Josie Maran wants you to love her latest product. Obviously. And you will. The body answer to last year's best-selling Argan Beta Retinol Pink Algae Serum, Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter is an absolutely delightful moisturizing experience promising noticeable results. But what Josie Maran really, really wants you to love is yourself.
Call it corny, but the model turned entrepreneur is "just here to spread the love," she tells me. And if that starts with spreading the latest of her Allure Readers' Choice Award-winning body butters on your skin, then it's a win-win.
"It feels maybe even better than the originals, but it's very similar in terms of that whipped cream texture and really amazing hydration," she says. The main difference is the pro-retinol element. "I decided I wanted to whip up the retinol serum into a body butter, so you can get all those amazing benefits from head to toe."
Said benefits of this delightful pink formula — which gains its color from its beta-carotene-rich pink algae from an Australian lagoon — are myriad and ageless.
"It's for wherever you are in your skin journey," Maran says, adding that her 14-year-old daughter has been using it to help smooth her bumpy skin and body breakouts, and her mother, who's in her 60s, uses it to address crepey texture. And of course, Maran is using it herself to address some of her below-the-neck concerns. "I'm starting to see some little spots of aging, like around my knees or my shoulders, or even between my breasts."
Board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein is skeptical that beta carotene could make a retinol-like impact on skin. "I do not believe that there is any good scientific evidence that, when applied topically, beta carotene gets converted effectively into retinol and retinoic acid," she says. However, she sings the praises of many of the ingredients that make Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter such a great source of moisture. "I do like some of the moisturizing ingredients, including allantoin, glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and panthenol," she tells Allure.
As happy as Maran is with the results she's personally seen, one of her favorite things about using Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter is the experience of using it. In fact, she starts her skin-care routine with it in order to get herself excited about the rest of her regimen.
"I start with my body butter, and then I get into my face because the positive effect of the body butter. It kind of turns me on, gets me filled up with love and just feeling good about myself. So then I'm like, yes, let's go," she tells Allure, enthusiastically recommending the body-first approach. "I think it's like a really good way to get into a habit."
I took her advice, and I can attest: She's onto something. Aside from the little dose of joy I get from being greeted with a pretty color when you remove the jar's lid, I felt an immediate difference in my skin. It's instantly softer and more hydrated to the touch, and it looks smoother. Even my tattoos seem brighter. And because it's fragrance-free, it doesn't interfere with any scent I may want to apply afterward. And gosh darn it, it does make me more enthusiastic about diving into my full skin-care routine!
It's taking that time for myself — and realizing how much there is to love about ourselves — that Maran is really trying to encourage with this new body butter.
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter is available now for $46 at josiemarancosmetics.com and Sephora.
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