Ole Henriksen Banana Bright™ Eye Crème – Product Review

I had a chance to use Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright™ Eye Crème every morning and every night over the course of 28 days and I gave it a rating of 4.2/10.

 

There are 3 main parameters I evaluated this product against:

1. Clinical, i.e. does it say what it says it does? (contributes 40% to overall rating)
2. Experience, i.e. how does the product feel upon application and do I like it? (contributes 40% to overall rating)
3. Aesthetics, i.e. what does the product look like and how does it look and smell. (contributes 20% to overall rating)

Ole Henriksen’s claim on their website says this eye cream “Brightens, firms, improves concealer wear and instantly reduces look of fine lines and wrinkles”.

Clinical Review

Does the product do what it says it does?
(0 – no response, 1- fair, 2 – good, 3 – very good, 4 – excellent)

Dark circles – 2
Wrinkles/Fine lines – 0
Hydration – 2

While I saw no noticeable improvement in my wrinkles and fine lines, I thought there was some improvement in the dark circles around my eyes and overall hydration or moisture of the skin around my eyes even hours after application.

Below you can see the difference in my Day 1 pic (on the left below) and my Day 28 pic (on the right below) that shows how my dark circles did seem to improve after one month of use.  I may have had some leftover eye liner on the before pic but I definitely saw a difference in how dark my circles appeared before and after using the cream.

Experience Review

What was the overall experience in using the product?
(0 – no response, 1- fair, 2 – good, 3 – very good, 4 – excellent)

Use under makeup – 1
Soothing effect – 2
Refreshing effect – 2
Smoothing effect – 2
Brightening effect – 4

So the very first observation I made was the immediate brightening, almost glistening, look to my eye.  I think this has to do with using some light reflective ingredients that create an almost shimmery look under my.  Take a look below to see the difference, it is pretty intense…

Do you see how the second pic on the right above is super shimmery??  I had my husband try it and he saw the same thing…I think the brightening effect works a little better on lighter skin for sure.

Regarding the other categories, I thought my makeup applied okay over the cream but it caked up after a few hours (I am still on the hunt for an eye cream that won’t do this).  They use silicones in their product which gives the cream a nice slip when it is applied under the eye, creating a smoothing and soothing effect.  I also thought I could feel it working upon application, it would stay wet for a while (which I kinda didn’t like) but would eventually soak in and leave my eye area dry.

Aesthetics

What does the product look like and how does it look and smell? .07

Packaging (1 – ordinary or 2 – luxury/high end) 

I gave the packaging a rating of 1.  The package is rather small and comes in a paper box and plastic jar.  There isn’t anything too luxurious about the exterior packaging but it does its job.

Smell/Color (0 – distracting/unpleasant, 1 – tolerable, 2 – nice, 3 – appealing, 4 – perfect)

I gave the smell/color a rating of 1.  It has a vitamin smell to it that is a little sharp and tangy and is a light mustard yellow with sparkles.  Not the most appealing color and smell but definitely tolerable.

Ingredients Review

On their website, the product highlights the following ingredients

• True C Complex:  Stabilized vitamin C derivatives formulated to help brighten the skin and fight visible signs of aging
• Orange and Green Tea Extracts:  Helps nourish skin
• Collagen:  Helps improve skin’s youthful elasticity
• Aloe Juice:  Helps soften and condition skin

The full ingredient list includes (I’ve bolded the ingredients that map to the ingredients highlighted above):

Water (Aqua), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Isododecane, Coconut Alkanes, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetearyl Alcohol, 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cocoyl Proline, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate-13, Mica, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Polyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Pheno-xyethanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Polyisobutene, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum/Fragrance, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract.

(NOTE:  I couldn’t map collagen and aloe juice to the ingredient list but I may be missing it from how ingredients are represented on the internet)

Because ingredients can wear multiple hats, it is hard to say which function each ingredient serves but here is a quick run down of the ingredients based on some research I did online…it is very possible the ingredients listed below are being used in different functions but there are some useful insights below regardless.

