May Lindstrom is a former model, an LA-based beauty entrepreneur, and a self-described “skin-chef”. Her love for skin care began in childhood when she would make herself mud masks with clay from her parents’ garden. As an adult, Lindstrom went from the garden to her kitchen, mixing up products to ease her highly sensitive and reactive skin.
Her years of DIY mud masks and homemade formulas eventually led to the launch of May Lindstrom Skin in 2012. As her company continues to expand, Lindstrom prides herself on hand-crafting every single batch from her own studio in small increments to ensure freshness and optimal effectiveness.
May Lindstrom skin care products are filled with blends of herbs, botanical oils, clays, vitamins, and minerals — all housed in beautiful (and recyclable) Miron violet glass packaging in order to protect these delicate ingredients from light.
Below we’ve reviewed the brand’s entire collection, including the popular May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. We’ve evaluated the research that supports (or doesn’t support) the ingredients that you’ll find in these products. We’ve also included some May Lindstrom reviews so you can get a better idea of what customers really think about these products.
What’s Inside May Lindstrom Skincare?
After evaluating the May Lindstrom skin care products, we noticed that the brand uses a variety of ingredients in their products, but some of the key ingredients that you’ll find throughout the collection include:
Shea Butter and Cocoa Seed Butter
Shea and cocoa seed butter function as emollients that soften and soothe the skin. These butters melt at body temperature, so they are able to coat the skin and form an occlusive film. This film helps to prevent evaporation of the skin’s natural moisture and increases skin hydration by causing buildup of water in the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of skin).
Shea and cocoa butter are found in the brand’s most popular product, May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon.
Clays
Clays like kaolin, rhassoul, and Fuller’s earth are used in several May Lindstrom products.
After being applied to the skin, these clays help to remove excess oil and dead skin that can clog pores. They are also anti-inflammatory. Thus, using products with these clays is beneficial for those with acne-prone skin.
Fragrant Essential Oils
Even though there aren’t any artificial fragrances in the May Lindstrom products, we’d like to point out that the brand does use fragrant essential oils and extracts in their products. They feel that these are beneficial due to the antioxidants, as well as the pleasant sensorial experience.
However, the use of fragrant essential oils is problematic because they have the potential to cause contact allergies, skin irritation, and even skin damage. In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal Dermatitis, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy.
This is because all fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin.
Even if you don’t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.
What Are The Best May Lindstrom Skin Care Products?
The May Lindstrom skin care collection currently consists of seven products, as well as accessories like a gold wand, a masque treatment bowl, and a facial treatment brush. Below we’ll give you the details on the skin care products.
May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon
As we mentioned above, May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon is the brand’s #1 best seller, and for good reason. Tanacetum annuum oil — aka blue tansy oil — not only gives this balm its beautiful aqua hue, it also imparts several benefits.
The main active components in blue tansy oil include the antioxidant chamazulene and a-bisabolol, which are known for their anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antimicrobial properties.
These properties make this oil effective for treating a plethora of conditions, including eczema, dry skin, sun damage, redness, irritation, and more. No wonder Lindstrom describes blue tansy oil as “the single most powerful ingredient” she uses.
Additional key ingredients in May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon include Camellia seed oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, marula oil, and baobab oil. These ingredients function as nourishing emollients that help to lock in moisture while also providing skin with nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants.
May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon can be used by all skin types as a daily moisturizer. However, those with oily and acne-prone skin may find this moisturizer to be too rich, especially since the formula contains high concentrations of shea butter and cocoa butter.
Even though May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon is supposedly formulated for those with problem skin, we noticed that the formula is packed with fragrance ingredients, such as lavender oil, myrrh oil, and more.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter that these ingredients are organic and naturally-derived. All fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin.
Bottom Line: May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon is a rich, luxurious balm that is meant to nourish and heal problem skin, but the presence of multiple fragrance ingredients could actually lead to skin sensitivity.
May Lindstrom Problem Solver
Just as the name suggests, The Problem Solver is a treatment mask for those with problem skin, such as skin struggling with inflammatory disorders like rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema. It can also be used to brighten skin and reduce scarring and hyperpigmentation.
The highest concentration ingredient in The Problem Solver is a mineral-rich clay known as Fuller’s earth. This multi-tasking clay is known to reduce inflammation, balance sebum secretions, brighten and even skin tone, and more.
Another key ingredient in The Problem Solver is activated charcoal derived from bamboo. Activated charcoal works by trapping toxins and impurities in its millions of tiny pores. Rather than absorbing the toxins, however, activated charcoal works through adsorption (the chemical reaction where elements bind to a surface). Thus, activated charcoal helps to purify and detox the skin.
