One Week In--Courtney's Impressions Of The Winter Box!

Sign up for first dibs the Winter Box Here! The box launches Jan 1, 2018.

General Impressions:

I was excited to try these new products, but because I have hormonal, acne-prone chin, I was a little worried that I might have an adverse reaction to one or more of the products (especially introduced in such quick succession). So far (Tuesday PM - Friday AM) I have had only positive results. Although I’m just one data point and ymmv (your mileage may vary), every single product in this box has been a hit for my skin. No redness, no irritation, no breakouts.

Changes I’ve seen:

It’s a little bit early for big results, but I have noticed the following:

1. No hormonal breakouts (this is actually huge)
2. No dry patches
3. Decreased redness
4. Comments from strangers about how young I look (this one is especially strange because I’ve been mistaken for older since I was a baby)

AM Routine & PM routine:

Here’s a nightly routine for me:

Thursday PM:

Soy & Rice Scrub Mask, Birch Essence, PEAT, MARINE, SBO, Snow Sleeping Cream

Although my skin looked wonderful and not at all dry, red, or broken out the morning after this routine, I will probably skip a day with the SNOW, mask with Nourish today, and then use SNOW again tomorrow night. I am trying to be patient and slow with the introduction of new products.

Every AM:

Rose Foaming Cleanser, BIrch Essence, PEAT, MARINE

My morning routine is very stripped down and static because it works for me. I know, that doesn’t seem like enough products, but this simple and quick routine makes my skin ready for a moisturizing SPF and makeup.

Any changes I’ve made:

One major change I’ve made is with Rose Body Crème. For most of my life, I haven’t used body lotion regularly, in part because my skin is so dry that most the time I can’t tell the difference. Rose Body Crème, like many SB products, has a heavenly scent, and this encourages me to use it (because it’s a truly delightful sensory experience all around). The lotion is so light, and not at all greasy, but the moisture seriously lasts. I applied it Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening as I laid in bed I rubbed my legs together and they felt freshly moisturized. Mind-blowing.

As for my face, I’m trying to slowly introduce products in failsafe ways to avoid extreme reactions, so I’m not using a sleeping pack/cream every night. Sleeping packs are a wonderful treat, but are typically too rich for daily use on my skin. One of the most important lessons SB has taught me is that skin talks and we need to listen. When you’re trying a new product and your skin gets red, breaks out, or becomes flaky, it’s asking for specific changes. For example, I broke out while using one of my fave SB products, Apple Cider Serum, overnight. I bemoaned this result in the Facebook group, and one of the awesome community members suggested I use Apple Cider Serum in the day as a mask. This brilliant suggestion meant I could continue to reap the benefits of the product while still listening to my skin (which in this case was saying “This product is awesome, but too rich to sleep in.”)

 Since receiving the Winter Box I have been feeling adventurous and have used a very thin layer of both SBO and SNOW on my chin (acne area). Despite these both being rich and luxurious products, I have had no flare-ups. That said, I’m just a few days into the routine, and I’m going to be extremely careful not to overdo it with new products (even though I want to slather everything on my face all at once).

Overall thoughts:

Three things: