October 31, 2012

E.L.F. Studio Daily Moisture Stick Review

E.L.F. Studio Daily Moisture Stick is a new clear gel moisture stick that quickly nourishes and hydrates skin with a lightweight soothing balm.

I’ve compared it to DuWop’s Flight Stick, which I love, due to the design and idea behind it. I’m kinda in love with the idea of a moisture stick as it makes for an excellent prep for makeup and travels really well for moisture on to go.

But E.L.F. got something very wrong with this stick….

Great idea, great price point ($6), and just generally a super product E.L.F. Nice work! DuWop charges considerably higher for their Flight Stick so I was quite excited to get my hands on this.

This is a large chubby stick that swivels up for application. It’s a translucent gel which has a lightweight balm-like texture. I’m unsure how many folks are comfortable swiping it on skin and traveling with it as that’s not entirely hygienic. If you can get past the bacteria issues you might think it a nifty tool for having in your makeup bag. If you travel a lot it makes for an excellent source of moisture on the go and acts as a nice prep prior to makeup to smooth drier skin and allow for easier makeup application.

The formula absorbs easily, leaves behind a nice hydrating finish, and feels cooling on skin. I like it overall.

The problem?

It’s loaded with parabens. Although they are lower on the list of ingredients on the list it still has over three different parabens listed in the ingredients. I’m unsure how many people will feel comfortable applying on their face with parabens in the formula unfortunately.

This $6 stick is quite a friendly budget pick and the formula seems quite lovely but sadly, the parabens are definitely a killjoy.

Anyone try it?

Do you mind the parabens?

Do share!

I purchased this item.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Christine

    Thanks for the review! I’ve been interested in this product! The parabens are a bummer, but, I might still try this out!

    • the Muse

      my pleasure christine! It’s a nice treat if the parabens don’t bother you!

  • Cj

    I don’t have a problem with parabens… From what I’ve heard there isn’t actually any proven fact to that they cause you harm or w/e. I’ll pick this up if I see it 🙂 won’t use it on the face but hands and elbows will love it this winter lol

    • the Muse

      i’m kinda on the fence about them myself sometimes cj. It’s hard to say…! good idea on elbows and hands also knees!

  • Jenny D

    I’m going to get controversial here: I see nothing wrong with parabens. They are a preservative, an antibacterial and antifungal agent, and are found all over the place (ever eaten a blueberry? a carrot? an onion?) They’re also cheaper and more effective than the alternative preservatives.

    The one study that found tiny amounts (20 nanograms/gram) of parabens in a few breast cancer tumors looked at 20 tumors. That is an absurdly small sample. Even the American Cancer Society states that this is insufficient evidence that parabens in cosmetics are of any concern.

    That said, I also encourage smart shopping – if something bugs you, for whatever reason, speak with your dollars.

    Now, if E.L.F. were available in Canada, I’d love to buy this.

    • shelly

      You can order from e.l.f.’s website, and they do ship to Canada. Shipping charges are a lot, though, so you may be better off either getting a US forwarding address or having a US friend custom purchase it for you.

      I agree completely re: parabens. To add, they’re safe in concentrations going all the way up to 25%. In cosmetics, they’re in concentrations of less than 1%. That’s, for all practical purposes, nothing. And yep, some of them are naturally-derived. The safest cosmetic preservative around.

    • blueraccoon

      thank you for this. I have no qualms with parabens myself and it irks me when people start screaming they’re dangerous. They’re NOT, not in the amounts generally used in cosmetics. And naturally derived, for the chemically-phobic (everything’s a chemical; don’t get me started).

    • Ryou

      Not to mention that on the study where they found parabens in tumor, they also found them in the blank sample, which, you know, were supposed to be blank. (Turns out the parabens got there from the cleaning solution they used) No study after that ever found parabens in cancer tissue, so yeah.

