The Amazon is home to one of the most potent superfruits in the world: the camu camu berry. But don't expect to be seeing it lining your local fruit stand anytime soon. Since it doesn't necessarily travel well in its natural state, perhaps the easiest way to enjoy the benefits of the camu camu berry is through beauty products. Find out exactly why brands are loving this amazing berry, and how you can reap its benefits, when you keep reading.
Ah, drinks that are supposed to improve your skin. You all may remember my not-so-amazing encounters with Glowelle and Borba, and at this point I don't think I ever want to put another vial of powdered "nutraceuticals" in my water bottle. But just when I thought the Splenda headaches and weirdly thick tinctures were behind me, I find out that there are a whole bunch of new drinks, including an antiaging version, an organic version, and one made, appealingly, with cow mammary gland proteins, slated for release over the next several months.
This segment of the beauty biz keeps growing, but I have yet to find a miracle drink. I can only conjecture that the manufacturing costs must be so low and the profit margin so high that even something that sells poorly still turns a profit. Maybe there is some wonder beverage out there just waiting for me to drink it, but I'm definitely in the doubting camp. Plus, maybe I'm a paranoid hypochondriac, but I worry about vitamin overload. Have you ever had a positive experience with a beauty drink, or are you sticking with water like me?
Just when I thought beauty products couldn't get any more unusual, out comes Borba Fabric Fusion 2-in-1 Eco-Laundry Wash. The green-leaning detergent is free of petrochemicals, which should satisfy the ecologically minded; as a regular user of Nancy Boy eco laundry soap, I can say that gentler laundry detergents work well. What's unusual about Borba's version, however, is that it claims to "help skin feel softer and healthier" through its incorporation of pansy extracts, sea moss, and glycerin. Additionally, it promises to rehydrate dry skin and provide free radical protection. I haven't tried it — and because it costs $25 plus $8 shipping, I am unlikely to — but I have a hard time believing that a laundry soap can do all of that. Your thoughts?
Back in early December, I embarked on an experiment to see if Borba Aqua-less Crystaline would clear up my spots as it promises. The pomegranate-infused $100/month regimen promises to combat oily skin, clogged pores, and impurities. Sounds great, but the skeptic in me wanted to try it out. Every morning, I'd wake up and mix the powder into water, then drink it down. It doesn't taste bad at all; it's kind of like a less bitter SweeTart.
So does it work? Sadly, no, it does not. (I promised before-and-after photos, but honestly, considering the number of pimples on my chin after a month, I just couldn't subject you to my pizzaface. Trust me, it's better for us both.) Borba didn't make my skin worse, but it certainly didn't improve it; I didn't see the promised results. And the sucralose (brand name: Splenda) in the formula gave me headaches. No fun. While Borba does deliver nutrients that can help skin, you could get those nutrients elsewhere — or you could afford to eat a whole pomegranate each day. Unless your bank account rivals the GDP of Monaco, I'd take a pass.
When Borba launched on the market a few years ago, people were hoping that it would be a magic elixir that cured all of our skin's woes. I was skeptical. While I do think that a healthy diet helps your complexion look its best, I wasn't so sure that drinking a pricey beauty concoction would do the trick.
Ah, but I've decided to go all John Stossel on you by trying it out. I've started with a month's supply of Borba Aqua-Less Crystalline ($100/60 packets) in the Clarifying variety. It promises to "combat oily skin, clogged pores, and impurities." In 28 days, I'll post before-and-after photos so you can see what kind of effect Borba has had on my skin. To use it, you just pour the powder into water, mix it, and drink it twice a day. Some people have complained about the flavor, but I didn't find anything to dislike. It's sweet and tart at the same time — less sugary than Kool-Aid, more so than Vitamin Water.
To find out what I like — and don't like — about the ingredients, read more
I don't know about you, but when I have a hangover — as many of your might on this Sunday morning — all I want to do is refuel with food, replenish my skin, and drink lots and lots of water. So I can really get behind this Borba Replenishing Hangover Recovery System ($45). The giftworthy kit includes Borba's age-defying facial cleanser, age-defying concentrate, silk fiber orbital eye rejuvenator, and age-defying day repair and night repair emulsions.
I've actually never tried any products from Borba, which makes edible beauty concoctions, like drink mixes and gummy candies, as well as facial scrubs and lotions that help your complexion. This handy kit might have to be my first Borba purchase. If you've tried any of the company's products, let me know what you think.
Here's a horrifying statistic from the Tarte Cosmetics website: The average woman ingests between two to four pounds of lip gloss in her lifetime. Yuck, right? Thank goodness for a new trend in makeup that will make you feel better about licking your lips. Cosmetics companies are partnering with wellness brands to create lip glosses infused with good-for-you ingredients. Here are two of the trend-setters.
DuWop Elixrstix ($22) are super-smooth lip glosses with medium coverage that aren't gooey or sticky. But what really sets them apart is that these glosses are infused with ancient Chinese medicinal tonics, thanks to a collaboration with Elixr Tonics & Teas.
Elixrstix are available in four shades, each of which comes with a different healing promise. Clarity (nude) is said to enhance your mental agility, Energy (sheer pink) promises to keep you going, Harmony (rose) aims to center your mind and spirit, and Serenity (melon) is designed to relax the senses.
For another healthy lip gloss, read more
You all got a kick out of my post on Borba's Clarifying Anti-Blemish Chocolate Bar and now the nutraceutical company has teamed up with fab makeup company Tarte. Check out this Tarte Inside Out Vitamin Lip Gloss, $21. 
It combines Tarte's long-lasting, moisturizing lip gloss with BORBA's vitamins delivering powerful skin protecting ingredients. The pomegranate-scented lip gloss is mouth-wateringly gorgeous with its hint of sexy sheen, but it's the vitamin cocktail that will keep you coming back for more. It comes in three flavors: Apple-A-Day (shown), Liquid Sunshine and OM. This gloss contains complexion-refining acai, green tea and grape-seed extract. Double yum!
I always wondered how much lip gloss I actually consume. Now I can argue that lip gloss is good for you!
Attention all choc-o-holics! Could it be true that a chocolate bar can actually help to clear your complexion? Believe it or not, the masters behind the Borba Clarifying Anti-Blemish Chocolate Bar, $8, claim their Swiss, dark chocolate bar is formulated to remove toxins, prevent breakouts and reduce irritation and redness on your face.
Scott Vincent Borba, of BORBA Nutracueticals, and Kristy Choo of Jin Patisserie, have joined forces to challenge the oldest chocolate related fallacy known to man.
This petite bar of chocolate is made with extracts from the Acai berry, green tea and biogenic Vitamin C to help strengthen your capillary walls as well as restore radiance to your skin. Lastly, the special cultivated bio-vitamin complex also found in the bar helps your skin cells regenerate more rapidly.
In a recent study, 52% of the sample group who ingested this chocolate bar regularly over a 28 day period reported their breakouts were significantly reduced. I can hardly believe that chocolate could be the answer to my breakouts. This is revolutionary!
