My Honest Three Ships Beauty Review After Trying 14 Products
It took me a really long time to find a genuinely clean, toxin-free skincare brand that actually did something for my skin. But when I finally found Three Ships that was it for me. My all-time favourite skincare brand for sure!
Since my first purchase, I have tried over twelve of their skincare products and have been exclusively using their products for over three years. Here’s my honest Three Ships skincare review of their best-selling cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye masks and lip products.
First Off, Who Is Three Ships Beauty?
Three Ships Beauty was founded in 2017 by two Toronto-based women. Their mission is to create effective natural skincare products – without any yucky ingredients.
They create 100% clean, toxin-free skincare products that are effective, affordable, and made exclusively from natural ingredients.
Three Ships in a nutshell: No green-washing. Full ingredient transparency. No 10-step skincare routine. Affordable. EWG Rated. That’s basically what they’re all about (and why thousands of people love them!).
What Makes Three Ships Beauty So Awesome?
Three Ships Beauty has become a very popular clean skincare brand, and here’s exactly why they’re beating other brands and why they quickly became my favourite brand:
1. Commitment to Clean Beauty
In a world where ingredient lists often look like a chemistry experiment (a.k.a a gazillion words long), Three Ships prioritizes the simplicity and efficacy of natural ingredients. So, you don’t have to worry about hidden chemicals, endocrine disrupters, or fragrances. Their ingredient lists are short and sweet. 🙂
2. Ingredient Transparency
Transparency is a key aspect of Three Ships’ philosophy. The brand goes above and beyond to provide detailed information about each ingredient used in their products. On their website, they offer an ‘Ingredient Glossary’ page where you can see exactly what each ingredient is, where and how it was sourced, and the benefits it adds to the product. There’s no confusion and no hidden ingredients.
I don’t know about you, but I RARELY see this level of transparency and I research hundreds of brands.
3. Affordable Prices
Natural skincare products are expensive. Clean beauty and skincare is becoming ‘trendy’, unfortunately bumping prices even more. Before finding Three Ships, I was shipping my cleanser and moisturizer from the US, paying hundreds of dollars.
Now? I get all my skincare for the same price as my last cleanser. That’s pretty awesome IMO.
Clean, natural skincare should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. Three Ships’ reasonably priced products make that more than possible. It’s one of the only affordable natural skincare brands out there.
My Honest Three Ships Beauty Review
Okay, let’s get to the review!
I’ve been exclusively using Three Ships Beauty for over three years now, here are my honest thoughts on twelve of their skincare products.
You should also know, I’m VERY selective of skincare products (hence, the blog!). I believe skincare should support your natural skin barrier (and overall health) and be made with natural ingredients that work.
There should be absolutely no toxic ingredients and it should do what it claims – so here are my honest (and strict) thoughts and ratings of each.
“Harmony” Kombucha Microbiome Balancing Cleanser
This was the very first product I ever bought from Three Ships – and it’s still the only cleanser I use 4 bottles and 3 years later. I just love it that much.
This cleanser has a soft, milky consistency that is super gentle on the skin. I have very dry, sensitive skin and this formula is SO nice. No dryness, tightness, or irritation,
It leaves your skin feeling clean yet hydrated (and not stripped), which I LOVE.
“Refresh” Papaya + Salicylic Acid Cleanser
I bought this cleanser as a gift for a family member. He loves it! He claims that it cleanses well, leaving his skin smooth, brighter, and less oily throughout the day.
What’s so great about this cleanser is that it uses Aspen Bark Extract as a natural source of salicylic acid which has natural anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for breakouts and acne-prone skin.
The only “con” he mentioned was that you needed a couple of pumps per cleanse so he went through the cleanser pretty quickly.
Purify Aloe + Amino Acid Gel Cleanser
I also had a mini of this cleanser from a holiday kit.
It has a very classic gel-like formula that suds when you cleanse.
I did like this cleanser. It did a great job at washing off makeup residue and leaving my skin feeling clean and refreshed.
I have very dry skin and this cleanser leaves my skin a little bit more dry in comparison to Harmony so I stuck with that one.
But if you have combo/oily skin I feel this work great for you!
“Skin Hero” Bio-Retinol Serum
Three Ships so kindly gifted this one to me and it quickly became one of my favourites.
This serum uses a natural plant-based source of retinol called bakuchiol, also nicknamed “natures retinol”.
