-scented body oil that is enriched with niacinimide and hyaluronic acid aimed to help strengthen the body skin barrier. I have not sampled this and therefore cannot comment on any usage or experience, but the reception I have heard is very positive.

Now onto the facial care items

The Pendulum Potion ($80 USD, 3.4 fluid ounce bottle) The Pendulum Potion is the brand’s non emulsifying (meaning it needs to be taken off with a warm cloth to remove instead of lathering and washing off with just water) cleansing oil. Non-emulsyifying cleansing oils are a product type I’ve recently become quite drawn to trying more recently, and the Pendulum Potion is for sure a luxurious treat. This cleansing oil is lush dampened woods teeming with the smoke of burning campfires. Overall the scent is not heavy or strong, but it is distinct and not one I would have ever thought would be included in a skincare item, but I love it and find it absolutely comforting and alluring.

I love doing a full on steam with this product resting a hot cloth over my face to open my pores. This really allows the base oils among them— macadamia (an oil that really can mimic are own skin’s oil and balance out oil production while not clogging pores and plum kernel, which is skin strengthening—to really soak in while Jasmine and cedar help to tighten and clear pores and soothe. This product also cuts through the eye makeup I wear quite quickly and with little to no blurring of they eyes, which other oil cleansers I have used can do. So that is a great point in its favor and one that I was surprised at knowing some of the more scented ingredients present in the formula.

One thing I will say though is that this oil is thinner and tends to sink into my skin quite quickly, meaning it is not as good for long massage as say Earthwise Paloma or the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (an emulsifying cleansing oil that lathers and rinses off when water hits it), so this is a slight drawback. But I find also that the Pendulum Potion works beautifully as a leave-on face oil and does not feel heavy on my skin. So in several ways and depending on what you want of a sensory experience, I think the Pendulum Potion is a winner and could be liked by a lot of people and all skin types to remove makeup or do a luxurious cleansing ritual. I also could see myself buying again, depending on what scent and feel I'm looking for next time I am looking for a cleansing oil or makeup removing product.

The Honey Mud ($90, 3.4 oz) : The Honey Mud is the luscious pudding-like deep cleansing cleanser that can also be used is a mask, depending on if you apply it to dampened skin to it to turn it into a milk or use it on dry skin to leave it to set as a mask. The Honey Mud seeks to relieve dryness as well as congested skin. Comprised of a small amount of white clay and enzymes from honey and wintergreen extract (a natural source of salicylic acid and a new ingredient added to the recently updated formula as of 2020) this mask works to help clear skin and dissolve dead skin cells by penetrating the pore lining and smoothing out skin's surface. This effect will be compounded the longer you leave it on (using it as a mask treatment).

As a mask applied to dry skin, I find this very stiff and hard to spread around. Naturally the large amount of honey makes it sticky, but the thick nature of the other ingredients also contributes. it retains a tacky feel even after it is set for longer too but does become slightly more silky and leaves the skin feeling super soft and refreshed after use. Luckily, it breaks up into a milky substance the moment water hits it, so it loosens up well and is easy to rinse. To use this as a cleanser, simply apply to wet skin instead of dry , and you will have the milky texture to massage around from the get-go. I find this my preferred method of use.

In terms of its function and ingredients, I don't necessarily think this mask is intended to draw out oils or reduce and heal breakouts in the way a typical clay mask would (though there is clay in there), but rather, it is a balancing mask with the antibacterial, antimicrobial properties of the honey and colloidal silver helping to resolve breakouts and balance skin's condition gradually, and as both a mask and a cleanser, the face again, is left super softened and moisturized after the product as been removed.

Because of the wintergreen extract , it is possible to experience some tingling with the Honey Mud and even have some flushing after washing it off. This effect will vary both from person to person and from use to use, but will usually be mid and is merely a sign of blood flow being brought up into the skin. I experienced little tingle on my first of three trials but haven't since and don't get much flushing at all, so it works for my sensitive skin and leaves it feeling super smooth, refreshed and soft.

Its pudding-like look and texture and desserty-sounding name also give reference to its sweet milky chocolate smell. This would probably it a delight on a spa night after a long day. I'm sure, for many. But I am not a fan personally. I would have preferred something more earthy but with a small hint of chocolate.

Overall I do recommend this product in terms of performance. I think it will suit most everyone as a cleanser, mask, or both whether as a regularly-used item or an occasional treat. But the chocolate scent is a bit strong for me and not my favorite in general, so I don't think I will buy it myself again.

