As you all know I love skincare and I am always looking for new products to try out. This month I was given the opportunity to try out two different gluten free and vegan skin care lines from Arbonne with Autumn. I have evaluated the skin care lines in three different areas:

1. If the products do what the company said they would
2. If the products are hospital/recovery manageable
3. How they made my skin feel and if it was worth the time

Let’s start with the CALM Line:

In the Calm Line there are four parts: The Gentle Daily Cleanser, Soothing Facial Serum, Gentle Daily Moisturizer, and Soothing Eye Gel.

Company Description of the Line: Be nice to your skin. Gently wash away makeup, excess oil and dirt without irritating or over-drying the skin with this extra-gentle, sulfate-free cleanser, formulated with only the most essential ingredients. 96% said it calmed and soothed their skin.

So I want to start off by reminding you that I have a hyperactive nervous system and was skeptical that a skin care line would make a significant difference. Now don’t get me wrong, I know the benefits of skin care and am a borderline skincare addict- BUT as nice as a facial or new moisturizer feels it never really calms down my skin it just makes me feel purer and mentally better. Over the past 5 days, I have had some significant pain, change in medications, and even a day where I was up and about for 14 hours, so needless to say my nerves were on edge all week. When I tried out the Calm Line I was truly amazed. I noticed that it was just as soothing as promised but it also was like taking an Ativan for your face. For those that do not know, Ativan is a common medication used for anxiety, PTSD, and as a calming medication; I personally use right after subluxations because it helps control my reactions to pain so I can be rational and not hysterical. I enjoyed all of the parts of the line, and will definitely be ordering some more.

Evaluation:

1. The product in my opinion did more than it promised so I would give their description a 5/5.
2. So far I have yet to find a complete skin care routine that is manageable in the hospital or when I am at home recovering, but with some modifications this would work better than most. I plan to keep a small kit in my hospital bag. For the most part when I am in the hospital Jared helps me with my skincare as I typically cannot get out of bed. We like to use face wipes as an easy way to clean my face but I would definitely make a point to use the moisturizer and eye cream to help calm my skin. I can’t wait to try this out when I am in recovery because I think this will prevent as many breakouts but also calm my face at a time when I am least calm. In total as far as being manageable for the hospital/recovery I would give a 3/5 especially because I know it will aid so heavily in my wellbeing.
3. I know I talked a lot about how it made me feel above but it was definitely a quick process for all 4 steps. I would say under 10 minutes. If I am having a high pain day I don’t want a long skincare routine and I had a couple really high pain days and this was completely doable. I also found that my makeup application was much smoother after which was a nice added bonus. So in regards to how I felt and if it was worth the time (about less than 10 minutes) I would give it a 5/5.

The R9 Advanced Line: 

In the R9 Advanced Line there are 5 parts for the morning and 5 at night. In the morning you have a: Smoothing Facial Cleanser, Regenerating Toner, Intensive Renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Cream, and Extra Moisture Restorative Day Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen or the Advanced Restorative Cream SPF 20 Sunscreen. In the evening you have: Smoothing Facial Cleanser, Regenerating Toner, Intensive Renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Cream, and Night Repair Cream.

Company Description of the Line: Youthful-looking skin starts with clean skin. This pearlescent crème formula creates a light foam to gently wash away makeup and impurities. With an added plant-derived moisturizer, you can bet on starting your day with a refreshed, hydrated canvas. R9 Advances minimizes pores, supports collagen, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, balanced with a light, silky texture. Advanced peptides, antioxidants and essential botanicals work synergistically within the formula to hold in moisture and help enhance the look of skin smoothness and firmness.

So I am a firm believer that you can never start using anti-aging products early enough, and was so excited to try out this line. This whole line took me about 10-15 minutes every morning and night, and by the third day I noticed my skin was GLOWING. See this picture of my mom and I getting our nails done… I had no makeup on at all because it was a therapy day for me. I also loved the eye cream as I have some wrinkles already and I noticed when I used my under eye concealer the next day (day 4) the wrinkles were less noticeable.

Evaluation:

1. I believe that the products did what they said they would. I loved knowing that I was using a real products and not chemicals on my face. I enjoyed seeing my skin glow and become more radiant. My doctors even commented on that fact that I looked healthier! So I would give their description promise a 4/5 because I feel like it could have minimized my pores better.
2. Whenever I look at how a skincare line will work in the hospital or in recovery I am for less steps so this would not be very hospital/recovery friendly. At the same time I also loved the toner and eye cream so much I would definitely try to make that as apart of my hospital routine. My eyes are always so dry when I am in the hospital that we are constantly using eye drops and eye moisturizer, but I really liked this eye cream over the one I typically use. As an overall kit I would give it a 2/5 for being a manageable line while in the hospital or recovery.
3. If you want radiant glowing skin in a short period of time that is also detoxing your skin this is more than worth your time. I would surely go for this line if you are looking to see quick lasting changes in your skin. So in regards to if this is worth the time I would give it a 4/5.

My top 5 favorite products from these two lines and eleven products were the:

• R9 Regenerating Toner
• Calm Gentle Facial Cleanser
• R9 Corrective Eye Cream
• Gentle Daily Moisturizer
• Calm Soothing Facial Serum

Autumn is the wonderful woman that introduced me to these products. From a young age, Autumn Story was inspired to open her own business one day. At the age of 14, she was signed with a modeling agency based in Nashville, TN. In order to look her best on camera, Autumn tried various products that never seemed to work for her sensitive skin. When she was introduced to Arbonne at the age of 15, she fell in love with the way the products made her skin feel and how pure the product was as a whole. “I feel like I am living the dream. I get to spend times with the ones I care about, help people clean their skin up, and make goals for myself that I want to set for the future.”

Definitely contact Autumn here if you are interested in samples or learning more about the different ways she can help you.