The Problem Solver also contains quite a few spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla. While these spices have antioxidant properties, they also have the potential to cause skin sensitivity.
Bottom Line: May Lindstrom Problem Solver is a multi-tasking treatment that utilizes various clays and activated charcoal to absorb excess oil and toxins, but the presence of spices in this mask could lead to skin sensitivity.
May Lindstrom Honey Mud
The Honey Mud is described as a “facial pudding” with a cushiony texture that emulsifies into a silky cleansing milk when applied to wet skin. And when applied to dry skin, The Honey Mud functions as a mask that can be left on for just a few minutes or up to an hour before rinsing.
Whether used as a mask or cleanser, The Honey Mud works to enhance the skin’s natural shedding process thanks to a form of salicylic acid extracted from wintergreen leaves. This frees dead cells, both on the surface and in the pore lining, and releases the accumulation of environmental debris, makeup, and sunscreen that mixes with your natural oils and built up tissue.
And just as the name suggests, honey is a key ingredient in The Honey Mud. According to a publication in the journal Molecules, honey contains at least 181 ingredients. It is a supersaturated carbohydrates solution containing mainly glucose and fructose. Honey also contains enzymes, organic acids, phenolic acids and flavonoids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and more.
One problem with The Honey Mud is the mixture of fragrant botanical extracts in the formula, such as ylang-ylang, frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood, and more. While these certainly create a pleasant aromatic experience, the volatile fragrant components of these extracts could lead to skin sensitivity.
Bottom Line: May Lindstrom Honey Mud is a clay-based “facial pudding” that can be used as a cleanser or mask to exfoliate and nourish skin.
May Lindstrom Clean Dirt
The Clean Dirt is a brightening exfoliant treatment that comes as a fine, fresh-milled powder formula that transforms when introduced to water into a rich, fizzing mousse.
The base of the formula consists of two clays, kaolin and rhassoul, as well as sodium bicarbonate — aka baking soda. While baking soda is abrasive and will exfoliate the skin, the majority of skin care experts consider it to be too harsh.
Plus, baking soda has a high pH of 9, which is typically too alkaline for skin to tolerate since the skin’s normal pH is about 4.5 to 5. This alkaline pH can lead to disruption of the skin barrier, causing redness, dryness, breakouts, and signs of sensitivity.
Another problem: the brand included a decent amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in The Clean Dirt formula, but the pH of a product should ideally be lless than 3.5 for ascorbic acid to penetrate the skin. Thus, using a high concentration of baking soda with a pH of 9 in a formula that contains ascorbic acid just doesn’t make sense.
And, finally, we can’t ignore the spices in The Clean Dirt, including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and more. Remember, these spices may provide some benefits, but they also have the potential to cause skin sensitivity.
Bottom Line: May Lindstrom Clean Dirt is a clay-based exfoliant that contains a high concentration of baking soda, which may lead to disruption of the skin barrier due to its alkaline pH.
May Lindstrom Jasmine Garden
The Jasmine Garden is a facial mist that is said to function as a penetration enhancer, as well as the water element, ensuring the assimilation of both fat and water-soluble vitamins.
It is claimed to be a “game-changing formula”, but we noticed that the formula contains pretty standard ingredients, such as rose and jasmine flower water, that you’ll find in many facial mists on the market.
For instance, Averr Aglow Clarifying Hydration Dew is a facial mist that’s infused with rose water, cucumber water, chamomile extract, glycerin, and many more hydrating, soothing extracts. Plus, it costs a fraction of what you’ll pay for The Jasmine Garden!
Bottom Line: The Jasmine Garden is a facial mist with rose and jasmine flower water that’s meant to prep your skin for the rest of your routine.
May Lindstrom Pendulum Potion
The Pendulum Potion is a facial cleansing oil that promises to effortlessly melt away makeup and environmental debris, while softening and clearing congestion and dullness.
The formula features high concentrations of macadamia seed oil, camellia seed oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. These oils will help to remove oily makeup and excess sebum based on the chemical principle called “like dissolves like”. This means oils will dissolve other materials that have a similar chemical structure.
Like all May Lindstrom skin care products, The Pendulum Potion is laden with fragrance ingredients. These fragrances are included to help you “slow your breathing and return to yourself”, thereby creating a cleansing ritual. While this is certainly beneficial for your mental health, these fragrances may lead to skin irritation and sensitivity.
Bottom Line: The Pendulum Potion includes a blend of botanical oils, such as macadamia, camellia, olive, and avocado oil, to melt away makeup, excess sebum, and environmental debris.
May Lindstrom Youth Dew
The Youth Dew is a facial serum that the brand recommends to restore balance in those prone to acne, as well as to plump, protect, and hydrate in sensitive and maturing complexions.
