Garden Review: Week 4

I'm of two minds about the product for this week. Yes, I was able to control myself and only test one product. Amazingly.

Creamy Cleanser (unscented)
If you thought of a basic milky cleanser, this would be it. It is the least drying of the three cleansers I ordered in my sample pack. It is a white cleanser with a "slippery" feel to it. There is a faint smell to it which I don't care for, but am willing to look past as it is not too overpowering.

*Picture will be added soon*

I took this on vacation with me and my skin has finally started to look great. My skin tone is more even, I have no breakouts and my "chin bumps" are starting to lessen. However, I feel like there are many factors that may have added to this, not just the new cleanser. First of all, I have stopped putting any oils directly on my face and I think my skin is appreciative of that. While I needed the extra moisturization during the winter months, I think my skin is now only suffering from dehydration. The oils have become unnecessary and perhaps a bit too heavy. Secondly, I cut down my skin care regime as I was traveling; I only used this cleanser, the Strawberry Hydrating Mist and the Majik Coconut Revival Cream (plus some eye cream) while I was away. Whenever testing new products, I always come back to the conclusion that simple is better and this trip proved that yet again. GoW has so many products that all do so many great things, that I think the layering of products is the norm. However, I feel that most days I only need to do the classic "Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize." I love the direction my skin is moving in now.

This cleanser is a little on the pricey side in my mind for something fairly basic. Because of this, I am going to spend this week using the Burt's Bees Radiance Cleanser, which is a creamy cleanser that I have used in the past. I know that I love my hydrating mist and moisturizer and that these are unique products, but I am not sure that I need to order a basic cleanser from GoW to use with it. The Burt's Bees Cleanser is $10 for 6 oz while the Creamy Cleanser is $14.30 for 4 oz. That is a moderate price difference, especially since I feel that I need to use quite a bit of the Creamy Cleanser each wash. If it turns out that this cleanser does significantly contribute to the look of my skin, I do not mind paying the price. But being able to use a less expensive and more easily accessible product as a cleanser and turning to GoW for their unique products is an ideal situation.

Garden Review: Week 3

There was no Garden Review last week as I felt I needed some more quality time with the products that I have been testing. But now I have three brand new items to review.

Strawberry Hydrating Mist:

I felt that my routine was missing one of these hydrating mists, as well as a few other products, so I placed a second order to fill the gaps. These mists can be used multiple times throughout the routine, but I use this right after I cleanse my face. I chose Strawberry because it is recommended for acne-prone skin, but there are many different options for the hydrating mists. I like the way this feels on my skin, but I'm not too keen on the smell. Many of the other items with fruit smell delicious, but this smells like the strawberries have gone a little mushy. I don't mind too much though, because I am seeing great results with this in my routine and I don't get that weird, discolored look I got when using the CocoBasil clarifying toner. When this runs out, I am going to reuse the bottle to make Jen's Vinegar Toner. 

Sorry for the blurry picture. Hope your eyes aren't crossing!

Majik Coconut Revival Cream:

This may possibly be my favorite item from GoW that I have tried. As you probably know by now, I love coconut oil. This moisturizer is as if coconut oil and heavy whipping cream met and had a baby. My skin was very dehydrated before starting GoW. Dehydrated skin is skin that lacks water, which can be aided by a moisturizer. Dry skin, on the other hand, is skin that lacks oil, which is aided by a carrier oil such as jojoba oil.  This cream feels incredibly luxurious going on and you only need a small amount. It leaves my skin healthy and hydrated. I really don't feel like I need anything else when I have this (though I often use it in conjunction with my argan oil or the Blueberry HA serum). As an added bonus, I love the silky-almost-matte finish the cream dries down to. It's almost like airbrushing your face! 

Some Kind of Wonderful Detox Serum:

This was the product that I really needed the extra week for. This is what the GoW website says about this product:

"When toxins and impurities build up within the layers of our epidermis, our skin becomes dull, gummy, often times exhibits signs of blemishes and in worse case scenarios, full on breakouts. A serum for all skin types that need a little "boost," this formula will help to detox the skin, allowing it to be radiant, glowing, and revert back to its natural beauty.
This serum also addresses bacterial and fungal issues, helps to discourage hair growth, and aids in the maintaining of skin elasticity. It may also address collagen damage in the skin due to UVB absorption, and may inhibit wrinkle formation due to UVB absorption."

The idea of a detox sounded great as I transition over to the GoW way of life. I have not been as consistent as I should have been with this ...no one is going to hire me as a research assistant anytime soon... but I do think my skin has shown signs of improvement. If you are worried about the word "detox" don't be. I didn't have a massive breakout from this product, just a few here and there and all of the bumps cleared up very quickly. Also, it helped my skin return back to normal after making a poor makeup decision. Two days ago my entire chin was red and bumpy. Today, it was clearer than before I started using previously mentioned makeup item. I think this is a good product to have at the beginning of a routine and I know that no one is going to object to some extra glow.

Be sure to check out my other GoW reviews:
Garden Review: Week 1
Garden Review: Week 2