Wednesday 11 May 2011

Jurlique: Celebrating Nature, Science and Innovation

Being obsessed with beauty products, I find it hard to stay loyal to one brand as I am always busting to try the latest lotion/serum/crème/mist that is being promoted in the media. However, there are certain brands that I have soft spots for, and do find myself returning to. Jurlique is one such brand. So, I was understandably excited when I got invited to an evening of natural skincare with Jurlique, hosted by Sam McKay, the Managing Director of Australia and Asia, where I got to hear about and experience three of Jurlique’s key ranges – Herbal Recovery, Purely Age-Defying and the new Purely White Skin Brightening range (described in more detail below). Jurlique therapists were present to demonstrate each of these products listed below on the backs of our hands.

Upon entering the room I was reminded exactly what it is about Jurlique that I love so much – the room was filled with the most intoxicating aroma of all of their products. I would have to say that Jurlique have the most beautifully fragranced products on the market. Some find the scents too intense and overwhelming but to me they are really quite divine. In fact, the first Jurlique product I ever tried – the Rosewater Freshener – was what sold me on the brand, and this was on it’s amazing scent alone.

About the company Jurlique is an all Australian skin care company founded in 1985 by Dr. Jurgen Klein and his wife, Ulrike – scientists in chemistry, herbology, homeopathy and alchemy. They sought the purest place on Earth and discovered an ideally suited, unpolluted environment in South Australia where they would farm their own herbs and flowers for Jurlique skin care.

The Herbal Recovery Collection is designed to restore, firm, hydrate and revitalise the skin. Helps to minimise the visible signs of ageing with daily use. The range contains a potent botanical concentrate, infused with a rich blend of herbs and precious plant oils.




·         Herbal Recovery Gel RRP $72/30ml, $159/100ml This is a gorgeously light serum that leaves your skin plumped, hydrated and luminous. It's fragrance, which is intoxicatingly herbal and floral, comes from the natural botanical ingredients.

·         Eye Cream RRP $52/15ml For an eye cream this is incredibly light weight. It melts easily into the skin and is not at all greasy but instead leaves the skin luxuriously soft.

·         Eye Gel RRP $52/15ml This is a really light gel - the consistency of a watery hair gel - that sinks straight into your skin. It is perfect for an afternoon pick me up when your eyes are feeling tired from too many hours spent in front of a computer screen.

·         Night Cream RRP $60/50ml Like the eye cream, this is a very light weight cream. Jurlique do not believe in using heavy oily creams at night - they suggest light weight creams that allow the skin to breathe and repair itself.

·         Night Mist RRP $60/30ml This is a refreshing and hydrating mist that can either be used alone at night as a very light moisturiser or as a toner underneath other products in Herbal Recovery range (or any other Jurlique range, by that matter).

·         Neck Serum RRP $92/30ml This serum claims to tighten the skin on the neck and reduce pigmentation. It has a very strong floral fragrance - which I loved - though I do worry will clash with perfume. One of the lovely Jurlique therapists gave me the following tip: if you get pigmentation on your upper lip that looks like you have a faint moustache, dab the Neck Serum on your upper lip as it helps to fade the pigmentation.



Purely Age-Defying Range features a blend of biodynamic and organic herbs and flowers combined with potent naturally derived ingredients that soften the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and discolourations while helping to renew and strengthen skin. With continued use, Purely Age-Defying brings about a smooth, fresh, luminous complexion. The range doesn't have as an intense smell as other Jurlique products, it is a more delicate floral fragrance.


·         Face Serum RRP $92/30ml This is another beautifully light serum that sinks straight into your skin so smooth out fine lines and tackle pigmentation issue. Unlike serums from other brands, this is not at all oily, greasy or heavy. It's fragrance is a lovely delicate floral.

·         Eye Cream RRP $58/15ml This is a high-performance, deeply hydrating eye cream that is also incredibly light weight. It melts easily into the skin leaving the skin look refreshed with the fine lines minimised.

·         Night Lotion RRP $68/40ml This is a surprisingly light weight cream. As it comes in a tube I was expecting it to be quite thick and rich, but it isn't at all. Jurlique do not believe in using heavy oily creams at night - they suggest light weight creams that allow the skin to breathe and repair itself. This lotion is heavier than the Herbal Recovery Gel, so is good for those who need more moisturisation at night, but is still beautifully light in keeping with Jurlique's philosophy on night creams.

·         Refining Treatment RRP $42/40ml This is a gentle exfoliant containing apricot seed and willow bark, designed to be used once or twice a week to enhance cell renewal while gently minimising the appearance of pores, uneven skin texture, and discolouration. It has a lovely creamy texture with a good exfoliating particle to base ratio making it a very luxurious exfoliant.

