it's like starting over.

Good morning! Today is my, ehem, 31st birthday. And since I've yet to post on our little "collective" here, I thought today should be the day! Since, I'm another year older today, this is about skin care products. Now, I'm not a member of that beauty review site, so I'm not sure if these get a good grade or not, but here are some pros and cons I've found. I swear this isn't a promo for St. Ives.

First up we have the St. Ives Renewing Collagen Elastin body lotion. It's nearly fragrance free, which I like, it's got some good minimal ingredients and the bottle states "not tested on animals"* I've only been using this for a week or so, but I like it, I can tell a difference in the feel of my skin, not only smooth but in the "bounce back test" it passes, with flying colors!

Next up, we have the St. Ives Daily Microdermabrasion. This little gem was actually brought to my attention by Dana a while back. The ingredients are not as minimal as I'd like, and the bottle does state "not tested on animals"*. First off let me state that I do NOT use this daily, my skin cannot handle anything other than daily face washing, therefore I cannot attest to the daily powers it may or may not offer. I use this product about three times a week, usually after I run outside to assist in removing any outside dirt and bacteria. The first thing one will notice about this product is the fineness of the "scrubbers", its very fine and for those with sensitive skin, that is a good thing, the smaller they are the less harsh they are on your face! I can immediately tell a difference on the feel and see a more youthfulness look to my skin after I use this. Does this offer the same type of long-term effects of an actual microdermabrasion treatment at your local spa, obviously not, but it's a great, cheap way to get you through.

* This is a bit of a side bar on the whole "Not Tested on Animals" I truly do try and look for these on products I purchase, as do I also try to purchase products from the ever-growing list of companies that DO NOT test on animals. But I'd like to point out something on this statement, as it can be slightly misleading. The "Not Tested on Animals" label only means that that product, that is bottled/packed up nice and neat as is for you was not tested on animals. It does not mean that some of the ingredients (of which the majority of animal testing occurs) used in the product were not tested on animals, nor does it mean that previous versions of the product were not tested on animals. The only way to be sure a product is totally cruelty free is to look for this label or purchase products from the companies listed on the those that do not test list, better yet are vegan products which not only are not tested on animals, but use no animal ingredients (I'm well aware of the price of these things though, and for those of us on a budget it may not be an option) but this label is! (I'm removing myself from the soap box now!)