    • Jane

      For those of us with endocrine disorders, I feel better about avoiding parabens, phthalates, plastics, etc – known and suspected endocrine disrupters – to whatever extent I can. That’s not kooky. We live in a chemical soup. Some are beneficial, some are inert, and some are toxic. People used to drink radium as a health tonic.

    • Naie

      I feel the same way about people freaking out over parabens. The fear of parabens is a health scare with not much science to prove it actually does more harm than good.

    • Renee White

      Thank you so much, I 110% agree with you. I have been saying this same thing. I think most people just jump on the bandwagon and don’t learn the facts for themselves.

  • KhaliaNicole

    I suppose it could serve as a quick fix but it definitely wouldn’t be something I used regularly

  • Ryou

    I personally would rather use something containing parabens than rub something that probably has colonies of germs and fungus in it. Preservatives ARE necessary, as long as you don’t overdo it, obviously.

    Parabens are harmful when used in concentration of 25% or over, while it’s usually only used in 0.01% concentration. The only study that linked it to breast cancer has been long since labeled invalid, and no causal link between parabens and cancer has ever been found.

    Not to mention parabens are plentiful in nature. Blueberries, which is touted as a “superfruit”, contains paraben. Even grapefruit seed extract, which is often used as a (less effective) natural preservative, contains methylparaben.

    Sorry for being ranty, Musey. I just got tired of scaremongering and false information being thrown around for the sake of marketing I guess. :/

    Sources:

    http://www.thefactsabout.co.uk/content.asp?pageid=5&menuname=Parabens&menu=hidden

    http://www.juliahart.co.uk/skin-news/the-truth-about-parabens/

    http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-16/health/sc-health-0216-parabens-20110216_1_paraben-free-phenoxyethanol-shelf-life

    • the Muse

      promise I’m not throwing around false info 😀 just trying to let people know it does contain parabens as most readers are quick to ask if skincare products contain parabens so def like mentioning it 🙂 thanks for all the resource links!

      • Ryou

        I know full well you wouldn’t be throwing false info, hun. There ARE people who are sensitive to parabens, but it’s more of an allergic reaction than anything, and they would definitely appreciate you warning them.

        All I said is that I’m pretty tired of companies making parabens sound so toxic when it really isn’t. Sorry if I didn’t make it clear, Musey. *hugs*

        • the Muse

          Oh no worries ryou! <3! Believe me I'm not the poster child for a paraben free lifestyle lol! It's just reader's are always asking me to be cleared about them being in skincare products I thought I should mention it in the review. def appreciate all your feedback chica and hugs right back atcha!

  • blueraccoon

    Parabens aren’t the health care danger they’ve made out to be. There’s nothing wrong with using them; I’d rather have parabens than no preservatives and a product that goes bad in a month!

  • Kiss & Make-up

    I think it’s rather unique that it’s in a stick. Too bad about the parabens though. I personally tolerate them, but I know many people don’t.

    • Debster

      I feel the same way about the product. I try to avoid them, but I don’t suggest or push for/against them.

  • Lulle

    Well, it makes sense that this particular product needs preservatives to stay fresh and free from bacteria or fungus, since you swipe it on your face and then let it sit until you swipe it again…
    A lot of substances can be harmful for the human body if used in large amounts or continously for a long period of time: as long as you don’t use this stick every day for years, you’re probably pretty safe.

  • Alyza H

    Really excited to try this out for those days when I’m not wearing any makeup and the winter wind irritates my dry patches when I walk to classes. =]

  • Quinctia

    I don’t care about parabens, but I honestly can’t think of a use I’d have for this thing.

  • Shelby

    I don’t care about parabens, there are all sorts of paraben alternatives that are worse.

  • dulin

    Errr… so, parabens are in most of the products you put on your face already, I suspect, and there isn’t any evidence that they cause harm to you. Also, they’re naturally occurring in small quantities in fruit, so it’s not like we aren’t ingesting them already. I dunno… I’m a little bit bitter over the preservative issue, because one of my lotions seemed to be inadequately preserved. As in, the ingredients list doesn’t list any sort of decent preservative, and it murdered my skin. Over a month later, my skin is still in worse shape than usual, but it’s been returning to its old self. Still, it was painful.

