InstaNatural Skincare
There's nothing Mommy loves more than amazing looking and feeling skin. Great skin is the basis of any great makeup- so, I found it fitting that this review lined up with Makeup Monday. I had the opportunity to really dive in and get friendly with a line of skincare products by InstaNatural. A product admittedly, I have never heard of. The name threw me- InstaNatural. It didn't really feel like a legit skincare brand to me. Maybe something more for an As Seen On TV deal, or QVC... but by the name alone, I admit, I'd probably never have picked this product up in a department store. I tried to see it objectively. They provided me full size bottles of the following to try: -InstaNatural Glycolic Cleanser -InstaNatural Glycolic Peel -InstaNatural Brightening Serum
I'm going to start down the line. The glycolic cleanser is to be used after you remove all your makeup. It works by gently foaming and with the rubbing motion of your washcloth or cleansing pad (check out my review on the AOMUU Silicone Pad that's the one I use still.) and just scrub your face gently- avoiding the eye area. I let it sit for a second or two and rinse it off. They claim it's important that you rinse completely to deactivate the glycolic acid. Glycolic acid removed the top layer of skin and supposedly stimulates collagen and elastin regeneration. After I used the cleanser, I dried my face completely, and I then used the peel. I'm not going to sugar coat this part- it prickles. It felt like I was poking my face with little needles. It didn't hurt, per se- but it was unexpected. I was using glycolic peels occasionally before, and I never noticed this- but after online reading, I found this is typical of a glycolic peel. Following the directions is crucial to avoid injury, and after letting it sit a minute or so, I was careful to remove it. I didn't notice any redness or irritation whatsoever, and my skin did feel extremely smooth. My favorite product of the lineup- and I became an immediate fan- was the Brightening Serum. It looks like lotion made from carrots. It's bright orange, and smells of orange peel. It's extremely pleasant, gets absorbed into the skin completely and quickly. I noticed a very dewy glow to my face after using it. I plan to repurchase this line- and I'm actually very excited to see what else they offer, but this item has earned a place in the "I KNOW I'll be buying this for a long time to come" category. It replaced my L'Oreal brightening serum, which my biggest complaints were the thickness of it, and it would give me a weird taste in my mouth and burn my eyes. (No, I'm not eating it, or putting it in my eyes, but lotions and creams migrate over your skin with your natural oils as you move through the day.) After about an hour or two, I had strange taste in my mouth and figured out it was the serum I had been using. Next, the Night Cream. Simply stated, this is wonderful because it's so light and also doesn't leave that cold-cream greasy feeling on your face. In fact, this also absorbs extremely quickly and I look forward to using it as it leaves my face feeling fresh for bed. The Eyelash Enhancing Serum, I am trying... and this is going to take some time to report back on. I have average lashes, but my brows have thinned a bit after my diagnosis of Hashimoto's. The label states that it can be used on eyelashes AND eyebrows. For the past week, I have been applying it to both, and I will have to follow up to tell you if I notice any thickening or regrowth quicker than normal. However, I can tell you that after 10 days of using this line entirely and exclusively, I am getting compliments. Now, my skin is actually really decent to begin with. I don't really break out, and for my age, I'm holding it together pretty well. (No fine lines, no wrinkles) So when someone says- "Wow, your skin is really glowy, dewy, beautiful, etc" I take note- especially if it's someone who sees me daily- like my husband. This is a line I am definitely going to recommend. I'm going to of course, tell you to proceed with caution. Changing your skin regimen can mix up your complexion a little. It's normal to get a change when you first try something new. I have REALLY tolerant skin for stuff like that, so I've been lucky- but I know a lot of others really have a bad time of it. So proceed with caution. I don't want angry emails about breakouts and hypersensitivity to glycolic peels. YOU know your skin better than I do, and you know how fast you can make a change. When you're looking... I'd look here though.
