Cleanse and Replenish with Osmosis Skincare

Affiliate Link Press Sample

Cleanse and Replenish with Osmosis Skincare:

Have you ever explored the Osmosis line? It is a professional lineup of wellness products, skincare, and cosmetics. I really like the wholistic approach of Osmosis. They treat your body as a whole and focus on addressing skin conditions at the source to restore your skin and establish wellness overall. Plus, I love that the products are both gluten-free and vegan! 

Recently, I have really been enjoying two products, in particular, from the Osmosis skincare line: Osmosis Deep Clean Detox Cleanser and the Osmosis Replenish Antioxidant Repair Serum. 

Osmosis | Deep Clean Detox Cleanser:

Finding a good cleanser can be tricky with my sensitive combo skin. I want something that cleanses gently. However, I also crave a deeper clean as my skin can get oily in the t-zone and I am also somewhat prone to breaking out. This Deep Clean Cleanser from Osmosis is perfect for my skin! 

Osmosis Deep Clean Detox Cleanser is a clear gel cleanser. It cleanses my skin completely and rinses clean. My skin is left feeling clean and soft without feeling at all dry nor tight. This gentle foaming wash helps keep my skin clear of break outs and also does a great job removing makeup. The product cleanses completely while keeping the skin's protective lipids intact, never stripping, inflaming or over drying the skin. The cleanser contains coconut surfactants and citrus essential oils such as lemongrass, lemon and grapefruit. I absolutely adore the fresh an natural scent of the citrus essential oils. It makes this product very invigorating and refreshing to use. 

Retails for $21.00. 

Osmosis | Replenish Antioxidant Repair Serum:

A good antioxidant serum is a must-have in any good skincare routine. Antioxidants fight free radicals and consistant use over time should delay the imacts of age on your skin. I am using this serum in the mornings (but you can use this serum twice a day if you like) after cleansing and before my sunscreen and moisturizer. It not only provides great antioxidant protection, but also it is nicely hydrating and it smooths out fine lines. 

The formula contains Vitamin E, green tea, and ginkgo biloba extracts. These ingredients work together to block damaging UVA and UVB rays. Floral extracts nourish your face while lactic acid resurfaces your skin's appearance. Plus, Replenish Antioxidant Repair Serum also contains over 17 different antioxidants to boost support against free radical damage and hydrating ingredients like Vitamin B. 

Retails for $80.00. 

I am really enjoying both the Osmosis Replenish Antioxidant Repair Serum and the Osmosis Deep Clean Detox Cleanser. Have you tried anything from Osmosis? I am excited to explore the line further in the future and would love any suggestions! 

As always, thanks so much for reading!

XOXO!!!

Affiliate Link

Get Your Daily Dose of Vit C: Mad Hippie's Vitamin C Serum

Affiliate Link Press Sample

I am all about taking my Vitamins. Vitamin C has long been a go-to for my daily vitamin intake. It just does so much for your body. So, it is no surprise that it is great for the skin, too! 

Using an antioxidant serum daily really is like your skin's daily vitamin dose! As part of my regular skincare routine, I like using a serum after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing. Just a few drops of a high quality serum can make a huge impact in your skin. An antioxidant serum can help prevent and treat signs of aging and reduce discolorations. Few skincare ingredients are as well proven as Vitamin C!

Mad Hippie's Vitamin C Serum is an all natural serum with Vitamin C as well as Ferulic and Hyaluronic Acid. This serum tightens, brightens, and smooths skin while also reducing the effects of photo-aging!

Key Ingredients Include:

• Grapefruit – Rich in antioxidants & citric acid, grapefruit works to remove dead skin cells, acting as a natural exfoliant, while toning & tightening the skin.

• Konjac Root Powder – Exotic flower from Asia, works to effectively soften & smooth the skin while forming a thin protective barrier.

• Vitamin E - Potent natural antioxidant shown to heal and correct skin damage, wrinkles and signs of aging. 

• Hyaluronic Acid –  Works to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  A naturally occurring substance in the body, hyaluronic acid begins to deplete as we age. 

• Ferulic Acid -A natural  antioxidant found in the cell walls of plants.  When combined with vitamins C & E, Ferulic Acid has been shown to have a compounding photo-protective effect

I really enjoy using this serum! I found that this product really worked quickly to brighten my skin and reduce discolorations. Plus, the hyaluronic acid makes it nicely hydrating. I really like that I can add this serum to my skincare routine without causing breakouts in my somewhat acne-prone skin. I just love the feel of this product on my skin. Plus, I love that it does not irritate my sensitive skin. If you are looking for a high quality and natural antioxidant serum, you should check out this awesome Vitamin C Serum from Mad Hippie! Be sure to scope it out next time you are at Whole Foods.

Price: $32.99 online via www.madhippie.com

Affiliate Link

Make Mine a Double: How Antioxidants Make Sunscreens Work Better (Guest Post from Ritual Beauty)

 Affiliate Link

We all know the importance of wearing sunscreen.  Obviously, you need to wear it when you are going to be outside but it is also important to wear it every day under makeup to help prevent the damage caused by incidental sun exposure.  But did you know that by adding antioxidants to your skin care routine, you can pump up the effectiveness of your sunscreen?  Even though sunscreen protects against harmful ultraviolet rays, free radicals can still get past your sunscreen and cause damage speeding up the aging process.  When antioxidants are applied underneath a sunscreen, you create two layers of protection against UV rays and free radicals.