The Youth Dew is said to be a serum, but it’s actually a facial oil. The base of the formula is jojoba oil, and the formula includes high concentrations of plum seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sea buckthorn oil, and rosehip seed oil. These oils function as emollients while also supplying skin with nutrients such as fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Bottom Line: The Youth Dew is a nourishing facial oil that’s recommended for those with acne-prone skin, mature skin, and sensitive skin — although the fragrance in this product may aggravate sensitive skin.
Is May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon Right For You?
Let’s face it, The Blue Cocoon is seductive. It’s vibrant blue hue, luxurious texture, and celebrity endorsements (like Gwyneth Paltrow, Cindy Crawford, and plenty of supermodels) may have you ready to splurge the $180 just to get a small jar of this potion. But before hitting “Add to Cart”, take a look at our summary of the most important factors to consider:
- Key ingredients? Blue tansy oil, camellia seed oil, shea butter, cocoa butter
- Skin type? All skin types; ideal for problem skin; may be too rich for oily skin types
- Texture? Rich balm
- Fragrance? Yes
- Cruelty free? Yes
- Cost? $180 USD for 50 mL
How Much Do May Lindstrom Skin Care Products Cost?
May Lindstrom is a luxury skin care brand, and the products are priced accordingly. For example, May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon costs $180 USD for 50 mL, while The Honey Mud mask costs $90 for 100 mL.
Where to Buy May Lindstrom Skin Care Products?
May Lindstrom skin care products are sold exclusively on the brand’s website.
Is May Lindstrom Cruelty Free?
Yes, May Lindstrom is cruelty free.
Is May Lindstrom Vegan?
May Lindstrom may offer some products that are suitable for vegans, but this is not a 100% vegan brand.
May Lindstrom Reviews
Unfortunately, the brand does not display May Lindstrom reviews on their website, only “featured testimonials’. Since this means the brand only displays the positive testimonials, we had to turn to a different website to get a better idea of what customers really think of these products.
May Lindstrom reviews on MakeupAlley.com are a mix of positive and negative. For example, May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon reviews average to 3.6 out of 5 stars after about 26 customer reviews.
The positive reviews for May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon mention how well it works for a variety of skin concerns, such as dry skin, oily skin, chapped lips, dark circles, and more. Many reviews call it the “holy grail”.
However, there are a handful of negative reviews for May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon from customers who experienced breakouts after using this product. Others simply find it to be too expensive.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that May Lindstrom products are definitely luxurious, but we cannot recommend them due to the inclusion of spices and fragrant essential oils that have the potential to lead to skin sensitivity and irritation.
Pros
- Products contain organic, naturally-derived ingredients
- Products are hand-crafted in small batches
- Many positive May Lindstrom reviews
- May Lindstrom is cruelty free
Cons
- High cost
- Products contain fragrant essential oils
References:
de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197
Molecules. 2020 Feb; 25(3): 556.
J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017 Jul; 10(7): 14–17.
Donna-Marie Original review: Jan 27, 2023.
I tried the May Lindstrom Chocolate Box which is a sample of the product line. I plan on ordering the full sizes of everything in the Chocolate Box plus the various body/hair oils.
This is one of the most luxurious, relaxing, and effective skincare lines I have tried. I have used Biologique Recherche for decades and it is spectacular; highly effective. I offer this information so as to provide context for my comments. Biologique Recherche is a beast when it comes to top quality effective skin care that delivers results. I must say that, May’s line is comparable and perhaps a bit better due to the use of vegan, gluten free ingredients and the ultra healing and relaxing essential oils and butters featured in the line. The fragrance is mild, nourishing, and oh so relaxing and sensual. You can see the difference in your skin immediately. The cleansing oil (pendulum potion), youth dew, and blue cocoon are game changers. The clean dirt is an amazing mask, the honey mud is an effective cleanser, and the jasmine garden is a wonderful skin refresher.
I am surprised that the blogger does not recommend this line because of the use of essential oils yet they recommend using products laden with chemicals we cannot pronounce. Actually, I guess I am not too surprised as the blogger is part of the allopathic community. A community which, relies heavily on chemically laden solutions and shuns natural proven healing modalities in favor for chemical concoctions that often manage one symptom and cause a dozen others. Good skincare is based on good nutrition and life nurturing products. I am not against the allopathic community. When one does not know better or is in a dire situation, an allopath is, perhaps, better than nothing. Allopaths are wonderful people. However, often times limited in their approach to healing.
I highly recommend May Lindstrom’s line of products. Try out the chocolate box. I also purchased the skincare mixing bowl, mask brush, and the dandelion wand. These were ultra luxurious purchases that are effective and add to the ritual of skincare 🙂