Aubrey Organics - Blue Green Algae with Grape Seed Extract - 3 Step Skincare

Today's post is something a little different to what you are used to seeing on my blog.

Always on the quest to find the perfect skincare routine, and now being pregnant too, I started using Aubrey Organics 3 Step Skincare System 3 months ago. Up until now, I've always used quite harsh products like Clearasil on my blemished skin but to be honest they didn't make my skin any better and still broke me out.

I searched the Internet for all natural, organic and cruelty free products but a lot of products which claim to be "natural" are actually packed with chemicals and toxic ingredients which I can't even pronounce. The ones that weren't, cost an arm and a leg which to be honest I wasn't willing to pay after having spent a small fortune on expensive skincare products that I ended up not using.

That's when I came across Aubrey Organics products on Amazon. I noticed that they also had a website and sold in the UK. I chose to go for their older line of products that come in these not-so-fancy bottles. If you go on their website now, it seems that they have re-formulated some of their skincare range as well as packaging.

Here is what I got:

Blue Green Algae Range (Combination/ Oily Skin):

• Facial Cleansing Lotion (118ml) - This is the first time using a face wash that doesn't strip all the oils and over dry my skin. Having had oily skin all my life, I used to think that only if my skin was "pulling" would it be squeaky clean. Now that's not the case as all I was doing was striping all it's natural oils which would make it produce even more oil. This product doesn't really wash off all your make up because it's so mild so you'd still need to use an alcohol free wipe prior to cleansing with this.

• Facial Toner (237ml) - I can't get over how gentle this toner is on my skin. Maybe that's because the toner I used before was so harsh that it would actually burn my skin a little whilst I was applying it. This toner makes my face feel so refreshed and silky.

• Moisturising Cream (118ml) - I was really impressed by the size of this bottle. I usually pay £9.15 for a pot of 30ml drugstore moisturiser and this is a 118ml bottle. It's going to last me way after the cleanser and toner have finished. The first time I used it, I was a bit taken aback by how rich and creamy it is considering it's a moisturiser for combination to oily skin and also by the very strong and overpowering scent, which I still can't get used to. However, I try to remember that it's made with natural oils (jojoba, Shea butter, evening primrose oil, soybean oil, etc), thus the rich and creamy feeling and the strong smell is quite natural and flowery, not "chemically".To my surprise, my oily skin skin seems to soak it right up. It just took me a while getting used to not having completely dry and matte skin like I've been used to for years.

• Soothing Mask (118ml) - I really like this mask although it's not the best clay mask I've tried. It's creamy and feels slightly self warming when applied to the face, it doesn't dry on like your usual clay masks. I leave it on for about 15 minutes and when I rinse it off, my skin feels clean and hydrated but in a dewy way. I haven't had any breakouts at all since I started using this mask but I guess the other products in the range may be helping with that too.

• Lip Balm - They send you a free lip balm when you spend £30. I love this lip balm although I have a drawer full of them. As this one is made from all natural products, it's the only one I would wear overnight, plus it contains no SPF so it's probably more suited for overnight anyway. I wake up with supple and moisturised lips in the morning.

The cleanser and toner are nearly finished and although I would gladly re-purchase the majority of these products, I tend to get quite bored if I keep to the same skincare routine for a long period of time. So I've already been eyeing up a few more products I'd like to incorporate into my skincare routine.

What is your skincare routine? Do you change every so often or do you like to stick to the same products for a very long time?

Honey & Lemon Face Mask

A couple of weeks ago, in my continuous quest for clear skin, I posted about using lemon juice as a facial cleanser/ toner. It worked for me in terms of drying out some of my spots and diminishing some of the oil, especially on my T-zone. However, I had to take a break because it was drying out my skin TOO much.

Continuing with my home made natural skin care experiment, I tried the ever so popular Honey and Lemon face mask. Honey is antibacterial, hygroscopic and a source of antioxidants. You can read all about it's properties here. Paired with lemon juice, I thought these would be my 2 miracle ingredients.

source: google images

How to prepare/ use the mask:

- Simple. Just put a couple of spoons of honey enough to cover your face, in a bowl (I just use supermarket branded or Rowse) and add the juice of about 1/4 of a lemon. Mix well together.

- Apply all over the face with a spatula and leave for 10-15 minutes.

- Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Apply your regular moisturiser.

Verdict:

It's unbelievable how smooth your skin feels after this mask. Whilst I was using this mask (every other day for 2 weeks), I was at that happy point with my skin! I could pull off the tinted moisturiser only, sheer coverage, dewy look. When I stopped using it, a couple of days later, some little spots came back around my chin and you lose that smooth effect of course. So, if you want that clear and smooth skin, you have to keep using it frequently. I use it 2x a weeks now.

What are your experiences with natural face masks. Do you prefer them to packaged ones?

Lemon Juice!!!

Nail polish, nail art, all things nail related is my absolute passion and I would absolutely freak out if nail polish ceased to exist (not that it ever would)! However, I also have other interests...many, many others. I like to dip my fingers in quite a few pies, figuratively speaking!
So, from time to time I may write about skincare (like this post) or make up products, I may show you my outfit for that day or just blabber on about something else.

I was reading Bubblegarm the other day, an amazing blog by a beautiful girl called Muhsine. She's also a London girl and her blog offers amazing insight and honest opinions on beauty, make-up, tips and tricks, skin care do's and dont's, etc!

Based on what I was reading, I felt inspired to look after my skin again. It hasn't been at it's best lately. Maybe because I've been neglecting it?! I have very oily skin which looks dewy as soon as I wash and apply a moisturiser in the morning but by 12pm it looks like I have ran a marathon in 35C heat. This then leads to blemishes breaking out around my mouth and chin area which I attempt to cover with foundation but this just leads to more oiliness and more spots - it's a vicious circle.
I would love to stop wearing foundation (especially during the day) but I always have a couple of spots taunting me and some scars and marks from previous spots that I squeezed (I know I shouldn't but I can help it)!

I've tried all sorts of brands (expensive and cheap) but I've never really given home made remedies or the natural way a go! I did a bit of research online and apparently lemon is supposed to be really good for oily skin and for acne. Lemon juice contains Citric Acid (one of the AHAs), it gets rid of dead skin, promotes elasticity and flushes out our pores! It's a cheap experiment so I thought why not give it a go?!

Image source: http://realitybrief.com/?page_id=394

Here is what I do:

* Wash my face with my regular cleanser and pat dry

* Dilute equal part of lemon juice and water and with a cotton ball, apply it all over my face as you would do with a toner (if you have dry skin, you should probably only apply it to the affected area and rinse off after 5 minutes if it burns. Remember that Lemon is has natural citric acid which works as an astringent so it may not be for you if you have dry or very sensitive skin)

*Moisturise as usual
I have now been using lemon juice as a cleanser/ toner for the past 8 days in the evening. (I only use it in the evening because my night cream is quite creamy whereas my day cream is oil free).

Verdict so far - The morning after I first applied it, I noticed a slight difference straight away. My skin felt softer but no major changes. On the 3rd day, the spots around my chin were still there but had dried up. On the the 5th day, the scares from previous spots were less visible but had obvisouly not disappeared and my pores seemed tighter. Today, the uneven pigmentation on my skin wasn't so noticeable and some brown spots were also beginning to brighten. It's not a miracle cure but has thus far worked much better than a lot of products I have tried.

I will now give my skin a bit of a break from the lemon juice as due to it's astringent properties, it may begin to irritate, but it's definitely a winner in my book.
Soon, I will also be making homemade lemon skincare masks mixed with other natural products to see what effect these have.

What's your experience with Lemon juice?