Thoughts on Three Farmacy Bestsellers: Green Clean, Cheer Up, and Honeymoon Glow
I remember trying Farmacy products for the first time way back in 2015 when few people heard of them. At the time they were focused solely on Echinacea Greenenvy as the star ingredient, but have since expanded into other delightful actives, such as honey and cherries. My personal favorites back then were the Coconut Gel Masks that adhere like second skin, Firming Night Balm, and Invincible Serum. I don’t think Farmacy makes that serum anymore, but the masks and the night balm stood the test of time and are still on the menu today. I recently had the opportunity to try three current best-sellers, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the quality is still as good as I remember.
Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm ($22) – Touted by many skincare bloggers as one of the best cleansing balms ever made, this was probably the biggest surprise of them all. I tried my fair share of great cleansing balms [and personally own over a dozen] so it’s hard to wow me these days, but even I was pretty darn impressed with this one. This light green paste is thick yet light, and the tiniest amount goes a very long way. It immediately melts on contact with skin and starts dissolving makeup and lifting impurities right away. My skin rarely feels this pure after using just a cleansing balm alone, but it sure does with this one. I can finally see what the hype is all about and in my opinion, it’s totally justified. 10/10 would recommend to a friend!
What I like:
- This balm definitely removes all of my makeup, 100% of the time. So far it has a spotless record, tackling even waterproof and long-lasting products, including lip stains!
- Generous size & economical use. You only need a small amount for a very thorough cleanse – a pea-sized scoop at most. This will make one jar last a very long time.
- Mini-spatula included. Some balms came without one and you have to scoop it out with your finger instead.
- No synthetic fragrances.
- Cruelty-free.
What I don’t like:
- The balm is scented with an invigorating blend of lime, bergamot and orange essential oils. Love the scent but I don’t like using those particular oils on my face because they can be sensitizing. In a wash-off product, it shouldn’t be much of an issue though.
Ingredients: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Amber Powder, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Water/Aqua/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool.
Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum ($58) – I tried this serum in one of the Sephora Favorites sets, and it was fantastic! I could tell that it’s working after the very first use, and now that I had the opportunity to use the full-sized bottle for a few weeks, I concur that, yes, it’s definitely a winner. In a nutshell, this is a nourishing and exfoliating treatment that you use overnight to target uneven skin tone, texture, fine lines, and enlarged pores. The formula contains a potent 14% AHA/BHA exfoliating blend featuring lactic, glycolic, citric, salicylic, flower, and fruit acids plus honey and hyaluronic acid. For someone who is a fan of using AHAs daily, this serum is a full package: it hydrates, exfoliates, and clarifies. The concentration is ideal for daily use – strong, but not too much, but it may take some time to get used to for someone not accustomed to resurfacing acids. I recommend starting slow, maybe using it every 2-3 days, and eventually building up the tolerance to use it daily.
Note: you absolutely must use sunscreen if you use AHAs, it’s not optional.
What I like:
- The AHA/BHA blend that addresses a wide multitude of skin concerns.
- All the nourishing botanicals and honey. So much goodness in this bottle!
- Pump applicator is very hygienic and dispenses the perfect amount of serum for one use.
- No synthetic fragrances.
- Cruelty-free.
What I don’t like:
- Like I said earlier, I’m not the biggest fan of citrus oils and extracts in skincare, but this serum offers so many benefits that I am using it anyway. 😉
Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Lactic Acid, Propanediol, Jojoba Esters, Glycolic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Honey Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Gluconolactone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Glucose, Calcium Gluconate, Citral.
Cheer Up Brightening Vitamin C Eye Cream ($45) – This is another Farmacy product that came highly recommended by all of my friends who tried it. It’s one of the brand’s new-ish releases so there aren’t too many reviews out yet compared to other bestsellers, but from what I’ve seen so far, it seems to work well for crepey texture, uneven skin tone, and puffiness, and also helps brighten the area for a more awake look. I really enjoyed this eye cream! The texture is lush and comforting, which comes in handy right now since I spend most of the day staring at the computer screen and my eyes often feel dry and irritated in the evening as a result. There are four types of hyaluronic acid in this formula, plus caffeine, nourishing fatty acids, two Vitamin C derivatives, Acerola Cherry extract, and other botanicals that give the cream an antioxidant boost. Cheer Up wears well under makeup and actually stays on the skin throughout the day – or night – so I can still feel that the area is well-moisturized in the evening/when I wake up in the morning. Really loving this eye cream so far!
What I like:
- Lush, creamy texture that keeps the skin hydrated all day or night. Might be too rich for someone with very oily skin though.
- It actually makes my eye area look brighter and reduces puffiness even if I don’t keep my jar in the fridge.
- Still can’t get over the fact that there are four types of hyaluronic acid in the formula. Very impressive!
- No synthetic fragrances.
- Cruelty-free.
What I don’t like:
- The cream comes in jar packaging, yet there was no spatula included. Jar packaging is not ideal in the first place, but the absence of a spatula implies that you’re meant to use your fingers. It’s a minor detail but it does bug me a little.
Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Diisostearyl Malate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Phytosterols, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Physalis Angulata Extract, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Tocopherol, Hexamidine Diisethionate, Sodium Phytate, Melia Azadirachta Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate.
BOTTOM LINE:
I can see why Green Clean, Cheer Up, and Honeymoon Glow are bestsellers! My experience with all three of them has been wonderful, and the benefits far outweigh the few negatives. I am pretty nitpicky about skincare, though, so it’s very rare to find a flawless product. Being 35, I feel like there’s not a lot of room for skincare mistakes since the skin doesn’t bounce back easily, as it did in my 20s. That’s why I try to use only the very best products that my skin responds well to, and I’m always happy to share my favorites with you guys.
Have you tried Farmacy skincare? Which of their products do you like the most?
Note on microplastics: I only recently started paying attention to microplastics (such as polyethylene) in my skincare, so you won’t see any mention of it in my previous reviews. I am still trying to piece together the details regarding the effects of cosmetic microplastics on the environment – marine life, in particular – but unbiased, scientific, non-anecdotal information is not easy to come by. Several well-respected skincare bloggers have been raising awareness about it on their channels recently and I am definitely looking into it more closely now. On that note, I am 100% against the use of plastic microbeads, which are now illegal anyway.
