Otzi is a brand-new skincare line that just dropped in Sephora. It’s a Sephora-exclusive, so one would imagine that there is a certain amount of rigor that went into Sephora selecting them. Their products are in the mid-range to affordable side, so it is definitely meeting my standards! They range from $25 to $35 each. Each of the five products is also certified as, “Clean at Sephora,” which means that they do not formulate with a long-list of ingredients that are “banned.” Depending on how you feel about clean beauty, it may or may not mean anything to you. As Lab Muffin beautifully said, cosmetic products are tested thoroughly for safety, regardless of if they are clean or not. Largely, clean beauty is a marketing ploy. But that’s a topic for another blog… Back to Otzi, for a first offering, I think this is a really good line. Let’s chat the individual products!
Before we jump into things, I want to give full disclosure that I was sent these products as a tester program. All of my thoughts are my own, and Otzi did not require me to do anything except fill out a survey for them. But I thought it would be helpful for people to read more about a super new skincare line, since the reviews probably wouldn’t be that available.
I’ll rank the products from MOST to LEAST favorite. There are only five products, so it’s really not that dramatic. Spoiler: I liked them all.
The textures! You can see how liquid-y the serums are. I couldn’t even take a picture without them going everywhere! And the Crystal Nova Gentle Makeup Removing Cleanser is so gorgeous. Look at that range of colors from this one shot!
Dough Therapy Pore Treatment Mask REVIEW
The Dough Therapy Pore Treatment Mask goes on so smoothly and covers your face so well without using an excess of product.
Honestly, this is the BEST clay mask texture I have ever used in my life. That’s saying a lot because I have been very vocal about how oily my skin is and I use a lot of clay masks. Right when you open up the jar, the mask is BOUNCING around. I am not lying. It is quite literally, bouncing. It’s 100% the vibe. I was a little nervous that the bouncing texture would meant that it is filled with air (AKA you’re getting NO product even though the volume is really large). However, I found that you really do not need that much. The bouncy texture makes it spread so easily. I think it is because it is kind of “whipped” in a sense, which helps with the spreading of the product.
In terms of the actual ingredients, the clay is a kaolin clay, which is great for purifying your skin and getting rid of anything in your pores. You can definitely feel this mask get nice and tight after it dries. Importantly, even though it is a drying mask, it does not STRIP your skin. It has a nice mix of fats/humectants/moisturizers (capric triglycerides, cetearyl alcohol, butylene glycol, oat kernel extract, rice bran oil, ceramides). I think that balance is so essential for making a clay mask that does not make your skin feel like it is falling off. And this mask does that so easily!
For the wash off, I thought it was super simple. If you’ve ever used the Kiehl’s Rare Earth Mask, it is SO thick and it takes forever to wash off. For what it’s worth, I normally just wash this off in the shower because it is so much effort and it gets everywhere. In contrast, this Otzi Dough Therapy Pore Treatment Mask comes off with just a warm, damp towel. I know, it shocked me too! It was so simple to use.
Overall, yes, I 5/5 stars, and I would recommend this.
CRystal nova gentle makeup removing cleanser review
The color of the product changes as you look from different angles
FIRST, we need to talk about how gorgeous this is. It comes in a clear bottle, but it looks like it is a holographic bottle. BUT IT IS ACTUALLY THE PRODUCT. From different angles, the cleanser has a different color. Maybe that is why it is called Crystal Nova… But I was so shocked when I first noticed this. I love me a rainbow moment as much as the next gay, so I was so here for this!
The texture is really good. I love how thick it is, but it is not so thick that it is hard to dispense. It’s a nice middle ground. I used this as a single cleanse step because I only wear SPF and not makeup. I cannot speak to how well it takes off waterproof makeup because I just don’t have experience there. However, I can tell you that this lathers BEAUTIFULLY. It is such a luscious lather and it really does a great job cleaning your face.
But it does not strip your skin. I like the almost squeaky-clean feeling. But I don’t like it toooooo squeaky-clean because that means you’re stripping away a lot of essential oils and other essential skin components. This cleanser walks that line so perfectly. It cleans everything off without killing your skin in the process. And that is pretty much exactly what I look for in my skincare cleansers. I never want to damage my skin. But I never want to clog my pores.
For what it is worth, there are no sulfates used here. Your surfactants in this product are coming from disodium cocoamphodiacetate and lauryl hydroxysultaine. There are actually a lot of coconut (coco) derived products here, which speaks to the “natural” vibe of the product. This does have fragrance in it and it is definitely noticeably floral / sweet when you use the product. I don’t mind it since it is a quick wash-off product. But looking in the Ingredient List, I REALLY want to know what is making it shine so beautifully!!
Overall, 5/5 stars, yes, I recommend this. Especially if you’re like me with combo-oily skin! It does it all for you!
