“If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you choose?”

This is one of those great getting-to-know you questions, and my answer comes to me in a heartbeat: by the water. Brooks, streams, rivers, oceans – moving water makes my soul as light as air. Watching or simply hearing it flow naturally (out of the faucet is never the same) can make any destination heaven in my eyes.

Still on the hunt for the best eco-friendly beauty products, it was easy for me to want to try San Diego-based Wai Hope Organic Skincare.

All of Wai Hope’s goodies are made with their trademarked Biomarine water “that has been enhanced through our proprietary ozonation process. It features the rare Red Fijian Sea weed and Brazilian Rainforest Super-antioxidant fruit juices , this biomarine^TM water replaces the ‘water’ phase in the skin care formulation, which is the main ingredient of all skin care formulas. ”

Reading through the ingredient list of my received products makes me soul even lighter. I can pronounce them all and, in many cases, have eating them before. I’ll be the first one to pipe up and say that food-based products are my favorite.

Wai Hope Seawater Recharging Mist ($30)

This spray came in really handy during a recent heatwave here in Connecticut. While it was cool and refreshing to spritz on my skin, I found my skin actually drying out once the product was absorbed. The smell of the mist is simply delightful; knowing it was all-natural made it all the easier to be transported to quiet island with cool breezes.

The website says, “Anti-inflammatory properties help soothe the skin, lighten pigmentation, and diminish broken capillaries.” As a long-time acne sufferer, this was music to my ears. My skin did undoubtedly feel soothed and reduced the redness of existing blemishes.

Wai Hope Daybreak Ultra Replenishing Moisturizer ($40)

I didn’t think it was possible for a seawater product to smell better than the Recharging Mist, but this moisturizer does! Meant to be used after said Recharging Mist, the Daybreak Moisturizer is delightful. While the scent can easily perk up my mood, I was disappointed at its actual moisturizing abilities. I often had to use more than I normally would to prevent my skin from getting flaky. It did help to make my acne less noticeable, but did little to prevent future acne.

Bottom Line: Both products were a joy to use, thanks to their texture and scent. Unfortunately, they weren’t effective enough for me to justify spending the money to buy them.

Most recently, the folks over at Wai Hope premiered their DermOxyZone System spa treatment. I haven’t had the pleasure (or the need) to experience this treatment, but research has shown it can have fantastic effects on severly damanged skin. I encourage you to check it out if you feel your skin has suffered moderate-to-severe damage (i.e. sunburns, medications, cancer).