Zoe Bee Beauty

[morganmum]

I

Have you ever tried Nilotica shea butter? It's a slightly less common, but more luxurious product made from East African shea I believe. Most standard shea butter is grown and produced in West Africa and has a slightly different appearance and consistency. I believe that ZB has now started using both Nilotica and standard shea in her products (which is what I believe she means by "two varieties of shea" which is a quote she often uses - and about a year ago was trialling out "a newer, softer shea" which ended up being too soft so she ended up blending it with standard shea). ANYWAY if you can get your hands on that and literally just use it straight out of the container, it left my skin feeling better than ZB creams ever did from the first use! ZB has never revealed what the other shea is but I'm pretty certain it's Nilotica. Give it a go!

I realise this is an old post but please could you tell me where you got your Nilotica shea butter?

 

[sweetiexoxoxo]

I

I realise this is an old post but please could you tell me where you got your Nilotica shea butter?

I just google searched it and found a website that sold it via amazon. I don't think they still sell through amazon but there are pretty decent websites akoma and craftovator that sell it at a good price!

 

[Sunshine01Snow]

Oh my… she’s at it again!! One negative review and it causes a massive reaction, complete with a YouTube video “why my creams aren’t £2” .

Love, the main ingredient is Shea. There’s nothing unique about your formulations. Let people leave honest reviews, without your ‘cult’ getting involved.

 

[morganmum]

T

I just google searched it and found a website that sold it via amazon. I don't think they still sell through amazon but there are pretty decent websites akoma and craftovator that sell it at a good price!

Thank you, only just seen this. Those websites are fab!

 

[Rapunzelxx]

For those looking for something more cost friendly... After looking for years for a good alternative I just got some of the forever young cream from luvlou beauty on etsy a few days ago and it was only 7 pounds I think for 50ml.
Although it seems a little more oily than the zoe bee formulations at first and doesn't smell quite as good, it actually absorbs into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. My skin absolutely loves it.

 

[bellebear]

Because I am all kinds of petty, I'll do a breakdown of why her creams should just be a pot of cheap shea.

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii, Simmondsia chinensis, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis, Charcoal, Avena Sativa, Nigella Sativa, Sesamum Indicum, Ribes Nigrum, Aquilaria crassna, Croton Lechleri, Zinc Oxide

Translation: Shea butter, jojoba, sweet orange, charcoal, oats, black seeds, sesame, blackcurrants, aquilaria crassna (tree), croton lechleri (a tree resin), zinc oxide

She's using the official names of things, which means things are a little vague in places as she hasn't specified if it's oil, powder, etc. I'm going off my own knowledge of the ingredients for the likely inclusions.

Shea butter- as we know, the main ingredient and likely to be 90% of the base for certification
Jojoba- likely to be jojoba oil, but could be jojoba butter. I doubt it though
Sweet orange- likely essential oil, and is her fragrance if I remember correctly. If it is, it's unlikely to be more than 1% of the total product due to regulation. Maximum 2%.

So, with that in mind and knowing cosmetic ingredients MUST be listed from highest to lowest percentage, there's 1-2% left to play with for the rest. You can list anything that is 1% and below in any order.

Charcoal and oats is likely powdered versions. Given the light grey colour of the creams, the charcoal inclusion is likely very low. Too much and it would be pretty dark. I can't imagine there's less than 1% of these two, though? This one has me stumped, unless she's not listing in order. I hope not, since that's against regulation, lol

Black seed and sesame are likely oils. Ribes Nigrum literally just is the name for blackcurrant, and I can't think why blackcurrant oil would be included, but that's also the likely suspect.

Croton Lechleri is a tree resin named dragon's blood. This does have science behind it, but the quantity she's using matters. I can't comment on it as a good/bad/neutral thing in her particular product for that reason.

Lastly, aquilaria crassna is a type of tree as well. I do wonder, however, if Zoe is aware that it's critically endangered? Unless she's using a synthetic, but that would go against the whole natural, plant based vibe she's got going on, lol. If she's using agar wood oil (also known as oud oil) from the tree, then her creams will likely have a kind of clove-ish woody scent. As far as I know they are orange scented. If it was scented with aquilaria crassna then it being low on the list makes more sense, but goodness. An odd choice if that's what she's done with it. I can't think of any reason to include oud oil in cosmetics outside of perfume, but I do admit my knowledge is limited on this ingredient.

