fave products // tata harper clarifying cleanser & moisturizer

I love me some Tata Harper. The brand is known for its use of potent, highly effective ingredients, while also remaining completely free of toxins. The perfect combination in my opinion! Their clarifying line of products in particular is great for those with blemish-prone skin, and I find myself reaching for these whenever my skin gets a bit irritated or hormonal. The Clarifying Cleanser and Clarifying Moisturizer provide a powerful one-two punch that target blemish-causing impurities while providing key hydration and moisture for your skin. As with all Tata's cleansers, you're instructed to apply a few pumps to dry skin, massaging it into a lather, then rinse with warm water. I love the cooling effect it has from mint extract, and sometimes will even leave it on for a few minutes as a flash cooling mask! Active ingredients like prickly pear flower enzymes create an exfoliating effect to help clear buildup and also promote cell renewal. Wild-crafted juniper fruit helps balance oil and sebum, while chlorella soothes redness and calms irritation. 

Once cleansed, I like to apply a few spritzes of Tata Harper's Hydrating Floral Essence before moving onto a serum and moisturizer. The Clarifying Moisturizer makes my skin feel nicely balanced and hydrated, without being too greasy, thanks to plumping hyaluronic acid as well as a clarifying mineral blend of copper, magnesium, and zinc. These natural astringents help remove buildup from the surface of your skin and aide in soothing. A super fruit healing blend including elderberry, sandalwood seed, sea buckthorn, tazman pepper, and palmetto berry works to minimize the effects of free radicals, while also calming redness and promoting healthy, radiant skin. Equally as important, sea fern helps reduce the appearance of any skin discoloration you may have leftover post-blemish, as well. I'll be honest, these products aren't cheap. But what I can tell you is they are made from the highest quality ingredients with absolutely none of the harsh or irritating chemicals. I'm willing to pay more for something that I know works and makes my skin look and feel its best- so if you're considering trying out Tata Harper, I highly suggest you do!

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, it won’t cost you a penny more, but I’ll earn a small commission. This allows me to continue to generate content for you, and helps keep the site up and running. Thanks for your support! 

fave products // true botanicals pure radiance oil

I have sung the praises of True Botanicals on many occasions. This safe, potent, and proven skincare brand boasts a seriously impressive ingredients list, and is highly effective to boot. After loving their Vitamin C Booster and Cellular Repair Serum, I was pumped to try the Pure Radiance Oil. The Clear oil, in particular, has balancing properties that work to regulate sebum and clear your skin while allowing its natural radiance to shine through. I love that while this oil is deeply hydrating, it doesn't feel too greasy or heavy, and I can wear it year-round thanks to its quick absorption. Antioxidants and potent antibacterial ingredients help heal any infections and clear congestion, leaving your skin vibrant and revived. As always with True Botanicals products, their facial oil is certified MadeSafe, and formulated with natural ingredients like helichrysum, hemp, pumpkin & grape seed oils, and algae extract. No scary ingredients here! A potent acne treatment and glow-inducing moisturizer in one?? Sounds like the perfect combo- I'll definitely need to restock soon! While I'm at it, I'm excited to try some of their newer releases, like the Antioxidant Booster, Resurfacing Body Mask, and Deep Repair Eye Serum, as well.

fave products // tata harper clarifying mask

Everyone has bad skin days, and lately I feel like I've had more than my fair share. With all the makeup, air travel, and harsh weather changes it's been through, it's no surprise that mild irritation can occur. Tata Harper Clarifying Mask to the rescue! This complexion clearing treatment boasts an AHA superfruit blend to refine the appearance of pores, as well as quartz sand micro crystals that gently exfoliate to help create smoother skin. Meanwhile the salicylic acid trio works to treat and prevent blemishes as the mask sets. I was a bit worried it would be too drying, but it hasn't caused any extra dryness or irritation, and has really helped any redness and blemishes I've had! It's also a great complement to my Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask for whenever my skin needs that extra glow. As with all Tata Harper products, the ingredients are all-natural and non-toxic, which is a huge pro in my book. What are you waiting for- get green!

