Before I was into clean beauty, I used to work as a freelance pro makeup artist for Estee Lauder and it was SO fun. I did this job in Houston, NYC and Philadelphia and I learned so much about the product lines and really enjoyed the company and people I got to work with. However, once I dug deep into clean beauty, many of my Estee Lauder favorites had to go because they just couldn’t pass the clean beauty basics. But when I saw an old colleague post about this NEW, EWG Verified clean skincare collection (and it’s simplicity and price point!)… I legit JUMPED on ordering it. It’s been about a month of using now, and I’m sharing my Estee Lauder Nutritious Review…
To start, what makes skincare ‘clean’ … and even further, what earns the “EWG Verified” certification?
To me, clean is when something definitely avoid fragrance/parfum (or at least discloses what the scent is comprised of). It also doesn’t contain parabens, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers (often found in bath/body wash products), phthalates and a few others. But it’s not perfectly defined and many companies have their own spin on it.
There are levels of clean… some things are good, better, and then there’s best (or super clean/safe).
The Environmental Working Group is a government organization that has become somewhat of an authority for clean living. EWG Verified means that the company has paid extra to obtain third party certification that their products pass the test. According to the EWG (Environmental Working Group), “EWG VERIFIED™ recognizes products that meet EWG’s strictest standards for your health. This means none of EWG’s chemicals of concern. This means full transparency. This means a mark you can trust. It means EWG approved.”
I like when I find a product with this stamp of approval because it means NOT just the brand says it’s clean… a group of professionals with no motivation to prove it did their due diligence to investigate the ingredients and sourcing to be sure that it’s well formulated and safer for human use.
If you’ve been around for awhile, and follow beauty, you may remember the Nutritious collection from Estee Lauder.
Not typically found in the United States, this was a well loved line in Asia.
However, this NEW Nutritious collection is not at all the same as what used to exist.
This collection is EWG Verified, streamlined down to only three products (so far), and formulated for what they call “grumpy” skin… which happens to be exactly ME.
Nutritious is best suited for those with sensitive, dehydrated yet normal/oily and tend to be acne prone. It’s best for someone who is looking for their skin to be less red, smaller appearing pores, hydrated yet not overly oily… just think: nourished.
Nutritious is not going to be amazing for those with ultra dry skin or those looking for powerhouse anti-aging.
I’d say this is a routine ideal for those in their 20s-40s who want a clean routine that doesn’t break the bank yet still delivers high performance balanced skin.
The routine includes a foaming cleanser, a treatment essence, and a soft creme moisturizer. Let’s discuss each product…
To understand the foaming qualities of this cleanser, it reminds me a lot of the Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean foaming cleanser, or the Clinique Foaming Cleanser (pink tube), or even the First Aid Beauty Foaming Cleanser. However, this one, in my opinion with my skin type, is better. It’s less intense/stripping and leaves my skin feeling well cleansed but not overly tight/dry. It does a great job removing makeup, too.
A little goes a LONG way with this cleanser!
The Foaming Cleanser has 4.2 oz of product for $27 USD.
I’ve always loved an essence step in a routine. My skin also loves essences. Think of them as a thicker liquid (or a watered down serum). You press them into the skin and they prep your skin to better absorb serums/moisturizers. They also can deliver nutrients to your skin differently/deeper than serums/moisturizers can. Estee Lauder’s Micro Essence was one of my faves before I stopped using it due to clean beauty, and happy to report this Nutritious essence is just DELIGHTFUL. It leaves my skin glowing without being irritated. Just the perfect amount of light hydration to allow other skincare to penetrate deeper.
This essence advertises redness reduction and pore minimizing, and I have to say… I agree. I notice a difference when I forget to use this in my routine out of laziness. The ingredient list is also impressive.
The Nutritious Essence is 6.7 oz for $42 USD.
Last in the easy Nutritious routine is the oil free moisturizer. I was so nervous to try this moisturizer because – full disclosure – no Estee Lauder moisturizer worked well for me because I am so sensitive and so many of them had too many active ingredients or fragrance. BUT… this one is a WINNER!
Again, best for normal/combo/oilier skin, this light and pillowy moisturizer almost feels like a gel creme. It works great during the day under SPF/makeup and keeps my skin feeling balanced.
The Nutritious Moisturizer is 1.7 oz of product for $48 USD.
You can find the new Nutritious line exclusively at Ulta stores/online, or on EsteeLauder.com.
I’m really thrilled to see this collection being offered by Lauder. I think it helps appeal to a demographic they were neglecting and in general, the skin type this caters towards is also often misunderstood and not served in the current skincare market.
In the clean skincare world, so many products contain too many potentially irritating ingredients, botanicals, essential oils, etc. that do not work with ‘grumpy’ skin. The Nutritious line is a perfect answer for those like me who want a clean routine they can feel good will not break them out but leaves their skin looking glowing, balanced and nourished.
I give it two thumbs way up and super happy to recommend it to anyone who may need a routine like this! 🙂
-Steffanie
