LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil Review
If you frequent Sephora website, you might have noticed that they started carrying LXMI, a brand of luxe natural skincare. In the recent years, natural beauty brands really took off and traveled from health stores onto the shelves of premium retail giants like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Barneys, etc… This post in particular will be focused on my experience with LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil, a shea butter balm that is not quite as simple as it sounds.
ABOUT THE BRAND:
LXMI, pronounce luxe-me, is a brand devoted to sourcing pure, rare ingredients while providing dignified work for marginalized East African women. The name was inspired by Lakshmi, the founder’s favorite Hindu goddess, whose four hands represent prosperity, liberation, morality, and love – two giving hands and two receiving hands. This concept is beautifully reflected in the brand’s logo, which I actually thought was a flower at first, before I took a closer look.
Often companies that acquire their ingredients from developing countries take advantage of the lower wages. LXMI pays their workers 3x the normal wage to harvest, produce, and export organic Nilotica Reserve™, the company’s exclusive form of Shea Butter.
CLAIMS:
As a 100% organic, single-ingredient skin savior, this luxurious balm-to-oil deeply nourishes thirsty skin to help smooth visible imperfections.
KEY INGREDIENTS:
There’s just one – 100% Organic Butyrospermum Parkii, aka shea butter.
How is nilotica different from regular shea butter?
- 25% higher concentration of essential oleic fatty acid, which makes it perfect for dry skin.
- Milder, less nutty fragrance.
- Smoother, richer, balmier texture.
- Shea Nilotica grows in lush areas with rich soil that receive more rain than Western shea trees, making it more nutrient-dense.
MY SKIN TYPE:
I feel like it’s important to talk a little bit about my skin type in every review, because what works for dry skin might not work for oily, and vice versa. Although, even if your skin type matches mine exactly, there are still a million factors that can affect your experience, from climate and overall health, to diet and sleeping habits. My skin is combination/dehydrated, with shiny t-zone that is especially problematic in the presence of humidity and heat, and dry cheeks that can be tight and flakey. The dehydration is caused by multiple factors, all of which I am aware of: dry indoor air, regular use of potent acids, including retinoids, and simply not drinking enough water daily.
MY THOUGHTS:
I’ve been approached by PR to try LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil several times, and kept ignoring the emails because the concept sounded utterly boring. Not to offend anyone who loves using plain shea butter, but I am just normally not one of those people. I need elegant mixes, botanical blends, and cutting edge ingredients, not something I could pick up at a health store or on Amazon by the pound. The most recent email did not mention any kind of review. They simply wanted me to fill out the form so I could try out the product without any obligations, so I was like “what the heck” and did it. Consider me impressed!
LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil was not a solid blob of shea butter in a tub. Instead, it came in an sleek black jar with absolutely gorgeous, hefty rose gold spatula applicator. The balm contained tiny vitamin granules that are normally present in shea butter, but these dissolved almost immediately. I had some regular shea butter laying around, so I compared the look and the feel on different parts of my face, and I admit that I like Nilotica much better. It’s definitely creamier and richer, and feels like actual oil rather than dry oil. LXMI recommends using it as a nighttime treatment, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 4 weeks. This balm makes the perfect non-irritating occlusive that never stings my skin even after the harshest of peels.
PROS:
- Very nourishing
- All-natural
- Fragrance-free
- Organic
CONS:
- Pricey, for what is essentially just shea butter
- Comes in a jar [risk of cross-contamination, unless you always use a clean spatula]
If I had to make a recommendation, I’d say LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil would probably work best for sensitive, dry, and dehydrated skin, and also as a non-sensitizing moisturizer to apply after strong chemical peels. Also, those of you who already use and love regular shea butter – try nilotica, it’s a step up from the cheap stuff!
Have you ever used plain shea butter on your skin? Do you use any all-natural products in your beauty routine? Did you see LXMI on sephora.com before? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post features products received for editorial consideration and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