The Clean Dirt ($70, 6.8 oz): The Clean Dirt is one of two powdered products in the brand and is meant to be used as an exfoliant and brightening treatment to aid in fading discoloration and addressing breakouts and flaking skin. It is a spicy combination of ginger, clove turmeric, salts, and other spices as well as ascorbic acid (form of Vitamin C) that when mixed with water (one teaspoon of powder to just a little less than that of water) turns into a fizzing mousse-like substance that you can leave to set on your face or scrub with manually. Simply put, I found this very stinging and irritating to my facial skin. Even when mixed properly the mousse still felt too granular, and that combined with the spices and salts and other Ingredients was just too much for me (for a similar but more gentle product using the same spices for brightening and exfoliation, I highly recommend Summer Friday’s Overtime Mask reviewed here). The Clean Dirt, however, was very good at removing flaky skin between my brows or around my mouth that I get occasionally, but the overall effect was just a bit too stingy, even for someone who normally likes spicy products on her skin despite being sensitive. One such product will be reviewed next.

However, I find this product nice to use on the body for its circulation boosting and warming benefits from the spices and also to help clear off dead skin on the body. According to the brand it is also good for cleaning out the arm pits to free them of deodorant residue. Also, even if using on the face, rinsing this product off in the shower is often easier than removing in the sink.

While as a body scrub this product works for me, since I have other products similar to this which work better for my face, I don't think I would rebuy this in full size, but the quality there and could be a lovely stimulating product to freshen up less sensitive skin.

The Problem Solver ($100 USD, 6.8 oz): Working with similar ingredients as the Clean Dirt but with more additional clays and some soothing herbs added in, the Problem Solver is May Lindstrom Skin's clarifying and inflammation-reducing powerhouse. Though it shares many of the same spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, turmeric, etc.) and other ingredients such as the Vitamin C and baking soda as the Clean Dirt, I find the Problem Solver much easier for my skin to handle while still providing excellent clarifying and healing to my skin. The healing also works fast. One experience with the Problem Solver I had was a cystic pimple that was underneath the skin and painful was almost completely dug out and soothed in one fifteen minute session of leaving this on. Granted, the spot was small and was starting to come slowly forward, but I was impressed by the dissipation of the pain and that little to no red mark was left in its place post- rinsing this off. In fact, red spots were soothed from this whereas they were kicked up from the Clean Dirt. I think this may be due to the inclusion of calming ingredients to the more active ones included here like vanilla and marshmallow root. As for its scent, the warming spices and salty clays predominate along with a slight hint of chocolate. It reminds me of a Latin-inspired hot chocolate or chili.

The Problem Solver is another loose powder product that you mix yourself (one tablespoon powder, one teaspoon water) and layer on in an opaque black paste. The thicker the paste, the more intense the hearing sensation of the active ingredients will be. This concentrated blood flow to the face for more potent healing but the intensity can be lessened by using thinner layers or using the Problem Solver as more of a targeted spot treatment instead of coating the whole face. On me, even intense heating dissipated quickly though and my skin felt fresher, lighter, and yet not dried out at all. This is one of the brand’s most talked about products, and I can certainly see why, even though it is s bit of an effort to mix up and give it the ideal 30 mins to work (you can cut the time if needed) and to rinse off. In-shower rinsing, again, might be preferred as the charcoal and clays in the product could stain your sink and be difficult to clean.

This product is one of THE most instantly effective masks I've tried, and despite its price, its very large size and mix-it-yourself presentation, makes it more economical than it may seem as there is a lot to play with and you can customize the amount you use more easily than with a pre-mixed mask. That said, mixing it yourself does mean it is not as simple to throw on the skin like other clay masks I've tried and love and have reviewed like the GlamGlow Supermud and Ahava's Instant Radiant Detox mask, so I am sort of undecided if I will repurchase. But I definitely would recommend trying it out.

The Youth Dew ($140 USD, 1 oz) Similar to products like Vintner‘s Daughter Active Botanical Serum (review here) the Youth Dew is May Lindstrom's multi-benefit facial oil. Rich in high antioxidant ingredients like sea buckthorn oil (the giver of its orange color ) rose (which also is the dominant scent notes to my nose) and more. These oils really helps to refine skin tone and texture. Also with ingredients like jasmine and borage oil it also assists in balancing out oil production in those with oily skin while providing firming and repairing co-enzyme Q 10 and more to address things like sagging and loss of elasticity. Overall though I find this product good, but not as good for me as others I’ve used at similar and lower prices for me. But that said it is a wonderful, plumping, smoothing and nutrient-dense oil, I just wish this didn't absorb so quickly in my skin so that it could drink it in more slowly over time. It seems thinner than Vintner's Daughter is when it comes out of the bottle, but on the face it is slower to absorb on me than that, which was good because that was my main issue if I had to have a drawback to how Vintner's Daughter wore on me. But Youth Dew is also relatively fast absorbing and does not have as much "body" on my skin as say Earthwise's Rosehip (a pure rosehip seed oil) does.