Multi-acid drip aha/pha resurfacing serum review
This little blue baby is definitely a stunner. It is packed with amazing AHAs and PHAs. These are going to help break down the molecular binders holding cells together. In other words, it helps exfoliate the outer layer of your cells so that you can keep pushing out your healthy, younger skin cells. This also has centella ( aka Tiger Grass, for soothing your skin), Korean Tea Blend (which I have no clue what that actually is, but if it is like green tea, I am sure that it will help calm your skin and give some good antioxidants). All of the acids are derived from plant extracts.
In terms of the usage, I thought it is a good serum, but I think it was definitely on the more liquid side. Beware when you use it because it can get messy! There are not any humectants in the product, so that’s why it does not make a thick formulation.
After one usage, I did notice that I woke up the next day with more even skin. The texture of my skin definitely improved, so I would say that it is packed with a good amount of acids. I will give you reference that my skin really loves the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow and Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum, to help you get a ballpark of what my skin likes for acids. This Multi-Acid Drip AHA/PHA Resurfacing Serum has 2.6% AHA, 7% PHA. It’s nice that it is more heavy on the PHAs so that it does not go as deep into your skin as AHAs do. And this does not have as high of a % as those other products. With that said, I only used it 1x or 2x a week and I was able to see results. I always err on the side of caution when it comes to acids.
Overall, I would say this is a 4/5 stars. I would like it to be a little thicker formulation so that it is easier to apply. But because I got good results from it, I am putting it at 4 stars.
C-drip vitamin c brightening serum review
This is a really lightweight serum. Again, it is pretty runny just like the Multi-Acid Serum. The difference, besides the color (Multi-Acid has a blue formula and C-drip has a red/pink formula, which I love), is that C-drip is packed with Vitamin C. It also has other antioxidants. This combo of antioxidants is going to help prevent photo-aging and it will help with with dark spots as well.
The form of Vitamin C in this product is ethylated ascorbic acid. This is extremely stable, and it will get deep into your skin to give antioxidant protection, stimulate collage production, and rebuild the skin barrier. It’s a great one to have in your C serums, and this is the third ingredient, meaning that it is really high up there! So you are getting your money’s worth, in other words. This is also important when it comes to Vitamin C serums because you need to know that your Vitamin C is not being oxidized prematurely. Otherwise, it is useless on your skin (or could even be a pro-oxidant to your skin).
Some other key ingredient callouts for me are niacinamide, glycerin, ginseng berry, sunflower seed oil, rose flower oil, cocoa seed extract. There are good humectants, fats, and moisturizing ingredients. However, I wish there was a little bit more humectants. Yes, there is glycerin. But like I said before, it was pretty lightweight and did not feel thick. If I am using this as my only daytime serum, I want it to hold moisture for me so that my oily skin does not go crazy producing more oil! This did not really help out with that.
Overall, I would say this is a 3.5/5 stars for me, and I would recommend if you do not have another go-to Vitamin C serum or powder that you like to use already.
Hydro crystal lightweight gel moisturizer review
This is definitely a lightweight moisturizer, but it left some to be desired for me. I used this as a daytime moisturizer. Because it is lightweight, I was hoping that it would be more matte for me to wear throughout the day. When I initially put it on, I had a nice healthy glow. Not overwhelming. Just a noticeable glow. But by mid-day, I noticed that I was shining. The T-zone was not the vibe. I was a disco ball.
I wish this had more moisturizing or hydrating components. Glycerin is the second ingredient, which I think helps with the stability of the formula. But i did not get enough fats, I think. My skin just felt like it needed to produce more oils still. Some of the key ingredient callouts for me are green tea extract, ceramides, the crystal flower blend (which helps soften skin, NOT sure if this is what is supposed to make it look holographic though!), aloe, hyaluronic acid, tocopherol. This does have fragrance as the last ingredient, but I did not really notice it.
Overall, I would say this is a 3/5 stars for me. I would not recommend if you have combo-oily skin because you will end up pretty shiny later on. And that’s not really the look that I like. But some people love that for a glass-skin type vibe. But I’m not that guy.
Final Thoughts
It’s an awesome, affordable line. There were definitely some winners! I LOVED the Dough Therapy Pore Treatment Mask and the Crystal Nova Gentle Makeup Removing Cleanser. After I finish up my Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Cleanser, I will likely be purchasing the cleanser because it was that good! I think for the serums and moisturizer, there are better options out there. But I do like that these options are available within the initial Otzi offering. It really makes it accessible. Are they bad products? DEFINITELY NOT. Are they products for me? Not really. But everyone’s skin is different!
Side note: I really love what the Otzi brand stands for. It is a skincare community, focused on inclusivity, fluidity, and originality. It is great that it has such an open nature to its brand and that it is meant to be ever-evolving.
I hope this helped you decide on your Otzi purchase. Let me know if you try any of them!