Hi there!

It’s been a while since my last post and that’s because  I went on holidays to Spain and had a great time focusing on spending my time with my family and friends. When I came back to Singapore I had a major jet lag and a hard time adapting to office hours and my usual routine. A 7 hour time difference is a lot!

Going back to normal takes some time, and your body can suffer the consequences. My diet in Spain wasn’t the best, I was eating all the food, drinking all the wine… you know the drill…  A bit of weight gain,  dull skin and breakouts were in the menu for those weeks, as I wasn’t moving my body nor was I drinking enough water…

I did drink enough wine though.. Yum!

And because of the busy times I did not spend enough time taking care of my skin either.

Back in November I was lucky enough to receive the Biconi Radiant Skin Bundle set as a PR gift, which includes a cleanser bar and an facial serum, both made out of organic natural  ingredients. And if you’ve been here for a while you’d know that I love skin care and makeup and I’m slowly but surely jumping into more simple and non-toxic  beauty routines.

I have never tried anything about Biconi before, and I wanted to give it a proper try to have a solid opinion.  I’ve now used both the cleansing bar and the serum for almost 3 months and I’m genuinely so happy with these two products. I feel like I need to spread the word as there aren’t many 100% certified organic skin care brands in Singapore. And if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, buying local is as important as buying organic!

Disclaimer: although I received this set as a gift, I was never forced to write about it in exchange of the product. Everything  you read on this blog is based on my very own and completely honest opinion. There are no affiliated links in this post.

So the truth is that when I went back to Spain I had great skin (my mum said it, not me) and I believe the credit goes to this new skin care routine I have. After coming back and start using it daily again, I feel like my skin is gone from dull and spotty to clean and radiant and I love having these products to reach out to that I know work for me!  

Of course going back to eating healthy and drinking lots of water helps, but I found that simplifying your skin care routine and using a minimal amount of products with high quality ingredients, definitely helps improve your complexion.

– Goes to the kitchen and drinks a gigantic glass of water-

So here is my super simple organic  skin care routine that I’ve been enjoying for the past few months:

Step 1: Cleansing the Skin

At night I first remove my makeup with the Magic Wipe from FRANKSKINCARE, an organic oil based cleanser that takes off all the makeup quite easily and that I’ve grown to love after using it daily. I massage a couple of pumps between my hands to warm up the oil on then work it all over my face, including my eyes. Then I run the bambu cloth it comes with under warm water and remove all the excess from my face. Leaves skin super clean and hydrated without any trace of makeup! You have a review of this product here if you are interested 🙂

An important thing to do to have healthy skin is to make sure it is completely clean before going to bed, so I always double cleanse at night. I love using the Biconi Radiant Skin Cleanser Bar after removing my makeup at night or alone as a morning cleanser when I jump in the shower. It is so gentle and easy to use. If you don’t wear makeup or just wear minimal amounts you can skip the first step and use the cleanser bar directly. Just put it under the water, rub it between your hands and gently take your time to massage all that goodness on your face.  Rinse it out with clean water and pat dry with a clean towel (I change my face towel every 2 days to avoid contact with bacteria. Helps if you have spots!). This is a great speedy cleanser for busy mornings too if you just keep it in the shower.

The bar comes in a recyclable carton box (bonus points) and a thin coat of film to protect the soap, as it is quite soft, which is a sign of it being made with natural and gentle ingredients. The box also contains a net bag to keep the soap protected and you can also use it  to hang it in the shower or take it with you to the gym or on travels, but I personally don’t find that very practical. I rather leave it in the shower as I have a built-in tray that’s perfect for soap bars. Yes, I’m a lazy one 🙂

Also, the fact that it is a bar makes it sooo long lasting. I’ve been using it daily for 3 months already and still have a long way to go, at least another 3 months. It contains camellia seed oil and virgin coconut oil, both known for their hydration properties. Camellia seed oil is the actual green tea oil, which is known for its BOMB detox and antioxidant properties. Coconut oil also has antibacterial properties while super hydrating.

What it says it does: protects skin from environmental damage, eliminates clogged pores and helps improve skin tone, lighten pigmentation and dark spots for a youthful radiant glow. Formulated for sensitive skin, it is a gentle and natural way to clean, moisturise for radiant, beautiful skin and helps to fight signs of aging and reduces inflammation.

