  I wanted to love this natural acne solutionClearcalm Non-Drying Acne Treatment Gel by REN
0.5 oz (15ml) - RPR $20.00 What the say: The skin-loving acne solution. This clean, non-comedogenic acne treatment with 0.5% salicylic acid is a fast-acting, non-drying solution to bothersome blemishes, blackheads, dark spots, and visible pores. Powered by a combination of salicylic acid and natural salicilin from Willow Bark, our oil-free spot treatment has a soothing, serum-like texture that delivers results quickly. Maritime Pine and Thyme work to reduce the potential for scarring while minimizing redness. Xylitol keeps the surrounding area hydrated - giving the best environment for healing, while prebioticsrebalance your microbiome (good bacteria) to minimize future breakouts. So skin is left feeling soothed, calm and in the clear without the dry, flaky feel that comes with using most acne treatments. My Thoughts: Yes it is gentle and yes it does help to slowly dry out minor pimples without damaging the skin, but there are a few cons which do not make this product ideal for more serious breakouts or cystic acne. Cons: It has a strange soap-like consistency which makes it difficult to apply onto the skin. When you apply the product to the skin it leaves a Brownish-Orangey residue which doesn't dry well, making it impractical for application before makeup and if it is done at night, it leaves a mess of your pillow and anything else it may touch. The product keeps oozing out of the tube, making it very messy. I keep having to get tissue paper to clean the lid. It is only effective if applied on small pimples that have been previously extracted, anything substantial requires something way more powerful. This didn't do anything for my hormonal acne. For those with minor pimples, it may work beautifully for you without being aggressive on the skin. For those with problematic skin, I would suggest you skip this one and use something like Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion which works really well. By Alexandra Black
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 1. Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil by REN Clean Skincare.
2. Rose Lip Polish by FRENCH GIRL. 3. Wild Rose Creamy Body Wash by WELEDA. 4. Rosee Visage Toning Cleansing Lotion by PHYTOMER. 5. Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Conditioner by Herbivore Botanicals. Oh Rose! I love you so... Roses remind me of my English Grandmother, of her beautiful rose garden, and of everything pure and English. She also had the most perfect skin, white like china, blemish free and barely any wrinkles despite her years. To top it off, her name was Rosamund (world of Roses), so how could I not fall in love with this magical, powerful flower. In honour of her and my favourite botanical, I created this post, with some of my most favoured Rose products. I haven't listed them all, but have selected a fair few for you to try out. Let me know your thoughts. As always, when possible, my selections are natural and toxic free. REN's Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil is one of the most pure and luxurious oils I have had the good fortune of trying, a real treat that actually works. I apply it onto humid skin, straight after my shower and it leaves me feeling itch-free and leaves a light lingering scent, which brings me nothing but pleasure. Rose Lip Polish by FRENCH GIRL. This is a little treat, that works particularly well during weather changes, be it winter or summer. Chapped lips are unsightly and a gentle little scrub with this polish, will leave your lips smooth and moisturised. The scent is divine too. You Pampered lips will appreciate this and so will your kissing partner. Rose Creamy Wash by WELEDA is Nourishing, pampering and harmonising. Velvety soft rose petals on your skin will feel like the ultimate luxurious experience, without the hefty price. Deepy nourishing Rosehip, which is know of its essential lipids and vitamins plus the essential oil from Damask Rose Petals will leave you feeling glorious. Don't take my word for it, indulge and try for yourself. Rosee Visage Toner by PHYTOMER is my ultimate toning lotion for removing makeup. It works beautifully, smells amazing and just always works. I've been using this for years, and no matter what I try, I always return to this. Definitely one of my top 10 beauty products! The HERBIVORE BOTANICALS Coco Rose Lip Conditioner is simple, sweet and just yummy. I keep this one in the car, on hand, and obsessively just apply and apply all day long. Thankfully it is natural, so I don't think over-doing it can be bad for you. Ticks the clean beauty box and the purse box too, which is always a plus! Collage by Alexandra Black  Oat and Bay Conditioning Shampoo by REN Skincare.
