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REVIEW: A Trio of Toners

I’ve never been one for toners. They always seemed superfluous, and I just couldn’t see the point of them. But after trialling this trio of toners, I must atone for my toning distrust.

First up, the Balance Refining Toning Mist from Nourish - a nice refreshing toner that is perfect to spritz over the face on a hot days, and a good way to inject a little extra moisture before applying light moisturiser (brilliant for oilier skin types that still need a little hydration boost). Not to mention a great buy at £8.95. Next up is Aromatherapy Associates Rose Skin Tonic. This is a great one to smooth over skin after cleansing to remove any residue, and noticeably softens skin. The soothing rose fragrance makes it lovely to apply at night, and it strikes just the right balance between refreshing and hydrating skin. And finally, my not-so-secret favourite from Stark Skincare - the White Willow Bark Perfecting Tonic. This is one of those beauty products that is just a pleasure to use, and I’m going to blame it on the fresh, zingy fragrance. It’s like sticking your face into a vat of freshly squeezed orange juice (in a good way). Although probably not the best for super sensitive or reactive skin, it is great for problem skin as the salicylic acid from the white willow bark is gently exfoliating and helps clear congestion. 

So, although still not on my must-have list, these three toners have definitely made their way onto the very-nice-to-have list. Their prepping power means that skin needs less moisturiser or serum (which is particularly good on hot days or under makeup), and it can act as the step in your routine that either peps up or soothes your skin. 

*These products were sent to me as PR samples for my honest review. 

CLEAN REGIME: Jessica from Stark Skincare

Jessica Lafleur is a  girl after my own heart. A self-confessed skincare rebel, she set out to create a brand that is 

… obsessively natural, simple without being boring, luxurious without being over-the-top, loves to educate, and made specifically for the needs of a city-dweller’s skin (and aesthetic).  

Stark Skincare ticks all the boxes: squeaky clean & hard working ingredients (loaded with antioxidants to combat city living) combined with iconic apothecary style packaging, to create products that both look good and do good. The cleansing balm, green tea detox mask and perfecting tonic have firmly established themselves as staples in my own clean regime (full reviews to come), so I am delighted to share with you Jessica’s clean regime:

AM 

‘I keep things simple as a general rule of thumb for life in general, and my summertime self care routine follows suit. In fact, it may be the simplest it’s ever been, and I love it! First off, I do think that the most important part of any summertime health and beauty regime is drinking a TON of water. In fact, this is an any-season rule.  My cleansing regime consists of Manuka honey that a friend of mine sends from New Zealand. I use it as straight-up cleanser on its own, or I mix it with Stark’s Green Tea Mask, with a drop of water. It’s fabulous, but also a man repellent (sticky mud!) I do that 2-3 times a week in hot weather which keeps me completely pimple-free. Next, I’ve been using Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo for some time, and loved it up until recently. Just as I was taking these pictures, my hair was really acting up and my scalp was ITCHY, so clearly I needed to make some changes. That’s where the Savon D’Alep comes in…. but we’ll get to that!  I also try to dry brush several times a week before showering, which leaves my skin soft, smooth and a healthy I swear I just exercisedpink. I brush towards my heart at all times to encourage good circulation.

PM

I use my Grapefruit Cleanse + Hydrate Balm by my company Stark morning and night, but ESPECIALLY at night, as it gently removes all manner of city gunk and grime and makeup off my face. Also, I like to add a little to my hair for the fresh scent, and a few extra dabs on any bits of skin that are quite dry. It’s multi-purpose but also just feels really indulgent, so I love that (that’s why I made it!). It also gives skin a nice glow.

The Savon D’Alep, which I am caught kissing in this picture (you guys do that too, right?) is a staple for me. I found this for a steal at a health food store, and it comes from Syria, via France. Alleppo soap is a Castille soap made of Olive and Laurel oil, and in this case Argan as well. I LOVE it. I had first used this type of soap in the  Middle East, but in bar form, and loved how rustic it smells and feels. It leaves your skin feeling clean, a little goes a long way, and what’s best, my hair absolutely adores it. So yes, I use the same soap on my body (mostly feet and parts I want extra clean since I don’t feel I need soap all over my body….too drying!) AND my hair. It’s liquid, so it’s not too, you know, awkward or anything. I no longer use conditioner, which my fine wavy hair seems to agree with. That slimy slick feeling that most conditioners give my hair just seems to not do it any justice.

My coconut oil. My love! I use this same brand (but NOT the same jar!) for both cooking and for my body/hair. This is a local Quebecois brand, although I assume the coconuts are not from around here, called Maison d’Orphée, which smells, tastes and absorbs like a dream. This one is organic, unrefined and virgin, which is super important if you want to use your coconut oil for your body. Actually, this is important for cooking, too. The refined stuff is garbage, frankly.  I use this as a night time hair conditioner, as my body oil, as a massage oil, as a mouth rinse (yup! Look it up!) and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy.