My experience: I don’t have pigmentation  so I can’t talk about that aspect, but I do notice that it improves the skin tone. It is very gentle and doesn’t leave the skin tight and dry like other soap bars do. Instead skin feels flexible and moisturized.  I also think it helps a lot to clear out spots and reduce inflammation as that is what I’ve experienced. So for me it does what it says in the box!

Ingredients*: this cleansing bar is packed with amazing oils like olive oil, coconut oil, camellia oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, etc… which are well known  excellent ingredients to hydrate and heal skin. However, there are some other ingredients in this bar that are not so common and I wanted to do a bit of research to find out what they are.

I was pleasently surprised with the result and I take it as a proof that not all the ingredients that are hard to read are toxic or bad for you. Best thing to do when you don’t know an ingredient is to google it. You’ll be then sure of what you are buying and you would’ve learnt something new.

Here is what I learnt when I researched the ingredients of this cleanser:

Acetyl Tyrosine (aminoacid with skin conditioning properties), Arbutin (plant derived agent that brightens uneven skin tone and improves appearance of dark spots), Glutathione (powerful antioxidant that occurs naturally in our skin and helps with environmental damage), Aminoproil Ascobyl Phosphate (is a derivative of Vitamin C, which has amazing anti-aging properties and is a great collagen builder), Allantoil (is extracted from urea and is considered a great skin-soothing and skin-conditioning agent), Tocopherol and Tocopheryl Acetate (both great antioxidants packed with Vitamin E).

This cleansing bar also includes a unique ingredient which is the Noni Fruit Extract, a powerful antioxidant that combines more than 100 vitamins and minerals, including high amounts of vitamins A and C. Among its properties are: anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant and anti-aging.

Step 2: Moisturizing the skin

I have a couple of organic serums but I keep reaching out to the Biconi Glow Facial Serum one every morning and night. It is non greasy and absorbs very fast. And smells amazing! I have noticed that whenever I get spots or a breakout this combo of cleanser + facial oil does wonders reducing inflammation and clearing out the skin, thus leaving my complexion soft and glowy.

In between cleansing and moisturizing I’m enjoying using the ANIA Orange Blossom Water toner, which is also organic and made out of one ingredient only – yes, you guessed it: 100% organic orange blossom water. It has a lovely and sutil orange smell and mild antibacterial properties. Great for oily and sensitive skin.  I do a couple of spritzes on my face and then apply the Biconi Glow Facial Serum on damp skin. Work it on my face and neck and let it absorb. I feel the oil extends much easier this way and the moist facilitates the oil absorption into the skin.I use it in the morning after cleansing and before applying my makeup, and then again at night, on clean skin before bed. I wake up with hydrated, clear skin and without that oily residue that most oil based serums leave you with. Another bonus point!

A silly detail that can easily go unnoticed but that I appreciate is that that the bigger size of this serum comes with a pump instead of a pipette dropper. Means 2 awesome things: the product is not in contact with air, so it preserves its properties better AND I don’t have to count the drops (I did mention I’m lazy, right?) and just use a pump of the product.  Also, it comes in a recyclable glass bottle, and we know that gives bonus points too, as it preserves the product better and is kinder to the environment.

Ingredients* (I love to read the labels): Avocado oil (packed with vitamins and essential fatty acids that nourish the skin and improves its elasticity), Camellia oil (anti-oxydant and anti-agingl, Virgin coconut oil (the king of moisturizing oils and antibacterial), Argan oil (hydrating and high in vitamin E), Macadamia oil (high in palmitoleic acid which is a powerful antioxidant for the skin), Borago oil (strong anti-inflammatory properties),Sunflower oil (has omega-6 which helps on skin regeneration), Lavander essential oil (anti-inflammatory, helps with acne and has aromatherapy benefits), Geranium oil (unclogg pores, helps with acne and excess oil), Palmarosa oil (regulates skin moisture and oil production), Frankincense essential oil  (heals skin, prevents signs of aging and its aromatherapy effects help reduce stress and negative emotions).

I mean…. how AMAZING is that? all natural ingredients with  amazing benefits and  most of them are certified organic. Love it.

And the last step and my favorite for glowing skin is getting a good night sleep! Which is exactly what I’m gonna do now!

Let me know in the comments what you think about this simple routine. Do you find that using organic skincare products has made a difference on your skin? If so, what has changed? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to have a chat about it 🙂

Elisa

*I am not a botanic expert and the description of the ingredients is based on my own reseach through the internet, mainly from Paula’s Choice cosmetic ingredients dictionary (but also others), which I personally believe is a reliable source.

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