Am I telling you to add another product to your skin care routine?  Well, yes and no.  More and more companies are adding antioxidants to their products so there is a good chance, you may already be using them.  If not, either add or switch your current moisturizer or treatment product for one that does contain antioxidants.  

There are a number of great antioxidants available in skin care products today.  Below are some to look for that not only fight free radicals but have other positive benefits to the skin (did someone say multitasker?).  Look for products that include a blend of antioxidants because when it comes to these powerhouse ingredients, more is better.

Vitamin A’s two most common forms are retinols and carotenoids.  While retinols have been used for years in skin care products to treat wrinkles, research has shown that carotenoids may play a role in preventing UV-induced collagen breakdown.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and comes from citrus fruit.  Besides being a potent antioxidant, Vitamin C helps promote collagen production and plays a role in immune function.

Vitamin E may be listed as tocopherol and helps improve circulation and repair tissue.  It works even better when paired with Vitamin C.

Coffee Berry or Coffea Arabica is considered to be one of the strongest antioxidants available, has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used by those with sensitive skin.

Green Tea has antibacterial, anti fungal and anti-inflammatory properties and research has found that the active ingredient in green tea may help slow down the aging process.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is actually an antioxidant enzyme.  Research has shown that this enzyme can penetrate the skin and reduce wrinkles.

As I said before, you can’t overdo it when it comes to antioxidants.  Most of the antioxidants listed above come from foods such as carrots, citrus and avocados.  Make sure you incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet every day to fight free radicals from the inside out.

Dawn is the founder and president of skin care company Ritual Beauty to help women Look.Feel.Be.™ their best.  Even though she loves all things beauty, Dawn recognized at an early age that makeup could only do so much.  This has led to a lifelong pursuit of healthy skin.   Her blog covers skin care tips and advice, product reviews, beauty news and trends.

Avalon Organics Vitamin C Serum: Review

Avalon Organics Skin Nourishing Antioxidant Intensive Vitamin C: Sun aging defense Vitality Facial Serum (long name, huh?) :)

Picked this goody up at a health food/natural food store about a year ago. It sat in my cabinet forever and I finally started using it about 4 months ago. I have been wanting to add a serum to my routine and want something that is packed with antioxidants, lightly moisturizing, non-irritating, and won't break me out. This is it ya'll!

This smells so yummy! Just like a chewable vitamin C. Now, you readers know that I do *not* typically like scents in products as they irritate my skin and I just don't like things smelling "sweet" or anyting like that. Well, this is scented, yet it doesn't bother me. It just smells fresh and feels light.

I am not sure about the "stability" of the Vit C in this product. I need to learn more about this topic in general...so, if you have any info on that please comment or link me to that info. From the Avalon Organics website (source): "Vitamin C (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate) is a powerful antioxidant that boosts the skin's immune system and defends against the damaging effects of free radicals that can age skin prematurely. Vitamin C further helps protect skin from the signs of aging by naturally increasing collagen and elastin production, stimulating cellular renewal and increasing healthy circulation. For added antioxidant protection, Avalon Organics Vitamin C Skin Care is fortified with Vitamin E, Lemon Bioflavonoids, Melatonin and Organic White Tea."

The packaging states that this serum will "energize your complexion with improved circulation, clarity, tone, and texture". This organic serum has 100% vegetarian ingredients and this company does no animal testing.

I use this under my facial moisturizer/sunscreen in the mornings. I pump out a pea-sized amount and use it for my whole face. Now, I don't use this every day. Just when I feel like I want to "do" something a little extra for my skin. Or, when I want to add a little more moisture. When I use my Skinmedica sunscreen/moisturizer I don't use use it very often as the skinmedica is already packed with antioxidants and Vit C (so, previously, using it about 2x per week with the Skinmedica). But, now that I am using the Biore Skin Preservation line,  I seem to be using the serum a bit more often (3-4X per week). I like to add the Avalon Vit C serum a few days a week to make sure I am giving my skin antioxidants.

I really cannot tell you readers if the Vit C or antioxidants in this serum are helping my skin because that would be the "invisible" benefit. Antioxidants are supposed to help prevent premature aging and are supposed to help protect your skin from the harmful/aging effects of the sun. So, only time will tell with this as far as prevention...and ultimately I would never know if is the Vit C serum or my moisturizer/SPF that is making the most impact.

What I do know is that this serum is a nice way to boost nutrients into your skin and to provide a little extra moisturization. My skin feels super dewy after I use this. I also believe that it has helped improve my skintone and texture. My skin looks very smooth and even-toned. I just love applying this in the morning for the fresh feel and scent of the serum. The texture of this serum is really not serum-like, but more like gel moisturizer. It sinks into your skin very quickly. I love it and will continue to use and repurchase.

Ultimately, I would like to post all the items used in my skincare routine as I believe that really it is the combination of all the products that I use that are producing the good-skin results that I am experiencing.

Avalon Organics are easy to find and the Vitamin C serum retails for about $20: Target, Kroger, Whole Food, and natural foods stores. I like this serum so much that I am tempted to try more products from the Vit C line by Avalon Organics.