Meaningful Beauty is a skin care system collaboration between model Cindy Crawford and her dermatologist Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh, and it promises to keep you looking wrinkle-free and gorgeous.
Created by model Cindy Crawford and her personal dermatologist Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh, Meaningful Beauty is a skincare system designed to give you gorgeous skin no matter your age.
This line of skincare products relies on superoxide dismutase (known as “SOD”), which is an antioxidant found in Charentais melons, an heirloom variety from the South of France.
According to the company website, this compound deserves credit for helping Crawford keep her youthful glow for the past twenty years.
The company’s self-reported clinical findings share similar results, as the Meaningful Beauty states that more than 90% of their test participants thought their skin appeared firmer and that their pores looked smaller at the end of a 12-week perception study.
There’s reason to believe there’s something to these claims, as a 2018 review of SOD’s potential showed that this enzyme offers a powerful defense against oxidative stress, which can lead to physical deterioration and age your skin’s appearance.
But will the Meaningful Beauty line actually give you the skin of a model? We’ll look closer at those claims in the rest of this article. First, let’s look at what products they sell.
Meaningful Beauty Products
At the time of writing, Meaningful Beauty offered a range of skincare products that included the following: (Because cosmetic ingredients are traditionally sorted by most prevalent to least on the label, we’ve highlighted either the top five ingredients or the listed active ingredients for each product.)
Skin Softening Cleanser
This mild cleanser is formulated to gently remove oil and impurities while keeping your skin at its natural pH level. You’re supposed to use it twice daily, cleansing your skin with gentle circular motions before rinsing it off with warm water.
Top five ingredients: Propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium laureth-8 sulfate.
Youth Activating Melon Serum
This serum contains melon leaf stem cells to visibly plump and firm your skin for a brighter, more even skin tone. The company states it also works to prevent the signs of sun damage by keeping your skin protected and moisturized. It’s best to apply one pump of serum to both your face and neck twice a day.
Top five ingredients: Glycerin, isononyl isononanoate, propanediol, betaine, pentylene glycol.
Anti-Aging Day Creme with Environmental Protection SPF 30
This daily moisturizer is meant to protect your skin from the sun and other environmental aggressors like blue light, infrared light, and pollution that can lead to signs of premature aging. For best results, apply a thin layer to your face and neck after using the Melon Serum, and gently massage it into your skin.
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3.0%, homosalate 10.0%, octisalate 5.0%, oxybenzone 4.5%.
Age Recovery Night Creme with Melon Extract and Retinol
Meant to restore your skin overnight, this night crème relies on melon stem cells and retinol to help you wake up with firmer, smoother skin with fewer visible fine lines and wrinkles. Apply a thin layer of the crème before bed to let its active ingredients work on your skin all night.
Top five ingredients: Isononyl isononanoate, ethylhexyl palmitate, polyglyceryl-10 distearate, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil.
Lifting Eye Creme- Advanced Formula
Designed to banish the appearance of dark circles under your eyes, this crème has a lightweight, silky formula that contains hyaluronic acid to restore moisture and elasticity to your face. The crème is meant to be applied twice a day, and you can wear it over the Eye Enhancing Serum for the best results.
Top five ingredients: Oleyl erucate, glycerin, dimethicone, hydrolyzed hazelnut protein, cetearyl alcohol.
Skin Brightening Decollete & Neck SPF15
This cream is designed to protect your neck and chest from the signs of aging by adding moisture back to dull, dry skin so that it becomes smooth and soft again. You can apply the cream in the mornings on dry skin, taking care to massage it all in.
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3.0%, octinoxate 7.5%, octisalate 5.0%, oxybenzone 5.0%.
Dark Spot Correcting Treatment
Designed to fight the signs of sun damage on your skin, this treatment relies on 2% hydroquinone to fade dark spots and other pigment discolorations. You can apply it to the areas you want to fade and then put sunscreen overtop for an extra level of protection.
Active Ingredient: hydroquinone 2%.
Meaningful Beauty Ingredients: Benefits and Possible Side Effects
To get a better sense of what Meaningful Beauty ingredients mean for your health, we chose to look at their purpose and possible side effects on the EWG (Environmental Working Group) cosmetic database.
From what we found, the majority of the most common ingredients in these products fall into the following categories: fragrance agents, emulsion stabilizers, surfactants, skin conditioning agents, solvents, sunscreen agents, and a skin bleaching agent (hydroquinone). This is standard for skincare products.
Are there other takeaways from these ingredients? We think a few are worthy of extra attention, including sodium laureth sulfate, the alcohols and fragrance agents, and the active ingredients in the sunscreen products.
According to the cosmeticsinfo.com, sodium laureth sulfate is a surfactant that is popular in many skincare products. There have been widespread rumors in recent years that the compound can trigger potentially worrisome health effects like cancer.
However, a re-review of the compound in 2002 by the Cosmetics Ingredient Review deemed it safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products. Saying that, some people find sodium laureth sulfate to be irritating because it can disrupt your skin’s natural sebum production and dry it out.