 ·         Hand Treatment RRP $55/100ml Your hands are often what reveal your true age. This hand cream treats age spots and lines so that your hands appear as youthful as your face. This cream absorbs instantly leaving your hands silky soft and beautifully fragranced.

·         Sun Lotion SPF30 RRP $70/100ml Finally, Jurlique released a sunscreen! I have loved their products for a long while but have usually restricted their use for night time as the didn't have any SPF. This is a broad spectrum sun lotion, formulated to give extra protection against sun exposure. Suitable for all skin types. It is non greasy and leaves the skin looking matte, rather than shiny, which I love.


Purely White Skin Brightening Collection This is a relatively new range for Jurlique that has some serious science behind it. I will go into the science in another post as it is going to take me most of a page to describe it. For now, I will just describe the products in the range. The claim of this range is that you will have brighter skin in just 4 weeks as it evens out skin tone by fading skin discolourations and dark spots. No surprises, this range also smells amazing thanks to the plethora of natural botanical ingredients.


·         Cleanser RRP $35/100ml I only tested this on my hand but I am already in love and can’t wait to try it on my face. It is extremely thick in texture – one of those cleansers that you have to really squeeze to get out of the tube, but this is fantastic as it means you won’t use too much product. When mixed with water it forms a mousse like consistency, and the more water you add, the more it foams up. It has tiny exfoliating granules in it so you don’t need to use an exfoliant if you are using this cleanser, yet it is gentle enough for daily use. A lot of Jurlique’s products are on the higher end of the price scale but I actually find this cleanser to be very reasonably priced – especially as you only need to use the smallest amount the tube will last a very long time. This one is definitely going on my wish list!

·         Skin Brightening Mist RRP $55/100ml At the event, the Jurlique therapists used this mist to remove the cleanser from my hand but I have to admit I didn’t take note of how it smelt or felt. I absolutely love Jurlique’s Rosewater Freshener so I except that this is quite lovely as well. According to Jurlique it is a lightweight facial mist with VitaBrightKx to help soften skin and restore a youthful glow.

·         Skin Brightening Essence RRP $80/30ml This has a similar consistency to the Herbal Recovery Gel – a very light, non greasy gel that absorbs easily into the skin. It contains Kakadu Plum, the world’s richest natural fruit source of Vitamin C, designed to help reduce the appearance of skin discolourations and even skin tone. Intended to protect against premature skin ageing by increasing moisture content and so minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a fresher, younger-looking complexion.

 ·         Day Cream RRP $65/40ml I have used Jurlique's Day Care Face Cream before and found it to be super rich and way too oily for my skin so was expecting the same with the Purely White Day Cream but was surprised to find it to be really light weight in texture. Admittedly I only tested this one on my hand so perhaps it will still be too rich for my face but it honestly left my hand feeling so soft without even the slightest hint of greasiness.

·         Night Treatment RRP $70/40ml Like the other Jurlique night creams, this one is also beautifully light. It absorbs straight in leaving the skin feeling silky soft without any trace of greasiness.


Moisturising Hand Sanitiser RRP $10/50ml, $19/175ml. This is another new product Jurlique was show casing at the event. I wish I had this when my son was a newborn. I found it difficult washing my hands after a nappy change as it would mean that I'd have to put him on the floor whilst I did so which would result in tears. So, I started using a hand sanitiser as I could clean my hands whilst he was still on the change table. The hand sanitisers I used were so harsh and drying. This one eliminates 99.9% of germs in as little as 30 seconds after application. Australian Bush Mint, a known natural antibacterial and antimicrobial ingredient, plus Safflower Oleosomes enhance skin’s protective barrier, leaving hands moisturised and silky smooth.


I had a fabulous time at the Jurlique event and learnt a lot about the brand. I hope I have been able to share some new information with you as well. This blog post did not contain much of the science behind the ranges. The reason for this is that Jurlique has not publicised any scientific studies to do with their brand instead, focusing on the natural side of their products. However, things are beginning to change as Jurlique is realising that their customers want natural products that are as scientifically advanced as their high tech counterparts so they are starting to release some of the research from their state-of-the-art research and development laboratories in South Australia. I have some information on the science behind the Purely White range so will do another post on this in the near future and as new information is being made available I will continue to post on it! Until then...

All opinions stated in this blog are my own. I have no affiliation with Jurlique and received no remuneration for my comments. I did receive a pack containing samples of 4 Jurlique products for attending the evening. Images are courtesy of Julique.