So, I think I'm going to start like a weekly blog post on Thursday's called This or That Thursday, it will pretty much be me comparing two items that I've tried, one will be one that I use to use while the other will be what I've replaced it with, whether it be because of performance, ingredients, etc.
Today I'm going to be talking about makeup removing wipes, and yes I know that one of these is not advertised as makeup removal wipes but in fact baby wipes, while I would normally NEVER suggest you using baby wipes to take your makeup off, these however have 2, yep you read that right just 2 ingredients. I use to swear by Simple Wipes, which I still do like them but I notice when I would use them that sometimes they would leave almost a "film" on my skin, I'm guessing just residue from the wipe itself. While I had seen the water wipes before in my local Target I never thought about using them for makeup removal, not until I watched a youtube video from Brittany at Vasseur Beauty, ya'll should definitely go check out her youtube channel and blog. Below I'm going to break down each product and the pro's and con's.


Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

Claim

Our new Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes are made of our softest fibers yet and are better at removing make up and impurities than ever before. With our Aqua-Lock  technology, our wipes stay effective and fresh, even the last one! 

And as per all Simple products, no artificial perfume or color and no harsh chemicals, so it won’t upset your skin. 

Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Isononanoate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-12, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate.


 Pro's                                                      

• no harsh chemicals
• cleans skin effectivly
• easy to use

 Con's

• only 25 count
• contains alcohol
• can leave a film over skin
• can be pricey depending on where you purchase

 Water Wipes 

 Claim

WaterWipes are made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. WaterWipes have been carefully designed to be gentle on babies’ sensitive skin. They are the only wipes made with just two ingredients; water, specially purified and softened, and a tiny drop of grapefruit seed extract, a natural skin conditioner. Because WaterWipes are hypoallergenic, they won’t irritate the skin; instead, they may help avoid diaper rash and other skin conditions. This is why the National Eczema Association has awarded the Seal of Acceptance to WaterWipes.

Free Of:  Ethyl alcohol-free, dye-free, hypoallergenic, phthalate-free, Steroid-free, paraben-free, no fragrance added, Chlorine-free, aluminum-free

Ingredients:
99.9% purified water, 0.1% grapefruit seed extract.

 Pro's

• only 2 ingredients
• excellent for sensitive skin
• come in a variety of counts
• removes simple makeup with one wipe
• reasonably priced

 Con's

• can be hard to find if you don't have a target near you
• may take more than one wipe for a full face of makeup

so pretty much I now prefer the Water Wipes to my Simple Wipes, I think the Simple Wipes will come in handy if I'm wearing a full face of makeup, they also remove eye makeup with just one wipe compared to the Water Wipes but for me, I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, and when I do it's simple. The Water Wipes also have more value for the money in my opinion for what I'm needing them for.


Where you can purchase Water Wipes

• ​Target
• Amazon
• Wal-Mart

Where you can purchase Simple Cleansing Wipes

• Amazon
• Ulta
• Wal-Mart

I'm thinking about starting a series on the blog every Friday where I list my current favorite product of the week. What do you guys think? Let me know.

Lately my skin has been on a roller coaster, one minute it's oily, the next it's dry, breaking out etc. A few months after having my daughter, my hormones just went wack I guess you could say. While I do still use some of my skincare products that I featured in my Skin Care Routine 2016, I have changed things up quite a bit, I've only been on this new skin regimen for about 6 weeks, and things were pretty rocky at first. I think it's because I tried to switch everything all at once instead of gradually introducing each new product to my skin. I should know by now that my skin freaks out at the smallest changes, yet tends to get use to the same routine after a few months.

So now on the product I want to tell you about. I'm a sucker for facial mask, if you follow me on social media then you're probably well aware of that (haha). I'm mainly drawn to detoxifying facial mask, though I do love a good hydrating one. The thing about finding a good mask is, making sure it's not full of empty ingredients (the ones that are just a filler and serve no purpose) I like to use all natural or mostly natural based mask.

​ - Here are some ingredients to watch out for in your facial mask.