In summary, going by the way ingredients must be listed, her creams ARE likely more than £2 to make. But, whether they need to be? I don't think so. None of the fancy things are seem to be in useful quantities, so why drive the price up with them unless you're using their listed properties as sale points? Oh wait. I think I've stumbled on the answer

 

[ChaosCEO]

I see this is an old thread but I just stumbled upon it because I was considering buying some of her products. My dad has quite a severe case of psoriasis and has damaged the skin on his legs by using a steroid cream treatment for too long. I was very much hoping Zoe Bee creams might work for Dad, but have become increasingly suspicious that the hype is BS, for several reasons:

1. Zoe posted somewhere about her daily skincare routine, and stated that she double cleanses. “Double cleansing” refers to the practice of using an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based one (or the other way round; I can’t remember which). However, Zoe mentioned the two cleansers she used, and they were both oils. It appeared she thought “double cleansing” simply meant “cleansing twice”, and that got me questioning how she would have the knowledge to make these miraculous creams if she could make that basic of an error.

2. When I ran out of moisturiser a couple of years back, instead of buying a new one I dug out an old tub of Shea butter from my bathroom cabinet. I loved the rich, luxurious texture and how I only needed to use a teeny bit, otherwise my skin would be super greasy. Seeing all the comments that Zoe and her customers would make about how “you only need a small amount because the creams are very rich…” made me suspect that they are essentially just Shea butter with a few drops of other ingredients. In which case, the “miracle cream” stuff seems a little suspect, because shea butter isn’t a cure-all for skin complaints.

3. I’d always questioned why a skincare product would contain amethyst or rose quartz, but I thought hey, no big deal, some very sensible people I know believe in crystal energy and other stuff I would characterise as “woo”. When she introduced her Queen Bee cream by talking about the supposedly amazing Swiss apple stem cells it contained, however, my scepticism increased. I looked up apple stem cells and there didn’t appear to be any good evidence supporting the idea that applying them to the skin has any benefits. I began thinking that if her creams were so effective then why did she add an ingredient that sounded impressive and science-y but was probably useless? Were all her creams, all her ingredients, similarly just smoke and mirrors?

4. One thing that had impressed me was how her skin always appeared to have this beautiful glow. Call me naive if you want, but I thought it was all real and natural, as she seemed to position it as the result of using her creams (“that Zoe Bee glow”). However recently she posted a video demonstrating how her morning makeup routine creates the “glow” effect. I guess I can give her credit for finally being honest that the glow shouldn’t be attributed to her creams, but it struck me that the products she was using didn’t appear to have similar “caring” credentials to her own brand (plastic free, vegan etc), and even if they did, she was using a lot of products just for one aesthetic outcome. The video just seemed like a window into a disconnect between the professed “natural, Earth-friendly beauty” values of her brand and the reality behind the scenes.

Maybe that last point is a little harsh. I dunno, maybe everything I’ve said here is a little harsh. Maybe the hype is real. I am just inclined to be extra sceptical given the price point of the product. If her creams were £10-15 a pop I’d have bought one by now, without even caring if they were mostly just Shea butter and pseudoscience, since I love using Shea butter on my skin anyway. It’s the big claims and the big prices that have made me think twice.

Edited to add, for anyone who’s looking for an alternative to Zoe Bee, Facetheory products tick the vegan and minimal plastic/eco packaging boxes.I’ve just started using one of their serums and I am blown away by the result. My face is so soft I can’t stop touching it (ironically this will almost certainly lead to a breakout!).

 

[MakeMineADouble]

I see this is an old thread but I just stumbled upon it because I was considering buying some of her products. My dad has quite a severe case of psoriasis and has damaged the skin on his legs by using a steroid cream treatment for too long. I was very much hoping Zoe Bee creams might work for Dad, but have become increasingly suspicious that the hype is BS, for several reasons:

1. Zoe posted somewhere about her daily skincare routine, and stated that she double cleanses. “Double cleansing” refers to the practice of using an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based one (or the other way round; I can’t remember which). However, Zoe mentioned the two cleansers she used, and they were both oils. It appeared she thought “double cleansing” simply meant “cleansing twice”, and that got me questioning how she would have the knowledge to make these miraculous creams if she could make that basic of an error.

