Peoni Skincare by Jennifer Brodeur

For Day 4 of my Skincare Series, I bring your attention to another brand that was born & continues to be made here in my hometown of Montreal: introducing Peoni Skincare, the brainchild of Jennifer Brodeur aka: the Skin Guru … a woman, who among her many accomplishments (she’s taught biology & chemistry and is the mastermind behind the MAX+, a highly sought after LED light-therapy machine) also happens to be the skincare specialist for none other than Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, to name but a few. Pairing an organic and holistic approach to skincare that’s married with ground-breaking anti-aging technology, what makes Peoni even more impressive is this one simple fact: there are only 4 products in the range. In this day & age of excess, this feels almost revolutionary … and so absolutely welcome.

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Meet: Jennifer Brodeur, the Skin Guru

With over 20 years experience in the aesthetics industry, Jennifer is considered a pioneer and visionary by her peers. Her extensive research has led her to create a skincare range that is not only simple to use, but centred around a holistic approach that is based on organic ingredients. With a firm belief that nature truly offers all we need to create a ‘wholesome skincare’ regimen, this mother of 3 beautiful daughters looked to the peony — the star ingredient which forms the basis of the entire range. Cultivated in China since 900 B.C., the peony flower has been known for its unique antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties and forms part of one of the oldest remedies in Chinese medicine. Adding to this already impressive list of attributes, are green tea, licorice root, and vitamins to further strengthen each formula. What you will NOT find in any Peoni product, however, is: mineral oil, gluten, animal products, pegs, parabens, phthalates, dyes, or colorants.

Le Nettoyant (CAN $60.00/200 ml) | This creamy & pearly-looking cleanser not only effectively & safely removes makeup and impurities that collect upon the skin’s surface, but treats and nourishes your complexion while cleansing. Key ingredients include organic aloe, peony, argan oil, green tea, and Vitamin E. To use, you apply approx 2 pumps to damp skin, add a bit of cold water to massage and activate the full effect, then rinse. The result is skin that passes the white towel test (i.e.: when you dry with a white towel after cleansing and still see residue — no bueno), and all without that dry & tight feel left behind of some other cleansers.

L’Essence (CAN $60.00/200 ml) | This is a toner unlike any I’ve used to date; made with the powerful properties of organic aloe, willow bark, green tea, grape seed extract, and alteromonas ferment from the deep sea, you can either spray this directly on the face or onto a cotton pad for application to the skin (which turned out to be easier for me, as I found that the spray nozzle on my bottle was a tad strong). The aim of L’Essence is many-sided; it will stimulate circulation, encourage cell turnover, and improve skin elasticity over time — and all of this captured in one simple bottle. Ideally used after cleansing and before applying La Crème.

L’Extrait (CAN $~~225.00~~ 150.00/30 ml) | The powerhouse of the entire range, this is to be considered more of an “as needed” type of treatment, as it packs quite the impact. Containing the purest extract of the original flowers and plants, along with green tea leaves, licorice root, Rosa Rubiginosa, and Kakadu Plum for even more wrinkle-fighting power, the secret lies in just one tiny drop; seriously, all you need is one drop warmed up in your hands and applied to face and/or neck (or both, as I prefer doing); don’t be stunned when within a very short time indeed, you wake up to gorgeously glowing skin. For the record, the first time I tried using this oil, I applied about 5 drops which was serious overkill — I ended up massaging the excess into my hands & cuticles, so it was all good, but learn from my mistake. Oh, and did I mention how absolutely lovely it smells? And I don’t mean fake-perfumey either, but more fresh garden-like.

La Crème (CAN $195.00/50 ml) | Finally, we come to the product that brings it all together, the queen moisturizer of the range. Containing peony extract, green tea, vitamins, gotu kola, and other organic plant extracts, you’d think that this cream would indeed feel rather heavy along the skin but instead, it has a lightweight texture that absorbs beautifully … like magic. Used morning and night for best results, I am also somewhat obsessed over the fact that you can pump out the product for ease of use — not to mention how incredible my skin has been both behaving & appearing since I began using this cream … and feels so soft too! Sweetening the deal is the subtle yet absolutely heavenly fragrance … love!

When word of mouth spreads like wildfire, it pays to take notice; Jennifer’s expertise and talents are very in demand (which reminds me: I definitely plan on setting up a facial & interview with her ASAP) and even without Oprah’s support, I suspect that Peoni would have gone far just the same. Why? Because the products work. It’s that simple. Actually, when I received this collection, there was a note included telling me to “get ready to glow”, and I confess to being rather skeptical; then one day about 3 days into testing, I happened to catch a glimpse of my face in the mirror which made me come to a stop: I’ll be damned — I had what can only be described as a red-carpet glow. A regimen that is pared down to bare essentials, uses only the very best ingredients derived from natural sources, and consistently produces amazing results — what’s not to love? For what it’s worth, this range has a new fan. Me.

Available at www.jbskinguru.com