Early Review: Zenbiotic Moisture Enrichment
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free skin care · Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:52 pm

Well, as I may have mentioned before, I'm a HUGE Zenbiotic fan and am forever indebted to the EDS forum for pointing me in their direction. I already use their Oxytoner, O2, Rinseless Cleanser, and Phyto Moisture, and recently when I re-ordered I also decided to try their Moisture Enrichment.

Here's how they describe this product on their site:
Hydration Enrichment fights dryness and wrinkles with just a couple of drops. A plant ester and oil blend, the Serum is appropriately suitable for severe conditions. Our technology makes the oil blends a rich, water-soluble nutrient solution that moistens and smoothes. For use in conjunction with the Phyto Moisturizer for added richness and protection against dryness. Especially useful for air travel and dry climates.

When the weather gets REALLY cold my skin tends to get dry very quickly, so I thought this would be a nice thing to have onhand. I hadn't had a chance to test it out though, until recently, when I threw it into my makeup bag for my trip to see my parents for Thanksgiving. The combination of the stress of traveling, the strange heating/AC system in the hotel, AND the fact that the only face wash I brought with me was a small bottle of Mario Badescu's Enzyme Face Wash had my face totally dehydrated after just one day!!! (I'll write a review later on the MB cleanser, but for now I'll just say that it gets 2 thumbs WAY down! Mad

) So, after using my Caudalie Grape Water and Phyto Moisture, I smoothed one drop of the moisture enrichment into my skin. Since it's such a rich product, I kind of expected it to take a while to soak into my face, leave a greasy residue, etc, so you can imagine my suprise when it was absorbed into my skin instantly, and my dull, dry skin was replaced with glowing, supple skin. Nice! My makeup went on smoothly over it, and it kept me hydrated all day without making me oily, so I would definitely say that it does exactly what I bought it to do. It has a very pleasant, light scent, and the bottle conveniently dispenses the product one drop at a time, so overall I am VERY pleased with this purchase. Also, I have not experienced any clogged pores or breakouts, and as you guys know many moisturizers will clog my finicky skin within just a day or 2, so this is a big plus for me. I've only been using it for a few days though, so of course I will continue to add updates.

This product costs $25 atwww.zenbiotic.com , and the ingredients are:
Certified organic jojoba, fine plant oils of avocado, apricot, grape seed, almond, sassafras, lemon grass, vitamin E, sage, sandalwood. Also contains ingredients found in the Phyto Moisturizer and Skin Prep. If you are already enjoying Zenbiotic products and are just looking to add a moisture boost to your routine, or if you have oily/acne-prone skin like mine that dries out when the weather gets cold and you need a moisturizer that won't make your skin more oily or broken out, I would highly recommend this little gem.

free skin care · Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:34 am

Hi Liz

Thanks for your review. This was another product that was definitely on my To Buy list for my next order. I really don't know how my skin will react to winter conditions here, since it has just turned summer and a host of other reasons could be causing the skin on my face and body to be thoroughly moisturised and flake free

I have also tried to use drops of light oils on my face while my skin was still wet, but it still leaves a really gross film after it absorbs.

free skin care · Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:30 pm

Hi manslayerliz,
i've also been using the zenbiotic foundation pack, along with tazorac (and recently azelex), and i've found that my skin is still VERY dry. I've considered buying the Moisture Enrichment, but have concerns about breaking out/getting clogged pores. Please, keep us updated!

free skin care · Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:46 pm

jzainoun wrote:

Hi manslayerliz,
i've also been using the zenbiotic foundation pack, along with tazorac (and recently azelex), and i've found that my skin is still VERY dry. I've considered buying the Moisture Enrichment, but have concerns about breaking out/getting clogged pores. Please, keep us updated!

jzainoun, one question--- are you also using the Phyto Moisture at night after your Taz soaks in? I found that I had on-going on-off dryness issues with the taz until I started using Grape Water and then Phyto Moisture after the taz had soaked in, and it literally cleared my problem up over night. I checked with my derm, and she said it's fine to do it and won't affect the taz.