2. When I ran out of moisturiser a couple of years back, instead of buying a new one I dug out an old tub of Shea butter from my bathroom cabinet. I loved the rich, luxurious texture and how I only needed to use a teeny bit, otherwise my skin would be super greasy. Seeing all the comments that Zoe and her customers would make about how “you only need a small amount because the creams are very rich…” made me suspect that they are essentially just Shea butter with a few drops of other ingredients. In which case, the “miracle cream” stuff seems a little suspect, because shea butter isn’t a cure-all for skin complaints.

3. I’d always questioned why a skincare product would contain amethyst or rose quartz, but I thought hey, no big deal, some very sensible people I know believe in crystal energy and other stuff I would characterise as “woo”. When she introduced her Queen Bee cream by talking about the supposedly amazing Swiss apple stem cells it contained, however, my scepticism increased. I looked up apple stem cells and there didn’t appear to be any good evidence supporting the idea that applying them to the skin has any benefits. I began thinking that if her creams were so effective then why did she add an ingredient that sounded impressive and science-y but was probably useless? Were all her creams, all her ingredients, similarly just smoke and mirrors?

4. One thing that had impressed me was how her skin always appeared to have this beautiful glow. Call me naive if you want, but I thought it was all real and natural, as she seemed to position it as the result of using her creams (“that Zoe Bee glow”). However recently she posted a video demonstrating how her morning makeup routine creates the “glow” effect. I guess I can give her credit for finally being honest that the glow shouldn’t be attributed to her creams, but it struck me that the products she was using didn’t appear to have similar “caring” credentials to her own brand (plastic free, vegan etc), and even if they did, she was using a lot of products just for one aesthetic outcome. The video just seemed like a window into a disconnect between the professed “natural, Earth-friendly beauty” values of her brand and the reality behind the scenes.

Maybe that last point is a little harsh. I dunno, maybe everything I’ve said here is a little harsh. Maybe the hype is real. I am just inclined to be extra sceptical given the price point of the product. If her creams were £10-15 a pop I’d have bought one by now, without even caring if they were mostly just Shea butter and pseudoscience, since I love using Shea butter on my skin anyway. It’s the big claims and the big prices that have made me think twice.

Edited to add, for anyone who’s looking for an alternative to Zoe Bee, Facetheory products tick the vegan and minimal plastic/eco packaging boxes.I’ve just started using one of their serums and I am blown away by the result. My face is so soft I can’t stop touching it (ironically this will almost certainly lead to a breakout!).

I bought a small jar or her gold cream and avocado and aloe (back when they were cheaper!). Both did exactly the same thing as it was essentially whipped shea butter. It also went rancid after about a month. She has posted lots of claims that she has since retracted (one being that her creams are a natural SPF!). She also removes negative reviews and promises giveaways for positive reviews. Overhyped and a complete rip off

 

[Curtaintwitcher45]

I wonder if she sent this to herself

 

[bellebear]

A selfie while she cries is a new low. Do better, Zoe. You can make the point you want to make without being THAT person.

Does anyone else get annoyed with the way she/her staff respond to social media comments? Everything they respond with is so insincere. It does my head in seeing 'thank you for your kindness' with that yellow heart on basically everything.

 

[Rfl2018]

Sorry to jump in, my husband is having hell with his eczema at the mo, nothing is helping, his skin is so dry and tight and itchy. It’s really affecting his QoL and the drs just aren’t interested! He is currently having light therapy at the hospital, so whilst the scabs have mostly gone, his skin is still suffering. Does anyone really think these creases work? Or an alternative? Her insta will just be full of great reviews so I’m hoping for a more honest review here (or a good alternative!), thank you in advance!