Retinol is all the rage these days for its anti-aging and smoothing effects; however, many commercial retinoid skincare products can cause irritation, dryness, redness, flaking, and increased sensitivity to the sun (I’m sure you’ve seen the “retinol detox” videos…).
I absolutely love that this serum uses a natural retinoid so you get all of the benefits (smoothing, evening of skin tone) all while naturally supporting collagen production, hydrating your skin and supporting your skin barrier.
“Replenish” Ceramides + Blueberry Barrier Repair Serum
Three Ships so kindly gifted this one to me and it quickly became one of my favourites.
This serum uses a natural plant-based source of retinol called bakuchiol, also nicknamed “natures retinol”.
Retinol is all the rage these days for its anti-aging and smoothing effects; however, many commercial retinoid skincare products can cause irritation, dryness, redness, flaking, and increased sensitivity to the sun (I’m sure you’ve seen the “retinol detox” videos…).
I absolutely love that this serum uses a natural retinoid so you get all of the benefits (smoothing, evening of skin tone) all while naturally supporting collagen production, hydrating your skin and supporting your skin barrier.
“Jelly Drops” Kakadu Plum + Mushroom Hyaluronic Acid Serum
I first tried the Jelly Drops as a mini from a holiday kit. I loved it so much I immediately repurchased!
This serum is just perfection. I add it to my moisturizer for extra hydration and let me tell you it leaves your skin SO glowy and bouncy.
Just like it’s name, it has a clear jelly-like consistency.
Jelly Drops use Tremella mushroom extract as natural hyaluronic acid alternative that has wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties. They also use red algae and Kakadu plum extract for extra hydration.
This serum was the only product that healed my skin barrier. Forever a must-have for me now!
“Boost” Rosehip Oil Serum
Boost was the first serum I purchased. I have very dry, sensitive skin – so I usually need to be very careful with serums, but this one is nice. It’s gentle, hydrating and non-irritating.
It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft, even during dry winter months! It’s not greasy or heavy and is very easy to apply. I typically add a couple of drops to my moisturizer.
The only “con” (although not a deal-breaker) is that I find the scent a little stronger than I usually prefer in my skincare. It has a citrusy-floral scent from the Geranium oil. If you are sensitive to smells, this may not be your fav.
“Glow” Jojoba Oil Serum
This is the second serum I purchased after Boost. Although it is listed for oily + combo skin, it works well for my dry, sensitive skin too.
I love this serum— maybe a little more than Boost. The scent very minimal. It’s extremely lightweight, quickly absorbs into the skin, and leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft.
Jojoba oil is almost identical to your skin’s natural oils (sebum), making it great for reducing excess oil production and minimizing pores. The combination of vitamin E and Camellia oil helps hydrate and glow.
“Brighter Days” Biodegradable Eye Mask
Okay, I love these eye patches.
These are some of the coolest eye masks I have EVER seen! Not only are they made with all-natural ingredients, but it also fully dissolves in water, making it 100% biodegradable.
Their shape has been perfected so that it fits comfortably, and they do a good job at brightening and refreshing your eyes if you have dark circles or bags from lack of sleep (nightshift, anyone?? 🙂
They’re made with red algae extract, a strong antioxidant and hydrating ingredient, and avocado extract, which helps brighten dark circles and reduce the appearance of eye puffiness.
It comes with 60 gel under-eye patches so they last a while!
How Do You Use The Three Ships Eye Mask?
Although Three Ships calls this an eye mask, they are actually jelly under-eye patches.
They are incredibly easy to use! After cleansing your skin, gently place them on your under-eye area, press lightly to adhere them and let them work! Leave them on for 10-20 minutes. Once removed, pat in the left over serum into your under-eye area.
“Radiance” Squalene Day Cream
As someone with dry skin, finding a good day cream that actually hydrates my skin is challenging. A lot of formulas are just so heavy, sticky and make me to break out.
This day cream is really lovely. It’s a lightweight, hydrating formula that applies seamlessly, is quickly absorbed by the skin and leaves my skin feeling soft and supple.
It’s the perfect everyday moisturizer!
I also love that you have the pump feature and can also open the cream if you want, too.
“Dream” Bio-Retinol Cream
Also gifted from Three Ships. I actually ended up liking this cream more than Radiance!
Their Dream cream is also made from natural bio-retinol plant sources just like Skin Hero. It’s also made with shorea butter and squalene, both of which support, nourish and deeply hydrate the skin barrier.
