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

Garden Review: Week 2

It's Monday again and it's time for another Garden Review. This week I exhibited a little more self-control and only tried two products. Weirdly, I'm not sure what to say about either product, but I'll try to give a sense of where I am at with them right now.

CocoBasil Clarifying Tonic

This was a product I added to my original cart on Jen's recommendation. I am prone to small bumps on my chin and she recommended this to help keep them at bay. There is a definite basil smell, which was not my cup of tea, but many people enjoy it. I sprayed this on after cleansing and let it dry a little before moving on to my HA serum. I only used this a few days though because it gave my skin an uneven tone. It's difficult to describe exactly what it did my face as there were no acne bumps or dry patches. It just made it look strange. I did not stick with it long enough to notice any affect on my chin-bumps (quite the image, right?), but I may have to give this another try.

Mandelic Acid [yes alcohol/ yes seaweed]

This is what GoW says about using Mandelic Acid:

Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps clear away dead skin cells that have built up on the skin's surface, and because of its smaller molecule size it can also work within the pore as well. Unlike glycolic acid, it cannot penetrate the skin's layers to enable deeper exfoliation, but it can help to refine pores. Mandelic acid has antibacterial properties.

I was excited to try this exfoliator as people have great things to say about it on the forum. I was expecting a burning or stinging sensation, but I felt nothing. Previous use with acids may contribute to my skin's lack of reaction. In the morning, there was no real difference in my skin. I only got a chance to try this once. As my skin is very sensitive, I try not to scrub, exfoliate, treat, etc. all the time. I have had much better luck when I keep my routine simple and gentle. I have not given up hope on this product. I think over time the results will be clear. Once I finish this sample size, I may order a larger concentration or try the lotion version of this product.

At the end of last week, I reexamined my routine, perhaps a bit prematurely, but these are the thoughts that aid me in my constant procrastination. I love my cleansers; after reading my post last week, Jen recommended mixing them with some oil to help avoid the flakes. I have been mixing Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser with a drop or two of jojoba oil and it makes it even more luxurious. I love my moisturization routine. However, I do have some spots and clogged pores and I felt like nothing in my order was targeting those problems (the Mandelic Acid may have some affect in the future). I placed another order for some samples so I can make an informed decision when I order larger sizes of a set routine. Stay tuned next week to see what I ordered and what I am testing out.

Garden Review: Week 1

I have a confession to make. This past week was the first week of my Garden of Wisdom experiment. I was scheduled to use one product, but I ended up using....

Wait for it....


Five!
I couldn't help myself. I have a reason (aka excuse) for all of the extra products, but really, it was just because I could not resist. And two months of incorporating products was just way too long for me. Not when the solution for perfect skin was sitting on my dresser. Keep reading for my reviews!

Oats, Milk and Honey Cleanser
This was the product I chose to test this week. I figured that I should start at the beginning of the routine. I loved the texture of this product; it almost reminded me of the First Aid Beauty cleanser, which has great reviews on Makeup Alley, that I have tried a sample of. There was almost no smell and a little goes a long way, so my half ounce container was a generous sample size. At this point, my routine was this cleanser, a Thalgo toner and coconut oil for a moisturizer. However, a few days into this, my nose started flaking with dry skin and it was probably the driest looking it has been all winter. This leads me to my second product sample.

As you can see, the ink will smudge if you get it wet. 

I plan on taping over the labels to prevent this in the future.

Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser
I then switched to this cleanser sample because I attributed my dryness to the other cleanser. This cleanser also has a smooth texture, but is green in color. A pea size amount is enough for my whole face and after working it between my hands for a few seconds it becomes a little milky (not foaming, which can be harsh on dry and sensitive skin). I also really enjoyed this cleanser, but I was still seeing some flaking on my nose.

Fruity Meow Meow Lotion
Since my skin was dry, I figured that what it really needed was some moisturization. So a few days into the week I added in this lotion. I have the kind with wax (which has not seemed to irritate my skin or clogged my pores). This lotion has a purple tint, glides on easily, and dries to a somewhat matte finish. Because of this matteness, it is not the most moisturizing product that Garden of Wisdom offers. It almost acts as a sealant.

Bluberry HA Serum
I then decided I must fully commit to the moisturization technique that GoW recommends. This includes an HA serum. I selected Blueberry to try first. I love the way this feels and the faint smell of blueberries is very pleasant. Once I added this into my routine, the flakes were gone. My current routine is: wash with Jen's Green Tea and Shea Cleanser, apply the HA serum to a barely damp face, let dry, add some type of oil at night (I rotate between Jojoba, Argan and Coconut) and then seal it all in with the Fruity Meow Meow Lotion.

As for the fifth product, I am still working on my review, but it will appear in some later post.

I do not think that the cleansers dried out my skin appreciably. However, I feel that with a consistent, effective routine, my skin could calm down enough to show what it was really lacking. Before this experiment, I used different products every night. Finally, it had a chance to slow down. I have always had skin on the drier side. This school year it has been somewhat oily, which probably means that I was stripping my skin with products that were too harsh for my skin (I'm looking at you Arcona).

My skin is already looking a bit more even and I have had only one breakout (which could be purging). The spots I did have have cleared up nicely. This week I will be working in a few more products (hopefully I can limit it to one or two) and I am already planning another order from GoW.