When I first heard about this skincare, something about its name scared me. Maybe that’s because I had this image in my mind of a big prickly plant growing somewhere in the middle of a desert. Just the thought of it being close to my face made me feel uneasy.
Obviously, Cactus skincare doesn’t consist of needles, it only contains the best natural (mostly organic) ingredients that keep your skin clean, healthy, and balanced.
When I received the products, I immediately opened them to smell them. To me, that’s the most important part! The ingredients and the effectiveness is obviously extremely important, but if it doesn’t smell delicious, I can’t bring myself to use the products. I have a sensitive nose!
Let me tell you, my nose approved! They all smelled very fresh, with a hint of citrus and sandalwood.
The first product that I tried was the Lemon Myrtle Cleanser. The smell of it is heavenly! It has a creamy consistency, so it’s not as harsh on the skin as a foam cleanser would be. When you have oily skin (I do and it’s a pain!), you think it’s best to wash all of that oil off, right? WRONG! That is the LAST thing you want to do! Here is a little biology lesson for you, when you strip away the oil, your skin goes into a freak out mode and tries to compensate by over producing oils. That leads to clogged pores, which in turn cause pimples (yuck!). Definitely NOT something I want for my face! Sometimes prolonged use of a harsh cleanser can leave your skin red or dry it out. Those aren’t very appealing looks either! This cleanser is formulated specifically to avoid the scenarios mentioned above. It uses Apricot Kernel Oil to penetrate the deepest layers of the skin, without stripping it of the nutrients. It’s also known as a carrier oil, so it’s able to take the Lemon Myrtle Oil along. By the way, the latter oil is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, so it kills all the yucky bacteria on your skin.
Next, I tried the White Clay Mask. It’s supposed to be a weekly treatment to gently take out all of the toxins that get built up over a period of time, redness, fatty oil, as well as evens out the skin tone. I applied the mask using my fingers and let it penetrate my skin for 25 minutes (it says to leave it on for 15-20 minutes, but I am a rebel!), while catching up on my favorite YouTube channels. At the end of 25 minutes, my face looked completely white (that’s ho you know that the mask is dry and ready to be taken off), so I washed it off with warm water. Wow, my skin felt amazing! Super soft and full of moisture.
To prepare my skin for bed, I used Nature’s Antioxidant Creme (I use it as a Night Creme). It contains Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Cactus Flower Extract, Apricot Kernel Oil and Jojoba Oil. All of the above mentioned ingredients are packed full of anti-oxidants to help fight free radicals. Here is a quick chemistry lesson (didn’t think you would be learning science on a beauty blog, did you?). Free radicals are the main cause of sun damage and aging. And an antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. They help to remove the free radicals and their damage from these cells. That is, they slow down and can even stop this oxidative damage that causes the skin to age. Antioxidants are reducing agents. Meaning antioxidants reduce the damaging oxidative process in cells, including skin cells. In plain words, free radicals are the bad guys and we need anti-oxidants, the good guys, to fight them. Well, this creme is full of anti-oxidants as well as vitamins A, E, F, and D. It also contains fatty acids that are good for your skin, such as oleic, linoleic, and stearic (you probably feel the same way I felt in organic chemistry, overwhelmed!). One thing for sure, the next morning my skin felt like it’s never felt before! It was super soft without being oily and it looked fresh. I didn’t break out, which is great considering that my skin freaks out anytime I try a new skincare product.
My skin looked so good that I hesitated washing my face (it looked so dewy). I finally washed it using the cleanser mentioned above and my skin still felt and looked great (I squealed a little… or a lot!)
Then I applied a Light Balancing Creme (I use it as a day creme) to moisturize and prepare my skin for the day ahead. It stays on beautifully under makeup! The creme brightens and evens skin tone using the essential oils of orange and lemon (they contain Vitamin C, which is a natural skin brightener!). Ingredients such as Jojoba Oil, Lotus Extract, and Gingko Biloba extract help skin produce normal amount of sebum (that’s the scientific term for the oil that your skin produces). The creme also contains many nutrients that help the skin stay hydrated, heal and replenish itself, while you are on the go all day. It also has a natural mineral sunscreen, Titanium Dioxide, that protects skin from harmful UV rays.
I have used this skincare routine exclusively ever since i got it! Now, fast forward three weeks, and my skin feels nourished and well-balanced. It is not as oily as it used to be, but does not appear to be dry or flaky. It looks and feels perfect! I started wearing less foundation, because there is no need to cover my skin anymore.
Ingredients:
Cleanser – D.I. water, apricot kernel oil, glycerine, avocado oil, xanthan gum, emulsifying wax, lanolin, vitamin E, aloe vera gel, lotus extract, sandalwood oil, gingko biloba extract, sodium hydroxyl methyl glycinate (gentle preservative), essential oil of lemon myrtle, cactus flower extract.
Mask – D.I. water, kaolin, lotus extract, bentonite, glycerine, zinc oxide, sunflower oil, titanium dioxide, xanthan gum, vitamin E, aloe vera gel, sandalwood oil, gingko biloba extract, sodium hydroxyl methyl glycinate (gentle preservative), essential oil of lemon, cactus flower extract.
Nature’s Anti-Oxidant Creme – D.I. water, apricot kernel Oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, xanthan gum, emulsifying wax, lanolin, transparent titanium dioxide, vitamin E, vitamin A palmitate, aloe vera gel, shea butter, lotus extract, sandalwood oil, gingko biloba extract, sodium hydroxyl methyl glycinate (gentle preservative), essential oil of lavender, cactus flower extract
Light Balancing Creme – D.I. water, macadamia oil, jojoba oil, wheat germ oil, xanthan gum, emulsifying wax, lanolin, transparent titanium dioxide, vitamin E, aloe vera gel, shea butter, lotus extract, sandalwood oil, gingko biloba extract, sodium hydroxy methyl glycinate (gentle preservative), essential oil of orange and lemon, cactus flower extract.
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