Next, I had actually been eyeing the moisture enrichment for ages, but I kept holding off out of fear of clogged pores. Now I really wish I hadn't waited so long since I totally love this stuff. It definitely doesn't give the same greasy feel that oils seem to, and it still hasn't caused a single clogged pore, so I would definitely say it could be worth adding to your routine. For me, it's definitely a nice companion piece for the taz and azelaic acid. Good luck, and please keep me updated. I'll do the same!

free skin care · Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:26 pm

manslayerliz wrote:

jzainoun wrote:

Hi manslayerliz,
i've also been using the zenbiotic foundation pack, along with tazorac (and recently azelex), and i've found that my skin is still VERY dry. I've considered buying the Moisture Enrichment, but have concerns about breaking out/getting clogged pores. Please, keep us updated!

jzainoun, one question--- are you also using the Phyto Moisture at night after your Taz soaks in? I found that I had on-going on-off dryness issues with the taz until I started using Grape Water and then Phyto Moisture after the taz had soaked in, and it literally cleared my problem up over night. I checked with my derm, and she said it's fine to do it and won't affect the taz.

Next, I had actually been eyeing the moisture enrichment for ages, but I kept holding off out of fear of clogged pores. Now I really wish I hadn't waited so long since I totally love this stuff. It definitely doesn't give the same greasy feel that oils seem to, and it still hasn't caused a single clogged pore, so I would definitely say it could be worth adding to your routine. For me, it's definitely a nice companion piece for the taz and azelaic acid. Good luck, and please keep me updated. I'll do the same!

Hi manslayerliz,
thanks for replying so quickly... and sorry for not doing the same Embarassed

(i had a massive assignment due)
A few questions for you (i hope you don't mind...):
approximately how long do you wait for the taz to soak in?
are you using the gel or cream, and what concentration?
have you altogether stopped the differin?
how do you fit in the azelaic acid?
are you using any of the zenbiotic serums that come with foundation pack (or did you just buy the stuff separately?)
how did you find the oxypro moisture?

ok... i'll stop! (for now....)
Wink

finally, i know you've heard this, but on the tazorac website they mention the use of a moisturizer before applying the medication, and actually that's what I was doing: wash, oxyprep, phyto, and sometimes serum; wait ~ 1hr; lastly, apply taz... i tried "sandwiching" the taz in between 2 phyto moisturizer steps, and still woke up with dryness and flaking... it's actually started happening more recently, even though i've been doing this routine for ~1.5 months (probably the winter nearing)
anyway, i decided to buy the moisture enrichment, and thanks to your positive comments, can't wait to get it!!
thanks a lot, and sorry about the bombardment of questions... (it's just that you seem to have a very similar routine to mine, so your feedback is always useful-- besides, it was actually YOUR post that introduced me to zenbiotic-- and for that I THANK YOU!!!)
Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:37 pm

Hi jzainoun! I'm happy to answer all of your questions!^-^ So, first of all, the taz I'm using right now is the .05% cream, however, right now I'm using the .1% cream a few nights a week in hopes of working up to it. And yes, I just totally gave the differin the boot--- it wasn't doing anything for me at all. As for how I'm fitting in the finacea, I usually only do it in the morning after I wash and tone, however, if I'm feeling really ambitious I'll put it on at night before my taz and just let it soak in, and it seems to work fine like that too.

As for how long I let the taz soak in before going on to the moisturizer, it depends on how tired I am, LOL! Ideally I'll let it soak in for at least 10-15 min, however, if I just want to go to bed I'll pretty much go straight from the taz to the moisturizer, and I haven't noticed any bad effects from doing things that way.

As for the Zenbiotic serums, I actually haven't tried any of them yet. For a while I was fighting so hard to get my pores unclogged and get my acne under control that I didn't want to take the chance on ANYTHING gumming up the works, so I held off on all those auxillaries. However, now that my pores are almost all unclogged and my acne is under control, I want to focus on rebuilding and healing all the damage that was done to my skin over the last few months. So, since I've been so very pleased with the Moisture Enrichment I've definitely been planning on adding another Zenbiotic goodie to my line up, I just need to figure out which one. To tell you the truth I'm the MOST interested in the Amino Acid one, but it's soooo expensive, so I'm hoping I can sweet-talk someone who already has it into giving me a sample so I can give it a test-run. In the meantime I'm using Chrysalyx which is full of skin-rebuilding peptides, etc, so I'm hoping it will help too. Are you using any of the Zenbiotic serums? Because our routines are so similar, I'd be very curious to hear what you think of them. And of course, I'm looking forward to hearing how you like the Moisture Enrichment--- I've just become addicted to it, LOL.

