My Favorite Shower Essentials

Please raise your hand if daily showers are deemed a necessity in your life. Alright me too.

Growing up in a house full of kids, showers were the one thing I absolutely loved. My young naive self would stay in there for hours. But my friends, the prep - that was the best part. I'd save up my allowance and hit up the Bath & Body Works sales as if I were prepping for an Armageddon. (Priorities am I right?). With my mom being an Avon rep the hoarding of bath products tripled.

Then I realized it's probably smarter to store canned foods and stop being so wasteful with water. If anything its better to maximize my time with products that ooze spa-bliss. Enter Molton Brown, a favorite I discovered on the UES thanks to its proximity to Hunter College. The line is full of luxurious scents and amazing exfoliants. Whenever I run out of a particular scent I play Russian Roulette and try something new from them.

This month I went with Eucalyptus in body soap, lotion, and the body scrub. It's definitely not your typical floral fragrance but it reminded me of my first sister trip to Australia and how amazing the air smelled. When applied the scent isn't powerful (which I love) and combined with the shower's steam basically feels like aromatherapy. Molton Brown also carries travel sizes of everything (it's a bit more affordable if you want to give it a go) but I think I'm going to bottle up a little bit of this and pack it for my trip.

Pro tip: their exfoliator is UH-mazing and comes in a pretty big tub that has lasting power. The sugar granules purify the skin, soften and exfoliate, and the mint aroma helps lift your mood. If you're into sunless tanning, I recommend using the exfoliator before hand to help create a smooth base for application.

Shop the line:

A New Routine: Good For You Cleansing Oil

Today's shop has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! #ANaturalClean #CollectiveBias

I’ve mentioned my flare-ups with hormonal acne in the past and wanted to dive into a few products that help keep the whiteheads at bay. I know, doesn’t sound very glamorous does it. Now image how I feel walking into meetings with these huge beauty brands and a major break out – not cute when you’re trying to do a major pitch.

I’ve tried everything under the moon (including derm visits) to help keep the situation under control. Although my skin can handle a lot I’ll admit it’s not always gentle on my skin. For August I figure it’s time to let my skin to breathe (i.e. take a makeup cleanse), simplify my skincare routine, and use products that are all around gentle and natural.

I did some research online and learned that washing with cleansing oil is not only gentle on the skin but really effective at washing away the day’s gunk from your skin. Some oils can even have an aromatherapy effect on you – depending on its scent. The second part of my research took me to Target, where I always end up leaving with more items then needed. Oops! 

The Burt's Bees section in Target.

Target carries some amazing brands but wanted to stick with Burt’s Bees since their products are always 99% natural and their natural ingredients guide is made readily available on their website. I beelined straight to the Burt’s Bee Facial Cleansing Oil - a new product from their line - easily found in the skincare aisle at my local Target as shown below. I decided to grab their Natural Acne Solutions Pore Refining Scrub as well since I love to use 1x a week to get rid dull skin and dark spots (it works wonders on elbows + knees as well). If you use Target's Cartwheel app make sure to save 10% with this deal.

For a simplified cleansing routine all I do is first apply the Facial Cleansing Oil onto dry hands and massage over my dry face followed by a rinse. I'm never left with oily skin either. Once a week I follow this with the exfoliator, which follows the same directions except on wet skin. So far I love the ease of this perfect duo and how my skin feels moisturized (not at all oily) and refreshed. There haven’t been any new breakouts either - this cleansing oil is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores). At night the scent of the cleansing oil lulls me to sleep.

Overall my skin has been feeling hydrated and clean at a time it needs it the MOST with this duo.
Have you tried Burt’s Bees? Which product is your favorite?

Learn more about Burt's Bee Facial Cleansing Oil and what other bloggers are saying about it!

Dermatologist Are Expensive

Edit: This brand is now going by the name of Curology - different name, same great service.

And co-pays. Which is why I've signed up for PocketDerm. After a few months of putting them to the adult acne test I had to share my seamless experience. Let's be honest adult acne is ruthless and stops for no one, so when a product actually works I'm in awe (praise the lord awe).

In case you're wondering what PocketDerm is, it's a subscription based service that sends you a custom prescription based on your skin's needs. Yep, they send you a prescription with unlimited one-on-one consultations with a certified dermatologist for only $19.95 a month. And no, there are no hidden charges and they send you a fresh prescription whenever you run out.

I first found out about this magical service on one of my favorite reddit forums -  skincareaddiction (basically how all of my skincare addictions start). Intrigued, I signed up and went with the acne subscription as opposed to their anti-aging one. After filling out a questionnaire and submitting photos of my problem areas they promptly sent over my first bottle and a few samples of product to go along with my routine. My dermatologist also messaged me a recommended routine for AM & PM.

During the second month I really started to see results on my problem area - the acne was worse on my jawline. Now, the acne has sporadic flare-ups which tend to appear after "stress-outs" but less of it. Marks have also faded and my skin feels & looks smoother. 

All-in-all, this is a service that I will continue to use due to it's accessibility, affordability, and because it plain works. If you're dealing with acne but can't afford a Dermatologist or their prescriptions - I highly recommend you use this service. To get you started with your first month free sign up here.

I finished filming my PM routine for YouTube and hope to share it soon so stay tune!