Mushrooms? In your Skincare? The Secret to Skin Relief

I should preface this post by saying I am not the biggest fan of mushrooms. In fact, I'm no fan of mushrooms at all. Ever since I was a kid, I've avoided them like the plague. Something about eating fungus just never appealed to me.

So when a package from Origins arrived in the mail full of 'Mega-Mushroom' skincare products, I confess I was a bit apprehensive. But after being introduced to Origins earlier this year with their GinZing skincare collection, I wanted to give them a shot. So I held my breath, and gave them a try. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised! Maybe all mushrooms aren't bad... especially if they're helping to relieve your skin. And that's exactly what these skincare products do.

The so-called 'Mega-Mushroom Man', Dr. Andrew Weil has collaborated with Origins on this collection. Dr. Weil believes that inflammation is the root cause of visible skin concerns like irritation He also believes that mushrooms have the power to fight irritation, which is what spurred the creation of this new collection of Mega-Mushroom products. In particular, it's all about the Reishi Mushroom, which has been known to help calm, comfort and relieve visible redness in sensitive skin. So if you generally suffer from irritated skin, these proven irritation calmers (aka mushrooms) will do the trick!

Plus, Dr. Weil donates all of his after-tax profits from royalties from sales of their products directly to the Weil Foundation, which it uses to make grants to advance Integrative Medicine!

Keep reading below to see my thoughts on 4 of the Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom products.

Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream

I have been using this face cream non-stop. Every morning. Every night. I love it. When I first tried it on, I immediately recognized its scent, but I couldn't place it. I literally sat down, just sniffing the container, trying to figure it out. It took me about 15 minutes, but it finally clicked: it smells exactly like Thrills chewing gum! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it's a Canadian brand of gum that tastes kind of like soap. I know, that sounds totally bizarre, but it was a thing like 15-20 years ago. Turns out though, the soapy taste it actually because of its distinctive rosewater flavour, so maybe this face cream really smells like rosewater. Either way, it reminds me of childhood - I'm a fan!

I was actually in a pretty good position to test this face cream out when I first received it. We had just returned from vacation in Phoenix, and my skin was super sensitive after being subjected to the incredibly dry air in Arizona. I also had a run-in with a particularly bad skincare product while on vacation (*cough* Neutrogena Grapefruit Wipes *cough* - no seriously, never use them), and it left my skin stinging, a bit swollen, and definitely irritated. After giving the Mega-Mushroom Face Cream a try, it's like my skin was saying 'THANK YOUUUU!'. Moisturized and soothed, it was suddenly waaay happier.

Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Treatment Lotion

Before applying the Face Cream, you can also use the Treatment Lotion to soothe your skin. You take a cotton pad, soak it with the lotion (which comes out completely liquid), and pat it all over your clean skin. I'm not used to having this step in my routine, but I've come to really like it! It feels like a nice moisture boost after washing my face, and immediately calms it after exfoliating. You can use it morning and night, just like the Face Cream.

Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Micellar Cleanser

I love a good Micellar Cleanser. I'm pretty lazy by nature, so a makeup remover I don't need to rinse off is always a plus. One that also calms irritated skin? Why not! I find it isn't quite as powerful as some of my other micellar cleansers, but if you have easily irritated skin, I'm sure you'd still prefer this one. It's soap and alcohol-free, and gently removes makeup and pollutants, while keeping your skin feeling comfortable and clean.

Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Face Mask

Sundays were made for masking, and lately this Mega-Mushroom one has been my mask of choice. It goes on as a thin cream, then you leave it for 10 minutes. The formula contains Cordyceps and Reishi Mushrooms plus Ginger, Holy Basil and Turmeric to help calm and soothe the skin while reducing redness.

This mask seems to really seep into the skin better than most - judging by how much the mask seems to disappear in that 10 minutes! By the end, from a distance, you might not even be able to see the mask on my face. Once the 10 minutes is up, you just use a tissue to wipe of the excess. It feels so pampering, and my skin is ready for another full week of, well, life!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Disclaimer: Origins Canada provided the product used in this post for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

My Morning Routine for Better Skin

I've written about skincare a few times on VV before, but today I thought I would update you on my current routine, and specifically talk about what I have been doing to keep my skin clear and healthy looking this winter.