$28.00 for 300ml (10.1oz) Product Description: A gentle shampoo based on mild cleansers sourced from Oats and using bio actives from Bay Oil (stimulating) and Lemon Oil (cleansing). This product uses only 100% natural fragrance and is free from harsh sulfate detergents and synthetic colours. My Verdict: YES!!! We seldom think about the toxins our cosmetics products have, but I urge you to do so if you care at all about what you put inside your body, as we've talked about before what you put on your body is equally as important. This Shampoo provides a great clean squeaky wash, without drying your hair out. It lathers nicely for a natural product and leaves hair clean for days. I wash my hair every other day, but with this shampoo, depending on what I need to do, I can almost go two days without washing it. The amount of times you need to wash your hair depends on the frequency in which you wash it. Some people need more, some people need less, I love the feeling of washing my hair and also the shine and smell of freshly washed hair, so every other day suits me just fine. Collage/Photo: Alexandra Black  1. REN Rosa Centifolia™Cleansing Gel 2. SUSANNE KAUFMANN Cleansing Milk 3. ODACITÉ Synergie[4] Immediate Skin Perfecting Beauty Masque 4. MAY LINDSTROM The Blue Cocoon 5. Ooopps. 6. GREEN FIBRES Organic cotton muslin face cloth. Whenever I can I will use healthy, often Organic, natural skin products because as we know, the skin is the largest organ we have, so it's all well and good drinking plenty of agua, eating organic and hiking in clean air, but if the products we're lathering generously on our skins are full of toxins, then we really aren't helping ourselves at all. Above are some of my favourite natural products, which I use on my very reactive, sensitive, temperamental skin. I have used Ren's Rosa Centifolia cleansing gel for at least 10 years at this point. I first discovered the brand at Selfridges department store in London, when I was on a quest for natural skincare and there weren't that many brands around. I fell in love with it right away. It doesn't dry my skin out, feels super gentle, smells divine, but still feels squeaky clean, which is a must for me. I can't stand residue and so this comes after my makeup remover at night, when I'm washing the day away, or in the shower when I wake up in the morning. The only time I don't use this is after a peel, as I prefer a non-fragranced face wash for that. *More of that in another post*. I was a little resistant to trying Cleansing Milks, as I always assumed it was cause more breakouts, however since I double cleanse anyway, I thought I'd give it a go, especially as the weather is dry, and my skin feels like it could do with a little more love and less stripping. The SUSANNE KAUFMANN Cleansing Milk, is all-natural, the scent is super mild (it is soft, and feminine and powdery clean), it does a beautiful job of removing every last trace of makeup (including mascara) and it makes your skin feel fantastic and leaves you glowing. One day I'll see if cleansing with this alone is a possibility. But for now, as my first step, it's perfect. I love it! ODACITÉ'S Synergie[4] immediate skin perfecting Beauty masque was recommended to me by my gorgeous friend Sophia Savage for stressed skin or just a nice little pamper. It tends to calm any redness and Odacité has all these wonderful oils you can add to the mixture for added benefits. It detoxes and brightens. It claims to firm and peel, but honestly I didn't see those particular benefits. Masks never really eliminate acne for me, but they do calm it down somewhat. So if you like spending your Tuesday nights in with a pampering mask, you can't go wrong with this one. A cult favourite, MAY LINDSTROM's The Blue Cocoon is quite the splurge, but a little goes a very long way. I only use this occasionally because i'm still careful with the oils I put on my face, my brain likes to scare me, but the reality is that this is nothing but calming. Smells kind of like chocolate to me, and the funky blue, gives me a soothing feeling just looking at it. It does make your skin look like a goddess, youthful and nourished. I love theses super soft organic cotton muslin face cloths by GREEN FIBRES. I like to use a new one every time I was my face, to ensure if I have breakouts that no bacteria is carried over from my prior wash. Once you're done, you can stick them in the washing machine and you've got a clean cloth for your next wash. I have about ten of them, so that rotation is easy. I used to be really rough with my skin (still am, but I'm getting much better), so these are gentle enough to wipe away the cleansing gel with tepid water. These are so worth it! Collage: Alexandra Black |