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil:  acts as an emollient Jojoba which soothes skin

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter:  this ingredient seems to be in everything.  Shea butter is a vegetable fat obtained from the fruit of a tree native to Africa, Butyrospermum parkii. It acts as an occlusive skin conditioning agent.

Isododecane:  a solvent that helps with the spreadability of the product

Coconut Alkanes:  A volatile naturally derived which works as an emollient that gives smooth skin feel.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate: a stable oil soluble derivative of Vitamin C.  Other eye creams may tout the use of L-Ascorbic Acid, which is pure Vitamin C, but it seems L-Ascorbic Acid isn’t very stable and can go bad or cause irritation on sensitive skin.  I haven’t used it myself so I can’t directly comment but something to be on the look out for in your next eye cream product.

Polyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate:  serves as a surfactant and emulsifier and is a derivative of the fatty acids that come from rice bran oil.

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax:  This is an ester that is formed between plant-based polyceral-3 and beeswax.  The ester consists of a large number of fatty acids.  It acts as a surfactant and emulsifier.

Cetearyl Alcohol:  A mixture of cetyl and stearyl alcohols that can come from vegetable or synthetic sources.  Can be used in various capacities including an emollient, surfactant, emulsion stabilizer.  Another point to note, the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List has this listed as a suspected to be an environmental toxin.

3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid:  Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable Vitamin C derivative with excellent skin brightening activity.

Glycerin: is a naturally occurring alcohol compound and a component of many lipids. Glycerin may be of animal or vegetable origin. This ingredient may be derived from animals. It serves many functions including acting as a humectant, skin conditioning agent, or skin protectant.

Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer:  Emollient

Polymethylsilsesquioxane:  A silicone ingredient that creates a lubricating, smooth, silky feel and increases the skin or hair’s ability to repel water, according to Marshall Brain, the founder of How Stuff Works.

Cocoyl Proline:  Vegetable origin and substitutes effectively ethoxylated surfactants usually used in cosmetic products. Eco-cert certified and biodegradable.

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate:  a synthetic lipid-based ingredient used as a skin conditioning agent.

Dimethicone Crosspolymer:  Silicone derivative used as a stabilizing and suspending agent or as a thickener.

HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer:  This ingredient is a synthetic polymer and acts as an anti-caking agent.

Polyacrylate-13:  Is a film-forming agent but has some restrictions on its use.  It is made up of repeating molecules of a suspected carcinogen (acrylamide) which the European Union (EU) has set limits on but the United States does not currently regulate it.

Mica:  Highly brittle silicate minerals with diverse chemical composition; typically used as a colorant

Polysorbate 20:  A surfactant and emulsifier; may cause developmental and reproductive toxicity in high doses

Caprylyl Glycol:  skin conditioning agent.

Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891):  Titanium dioxide is an inorganic compound used as a sunscreen agent, has low skin penetration but inhalation is a concern.

Polyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate:  A skin conditioning agent or surfactant

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate:  A skin conditioning agent or surfactant

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate:P A skin conditioning agent or surfactant

Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate:  An emulsifier

Pheno-xyethanol,  Preservative but it seems exposure to this preservative has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate:  a skin-conditioning agent naturally derived from coconut oil to provide high hydration, superb spreadability and elegant slip.

Polyisobutene:  a synthetic polymer of isobutylene; used as a film-forming agent.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer:  a thickening and emulsifying agent and are capable of providing flow and clarity to gel systems.

Parfum/Fragrance

Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide:  Studies have shown that Tamarind Seed Extract significantly improves skin elasticity, hydration and smoothness.

Tocopheryl Acetate:  Vitamin E

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract:  Extract of dog rose hips, skin conditioning agent.

Closing Thoughts

• The product costs $38.00 for a .5 fl. oz jar.  Based on my application of  the cream in the morning and at night, I suspect this jar can last you about 2 months.
• Given some of the potential concerns with some ingredients, I don’t believe I will buy this product again…my search continues.