For pretty much all of my teenage years, and even my early 20's, I always struggled with breakouts. I tried every product imaginable, but even if they did clear up my breakouts, then I was plagued with dry skin. Especially in the winter, when sky is already dry. It was hard to strike a balance, and all I wanted was to get healthy looking skin. I'm now realizing, in the second half of my twenties, what the key elements to healthy skin are, and that it's important to have a few key elements in my daily routine. Keep reading below to see what they are!

Drink more water!

I feel kind of silly that I didn't really think more about this when I was younger. I tried so many products on the market to get clear healthy skin, but I never really realized that just drinking more water could help my skin so much! As a teenager, I always opted to drink milk over water, which means I was never getting enough water in my system. I'm willing to admit it, I don't like 'boring' water. First world problems, I know. But seriously I have only ever really liked sparkling water.

Last year, I decided to treat myself and bought a SodaStream at London Drugs and it seriously changed everything! I started drinking way more water, because I actually liked the taste. It seems crazy looking back now, but my skin seems to be SO much clearer now that I've been drinking all that water.

Use a Copper Water Bottle

Every night, I put sparkling water from my SodaStream into my copper water bottle from Copper H2O (they're a Vancouver-based company!), and I leave it in the fridge overnight. Ready for drinking in the morning! Rather than drinking from a glass, this way I have a better idea of how much water I've had so far that day, and how much more I should drink. I try to drink about 2-3 litres a day.

The bottle is made of 100% pure copper, and copper is naturally antibacterial, which is super handy. Have I mentioned I get sick really easily? Yeah, so this is a big plus, especially during cold season. Water stored in a copper water bottle will also become natural alkaline, which helps to balance your body's pH levels (especially if you digest too many acidic foods/liquids) and can help with digestion. Apparently it neutralizes acid in the bloodstream, which leads to increased oxygen levels and improved energy and metabolism too (according to Shape), which is a nice added bonus!

Let's be honest though, I mostly like using this water bottle because it's pretty chic looking, so I'm more likely to take it with me on the go. After all, as I mentioned in the section above this, more water drinking = better, clearer skin!

Exfoliate the Skin

To make sure my pores don't get clogged, I like to use an exfoliating cleanser every other day. A long time favourite of mine is the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I absolutely love the smell of this stuff, and I like that it uses 100% natural exfoliants rather than micro beads (which will be banned in Canada, effective 2018). It easily sloughs away the dead skin cells, revealing super soft skin underneath!

Apply a Glycolic Acid Cream

Glycolic acid is my skin's best friend. It helps to exfoliate the skin, which keeps my pores from clogging in between using my St. Ives scrub. I've been using this NeoStrata Glycolic Renewal lotion for two years now, and I literally use it every single day, morning and night. They have a 5% glycolic formula, and a 10% formula, which you can work your way up to after regular use.

Apply an SPF

Healthy skin needs protection. I know in the winter we don't think about it as much, but it's still important to protect ourselves from the sun's harmful rays. I'm very picky about my SPF creams, as I hate the typical sunscreen smell, and its usual greasy texture. I've been using Racinne's SPF 25 Ultimate Aqua Blanc Protective Lotion and it's a dream. I use it over top of my Glycolic Renewal, before applying my makeup (my BB cream also has SPF). I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty excited to see how my skin turns out like in the long run, years from now. Applying SPF now is going to pay off big time when it comes to healthy skin later in life!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Copper H2O water bottle to review in this post. As always, opinions are my own.

Skincare Review: Bioderma's Sébium Anti-Blemish Line

I was first introduced to the Bioderma brand while attending London Drugs' Cosmetics Conference back in November, and their Sébium line, made for oily blemished skin, really piqued my interest. Back in high school, I battled pimples and breakouts like any other teenager, and I can remember trying every product I could that promised to keep them at bay. So that teenager in me just had to see it for myself.