    Also, even if you do believe parabens are harmful, it would be the total quantity in the product, not the total number of varieties of parabens in the product, that would cause trouble.

    Regardless, given my previous experiences, I’m glad for the parabens in this. They are generally sensitive skin friendly, and well appreciated in a product that isn’t packaged for maximum hygiene.

  • Tinkibell

    I would just like to thank all of you who provided information about parabens. I really had no clear information on them, so it was VERY helpful to read about them here!

    I have to admit I thought they were somehow related to an animal product because so many companies that are cruelty free also seem to advertise they are paraben free as well. (I only use cruelty free products)

    Now I feel rather foolish for not investigating more!

  • TwirlyGirly

    I realize I’m dating myself here, but I recall in the early 1970’s a report that scientists had discovered permanent haircolor caused cancer. There was a big to-do about it (my mother was older, turning grey, and was just beginning to use haircolor regularly – along with most of her friends). After several months of hearing/reading about how “dangerous” haircolor was, it was finally disclosed the scientists who had made the claim had been INJECTING mice with massive amounts of haircolor. No big surprise they developed cancer….

    Point being, sometimes these scares are based on studies in which the product/chemicals are being tested in ways no human would ever use them. That’s why it’s so important to independently research these types of claims before deciding to avoid these products/chemicals, but also before telling others they shouldn’t be using them, either.

    • the Muse

      hey twirlygirl! How are you? Hope all is well! I’m not really telling anyone to not use the product. I actually use parabens in many products however, reader’s typically want to know if parabens are in a product or not which is why I mentioned that the ones in this could be a killjoy for some. Def don’t want confusion about the review or what I am trying to say ;-D

      • TwirlyGirly

        I apologize. After I hit “submit,” I realized some might interpret my comment as implying that I thought *you* might be one of those against the use of parabens! No edit button…;).

        I should have added “Not to imply that you, Muse, are trying to sway readers either way.”

        • the Muse

          *wink* no problems at all! I understand…!!!!!!!! Hmmmmm an edit button for comments…that might be something to add next time I redo my theme ;-D!

  • kiwikiwidragon

    Parabens and sulfates….sigh…..

    Thanks muse for the info and review. Good thing we have free will and can choose to buy what we want, lol.
    I understand all sides, I avoid sulfates most of the time, its because of dermatitis….to each’s own.

    🙂

    • the Muse

      my pleasure jen ;-D def not trying to sway anyone’s purchases! I’m just throwing the info out there. I wish I could say I was a completely up to date on all the ingredients in my makeup/skincare but I admit I’m lazy about that ;-D!

  • Tiffany Martin

    I’m not afraid of parabens at all. I know what people are reacting to but it’s unfounded. It’s really up to other people what they choose to do, but as for me I’m not going to be afraid of everything for no reason.

  • Kathleen

    I had no IDEA about parabens, and just thought they were something to be avoided if I could help it when purchasing cosmetics. Now, I am wondering which of my cosmetics I’ll have to keep a closer eye on and disinfect more often. I throw away my packaging, and have too much makeup from different brands that it would be very troublesome to find out which are paraben free.

  • Haley

    Just an update if anyone reads this, Target expanded their ELF collection at many of their stores, and this is one of the products that is now offered in stores!!! It’ll vary depending on locations, but I know for sure the supercenters will have it. However they even had it at my little Target in my small town, so definitely check if you’ve been wanting to try it but have been putting it off because of the shipping charges/online-only availability!

  • Marla

    I have been trying to revamp my hair and skincare routine with paraben- free products. I was so disappointed this product contained parabens. I tried it and loved the way it moisturized my face. SO DISAPPOINTED.

  • Brandee

    Stick wouldn’t b unhygenic if it was just going on ur freshly washed/cleaned face continually! I’m unclear how that would cause it to b unhygenic? Especially if u put lid back on quickly & stored in an appropriate place!