The EWG database calls attention to potentially troubling ingredients in sunscreen products. Because sunscreens are meant to be spread thickly over large parts of your body, even trace amounts can lead to problems.
According to the database, active ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone—both found in Meaningful Beauty products—can mimic hormones and lead to unintended health effects that aren’t well understood. Oxybenzone is considered the most troubling, as it can trigger allergic skin reactions.
Likewise, the labeling of many Meaningful Beauty ingredients as “fragrances” doesn’t tell us much about them. That’s because the EWG database states the term is often used to represent an undisclosed mixture of different scent compounds. This may be cause for concern, as some companies use it as a legal loophole to find the names of “extra” ingredients, and some fragrance agents can trigger allergies or lead to respiratory distress.
Meaningful Beauty Cost
At the time of writing, Meaningful Beauty products are sold on the company website in bundles.
The company offered both a five-piece ($49.95) and seven-piece ($69.95) system, with shipping included in the price.
Each system provides you with a thirty-day supply of the product, and the primary difference between the two is that only the seven-piece system includes the Skin Brightening Neck & Decollete and Dark Spot Correcting Treatment.
Regardless of which option you choose, you can also select a collection of free add-ons with your first order. This is either a Skin Rejuvenating Trio (valued at $90) or an Eye Crème & Lip Duo (valued at $80).
Both of these purchases automatically enroll you in Meaningful Beauty’s auto-delivery program, which means that you will be shipped new products every twelve weeks. It’s possible to adjust this frequency from four to 20 weeks if you need a different timeframe.
The add-ons aren’t included in future orders and that the size of the order triples so you will need to pay three times your initial order cost plus $14.99 for shipping.
It’s possible to customize the amount and type of products you receive each order by logging into your online account, and the Meaningful Beauty’s terms and conditions state that you can reschedule or cancel future orders at any time by contacting customer service online or at (800)927-0047.
All Meaningful Beauty purchases come with a 60-day money back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, you can return the containers—even if they are empty—and they will refund your full purchase price, minus shipping and handling.
A Look at Customer Reviews of Meaningful Beauty
To be frank, customer feedback of Meaningful Beauty on our website wasn’t optimal. The company averaged under two stars after 35 reviews, and the majority of negative complaints came from people who struggled with their return policy.
Specifically, they reported that they couldn’t get the company to refund their purchase price and that customer service was difficult to work with.
Many people also wrote that the results they noticed weren’t worth the monthly cost for the products, though others mentioned that their friends and family were commenting on how well rested and younger they looked.
Wellness advocate Mary Beckett from Blue Ice Essentials told us that she is a big fan of Cindy’s product line.
“I have used it for nine years. My skin looks better now than when I started and when I started, everyone I knew noticed the difference,” she said.
Amazon reviews also offer insight into Meaningful Beauty’s reputation. Both collections and individual products average between 3.5 and 4 stars, and many people reported that using the products led to subtle improvements in their skin.
Others stated that the results weren’t impressive and that they didn’t approve of the ingredients within the products so they weren’t planning on repurchasing them.
Our Test of Meaningful Beauty
Below, is our video review of this product line with an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of these products and our tips for navigating the company’s automatic subscription policy.
“Overall, these products are formulated with ingredients that are really good for your skin, with the exception of the occasional alcohol and fragrance…[saying that], for those with acne-prone skin these products might be too heavy,” HighYa reviewer Olga Belous concluded. “Because these products tend to feel heavier on the skin, I would be careful if you are someone who is prone to breaking out.”
The Bottom Line
Saying all this, do we think that Meaningful Beauty is worth a purchase? We are hesitant to give it a glowing recommendation, as our video review and previous customer feedback highlight some concerns about the value of these products compared to the competition and the potential difficulty of dealing with customer service to cancel your membership.
Overall, we think that reviews show that using Meaningful Beauty can lead to subtle improvements in your skin.
Those who want more dramatic results or who are prone to breaking out might want to look elsewhere, as we learned that these products have the potential to clog your pores and potentially exacerbate acne.
If you don’t want to get tied into an auto-subscription service, we recommend looking into buying Meaningful Beauty products from other retailers like Amazon or Ulta Beauty. This lets you purchase just the products you want without getting tied into a reoccurring order.
And, if you’re curious about the oxidative stress-fighting effects of superoxide dismutase, it might be worth tracking down some Charentais melons for the dinner table.
Though this French heirloom might be hard to find in American grocery stores, I’ve personally had success ordering the seeds online and growing them in my home garden.
Clinical evidence supporting the fact that consuming SOD gives you similar skincare benefits is lacking.
Following a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables can do wonders for your skin. Either way, it’s never a bad idea to add more fresh produce to your diet.
After my introductory shipment ended, I called to cancel because it was just too expensive. The man that I talked to said that he could give me a discount and could get my order down to $33.92 per month and I agreed. What he did not tell me is that he was going to cut out one of the products and that’s how he got the price down! I got the next shipment and it was missing one of the products.
I called and was told the price of $33.92 did not include one of the products. However, they would send it to me, but in the future, the price would go up to $46 or $47 a month. I said cancel. I said it was deceitful on his part not to tell me that the reason he got the price down was to cut out one of the products and he should’ve made that crystal clear on the phone.