I fell in love with this cream with the first try. I think because I have dry skin, this cream is just one-step more hydrating and nourishing then Radiance.
I’ve also noticed it’s really evened out my skin tone, and just gives my skin a brighter, smoother appearance.
Superfruit Lactic + Multifruit 8% AHA Exfoliating Mask
I tried their Superfruit mask as a mini in one of their holiday mini’s kits last year.
I absolutely loved it so much. I’m not a huge exfoliating mask girl because of my teen days when I would use those harsh ‘bead’ masks that would strip my skin so badly.
BUT I am so glad I tried this one. It is so incredibly gentle! It has a super fine gritty texture that gently exfoliates your skin but leaves it feeling smooth and soft – not dry or tight at ALL.
I don’t know how they did it, but this mask rocks.
Lip Exfoliator + Lip Mask
This lip duo is the perfect way to refresh your lips. The lip exfoliator uses fine sugar crystals, moisturizing vitamin E, jojoba, and coconut oil.
Whenever my lips need a little TLC I do the scrub. It very gently exfoliates and leaves your lips feeling super soft. The scent is also a very delicious vanilla!
The buttercream hydrating lip mask contains vitamin E, shea butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
The funny thing is that initially I didn’t use it often but for the last couple of months I’ve had the lip mask on my nightstand and it’s my non-negotiable night-time routine. Wake up with silky, hydrated lips!
My Overall Thoughts
Honestly, my life changed when I found Three Ships. Sure, that sounds kind of dramatic but it’s pretty true.
I had been using all sorts of different skincare brands trying to find “the fix” to heal my skin which was chronically dry and irritated.
Turns out, less is more – and Three Ships is that. My everyday skincare routine is literally three products: Harmony cleanser, Skin Hero serum and Dream cream. That’s it. And my skin has never looked or felt better, so thank you Three Ships for creating skincare products that support health and truly work!
I also just really respect their commitment to transparency and community. I would recommend Three Ships Beauty to everyone if I could because everyone deserves ACTUALLY clean skincare that works and doesn’t cost you hundreds of dollars.
FAQ’s
Is Three Ships A Good Skincare Brand?
Three Ships Beauty is revolutionizing clean skincare (I’m serious!). Their commitment to natural ingredients, ingredient transparency, affordability and eco-friendly initiatives is quickly pushing them beyond the competition.
Three Ships Beauty pays attention to detail and constantly asks for and uses customer feedback to improve their products. They have products for every skin type and need including sensitive, hypoallergenic, and mature skin.
With high-quality products, affordability and commitment to toxin-free, natural ingredient formulas, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better brand than Three Ships Beauty IMO.
Is Three Ships Vegan? Cruelty-Free?
Yes! Three Ships Beauty’s skincare products are both cruelty-free and vegan, and their ingredient list is 100% transparent. Each of their product listings has a picture legend high-lighting all of the features.
They also have an ‘Ingredient Glossary’ on their site where you can alphabetically search for any of the ingredients they use in their products.
Under each ingredient, you’ll find information about its type, where and how it’s sourced, why it’s used, and what it helps with for skincare.
This is a super unique feature! I have NEVER seen any other natural skincare company provide so much detail about each of the ingredients they use in their formulations.
Is Three Ships Good For Mature Skin?
Yes! Three Ships Beauty offers natural skincare products for different skin types, concerns and needs. They currently offer 11 products that are suitable for mature skin!
On their website, they have a page dedicated to products for mature skin. You can also use their intuitive skincare quiz to find the best products for your skin type.
How Long Does Three Ships Take To Ship?
Three Ships Beauty has one of the fastest shipping times I’ve ever experienced.
It only took three days from the time I made the purchase to receive my product on my doorstep. I live in Canada, so I can’t speak on the shipping times to the US. However, knowing how diligent this company is, I will bet it’s just as fast!
I even made an order on Black Friday. We all know how chaotic Black Friday can be, right? My order came within three days despite the crazy number of orders they likely received that weekend.
Their shipping and customer service are impeccable. It’s very clear that they really value their customers and are there to help whenever you need them. I have only great things to say thus far!
Where To Shop Three Ships Beauty
If you want to try Three Ships Beauty’s products, there are a couple of places you can find them now! You can buy directly online from Three Ships Beauty and earn rewards points, or you can shop The Detox Market, your local Whole Foods Market, Indigo, and even Holt Renfrew.
They are constantly expanding to new retailers, and the best way to check where you can find them near you is through their online store locator!
