If you’re sick of dealing with the dry, intensely itchy skin that comes along with eczema, you may be ready to try just about anything to alleviate your symptoms. But would you try a lobster-derived ingredient if it promised to take the itch away?
OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
| Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
| 2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
| 3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
| - | Marin Skincare |
That’s exactly what you’ll find in the Soothing Hydration Cream by Marin Skin Care, a Maine skin care brand founded by Patrick Breeding and Amber Boutiette.
Both Patrick and Amber have Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, which allowed them to connect with some of Maine’s most experienced marine resource industry experts. Eventually, this led them to discover marine glycoproteins and their incredible use to soothe and calm aggravated, dry skin.
Amber can tell you that marine glycoproteins work from her own experience; she lived with eczema for years, trying product after product to find something that worked for her skin, with no success — until she formulated a product with the newly discovered marine glycoproteins.
After a few days she noticed her eczema had finally calmed down, with an impressive visible improvement in her skin. This rapid improvement inspired Amber and Patrick to build the Marin Skin Care brand so they could share this unique ingredient and help others with eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin.
In this Marin Skincare review, we’ll discuss the brand’s best products, including the key ingredients and the research that supports (or doesn’t support) their use in skincare.
We’ll also share some Marin Skincare reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of these products.
What Are The Best Marin Skincare Products?
At the time of writing this review, Marin Skincare offers one moisturizer and two lip treatments. Let’s take a closer look at each product.
Marin Soothing Hydration Cream
This fragrance free moisturizer for the face, hands, and body has a rich texture that soaks deeply into the skin while creating a protective barrier to help skin retain moisture with no greasy after-feel. It’s recommended for those with dry, damaged, stressed skin, including skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
Of course, marine glycoproteins are the key ingredients in this cream, but the brand also included vitamin E, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid. We’ll give you the details on these ingredients in the Key Ingredients section below.
Marin Lip Treatment
The Marin Lip Treatment is an innovative treatment, uniquely infused with marine glycoproteins, that offers deep hydration, repair, soothing, and protection for your lips. It promises to help your lips stay comfortably hydrated throughout the day.
In addition to marin glycoproteins, the formula includes emollients, both synthetic (such as polyisobutene and synthetic beeswax) and natural emollients (coconut oil and candelilla wax).
Marin Lip Treatment is available in two flavors: unscented and blueberry french toasts. Both flavors have a clear, glossy finish.
What Are The Key Ingredients in Marin Skincare Products?
Let’s take a closer look at the key ingredients used in the brand’s best-selling Marin Soothing Hydration Cream.
Hemocyanin (Marine Glycoprotein)
Glycoproteins are small molecules that consist of a protein surrounded by sugars, which dissolve easily in water. This allows them to bind and lock-in moisture, while delivering oxygen to your skin, promoting skin barrier strength, elasticity, and smoothness.
Marin Skin Care sustainably and ethically sources their marine glycoproteins from lobsters, creating a product with a novel ingredient that visibly calms and soothes dry, aggravated skin patches, while helping lock in moisture.
However, we have to point out that there aren’t any clinical studies with marine glycoproteins, just anecdotal evidence from Amber and the few Marin Skin Care reviews on the internet.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is included in the Marin Skin Care Soothing Hydration Cream because it’s a
fat-soluble antioxidant that’s essential for the maintenance of healthy skin.
Specifically, vitamin E is a “chain-breaking” antioxidant because it can hinder the chain reaction induced by free radicals, according to a publication by Dermatology News. This is important because free radicals contribute to signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
Another function of vitamin E is to help the skin retain moisture by strengthening the skin’s barrier function. When vitamin E is delivered to your skin through the sebaceous (oil) glands, it improves water-binding capacity and hydrates the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of skin).