• Petroleum - think of Vaseline, yep that's what this is, you don't want to smear that on your face.
• Phthalates - hormone disruptor,  also found in plastic objects, YIKES.
• Triclosan - technically a pesticide, could disrupt hormones and thyroid.
• Synthetic Dyes - can cause skin sensitivity.
• Artificial Fragrance - can irritate the skin and cause sensitivity.
• Dimethicone - a silicone substance that is found in lots of cosmetics, made to normally sit on top of the skin, can cause sensitivity and break outs due to causing clogged pores. Try to avoid any silicones in your skin care products, while they may make your skin feel smooth and hide your pores, too much use can actually irritate your skin.
• Benzoyl Peroxide - ugh this stuff ruined my skin and bleached my towels, it's known to be a respiratory irritant, just imagine if it's bleaching your towels what it's doing to your skin.

​Now on the product, like I said in my previous blog post, Rosemira Organics was kind enough to gift me a few of their products to see which ones would best suit my skin and the issues that I have been having. If I don't like the product I normally don't talk about it, unless you guys ask me to. One of the products that they sent me is the Green Clay & Rose de Mai Gentle Masque I am really liking this mask the more I use it, it comes in a 1.7 oz container and the solution you mix it with comes separate, which I really like because this way it will last longer and not go bad like your typical mask as to where water/aqua is the first ingredient. This mask is a clay based masque and the solution contains Aloe and Rose. I love the fact that it contains aloe, Aloe is known to have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce skin inflammation, it also helps sooth and heal the skin, as to why most sunburn remedies contain Aloe. 
I normally use this mask at night time, sometimes before I shower and others after, I make sure my skin is clean and then I go in with a luke warm cloth and apply it over my face and let it sit for a good minute or two, just to help relax my pores so that the mask can reach it's full potency. After that I mix a a small portion of the clay with the solution (remember a little goes a long way) I like to let this mask sit on my face for up to 30 minutes, normally my kids are in bed and this is my relaxing time lol, if you're a mom you totally understand what I mean. After the mask starts to dry you can actually see where the clay is pulling out the oil and sebum from your pores, I find that so neat about clay based mask. I wash the mask off with warm (room temperature) water and then pat my face dry. After that I spray the Roses in Bloom Toner onto my skin, neck, and chest, let it absorb into my skin for a minute or two. Afterwards I go in with my Rosehip Oil or Rosacea Recovery Serum, sometimes I mix the two. I pat that into my skin along with my moisturizer. Brush my teeth, floss and then hit the sheets because I'm tired, I'm always tired these days. The more I use this mask and my favorite Rosemira products the more improvement I see in my skin. It's taking me a lot to post a before and after picture, I get embarrassed of my skin very easily. These pictures are over a 6 week skin switch to using mostly Rosemira Products, while I do occasionally use some of my old products, these products have definitely made a difference in my skin, which you will be able to judge for yourself. At first my skin went through a purging like stage, I believe this was from me trying to switch all at once and I was over moisturizing my skin also. If you would like to see my current Night Time skin Regimen I'll link here.

• Current Skin Care Routine  

   If you guys would like for me to post my Morning Skincare Routine please let me know! If you have skin similar to mine, problematic, combination, pores become clogged easily, sensitive, goodness the list could go on. I highly suggest you check out Rosemira Organics, they have a wide range of skincare for all different types of skin, they also offer a sample kit at just $10 which in my opinion is a great deal. They are also Cruelty Free and everything is handmade and made with natural and organic ingredients.

Disclaimer: Though this product was sent to me, this is my own and honest review.

• The pictures below are over a 6 week period of starting and using Rosemira products in my skincare routine. The first picture was on July 27, before starting Rosemira.

 If you are interested in trying some of the products I have mentioned in my previous blog post or just trying some products from Rosemira in general I highly suggest you look into the sample kits, or request a consultation from Mira herself, she was very helpful in finding the products that would benefit my skin best. If you would like more information about Rosemira I'll leave a link below.

• The Rosemira Difference & About Dr. Mira herself.

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as you can see, my pores are extremely clogged, I have dry patches along with oily patches, my skin was irritated and inflammed, even after starting this new routine, it seemed to be too much too quick, so I slowly started introducing one product at a time, I also like to use the mask 2-3x a week if I can.

As you can see, my skin still has a few problematic spots, the texture of my skin is much smoother and softer and my pores are less clogged. My skin isn't the best but it's so much better than it was and I believe it will keep on getting better. Now if I could only combat the daily stress of motherhood lol, I feel like my skin might actually be flawless.

 So lately, my skin has gone "haywire", literally. I'm not sure if it is due to stress, hormones, lifestyle or what but my skin has been difficult. Sometimes my skin gets use to the products that I am using so I tend to have to switch things up every few months. My current Night time skincare regimen has been highly requested, so I thought I would give you guys an update. I am in NO Way saying that you should run out and purchase these products, this routine is just what is working for me at the moment.