Oh, as for the Oxypro, I haven't tried it yet, but Robert says that sample bottles of it should be up for sale by and by, so it's definitely on my list of things to try... I hope the Moisture Enrichment can help with some of your dryness issues--- with the weather getting colder and colder I have a feeling we're gonna need all the help we can get!^-^ Please keep me updated!

free skin care · Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:12 pm

Hi Liz

The amino acid treatment is a strange product. I have definitely not used it consistently enough like the Synergy or Cell Renewal serums but I have not seen instant results like I have with the other serums.

The treatment tends to seperate into a liquid and oil substance, so you have to shake it up first. It does not leave a greasy film at all despite the carrot oil content.

I think it is meant to be a long term repairing product, especially for treating broken caps.

Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with the four treatment products I have.. because you cannot layer them or use them continuously. So in a way it is great, each product lasts forever.. and I just think back to when I used to layer 4-5 different products on my skin and wake up wondering WHY I still don't have baby smooth skin.

free skin care · Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:57 pm

Great news! The price on this has been reduced to $14.95, and there's a 5% discount code for december: 5offdec06 . I'm placing an order right away!

free skin care · Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:43 am

I have been using the foundation pack for about 2-3 weeks now. I love the smells of the products! I was expecting the oxy toner to smell really vinegar-y but it totally doesn't! I think my skin has done a lot of de-clogging since using the foundation pack. I've been using the serums every other night alternating each. My skin started getting really flaky and the wrinkles around my eyes are very noticeable... I am worried, despite the fact that I have mostly oily skin, that my skin isn't getting enough hydration. So I think I might order the moisture enrichment or the new formulation of it which Robert recommended.

Thanks, Liz, for the review of the moisture enrichment. It sounds like it is working well for you which increases my inclination to order it. My skin is really suffering right now... I was hoping to get enough hydration from the phyto but c'est la vie, I guess I need more of a boost. Wink

free skin care · Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:54 am

Liz- I found it interesting that you moisturize after applying Taz. I've been doing the opposite. I would think that the Taz would block the Phyto from soaking in to skin to be optimally effective. Have you heard differently? Confused

Also, along similar lines, have you heard that it is better to apply Taz at least 10-15 minutes after washing your face to avoid potential irritation? What's your take on this? (Or any of the other Taz users for that matter?)

fyi, my routine with my Rx topical and Zenbio:

AM:
-wash with Zenbio cleanser
-pat dry with towel
-spray face with Oxy Toner and smooth into skin
-spray affected areas (break outs and dry patches) with Oxy Replenish, smooth in
-spray face with Phyto Moisture, smooth in

PM:
-wash with Zenbio cleanser
-pat dry with towel
-spray face with Oxy Toner and swipe skin with cotton pads
-spray face again with Oxy Toner and smooth in
-spray affected areas with Oxy Replenish
-spray face with Phyto M. and apply serum
-(occasionally I will re-spray my face with Phyto when it's REALLY dehydrated and "peely")
-wait at least 15 minutes then apply Taz .1%

free skin care · Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:30 am

one more thing... I was just checking out the samples listing on zenbiotic.com and I noticed that they don't have an Oxy Pro Moisture sample size. Am I missing something? They also don't have a sample of the Moisture Enrichment... wonder how the Winter Moisture compares? (I emailed Robert and asked him what the ingredients are for the Winter M. and will post back. I also asked him which one would be more suitable for my skin).

Also, just wanted to rant about how bummed I am that they just came out with the new airless pumps for the serums and too bad I just ordered my foundation pack a few weeks ago so I have the jars! I'm so finnicky about contamination and all that... I hope the jars don't affect the quality of the serums too badly.

free skin care · Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:46 am

Hi Amnis, I'm glad you've been enjoying your ZB products! If your skin is dry and flaky right now I'd say the Moisture Enrichment would definitely help you. I actually emailed Robert awhile back and he was afraid that the ME would be too rich for my skin so I didn't order it right away, but now I totally wish I had because it absorbs quickly and has never made me break out.

