Product description/claims:

Whitening

Wrinkle Improvement

Skin Protection

Nutrition

Revitalizing

Not tested on animals

Ingredients:

Translation:

COSMETIC INGREDIENTS: PROPOLIS EXTRACT (80%), MACADAMIA SEED OIL, OLIVE OIL, HONEY EXTRACT, SAFFLOWER SEED OIL, LICORICE ROOT EXTRACT, COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1, MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL, GLUCOSAMINE, GLYCINE, ALANINE, CERAMIDE3. EFFICACY INGREDIENTS: NIACINAMIDE, ADENOSINE

Translation:

PROPOLIS EXTRACT (80%), ALOE LEAF WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, NIACINAMIDE, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, MACADAMIA SEED OIL, GLYCERIN, ARGAN OIL, OLIVE OIL, POLYSORBATE 60, BEESWAX, BETA-GLUCAN, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYACRLAMIDE, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, LAURETH-7, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ANISE FRUIT EXTRACT, ADENOSINE, DISODIUM EDTA, CARAMEL, HONEY EXTRACT, SAFFLOWER SEED OIL, LICORICE ROOT EXTRACT, COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1, MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL, GLUCOSAMINE, GLYCINE, PROLINE, CERAMIDE 3, ROSE FLOWER OIL, TAGETES MINUTA FLOWER OIL, MINT LEAF OIL, CARDAMOM SEED OIL, THYME OIL, CLOVE LEAF OIL, TEA TREE OIL, VETIVER ROOT OIL, LEMONGRASS OIL, GERANIUM FLOWER OIL, LAVENDER OIL, LEMON PEEL OIL, ORANGE PEEL OIL

Aloe leaf water: You can't have a cream without some kind of water, right? Aloe water is an excellent choice because it's also known for its antioxidant and soothing properties.

You can't have a cream without some kind of water, right? Aloe water is an excellent choice because it's also known for its antioxidant and soothing properties. Macadamia/Safflower/Olive Oil: All excellent moisturizers.

All excellent moisturizers. Niacinamide: A cell-communicating ingredient that's great for lightening discoloration/general brightening.

A cell-communicating ingredient that's great for lightening discoloration/general brightening. Adenosine: A popular anti-wrinkle ingredient.

Pricing/availability:

eBay/blueprint21: $19.47 shipped

$19.47 shipped ibuybeauti/50ml jar: $15.57 + $6.50 shipping (or free on orders over $50)

$15.57 + $6.50 shipping (or free on orders over $50) ibuybeauti/100ml jar: $35.90 + $6.50 shipping (or free on orders over $50)



Disclosure: The product featured in this post was provided to me by ibuybeauti for review, however any opinions expressed above are honest and my own. I did not receive any other form of compensation. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my full disclosure policy

Today I have another entry in the "Propolis Mania" diaries to share with you! Korea-based e-tailer ibuybeauti let me pick some stuff from their site to review a couple of months ago, and I selected PureHeals Propolis 80 Cream on a whim. I was really embracing honey as a skincare ingredient at the time, so I guess propolis felt like a natural extension of that? In any case, I've gone a bit wild sampling different propolis products (including PureHeals' propolis ampoule ), and this cream is in serious competition with the LJH propolis ampoule for being my favorite. (I should probably review that too someday, eh?)I noticed something odd when I was translating the ingredients for this product. This is what it says on the box:The other stuff after that appears to be indications and usage instructions (which are pretty standard—pat into skin after using toner and serum). But this is an ingredients screenshot from the PureHeals website Why only a partial ingredients list on the box? I don't know. In any case, it's always a good idea to check other sources when an ingredients list seems suspiciously short. (By the way, I'm not fluent in Korean, so if you spot any translation errors please let me know!)Anyway, as for the ingredients: Much like the PureHeals Propolis Ampoule , propolis is the star ingredient here. Just to quickly recap what propolis is for those of you who don't know about it: It's a natural substance created by bees that's basically a mixture of sap and bee saliva. Bees use it fill gaps in their hives (which is why it is sometimes called "bee glue"). Propolis won't fill in gaps on your face, but it's prized for its antioxidant and antibacterial attributes. It also seems quite good at soothing irritated skin, in my opinion. Here's a quick take on some of the other key ingredients:I put the whole ingredients list into CosDNA if you want to do more research. Speaking of CosDNA, it did flag a couple of ingredients as possible acne triggers, namely Isopropyl Myristate, which it gave a 5 on the acne trigger scale. Ouch. But let me say this: I've been using this cream for nearly two months now, and it hasn't broken me out whatsoever. My skin isn't overly sensitive, but still, no bad reactions here. YMMV, of course.Pure Heals Propolis 80 Cream is available in two sizes: A 50ml jar (pictured above) and a jumbo 100ml jar, which retail for 28,000원 (~$25 USD) and 51,000원 ($45.50 USD) respectively. Of course internet prices are often cheaper—ibuybeauti (who provided this cream to me for review) has the small jar for $15.57 + shipping (free on orders over $50), and the large jar for $35.90. Alternatively, trusty eBay seller blueprint21 has the smaller jar for about $20 shipped.As for the jar packaging... there's nothing out of the ordinary about it. Squeezy tubes and pumps are more convenient for dispensing skincare, but glass jars look prettier sitting on your bedside table. What else can I say about that?The actual cream has wonderfully light (but very hydrating) texture. It looks milky and rich in the jar, but is really more of a gel-type cream:It turns sort of watery once you rub it in, which is very refreshing. I really love this cream because it sinks in pretty quickly and doesn't seem to feel sticky at all, even when I layer it over serums and stuff. My skin feels moisturized and healthy and slightly dewy after I use it, not super-duper greasy or shiny. I have combo skin and Pure Heals Propolis 80 seems to have the perfect balance of moisture and non-heaviness for me, especially now that the weather has warmed up a bit.Other thoughts... this stuff smells similar to the Pure Heals Propolis ampoule , but perhaps a bit softer and less bitter. The scent is sort of herbal/floral (which I assume is due to all the aromatic oils?) with a little bit of smokiness. I'm not wild about it, but some readers have told me they love it, so YMMV. It's totally tolerable though, despite it not being my favorite scent.Long story short: I love Pure Heals Propolis 80 Cream . It makes my skin feel awesome and doesn't seem to irritate me in any way. I could take off points for the scent, but I'm so in love with the texture that I'm willing to forgive it. I almost don't want to tell the world about it because I'm worried that everybody will buy it and the e-tailers will jack up their prices. Save some for me guys, OK? (I won't blame you if you don't though.)