Baume Ultime Ultimate Balm Body Oil

1 Review

1. 

   insecureBuck6

   Reply

   I came across this body balm after reading about the California-based high end boutique brand Retrouvé which was founded by the Heidegger family who also founded Kiehl’s. This balm has the consistency and color of honey and the instructions emphasize to use it on wet skin right after showering or bathing. And used this way, the balm applies beautifully, I have enjoyed using it after my evening shower, before bedtime. Immediately after application and throughout the next day, my skin feels calmed and deeply hydrated, including on the driest areas of my body, like lower legs. How valid the instruction to use on wet skin is, became quite clear to me when I tried applying the balm on dry skin. Not a good idea, it was hard to spread the product and I ended up using way too much, and my skin ended up being sticky as a result. The instructions generally recommend to take any residue off with tissue, but given the cost of this precious balm, it seems simply too wasteful. Which brings me to the cost of $195 per 5oz/150ml of product which is even more expensive than LaMer’s Renewal Body Oil Balm, which contains at least 6.7oz/200ml per tube for the same US retail price per tube.
   Packaging: like all the other products in the Retrouvé line, the Baume Ultime comes in all black packaging. I find the brand design quite elegant, and this pump tube material of the Baume Ultime is a matte, opaque plastic, lightweight and travel friendly, and it protects the ingredients. Only negative: you cannot see how much product is left in the container. Retrouvé does not add fragrance, which I appreciate. Consequently, all products only have the smell of their specific ingredients. The Baume Ultime has a soft botanical smell which I find pleasant. In conclusion, after having used both products for a while in the winter, the LaMer Oil Balm and the Retrouvé Baume Ultime are similar in their qualities to hydrate, but distinctly different in the way they are applied. That said, I definitely recommend both products. Personally, I like having the option to apply a balm to dry skin as well as wet/damp skin, so in that sense I find the LaMer balm somewhat more practical. Both deserve four stars in my view. Anyone who prefers non-fragranced products with much fewer ingredients – see ingredient listing below – than what LaMer typically contains, for instance for use on eczema prone skin, the Retrouvé balm may be worth a try.

   Ingredients:
   Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil * C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters * Squalane * Tocopheryl Acetate * Tetrahexadecyl Ascorbate * Olus Oil * Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax * Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax * Glyceryl Behenate/Elcosadioate * C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate * Tribehen * Ceramide 2 * PEG 10 Rapeseed Sterol * PalmitoylOligopeptide* Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride * Crithmum Maritimum Extract * Salicornia Herbacae Extract * Tocopherol * Caprylic/capric triglyceride * Lavandula Stoechas Extract * 7-Dehydrocholesterol * Ubiquinone * Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil * Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract * Retinyl Palmitate * Ethylhexylglycerin * Phenoxyethanol