Ingredients: Water, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Rubia cordifolia extract, Titanium Dioxide, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Wheat (Triticum vulgare) Germ Oil, Symplocos racemosa extract, DisodiumEDTA, Propylparaben, Zinc Oxide, Sesamum indicum, Crocus sativus extract, Glycyrrhiza glabra extract, Milk, Santalum album extract, Vetiveria zizanioides extract, Prunus cerasiodes extract, Monochoria vaginalis extract, Ficus bengalensis extract, Caesalpinia sappan extract, Lac, Nelumbo nucifera extract, BHT, Perfume, CI 17200.
Expiry Date: Use before 24 months from Pkd.
Description:

• For balanced skin that looks naturally fair and radiant.
• New Fair & Lovely Ayurvedic Balance is enriched with Lodhra & Manjistha, in addition to Kumkumadi Tailam, an ayurvedic concoction of 16 ingredients, known to help testore natural balance on skin.
• It nourishes skin to make it appear softer & smoother
• It rejuvenates dull skin for natural glow
• It re-balances the moisture content in the skin
• It promotes fairer, even toned complexion
• The skin feels re-energized and lively
• Fairness in 4 weeks

What is the meaning of balance for skin? As per ayurvedic principals, the human body is made up of "panch tatwas", the 5 elements of nature - earth, fire, air, water & space. A harmonious balance of these elements leads to a healthy body. Facial skin appears more naturally glowing and fairer when in a state of balance. Sun, pollution & stress are among factors that cause an imbalance on skin making it appear dull, dark & discoloured. Contains no harmful ingredients or bleach.
Directions for use: For best results, gently massage a generous quantity of the cream on your face & neck twice daily on cleansed skin. For external use only.
Firstly, I must mention that I'm not looking to become 'fair'. And I certainly don't believe that a cream can make you 'fair' unless it has been copiously laced with bleach. I have tanned skin and have no problems whatsoever with my complexion. I bought it a while back as a moisturizer when I decided to try out something other than my usual Himalaya moisturizer. And I've done a mini review of it here, but I've got some more things to add to it. For one, now I really like it. When buying I thought this is just 20gms and will get over really soon. But it has lasted me longer than a month of regular use, with still more than 1/2 tube left. Here's how I use it - Since this doesn't contain SPF, I use it only at night. After I've washed my face, I dot this on and then briskly but gently massage it in. If I do this when my skin is still damp, the cream gets absorbed really well and the 'oh-so-moisturized' feeling lasts a really, really long time. Like until I stop touching my face and fall asleep. If my face is dried-off by the time I apply this, then I have to dot on a lot more cream. Otherwise my skin gets tugged. This cream seems to 'dry-off' on contact with air. The best part about this cream is that it works fine for sensitive, acne-prone, itchy skin. It doesn't help with any of those conditions, but it doesn't hurt either.
Packaging: Pretty much normal. You get the cream in a tube, which comes in a carton. The tube's cover is cute though - a light, pale, peach colour, with a small band of silver at the bottom. Also the lid doesn't flip or twist open. You just have to turn it 180o to either side. And the nozzle of the tube is pretty long, which I don't like as a lot of product will get wasted there.
Smell: This has a strong smell of jasmine flowers. At first I hated the smell coz it is a bit too strong for my liking and make me a wee bit nauseous. But I've been using it for over a month and I'm completely used to it.
Consistency & texture: This is a cream and not a lotion. But it's not a very rich cream. It's a dry cream. What I mean is that it'll dry immediately on applying. In fact if I try to use this when my face is dry, it becomes difficult to spread it on coz it dries off. Also, don't try to take some on your hands, rub your palm together and then massage your hands across your face. That'll only pull at your facial skin and only your palms will be moisturized. Dot it on your face and massage quickly. Preferably when just after you've washed your face. The cream itself feels very light, almost mousse-like and not very heavy/oily.
Look: It has a very light, pale pink colour but it dries transparent for the most part. If you've used a lot, then your face will look ashy/powdery for a minute. Also, the cream has a pearlised sheen to it. But that won't show on your face.
Overall Verdict: It works well as a moisturizer, but it hasn't made my skin clearer or my complexion brighter like the Fair & Lovely No-Marks cream did. You can read that review here. Another major point though is that this didn't adversely affect my skin at all. Not even the smell. Even on my most itchy-allergy prone days. And because of that this gets a double thumbs up from me. I will definitely finish this up (20 gms is a lot, I've learnt), but I don't think I'll repurchase - I want to try out different lotions. Recommendation: I recommend it for oily, normal or combination skin. It won't be moisturizing enough for dry skin. For those with sensitive skin, this didn't adversely affect my sensitive, eczema/psoriasis-prone skin, but use it at your own discretion.

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