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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Review: Origins Skincare Must Haves

I'm thinking of 2013 as the year of skincare. I'm tired of trying to fix my skin with makeup. I want to find products that really help my skin and restore it to what it should be. I've never been blessed with perfect, or even semi-perfect, skin. I began to have horrible acne in about 7th grade. I tried just about every gel, cream, or antibiotic available until being put on birth control around 15 or so. The birth control definitely helped clear my face since the cause of my acne is hormonal. I am currently still taking birth control and spironolactone to control my breakouts. My birth control is $82 a month and the spironolactone is thankfully only $5. I am very hesitant to stop taking my birth control or even switch to the generic version because whenever I have tried one of the options my face has erupted in horrible breakouts and took months to clear up again.

At the moment I only have a few active breakout spots. Normally, my skin is clear of whiteheads or cystic bumps, but acne scarring and hyperpigmentation makes my face look as though it is broken out. I have combination skin that goes from dry to very oily throughout the day. 

I am currently experimenting with new products from La Roche-Posay, as well as the Origins Skincare Must Haves kit which I purchased from Sephora.com for $55 ($86 value). This is my first time ever using Origins and I am pleasantly surprised. Here are my thoughts on the five products included in this kit.  



According to Sephora, this kit has and will do the following:

What it is:
An exclusive set of five must-have Origins favorites for a bright, fresh complexion. 

What it is formulated to do:
Give your skin a refreshing boost with this collection of energizing, skin-loving essentials. The moisturizer gives skin a zing of antioxidants, while hydrating and protecting from environmental damage. The face wash carefully balances skin’s dry and oily spots for a finish that feels comfortably clean and never tight, pulled, or parched. The dermabrasion formula promises age-smoothing exfoliation without irritation, leaving you kissed with cooling aloe. The serum reduces wrinkle length and depth—especially in stubborn furrows across your forehead and around the mouth. The eye cream instantly reduces dark circles and brightens rapidly for an alert, wide-awake look. 

This set contains:
- 0.5 oz Plantscription™ Anti-Aging Serum 
- 0.17 oz GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream 
- 1 oz Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash 
- 1 oz Modern Friction™ Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion 
- 1.7 oz VitaZing™ SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates 
- Phthalates 

Size of products: I read quite a few reviews that were criticizing the size of the products. I think the size of each product will last you enough time to decide whether you enjoy the product or not. The only full-size item is the VitaZing moisturizer.

Product(s) review(s):
  • Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum: This serum is supposed to "help boost cell turnover to restore smoothness, radiance, and clarity, along with helping to rebuild natural collagen and elastin fibers to make skin stronger and more resilient." I am 23 years old, so thankfully I haven't noticed any problem with aging yet. I can't say if this product works or not because I don't know what to compare it to. I will admit I haven't been that diligent using it. I probably reach for it 3-4 times a week after my La Roche-Posay serum and before my moisturizer. It does sink in within seconds and makes my skin feel moisturized without the greasy aftermath than many products leave. 
  • GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream: This eye cream is supposed to reduce under eye dark circled and puffiness. This is much too shimmery and illuminating me for. It reminded me of Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl highlighter! I didn't notice any reductions of my bags while using this. I will be keeping it as a face or body highlighter.
  • Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash- This is my favorite product of the bunch. This gentle face wash is meant to help balance the oily and dry parts of the face. It has a minty smell that is refreshing in the morning and foams up like crazy when I use it with my Clarisonic Mia. You only need a pea size amount of this stuff, so I have a feeling it will last a while. I haven't tested it to remove makeup (I use a gentle face wash before to do that) but it does leave my face feeling very clean without drying it out.  I will definitely repurchase this in a full size bottle when I run out of my sample.
  • Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion: Another stand out product! This exfoliant used rice starch and a creamy wash to rid the face of dry skin without being too harsh. The secret to using this product is to apply it to dry skin. After working it in, you add a bit of water to help the cream lather. After you rinse it off your skin will be smooth and moisturized. A little bit of this goes a long way, just like the cleanser, so I think this is a good alternative to rough scrubs if you have sensitive or reactive skin. 
  • VitaZing SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer: This tinted moisturizer could be a hit or miss depending on your skin color and type. On my very pale days the tint tends to lean a bit too orange for my liking. However, I always use a foundation over it so that eliminates the problem. The color works great when I use a bit of sunless tanner, though. The consistency of the moisturizer is light, so if you have very dry skin I don't think this will help you too much. If I apply too much, more than a dime size, it makes my skin get oily by the middle of the day. I'm not sure if I would repurchase this or not. I think if you have clear, normal skin this moisturizer would be a great substitute for a light foundation with paired with concealer and powder.
** None of these products have broken me out in the three months I have tried them.

Price: I think the $55 price tag is reasonable since you are receiving a full size VitaZing which retails at $35 and four deluxe samples of the other products. 

Would I repurchase: I am definitely repurchasing the Checks and Balances face wash and probably the Modern Friction exfoliant. I would not repurchase the eye cream or anti-aging serum. I'm on the fence with the VitaZing moisturizer. I'm going to see how it does in the warmer months and decide once I run out of it.

Do you have any skincare recommendations for me? Please let me know in or link your own skincare posts  in the comment section!


9 comments:

  1. i just love the equate version of proactiv at walmart. seriously! i tried an origins facewash and it messed me up...Don't forget to enter my I ♥ Makeup giveaway!

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    1. I've tried that kit before. It did a pretty good job but my go-to acne cleanser is the Clean & Clear with 10% benzoyl peroxide. I hate the facewash didn't work for you!

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  4. Origins is great! I recently got a sample of their mud mask from sephora and I love it, it is the ONLY thing that really gets rid of my blackheads. Definitely want to try more of these products. I also love philosophy microdelivery face wash. It's great for making skin soft and smooth, and is meant to help acne as well but I don't think it does as good as a job with that. Lately I have been washing my face with coconut oil and baking soda, a concoction which I read about on pinterest. I think you're only mean the include the baking soda every other day, but I use it the majority of the time. It has been great and helping clear up my skin!

    Love your blog, just followed!

    Http://sarahlibros.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I've never tried their mud mask or the Philosophy face wash. I'll have to add them to my skin care list!

      I actually ordered a big jar of coconut oil the other week. I'll definitely have to try it with baking soda.

      Thank you for all the tips!

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  5. Amazing pot hun; so informative and well written! I really want to try some Origins products and I think I'll start from the Checks and Balances face wash! You made it sound amazing! :))

    XO,
    http://www.rosychicc.com

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  6. You got some really nice products there. I really like the GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream, and the Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. Their charcoal mask is also really awesome as well.

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  7. I myself would like to improve the quality of my skin, I will have to check out Origins myself. I love your blog, what do you think about following each other?

    Much Love,
    http://amyklundt.blogspot.com/

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