EXTRAS

 

The fun stuff. On my face, before I head out into the world, I use 2 drops of Stark’s Cypress Purity + Defense Oil, which helps my skin defend itself against environmental damage. I also use Organic Wear tinted moisturizer and their mascara, which is the easiest clean makeup brand to find in Montreal. For the price, it’s good. I love love love love Vapour Organics. It’s what makeup should be, to a T. I use their blush called Torch, and it’s easy to apply and feels nice on skin. I can’t stand makeup that feels bad, and since I’m not used to wearing it (yes, almost 31… still not used to it!), I love that I can apply this easily and forget it’s there, and it makes me look fresh. Also, the ingredients are phenomenal. I also love my eyelash curler. This is a cheap one, but now that I know that I love them and how much of a difference curled eyelashes make, I will invest in a fancy one. I also use Hurraw’s Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm, as it adds just a little gloss and enough colour to make me happy’. 

HOW TO: Get Clear Skin

I am almost guaranteed to receive a question or email from a reader on a weekly basis asking how to clear up skin. It seems that everyone is battling with breakouts that continue to rear their heads beyond the teenage years and well into the twenties and thirties. 

I have compiled this ‘how to’ based on my own experience with my skin - after a relatively clear run in my teens I struggled with pimples and blackheads throughout my twenties. Nothing major - at most I probably had three or four pimples at once, mainly on my chin and forehead, but enough to get me down.

The tips below have transformed my skin, and I hardly ever break out anymore (and when I do, it’s usually because I haven’t been following my own advice!). I hope that they work for you too, and please feel free to share your own experience and tips. 

Cleanse less: Yep, you heard me. I used to stock up on every anti-acne, blemish busting, salicylic acid based product on the planet. And yet I still broke out. Since going clean, I have switched to kinder, gentler cleansers, and I haven’t looked back. Although it seems counterintuitive, conventional, chemical heavy cleansers that are supposedly made to target oily and breakout prone skin are incredibly stripping, which in turn encourages skin to produce more oil, which then leads to more breakouts - which then leads to using more stripping products to try to get rid of them! It’s a vicious cycle. Break this cycle by using a gentle, pure cleanser - cleansing oils and balms are brilliant - which will get skin back on track to regulate its own oil production. It might take a few weeks for your skin to get used to this, but it will happen. Your skin is a very clever organ.(As a side note, I actually found that once my skin got back in balance, I had dry, not oily skin as I had always previously thought!). 

In a similar vein, I now only cleanse once a day, at night, and simply splash my face with water in the morning (unless I use a particularly heavy treatment the night before). This is for the same reason: to get skin regulating its own production and not disrupting its balance. 

Eat your way to good skin: Whether we like it or not, diet plays a HUGE role in skin. Since cutting back dramatically on sugar, my skin is clearer, brighter, and softer (not to mention the other benefits - less mood swings, a clearer head, and less tummy fat!). I also try to avoid soy and dairy, as in my experience if I eat too much of either they will also lead to breakouts. If I binge on junk food I will immediately see the effects on my skin over the next week - and it’s not pretty. I also add lots of chia seeds and coconut oil to my diet (I love to throw them into a hot bowl of porridge), as these supply the skin with good fats to keep it plump, glowing and hydrated. 

Get into clay: Clay based masks are brilliant at giving congested skin a little jump start to purge impurities and heal existing blemishes. I use one once a fortnight to keep skin in top condition - it’s a great Sunday night ritual. 

Don’t scare your skin: In addition to my former life as a Lover of Oil-Stripping Cleansers, I must also confess to trying just about every ‘overnight pimple zapper’ under the sun. At the merest hint of a pimple I would drop a dollop of (usually salicylic acid based) potion on it. Yet my skin didn’t get better - in fact, I found that these treatments usually left skin dried out, frazzled and red. So I stopped. And just ignored pimples, and let them do their own thing, and heal themselves. And again, my skin’s ability to help itself amazed me. Sure, pimples took a little longer to go away, but they never erupted into a sore, inflamed spot, which meant they were far less noticeable (and much easier to cover with a little dab of concealer), and just gradually disappeared without a fight. I’ve also noticed that my skin scars far less with this approach.  

Product recommendations: I’ve tried to keep this post general rather than list specific products, as it’s more of a guideline on how to care for skin rather than a hardwired regime. But sometimes you just want a recommendation, straight up, so here are the products that I have used and liked:

So, if I could summarise my clear skin regime in one sentence, it would simply be:

Be kind to your skin and to yourself. 

You will be amazed at what this will do.