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, it won’t cost you a penny more, but I’ll earn a small commission. This allows me to continue to generate content for you, and helps keep the site up and running. Thanks for your support! 

fave products // renée rouleau post-breakout fading gel

Everyone gets breakouts or the random blemish from time to time. One thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that some blemishes take longer to heal than they used to. It seems like a little mark or scar lingers for a while, which is pretty freaking annoying, to be honest. Brighteners and exfoliators are pretty common these days, and for good reason. Both can be used to help reduce the appearance of any discoloration on your face, as well as quicken recovery time. Renée Rouleau Post-Breakout Fading Gel is a fast-acting acne scar treatment that helps lighten and fade any marks left from those pesky blemishes. White tea and sea whip extracts are powerful anti-inflammatory agents, with gentle soothing components as well. Lactic and glycolic acids work to exfoliate the skin, promoting a nice, even-toned complexion. Obviously, the effectiveness of the product depends on the severity of the blemish, so make sure you don't make things worse by picking! I know it can be hard to resist at times- trust me, I've been there- but I promise it's in your best interest. I've been using the gel pretty regularly for a while now, and can happily say that it's helped with any lingering dark spots and marks I have! I love when a product does what it says it'll do, so I definitely plan to keep a bottle of this in my cabinet going forward. The Texan in me got excited that Renée herself is an Austin-based skin-care expert and esthetician, and even better- her company is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny! I've also been trying out (and really enjoying!) some other Renée Rouleau products as well, so keep an eye out for more reviews soon!

fave products // true botanicals hydrating cleanser

I've been a True Botanicals fan for a while now- from the renewal serum & vitamin C booster to the polishing grains, these products truly work. And with ingredients that are both potent yet gentle, you can actually feel good about what you're putting on your skin. The hydrating cleanser is a jack of all trades that removes makeup and dead skin cells, unclogs pores, hydrates, heals scarring, and stimulates cell turnover. The cleanser from the clear collection also helps to fight infection, by destroying acne-inducing bacteria and balancing your skin (all the while being careful not to damage it). I love that it leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed, rather than dry and tight, like so many harsh cleansers seem to do. Every so often I'll add a shake of the polishing grains to the mix to get that extra bit of exfoliation!

True Botanicals uses green and white teas (as opposed to just water) for the base of this cleanser, which allows you to reap the antioxidant and polyphenol benefits of these impressive ingredients. Think toning, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, just to name a few! Black willow bark extract joins the party as a non-irritating, but highly effective, version of the traditional salicylic acid you're used to, and helichrysum is a total anti-powerhouse (anti-bacterial, fungal & inflammatory). Talk about an added bonus! 

fave products // sunday riley martian & u.f.o.

 
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By now y'all know that Sunday Riley is one of my go-to brands for safe, yet effective skincare. From the cleansing balm to the night oil, I'm a huge fan. Sunday Riley's newest products, U.F.O Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil and Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner (love the space-themed names!), are geared towards those with oily to acne-prone skin. I strive to take good care of my skin, and am also lucky that for the most part, it's clear and blemish-free. Occasionally, however, I'll have a breakout due to hormones, stress, weather, etc., and when that time comes, I reach for these two products. Martian starts as a cooling gel, then transforms to a water toner, which clarifies, removes oil, and tightens pores for visibly clearer skin. Bentonite clay helps mattify the skin and reduce pore size, while green tea and marshmallow help to soothe and reduce redness. Several extracts work their magic here: cucumber and witch hazel extracts tighten and tone the skin, while Manuka, black cumin and magnolia bark extracts boast antibacterial and healing properties. Once the toner is absorbed, my skin is prepped for U.F.O. application. This medicated dry oil absorbs super quickly, helping to clear congested pores, treat and prevent acne, as well as smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Salicylic acid is at work here, along with tea tree oil and black cumin seed oil, to help clear potentially pore-clogging debris and promote clear skin. Milk thistle and cucumber seed oil add hydration, and prevent any dryness potentially caused by the salicylic acid, while licorice helps to brighten and even the skin tone. Talk about a killer 1-2 punch! These two are also great to throw in your gym bag, as these potent ingredients work wonders to prevent post-workout breakouts! And as with all Sunday Riley products, you won't find parabens, sulfates, or phthalates in Martian or U.F.O, making them an all-around excellent choice for healthier, clearer skin!