1.  ​Remove Makeup. My favorite makeup removing wipes are still the Simple Skincare brand, they don't irritate my skin or burn my eyes. I know that they aren't the best out there but I have tried my fair share of makeup removers, lately I've also been using The Honest Company 3 in 1 Facial towelettes, I actually like them a lot and they are reasonably priced, I'm not sure if they are similar or better than the Honest Beauty Facial Wipes.
2. Cleanse and Exfoliate skin. I normally only exfoliate 2-3 times a week, I cleanse my skin every night, right now I'm using the Rosemira Aloe & Pink Grapefruit Gel Cleanser. A little bit goes a long way and let me say this stuff is POTENT, so be careful. I accidentally used way too much when I first started using it and it sucked my face dry, so if you have extreme oil issues, this cleanser will work amazingly for you. I normally just exfoliate my skin with Raw Sugar and Manuka Honey, which you can find in your local grocery stores. I also still use my Osea Ocean Mudd Cleanser about 1-2x a week if I feel like my pores are starting to become congested.
3. Tone. Once I'm done washing my face I wait about a minute or two and then mist Rosemira Organics Roses in Bloom Hydrating Toner, all over my face and neck. It smells so good and feels refreshing. I also like to mist this throughout the day for a little "pick me up".
4. Eye Care. I tend to jump around on my eye care, I'm still looking for a great eye cream after discovering my previous one, wasn't as "clean" as they claimed for it to be (bummer). As of right now I use Life Flo Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, I also use this all over my face and mix it with other oils and my moisturizer sometimes depending on the condition of my skin. I really like this brand, I feel like it's a definite game changer for the price, ever since I started back using it I've noticed my acne spots are lighter, it's also helped fade my melasma that formed while I was pregnant.
5. Moisturize. I tend to rotate out between 2 different moisturizers depending on how my skin is feeling at the moment. On nights where my skin is feeling more on the dry side, I dab the Rosemira Antioxident Serum| Melodic Recovery Serum, it's specifically targeted toward skin that tends to have issue's with being dry, red and flakey, like mine. I then pat the serum into my skin until it's thoroughly absorbed. I wait about 2-3 minutes and go in with a moisturizer, right now I am using the Rosemira Organics Rich Moisturizing Cleanser & Night Cream Unscented, I use this as a night cream. I lightly pat into my skin, and I only use a pea sized amount, as this cream is very thick in texture and when overly applied can come off as a bit too moisturizing for my skin. 
6. Spot Treat. I use several different products to "spot treat" my problem areas. I have a combination of hormonal acne and Perioral Dermatitis, so it's very hard for me to find skincare that helps with both my problems. I tend to jump around in that area. Right now I am using Rosemira Organics Green Clay & Rose De Mai Gentle Masque, this masque is VERY POTENT, I like to mix it with the Solution that is included and apply a thin layer, I personally like to leave it on for about 30 minutes, and once I remove it my skin is smooth as silk, and my pores are visibly smaller. I have been using this masque 2-3x per week and I notice it making a big improvement with my pores. I also use this mask to spot treat any blemishes that I feel popping up. From time to time I will go in with my Just Natural Manuka Honey Acne Treatment  if I feel like I'm getting a deep blemish/cystic zit. I use this over night on my problem areas and by the problem area is reduced significantly.        

 

• Background on my skin type: I have sensitive hormonal acne prone combination skin, sometimes it tends to be on the oily side but lately it's been more on the combination to dry side since I switched to using only natural products on my skin. I also have a skin disorder called Perioral Dermatitis. I am in no way stating you should run out and buy these products, just sharing what has worked for me the past few months. Always pay attention to the product label, what goes onto your body is just as important as what goes into your body. 

           
          Ingredients that I DO NOT use in my skincare or makeup:

•  SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate)
• Synthetic Fragrance
• Talc
• Mineral Oil
• Artificial Dyes
• Phthalates
• PEG
• Silicone's (Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone and Cyclopentasiloxane)

For more information you can go to the Environmental Group website on safe cosmetics and skincare and learn more about what's in YOUR products.

• Disclaimer: Rosemira Organics was kind enough to gift me some of their products from their skincare line. All are my own honest thoughts and opinions. I would never accept money for a product review. Each product mentioned is linked to the product itself, some links may be affiliate links.

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