Vitamin E may also have related anti-inflammatory roles in the skin, which is particularly helpful for those with inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Vitamin E is one of the key ingredients in one of our favorite moisturizers, Carrot & Stick The Repair Cream. We like this moisturizer because the fragrance-free formula contains probiotics and natural, soothing plant extracts to support the skin’s microbiome, resulting in skin looking hydrated and visible issues diminished.
Shea Butter
It’s well known that shea butter is an effective moisturizer due to its rich supply of triglycerides and fatty acids, which replenish the skin’s moisture barrier after topical application. In fact, shea butter has been shown to be superior to mineral oil at preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Additionally, shea butter has been shown to have some anti-aging properties. In two studies it was determined to help regenerate thinning skin, lessen wrinkles from sun damage, improve complexion, and promote healing.
Hyaluronic Acid
The final key ingredient in Marin Skin Care Soothing Hydration Cream is hyaluronic acid, a type of glycosaminoglycan (sugar molecule) that attracts moisture from the environment and draws that moisture into the skin’s upper layers.
How Much Do Marin Skincare Products Cost?
Marin Skincare products are pretty affordable, with the prices being comparable to higher end drugstore brands such as Olay and Burt’s Bees. For example, the Marin Soothing Hydration Cream costs $19.99 USD for 1.75 oz, and $34.99 for 4 oz.
Where to Buy Marin Skincare Products?
Marin Skincare products are sold exclusively on the brand’s website (marinskincare.com).
What is The Marin Skincare Return Policy?
The Marin Skincare return policy states, “We offer returns if the product has not been opened (seal on the cap of the tube has not been opened)! Although under normal circumstances we cannot accept returns on products that have been opened, if you are unsatisfied with your order please reach out to us and we will consider returns on a case-by-case basis!”
Is Marin Skincare Cruelty Free?
Marin Skin Care does not have an animal testing policy on their website, so we are unable to determine whether or not this brand is cruelty free.
Marin Skincare Reviews
Marin Skincare reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive. The product with the most reviews is the Marin Soothing Hydration Cream, which has earned an average rating of 4.52 out of 5 stars after more than 2,400 customer reviews.
The positive reviews for the Marin Soothing Hydration Cream mention that it really helps to clear up eczema while soothing and softening the skin.
For example, one review says, “I started getting eczema on my face recently. When I saw this product online, I knew I had to try it. The Marin cream started clearing up my eczema within just a few days. I am extremely happy with this product and would certainly recommend the same. Thank you!”
A similar 5-star review says, “I love the hydration cream. I get eczema on my hands and this is the only thing that really helps.”
However, there are a handful of negative reviews for the Marin Soothing Hydration Cream, which are mostly from customers that were disappointed they didn’t see any difference after using this cream.
For example, one review says, “I didn’t see any difference in my hands. And it’s too hard to get out of the tube. And it’s too expensive to buy. Sorry.”
Other 1-star reviews are from customers who had allergic reactions to this product. For example, one reviewer shares, “I was so excited to receive my Marin order. Unfortunately, this caused a major reaction on my face – redness, itching, and extensive skin peeling after a few uses.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that Marin Skincare is worth a try if you’re struggling with the symptoms of eczema since the Soothing Hydration Cream is unlike any other product on the market thanks to the inclusion of marine glycoproteins.
Pros
- Innovative formulation
- Soothing Skin Cream contains beneficial key ingredients (Marine Glycoproteins, Emollients, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid)
- Many positive Marin Skincare reviews
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- No money back guarantee
- Unable to determine if Marin Skin Care is cruelty free
What Are Some Alternatives to Marin Skincare Products?
If you’d like to add an anti-aging facial moisturizer to your daily routine, consider Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer. It’s a lightweight moisturizer powered by plant proteins, vitamins, peptides and amino-collagen to deliver multi-level hydration and protection against free radicals. Plus, the caffeine in the formula helps to tighten skin while plant-based emollients promote overall moisture retention.
References:
Dermatology News “Update on Vitamin E” Aug 2016