Maybe my error is not using enough, so I would be interested in getting another sample bottle of the Youth Dew to try it again. I think it is totally lovely and amazing in its plumping and moisture properties. So if you are interested in luxury skincare and have an oilier skin type or even a drier one like mine, this could be an ideal choice for you as it is lightweight yet loaded with different properties for skin protection, balancing, vitality, and light moisture. Drier-skinned people may need to use more drops. On average I use 2-4 drops of leave-on face oils per use. Youth Dew may need to be increased to 4-6 drops for me to get an ideal application for my face and to have some residual for my neck. The scent of the Youth Dew is a lovely botanical scent with slight whiffs of a mild rose.

The Blue Cocoon ($180 1.7 oz jar) : The Blue Cocoon is by far the most iconic item of May Lindstrom Skin. In essence, it is a face balm (a solid, waterless blend of oils) that melts into the skin as massaged in. It is more fluid than other leave-on face balms I have tried in the past. This is because this balm is entirely waxless, which means this balm functions less like a moisturizer in its being occlusive than other face balms in the Green Beauty world. Unfortunately, when my dry skin is extra dry, it would definitely need an extra layering piece after this to keep me comfortable seal everything in and keep it there, but on normal days it can still be a decent final step though I often still would prefer something slightly weightier and longer lasting on my skin. However, the upside to the Blue Cocoon's waxless nature is that it requires far less massage to work into the skin. It basically melts on contact and goes into its oily state as soon as it hits the face. Basically, I consider this more of a "pressed" oil or an oil presented in a solid form than the face balm it may technically be seen as, but if you like to travel with your oils but worry about them leaking, a fluid balm like the Blue Cocoon could be a handy option for that.

Effectiveness-wise primary function of the Blue Cocoon is to cool and calm redness in the skin, and it can also be used to massaged over acne to speed healing and reduce redness and also pain in the spot if its a particularly throbbing one. I can't say I have noticed too much effect from this product, but it does offer a cooling, refreshing feel to the face, and if you do have pain or irritation in the skin, I feel this does help. The main and most famous ingredient in this is blue tansy (also called Moroccan chamomile) , which has been used for healing irritated or troubled skin for centuries and is touted also for helping to relieve spasms, muscle aches, and also addressing feelings of stress and anxiousness by calming the nervous system. Many who love the Blue Cocoon appreciate it for its aromatherapeutic nature as much as its assistance to the skin, and while the scent struck me strange at first, I do think it is a bit relaxing before bed. It smells like a stronger version of chamomile with a earthy yet cooled metallic twinge and also has a bit of a piney or minty quality that I think comes from the frankincense and myrrh, two other calming and rest-inducing ingredients. There is also a twinge of chocolate and something dry or salty-smelling like oceanwater to it too that I can't quite pinpoint. It is a unique experience and will not be for everyone, but I know many (including my older sister) who love it. But while I am not drawn to the scent, I can get behind the mild calming effect this gives my skin. However, the experience on a results level or a sensory one makes it quite worth the price or a repurchase at any price.

The Jasmine Garden ($70 USD, 3.4 oz) : Ending with the best for last, The Jasmine Garden is my top pick from this collection (nearly tied with the Pendulum Potion). I was surprised ay how much I enjoyed the Jasmine Garden because I am usually take it or leave it most of the time with face mists and often think they are just glorified water-- nice but unnecessary. This mist, however, is a pure dream. As the name suggest it is scented with jasmine, which is known to have calming, purifying and pore-refining, and rebalancing effects on the skin and rose water which also helps to soothe and tone as well as moisturize. It is a great hydrating addition to any routine and can also replace water when mixing or rinsing facial masks or other treatments (like the Problem Solver or Clean Dirt or other loose powder products like those) in place of water for additional benefits.

One of my favorite, ingredients, witch hazel, is also utilized and helps amp up the Jasmine Garden's toning and acne-healing and preventing ingredients like also the colloidal silver, which is very anti-bacterial and soothing. This is a great thing to spritz on to feel fresh and cool and also to apply when you feel a pimple coming on as it speeds up the healing process and works to minimize its presence. Plus, the smell of drenched fresh yet dark and leathery flowers, spearheaded by jasmine, under a kiss of cacao is just simply divine and so unique. It truly could be made into a perfume it smells so nice. Yet, I truly do love the results this brought to my face as well as my senses and may be open to having this in my life again.

The journey of trying all of the facial products in the May Lindstrom line was truly special for both the skin and senses. Standout, and potentially repurchase-worthy items for me are The Pendulum Potion Cleansing Oil, the Problem Solver Mask, and the Jasmine Garden face mist. My final ranking of the products comprehensively is the Jasmine Garden, the Pendulum Potion, and the Problem Solver Following those, the Youth Dew and the Honey Mud come out somewhere in the middle while the Blue Cocoon, and the Clean Dirt are passes for me.

Though not everything was a true love, there were really some winners, and all the products are very well-crafted luxuries that are very customizable with one another and ostensibly any other line you may be using. I highly recommend trying these products for yourself in the Chocolate Box as it is truly a special venture.