As for your Taz question, actually I use my taz before any moisturizers because I want to make darn sure that my taz is getting absorbed and I always worried about moisturizer kinda dulling the effects, you know? And yes, my derm told me to wait a few minutes after washing my face before appplying my taz--- it's supposed to reduce irritation. I don't quite understand it, but I don it anyway just in case. So, I wait about 20 min after I was my face, then I apply my taz, let it soak in, and then apply my moisturizer. I don't have any problems with my moisturizer being absorbed--- I use such a tiny amount of taz that I don't think it makes any difference. However, tere have been a few nights where I was sleepy and not thinking straight and I applied my moisturizer before my taz, so I had to apply my taz last, and it seemed to work fine on those nights too, so I think the taz is pretty flexible... hope this helps, and let me know what you decide to get!^-^

free skin care · Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:58 am

amnis wrote:

Liz- I found it interesting that you moisturize after applying Taz. I've been doing the opposite. I would think that the Taz would block the Phyto from soaking in to skin to be optimally effective. Have you heard differently? Confused

Also, along similar lines, have you heard that it is better to apply Taz at least 10-15 minutes after washing your face to avoid potential irritation? What's your take on this? (Or any of the other Taz users for that matter?)

fyi, my routine with my Rx topical and Zenbio:

AM:
-wash with Zenbio cleanser
-pat dry with towel
-spray face with Oxy Toner and smooth into skin
-spray affected areas (break outs and dry patches) with Oxy Replenish, smooth in
-spray face with Phyto Moisture, smooth in

PM:
-wash with Zenbio cleanser
-pat dry with towel
-spray face with Oxy Toner and swipe skin with cotton pads
-spray face again with Oxy Toner and smooth in
-spray affected areas with Oxy Replenish
-spray face with Phyto M. and apply serum
-(occasionally I will re-spray my face with Phyto when it's REALLY dehydrated and "peely")
-wait at least 15 minutes then apply Taz .1%

Hi amnis,
My routine is pretty similar to yours, the very last thing I apply is the taz, after at least 30 minutes. I do have problems with extreme dryness and flakiness as a result of using taz (but I'm willing to put up with that-- tazorac has done so much for me), and so I got the moisture enrichment , but then around the same time, (I don't think it was b/c of the enrichment), my skin started getting extremely red and broken out in a rash (I'm not usually reactive/sensitive/allergic-- I think it was probably the gatineau mateliance effervescent formula I decided to try, combined with a vitamin C serum sample Embarassed

). Anyway, I panicked, decided to buy skyn iceland's Bio-Intense Healing Serum, then hyaluronic acid. The HA has really helped, so I've been using that right after the phytomoisture and after my ZB serum (PM). Finally, I add the tazorac (after the wait). I read on the taz website that a moisturizer is to be used before it, but I doubt that applying moisturizer after it (after perhaps a 30 minute wait) would really affect anything... Manslayerliz seems to have great success doing it in that order.
Smile

-joanne

free skin care · Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:36 am

I heard from Robert at Zenbiotic. Here's what he said about the Winter Moisture:

"the Winter Moisturizer has the same as the Moisture Enrich with a base of magnetically charged mineral water."

And here is what he said about my needing more moisture since my skin has become so dehydrated:

"I would suggest trying the Sun Protection and Winter Moisturizer for the season. Both will protect your skin from dehydration."

I went ahead and ordered a sample of the Winter Moisture and a Body Pack b/c I really want to try the shampoo, conditioner, Body Milk and Sun Protection. Can't wait to try them! Wink

free skin care · Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:04 pm

amnis wrote:

I heard from Robert at Zenbiotic. Here's what he said about the Winter Moisture:

"the Winter Moisturizer has the same as the Moisture Enrich with a base of magnetically charged mineral water."

And here is what he said about my needing more moisture since my skin has become so dehydrated:

"I would suggest trying the Sun Protection and Winter Moisturizer for the season. Both will protect your skin from dehydration."

I went ahead and ordered a sample of the Winter Moisture and a Body Pack b/c I really want to try the shampoo, conditioner, Body Milk and Sun Protection. Can't wait to try them! Wink

Amnis, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this stuff when you try it! I'll be reporting back about the sunscreen and winter moisturizer soon!

free skin care · Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:47 am

manslayerliz wrote:

Amnis, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this stuff when you try it!

I'll let you know as soon as I do. Wink

free skin care · Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:40 pm

Quick update---

The first time I ordered this product it came in a convenient plastic eye-dropper type bottle. The second time I ordered it it came in an airless pump, which looked nice but leaked, so I emailed Robert and asked him to bring back the old packaging. Apparently he listened because I just got an email saying that they are now using the plastic eyedropper bottles again, sweet! So if anyone ordered the Moisture Enrichment and is annoyed with the pump (it's not awful, but it's not as good as the dropper, IMO), don't worry because from now on when you order you'll get the dropper bottle.

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