One In, One Out: Choosing Skincare Products

When I first started switching my skincare and makeup over to natural, I'm not going to lie--it was pretty costly. Since most people replace products one at a time, you don't notice the overall cost of all the products you use. However, I went all dramatic and tossed everything at once and thus, had to replace everything at once.

Now that I'm settling into a better routine for me, I've decided to only buy new products when I run out of the one I'm currently using, or if one of my products starts destroying my skin. Here's my plan:

Testing out New Products by mjchirpich-1 featuring beauty products

So as you can see, my new plan is noticeably more expensive than my current plan (although, prices listed aren't what I'd really pay--I've noted the MSRP, not the cheapest available price). One reason for this is that, now that I'm more comfortable in my 'big-girl' job, I have realized that it's OK to pamper myself a little--I'm no longer trying to stretch every last dollar like I was in grad school.

Another reason is that, in skincare, oftentimes you get what you pay for.  Since switching to natural beauty I've been pleasantly surprised to find that there are several notable skincare lines (Acure Organics and Andalou Naturals come to mind) that are inexpensive AND effective. Now that I've tried those lines and have a better understanding of my skin, I'm excited to try out a few new, more expensive products to see if it's really worth the cost!

The Plan: 
Toner: I've been eyeing the whole Yuli Skincare line (although sadly some products contain jojoba oil, which I'm allergic to), so once I use up my current Andalou toner I plan to buy a sample of Yuli's Panacea Elixir toner--I'm intrigued by the lure of colloidal silver!

Cleanser: My current Andalou cleanser works well but is a little harsh on my skin. I'm hoping Manuka honey will provide the antibacterial and cleansing effects while being gentler on my dry, sensitive skin.

Facial Oil/Serum: I'm currently enjoying my Sibu sea buckthorn oil and Mad Hippie vitamin C serum, but I've been really curious to try out Stark's line, especially their Cypress oil blend (cypress oil is known to help control sebaceous gland production, thus helping with breakouts).  Stark's oil contains rice bran oil, which has been used as a natural SPF, so hopefully it will provide some of the same benefits as my vitamin C serum as well :)

Sunscreen: Although I love my Burnout sunscreen (I've already finished my second tube), my boyfriend doesn't like how chalky it appears in his beard--it tends to stay white in hair like beards or eyebrows. I've heard great things about Devita's sunscreen and picked up a bottle yesterday. This morning it went on very nicely, no white cast, and moisturized like a lotion. I'm hopeful that it won't make me break out, because so far this may be my new holy grail sunscreen!

Clay Mask: As I've mentioned before, Aztec's bentonite clay works amazingly well at pulling gunk out of your pores, but it is pretty drying and harsh on my skin. I'm curious to try Yuli's Pure mask, which although much more expensive, has a great blend of clays plus other ingredients like matcha, fruit enzymes, and mung beans to help soothe, exfoliate, and provide antioxidant effects. Plus, it turns to a cleanser when you wash it off! So cool :)

What products have you been eyeing up lately? I'm also looking to try a new enzymatic mask to replace my Andalou Pumpkin Mask--I love it but am a little bored with it, so when it runs out I'd like to try something new! Any suggestions?c