Product Review: Skin Actives Formulation Kit

Kit includes: Sea Kelp Ultramarine Customization Kit (fragrances, antioxidants), Canvas Cream base, Seak Kelp Coral, Shea Mousse,

empty container and various measuring and mixing tools

There are so many companies out there that prey on women our age. Many of us are looking for the “miracle” that solves aging or that removes wrinkles and magically makes us look like we did when we were 20. I got so tired of spending hundreds of dollars on lotions and potions because I hoped that the marketing hype was true (it pretty much isn’t). So it was a huge breath of fresh air when I discovered Skin Actives.

Skin Actives is a supplier of skin care actives (the chemical ingredients found in skincare products) to the home user and to small private label firms that customize products for their own needs. Not only do they offer the building blocks of skin care products, they also offer their own formulated products. What’s significant to me is that Skin Actives is operated by scientists and not marketing people. This means that, as consumers, we get the actual truth about product performance and not “marketing fluff” that plays on our insecurities about aging. I’ve been using Skin Actives products for quite awhile now (I will eventually get around to reviewing some of their pre-formulated products) but this is the first time I have taken the plunge into actually custom formulating a product for myself.

I recently purchased the Formulation Kit for Beginners after hearing a lot about it. People refer to it as the “La Mer Kit” because it contains the ingredients to make a “La Mer-like” facial cream that contains sea kelp. The difference between the kit and La Mer is that the La Mer cream is incredibly expensive and actually contains a lot of ingredients that aren’t that special (aside from the sea kelp). Skin Actives not only has their own wonderful sea kelp (in fact, several kinds) but they have some really great ingredients that actually do work well on the skin (it’s the difference between being a marketing company and a company run by real scientists). Below, I’ll show you how I formulated my skin cream.

It all starts with the Canvas Base Cream. The ingredients of this cream include:

Distilled Water (Aqua), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate,Stearyl Alcohol, Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed Oil, Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) Oil, Avocado (Persea gratissima) Oil, HyaluronicAcid, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Diazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

This is a good, basic cream with all good stuff! (Note on the parabens---I am definitely not worried about these preservatives! We need preservatives in our skincare products to ensure that no “bugs” grow. Until the industry comes out with alternatives that have long term testing and data behind them, there’s nothing that we should fear about small amounts of parabens. They are a necessary part of these types of products.)

I placed a small amount of the Canvas Base Cream into the empty container provided, filling it about half full. Then I added a small amount of the shea mousse to this container.









After that I added some of the Skin Actives Antioxidant booster (also in the kit).







And now for the really special ingredient---Sea Kelp Bioferment!




Last, but not least, is a small amount of fragrance. The kit completes with several different options. I chose the cucumber/melon fragrance (just a few drops!).





Now for the finished cream, which is glorious!!!








I’ve been using this cream for about the past 3 weeks and it has been wonderful!! You only need a tiny amount and I used it all over my face and neck. The cream is silky, hydrating and absolutely lovely!!! My skin feels softer than it’s ever felt and very hydrated. To say I am satisfied, is an understatement. I’m thrilled!!!

As far as the cost, I only spent $29.50 for the kit (which will make at least 2-3 more batches). Compare that to $285 for 2 ounces of La Mer Ultrarich Creme (their original formula), which is the same amount of cream that I made for my use. To me, there is NO comparison. Skin Actives all the way!!!

You can purchase the Skin Actives Formulation Kit for Beginners (and other products) at Skinactives.com. The kit is available here. Check them out!!!


Ages of Beauty rating: *****