Too much of anything (even a good thing) can be a bad thing. Often when it comes to skin woes we throw everything we’ve got at it, thinking somehow all of these products will magically heal our pimple / dry skin / inflamed skin. While a few of these products may have some beneficial properties, sometimes what your skin really needs is some breathing room. That’s where S.W. Basics of Brooklyn comes in. They’ve stripped down skincare to it’s most basic, natural elements and have made it suitable for even the most sensitive skin.
Founder, Adina Grigore, first whipped up these products for her own sensitive skin and her story of why she decided to get back to the bare basics is crazy, yet alarmingly familiar. I’m going to talk a lot more about her and her book ‘Skin Cleanse‘ tomorrow (and I may have something exciting in the mix to go along with it), but today we’re going to focus on the astoundingly effective products she created- using next to nothing. Well ok.. she used something, but each product contains only the essentials. No fillers, no extras to make it smell like wildflowers, only purely potent ingredients. I never realized prior to blogging how sensitive my skin actually was. After trying legions of products, I’ve come across many natural, completely safe ingredients that just didn’t agree with my skin and made me react. I can definitely appreciate a scaled back ingredient list now. I found that every item I’ve tried from this line agrees with my skin and works beautifully. It’s like a breath of fresh air, an opportunity for my skin to reset itself when I’ve tried too many crazy products. Here are a few of their products that I can’t put down.
The first thing I noticed is how delicious this sugar scrub smelled. Like a fresh coconut macaroon- Seriously. I may have eaten a little. It was just a teeny tiny bit (insert emoji of monkey covering it’s eyes in shame). In my defense, the only ingredients are: organic sugar, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, organic shredded coconut. All very edible ingredients. This smooths your skin and doesn’t leave a residue or sticky mess in your shower or bath. I’ve tried a lot of scrubs and trust me, a mess-free scrub is a major plus. $22
I need to start off by saying I like this toner. I actually like it a lot now. However it took me a few times of using it to warm up to the smell. It’s made with water, organic raw apple cider vinegar, organic with hazel, along with a couple of essential oils and the vinegar is a pronounced smell, but quickly fades. My skin has done so well with this toner, and the ingredients are all so beneficial. It balances my oily areas and I’ve noticed less breakouts when I use it. I put a little on a cotton round and no matter what cleansing method I’ve chosen that night, I always notice that this takes off even more makeup and grime that my cleanser left behind. It’s become an essential part of my routine. $22
This product contains some of my most favorite ingredients, so I suspected I’d love it before I even tried it and turns out, I was right! The Oil Serum contains organic avocado oil, organic geranium oil, organic turmeric oil and coffee oil. All those ingredients mean a powerful punch of nutrients, antioxidants and more for your skin, and hello turmeric! It’s one of the most potent anti-inflammatories around. It has a nice smell- kind of like a floral, coffee smell. I use a few drops under a moisturizer or I use a few more drops to use it as a moisturizer. This leaves my skin feeling hydrated, refreshed and balanced. I found it was a little too much to layer under my SPF moisturizer during the day, so I use it mostly at night and my skin just drinks it in. $29
Meet your new best friend this winter. This cream is heavy on the moisture and light on the greasy residue. With fair trade organic shea butter, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil, it certainly will hydrate the most parched skin. You can use this on your face or anywhere else that you need some extra moisture. A lot of people shy away from using heavier moisturizers on their face, but I can attest to the fact that it will not break you out. Sometimes your skin needs some extra hydration and wants it from a source that it can easily recognize. This cream soaks into your skin seamlessly and leaves it hydrated and nourished. $32
You can purchase their products directly through S.W. Basics or through Target.com or BeauTeaBar.com. Tomorrow I’ll share more about the book ‘Skin Cleanse’ and S.W. Basics’ newest product line. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for a little something special. Happy Monday!