It was their Fluidactiv patent that really had me interested. The Fluidactiv complex is found in the products of their Sébium acne-prone line, and acts on one of the main causes of acne: the thickening of sebum in the skin. This patent actually biologically limits the thickening of the sebum and regulates its quality - meaning it prevents the formation of those pesky pimples and blackheads. The visual of a stick of butter (aka thickened sebum) versus liquid oil (aka sebum after the Fluidactiv has done it's job) was pretty powerful - enough to convince me to try it. Keep reading to see what I thought after taking it for a spin!

Micellar solutions have been a hot skincare item over the past year, and for good reason! These wonderful little bottles of H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution are the best makeup remover I've used. Unlike makeup removers of the past, though, the micellar formula cleanses as well as removes makeup (which makes it perfect for lazy nights). The Fluidactiv patent is present in this micellar solution as well, which I loved; it makes sense that if you're going to use an acne skincare line, your makeup remover should help keep those blemishes at bay too! And it's super gentle on the eyes, with no harsh fragrances (it's scented, but very mild).

While technically you can just use the micellar solution to cleanse your skin, I always like to use a foaming cleanser daily, and an exfoliator a few times a week.

The Boiderma Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel is perfect for a quick wash morning and night. The smell remind me of the Bioré Blemish Ice Cleanser that I remember from high school - a nice light, fresh scent. It's easy to get a good foam, and my face feels soft not tight after washing it off. Here's a random fact too: the cleanser can also be used a shaving foam!

The Bioderma Exfoliating Gel is absolutely my new favourite exfoliator! My skin definitely needs a good exfoliating a few times a week, so I've been using this on the regular. The micro beads felt far smaller than what I'm used to, and I really liked that. I felt like they were really giving me a deep clean, while also not being too harsh. Using circular motions, all the dead skin cells were sloughed off and left my face feeling fresh (no more dry, dead skin!). The formula is strengthened with glycolic and salicylic acids, which makes sense why I like it so much. I'm a big fan of glycolic acid for exfoliating the face. This is going into my skincare routine on regular rotation!

Once your skin is cleansed, Bioderma's Sébium line has a large selection of creams to choose from to treat blemishes, depending on what you need most. 

The Sébium Global Intensive Purifying Care is the cream I found was the best fit for my skin. I tend to get breakouts where I touch my face too much (oops!), so all I need is a formula that will keep the sebum at bay so those pimples don't form. That, and I want to combat the blackheads on my nose. This formula is nice and light, not sticky, and actually turns out to be a great base for my makeup too!

The Bakuchiol and Fluidactiv patents are able to retrain the skin to regulate sebum just like healthy skin does, preventing pimples and blackheads. AHA esters, salicylic acid and citric acid also help to clear up the skin. If you're worried about irritation, I didn't have any issues at all. The zinc gluconate, combined with enoxolone soothes and reduces redness.

If blemishes and wrinkles are your concern, then the Sébium AKN Anti-aging Resurfacing Purifying Care is what you're looking for. I don't really have enough wrinkles yet to test out that part of the formula, but it's very similar to the Intensive Purifying Care in terms of texture and effectiveness on blemishes.

I really liked using the Sébium Pore Refiner on my nose after using my Bioré Pore Strips. I love that tingly feeling when you know it's starting to do its magic! It's hard to tell just how productive it was, as I didn't see a physical difference in the pores, but I must admit, it sure felt like the pores were tightening! In this formula, it's the Agaric acid, a powerful astringent, that is what's used to tighten the pores and refine the skin's texture.

While I do have problems with blemishes and blackheads, my skin is actually more dry than oily. But, if you find the need to mattify your oily skin, the Sébium Mat Moisturizing Mattifying Fluid is a good one to add to your routine. I gave it a try under my foundation, and it made an excellent base for my makeup, as well as kept any shine from sneaking in later in the day.

This is a really cool and unique product! The Sébium AI Corrector is a 2-in-1 tinted dermatological treatment that biologically conceals and eliminates blemishes, which I think is the perfect item to keep in your purse for touch-ups on the go. 

On the bottom, pop off the cap and there's a small mirror and green corrector for neutralizing the redness from any breakouts. How handy!