 

[Ohgetoveryourself]

I just knew she would have thread but surprised it has gone so quiet!
I’m on her private Facebook group and her constant attention seeking posts are exhausting!
And If anyone dares to say anything negative she’s straight on posting about how upset she is and how hard she works to make creams for everyone and it’s all for her love of what she does she solely does it all to help others she’s such a good person everything she does is for the greater good of others bleeping EXHAUSTING! She is so self absorbed and the latest posts she’s pretending someone has anonymously nominated her for a great women award it definitely wasn’t her although to be fair I wouldn’t be surprised the women all arse lick her like she’s their god please say someone else is witnessing all this it’s driving me mad
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I just knew she would have thread but surprised it has gone so quiet!
I’m on her private Facebook group and her constant attention seeking posts are exhausting!
And If anyone dares to say anything negative she’s straight on posting about how upset she is and how hard she works to make creams for everyone and it’s all for her love of what she does she solely does it all to help others she’s such a good person everything she does is for the greater good of others bleeping EXHAUSTING! She is so self absorbed and the latest posts she’s pretending someone has anonymously nominated her for a great women award it definitely wasn’t her although to be fair I wouldn’t be surprised the women all arse lick her like she’s their god please say someone else is witnessing all this it’s driving me mad

 

[Mokie]

I just knew she would have thread but surprised it has gone so quiet!
I’m on her private Facebook group and her constant attention seeking posts are exhausting!
And If anyone dares to say anything negative she’s straight on posting about how upset she is and how hard she works to make creams for everyone and it’s all for her love of what she does she solely does it all to help others she’s such a good person everything she does is for the greater good of others bleeping EXHAUSTING! She is so self absorbed and the latest posts she’s pretending someone has anonymously nominated her for a great women award it definitely wasn’t her although to be fair I wouldn’t be surprised the women all arse lick her like she’s their god please say someone else is witnessing all this it’s driving me mad
---
I just knew she would have thread but surprised it has gone so quiet!
I’m on her private Facebook group and her constant attention seeking posts are exhausting!
And If anyone dares to say anything negative she’s straight on posting about how upset she is and how hard she works to make creams for everyone and it’s all for her love of what she does she solely does it all to help others she’s such a good person everything she does is for the greater good of others bleeping EXHAUSTING! She is so self absorbed and the latest posts she’s pretending someone has anonymously nominated her for a great women award it definitely wasn’t her although to be fair I wouldn’t be surprised the women all arse lick her like she’s their god please say someone else is witnessing all this it’s driving me mad

Yep, I’m in the fb group and have witnessed this cult-like behaviour. It’s really very odd and has made me feel quite uneasy.

I have fallen for the marketing hype and purchased a couple of creams. They are so heavy and greasy. I can only wear them when I’m not leaving the house or at bedtime.

Thank you to the previous posted who have sign posted to DIY instructions for making creams. Defo interested in trying this

 

[Ohgetoveryourself]

Yep, I’m in the fb group and have witnessed this cult-like behaviour. It’s really very odd and has made me feel quite uneasy.

I have fallen for the marketing hype and purchased a couple of creams. They are so heavy and greasy. I can only wear them when I’m not leaving the house or at bedtime.

Thank you to the previous posted who have sign posted to DIY instructions for making creams. Defo interested in trying this

I’m so glad it’s not just me feeling like this! She’s so needy and her behaviour is very Narcissistic!

 

[Opinionated]

Drumming up hate without drumming up hate

 

[Mokie]

I can’t stand Hirons but that post is so pass ag

 

[Ohgetoveryourself]

Drumming up hate without drumming up hate

Agree Caroline is awful but Zoe does all this to stroke her huge ego! She (Zoe) posts this then the cult will start their arse licking of how amazing and inspirational she is!

 

[YouAreHiding]

Now wondering does she get botox? She is never off the stoat on these very expensive holidays and jaunts. I bought the oat cream and never worked for my peri oral eczema tho I know everyone is different. So not made in a clinical environment or dermatologically tested?

 

[sweetiexoxoxo]

Now wondering does she get botox? She is never off the stoat on these very expensive holidays and jaunts. I bought the oat cream and never worked for my peri oral eczema tho I know everyone is different. So not made in a clinical environment or dermatologically tested?

made in her 'lab' aka a large kitchen with an industrial size cake mixer. 'Dermatologically tested' on herself, family and friends and decided that was good enough to sell to the masses.

 

[summerjazz]

I recently made my first purchase from Zoe Bee before I read the posts on here, but the product wasn't all it is hyped up to be - indeed, nothing more than shea butter.

She's also quite full of herself, and seems to play the victim in her social media posts.

Probably won't be buying anything else from her.