The girl I talked to this time and her supervisor, claimed that I specifically asked for that dollar amount which was a blatant lie. He gave me that $ amount after I rejected his first offer! He told me the price would never increase but should have been honest and said (after he offered $33.92) that I should PICK a product I no longer wanted to get the price of $33.92.
The girl that I talked to on the phone told me the reason I didn’t get the one product was because it was out of stock! That made no sense — nothing on my paperwork said there was a product out of stock!
Customer service is dreadful, and they don’t care about retaining customers! I do not know what the man put in his notes but the girl I talked to and her supervisor seemed to think this was all my fault! It certainly was not because I was never asked what product to delete.
Length of Use: 6–12 months
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros and Cons
Melon Serum
Expensive & no free shipping
Customer service rep was a liar
Still have wrinkles & bags under eyes
Terrible customer service hours — not open late enough
Would not recommend this product. Company is a scam. They make you prepay $88.00 USD before shipping. Called customer service 7 times, sent two letters to cancel. Paid for and received 3 orders. Received a bill for $295.00. Called and no one at customer service can help. They say I owe it. I asked for proof that a total of 6 shipments were sent. They can't, because records indicate 3 shipments. When I didn't get anywhere I dropped contacting them as it was a lost cause. They sent me to collections. How can I be sent to collections for prepayments of product. Never would I recommend this product to anyone.
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
This company is a grift. My wife, who has since past away from Alzheimer's, was scammed out of thousands of dollars from this goop. Please don't give your money to these match stick men. There is a place in hell for all the people involved in this product.
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
I have been trying to reach customer service for a while now to change my order and cannot get thru to them by phone.
So then I tried to write them an email to no avail. They keep saying that they are going to send an email to reset my password but I have not received them yet.
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Absolute scam. They trap you into paying way more than you think you're going to. It looks like you subscribe to have them charge and deliver to you every month, but in reality, they set up a balance for you. So when I tried to cancel my subscription, they still wanted to charge me nearly $200 and said that was the true cost of my order. AND THEN, when I complained (this was all via live chat) they just said "sorry for the misunderstanding" and SIGNED OFF without giving me the option to say anything else. DISGUSTING.
Length of Use: Less than 3 months
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Have been using on and off for 12 years. People still cannot guess my age – I’m going to be 65. People think I’m in my early 50’s. I would recommend this product to anyone.
Will be ordering more!
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Bought the MB kit and liked most products. Neck and night cream both made me swell, itch, and turn red. Not sure why but other products agree with me totally.
Length of Use: 1–2 years
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
I ordered Meaningful Beauty back in May of this year thinking it was a one-time purchase. The next month I was charged again $69.00. I called customer service and talked with a guy named Sam, who told me they would cancel the purchase and refund my money, and since it was too late to stop the next shipment, when I received it to take it to the post office and have it returned. Which I did and have the receipt. I started receiving letters saying I owed them $200.00. I sent proof of my sending the package back but now I have been turned over to a collection agency. I also have the confirmation number.
Length of Use: Less than 3 months
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
I am 45 years old and have been using Meaningful Beauty since my early 30's. I look like I'm in my twenties! My mother ordered and introduced this to me.
Give this system a chance! The first melon serum is the best, and after a few months, you will absolutely see a difference in your skin. Your wrinkles will literally start to almost disappear. I do not like the newest melon serum, it leaves stickiness on your skin. The eye-lifting cream is one of the best! I've tried many expensive skincare lines but meaningful beauty is truly my go-to. I tried another line for a year that's over $2000 and realized my wrinkles were forming and I looked tired. The melon serum and glowing serum give you this incredible lift and radiance!
I promise, give this product a chance and you'll see results. It actually bothers me to see these horrible reviews. If you're worried about fraud, you can buy on Amazon.
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Pros and Cons
After a few months I looked 10 years younger
Great price
Truthfulness about the melon reversing aging
Hard to reach someone
First time ordering agent knew nothing about the product
By
Laurilee C.,
Atlanta Georgia , Verified Reviewer
I'm getting charged every month and not getting my products. When I called, this nonspeaking English person wants to tell me my products are coming but they have a charge my account again. That pissed me off and I told her to cancel. I don't care to keep messing with a company that does this. You will NOT be getting any more of my money. In fact, this product sucks anyways. And Cindy Crawford should be ashamed to have her name linked to this. And I shall send her a message as well!
Length of Use: 6–12 months
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
I have been using these products for several years now. I have a high-stress job, young kids, and a military spouse. These stressors typically pre-age skin. However, every time I go home my family is always amazed at how I look. They say that I look the same now that I did five or 10 years ago. I attribute this to a healthy lifestyle and also these skincare products. I always smile when people ask if I am the youngest sibling, which is definitely not the case.
Length of Use: 2+ years
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Pros and Cons
The high quality of their products
The flexible membership
The member gifts and discounts
The time it takes to receive products after placing an order
It’s expensive, but you get what you’re paying for