And unscrew the cap completely, and underneath is a tinted moisturizer! The formula still includes the Fluidactiv patent, so it will treat your blemishes while concealing them - a big step up from the usual pore-clogging concealers!

On the left is the green corrector, on its own. On the right, the concealer without using the corrector. At first glance, I figured there was absolutely no way that the concealer would match my skintone, and was a bit perplexed on how this shade could be universal, BUT once I combined the concealer over the green corrector, the colour lightened up really nicely! Yes, I'm super pale, so it's still a bit dark, but for the average person, I think it would be a pretty good fit.

Overall verdict: Give it a try!

I decided to really test out whether the Sébium line was able to make a difference in my acne-prone skin by trying one of my Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips on my nose. I've used them plenty of times before, and know they collect quite a bit (ew, I know), so I was curious to see if using Bioderma had changed anything. I've never been so gleeful to see nothing! The pore strip pulled off almost nothing! While yes, some blackheads were still there, it was much less than there was before. And my usual breakouts were farer and fewer between too!

If you're in Canada, you can purchase Bioderma products via London Drugs.

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Disclaimer: Products were provided by Bioderma for review. Opinions are my own.

Beauty Review: Daily Skincare Regimen

I've never been particularly good to my skin. I usually just bought whatever cheap facial cleanser and moisturizer I saw in the drug store. But now I'm being a real adult who finally has her own real skincare regime! For the first time ever, I feel like I'm treating my skin the way it should be treated: with the right acne cleanser and toner (to keep any pimples in check), the right cleansing brush, and the right creams. I was introduced to all these new game-changing products during the London Drugs Beauty Event; you can see my event coverage from that here. Follow along below to see what my new beauty routine looks like:

Cleansing: 

• Silk'n Sonic Clean Plus
• NeoStrata Acne Clear Cleanser
• NeoStrata Acne Clear Clarifying Solution

Nothing like a real deep clean! I've been using the Silk'n Sonic Clean Plus (available at London Drugs) for a few weeks now, and have been loving it! It's self-timed, so it'll switch off after 60 seconds. You can also set it to pulse or vibrate, deep clean or gentle clean, depending on what your skin needs. It's pretty cool that it re-charges through magnets, which means that the unit is water resistant and can be used in the shower! Pretty handy. It leaves my face feeling cleaner than using a facecloth, and is super soft too.

NeoStrata will soon be releasing their brand new Acne Clear line, something that I was excited to try, since I've gone through my fair share of acne products through my teen years especially. I still get the odd breakouts, so I figured I'd be able to give this a good test run! I particularly like the NeoStrata Clarifying Solution (available at London Drugs); it tightens up my pores, and I can feel the salicylic acid going to work right away. So far, I've been blemish free ever since! 

Moisturizing/Creams:

• NeoStrata Glycolic Renewal
• NeoStrata Night Repair Cream

If you've never used a cream with glycolic acid before, you'll notice a slight tingling for the first few uses, so just keep that in mind. NeoStrata's Glycolic Renewal (available at London Drugs), moisturizes the skin while exfoliating dead cells on the skin's surface. I find I usually have to use an exfoliator most days, but now that I use the Glycolic Renewal, I find I exfoliate less frequently now, and my skin isn't as dry!

At night time, I use the NeoStrata Night Repair Cream (available at London Drugs) instead of the Glycolic Renewal. Similar to the Glycolic Renewal, it removes dead skin cells and moisturizes the skin while I sleep. I find I haven't even been using primer on my skin in the mornings anymore, just using the Glycolic Renewal again and then applying my foundation. The perfect canvas!

Dark Spot Treatment:

• NeoStrata SecureWhite Brightening Serum

Now, this is a pretty cool product. I went in with pretty low expectations, as I really didn't think it could be all that effective, but I was more than impressed with the results! I tested NeoStrata's SecureWhite Brightening Serum (available at London Drugs) over 2 weeks on a couple of spots of discolouration, and was amazed that they actually disappeared that quick! I can only imagine what it could do over a longer period of time. Really recommend giving this a try if you have any dark spots you want to lighten up!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta