We Tried It: A Face Cream You Have to Refrigerate
Given the vast number of products that come across my desk, it takes a lot for one to stand out. Pretty packaging? I’ve seen it. Organic? Nice, but nothing new. Refrigerate after opening and use within 30 days? OK, now that warranted a closer look. The product, I soon learned, is Lizora Pu-erh Tea Nourishing Cream ($49, lizora.com).
The brainchild of founder Cathy Xian, Lizora is a facial cleanser, exfoliant, and moisturizer made from 11 natural ingredients. It owes much of its skin-soothing power to antioxidant- and vitamin-rich pu-erh tea extract, which the the brand culls from 500-year-old wild tress in the Himalayas. Other ingredients include collagen-boosting orange peel oil and Moroccan rose, an anti-inflammatory that enhances the skin’s glow. Because it’s organic and preservative-free, Lizora lasts just 30 days once it’s opened and should be refrigerated to preserve the ingredients. It’s good for 9o days unopened.
I opted to use the cream before bedtime and leave it on my face overnight. (It can also be used as an exfoliant that you rinse off or as a daytime moisturizer.) The texture is more of a balm than a cream and just a dab was all that I needed. The fragrance-free formula makes for an earthy, citrusy, and slightly sour scent—the natural aroma of the product’s garden-plucked ingredients—which I found a bit overwhelming. It soon faded though, and I can see myself getting used to it given the benefits of the cream. Upon application, Lizora was extremely soothing, instantly de-stressing my skin after a day of having it covered in makeup and wracked by the everyday pollutants of New York City. Having absorbed the product throughout the night, my skin was noticeably brighter when I woke up than it is on most mornings, and it felt extremely hydrated as well.
While a product with a 30-day shelf life may not be the most practical for those of us who like to switch up our skin care routines, this one gets our stamp of approval.
More from Daily Makeover: The Best Drugstore Foundations for Every Skin Concern
