How Retinol Helps Your Skin

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Retinoids, a derivative of vitamin A, are ingredients found in skin care products proven to offer various skin benefits, according to Prevention. Since retinoids can irritate your skin and are only available with a prescription, over-the-counter products offer retinol, which slowly converts into retinoic acid.

The Benefits of Retinol

• Smooth fine lines
• Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Fade dark spots
• Unclogs pores and makes them look smaller
• Treat psoriasis

Learn more about the benefits of retinol on WebMD.

A Retinol Products for Beginners

If you haven't use retinol or have sensitive skin, it's good to start with a skin care product that has lower amounts of retinol in it. For the last month, I've tried the Azure Naturals ULTIMATE RETINOL Anti Wrinkle Serum. The serum contains a high amount of retinol at 2.5 percent, but is gentle enough for sensitive skin and to use around the eyes.


I've only used Azure Naturals' serum for one month, so I haven't noticed a difference in the appearance of my skin. However, it can take up to 12 weeks to see a difference with over-the-counter products. During the last few weeks, I've had a clear complexion and it seems as if the size of my pores are smaller. With time and regular use, I hope to see ongoing positive results.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on an Amazon.com link and make a purchase.  

How to Exfoliate and Get Smooth Skin

The following is an advertorial. I received the following products in exchange for my honest review.

This post contains affiliate links.

Whether you have sensitive skin or skin that's prone to breakouts, a simple skin care practice can help you achieve and maintain smooth skin and a healthy glow: exfoliating. There are hundreds of products on the market that will exfoliate your skin with ingredients like ground up peach pits, walnut shells, micro beads or salt, and they all serve a similar purpose.

Why You Should Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating:

• Refines and smooths your skin's texture so it looks and feels soft. 
• Cleanses your skin while dislodging oil and dirt in your pores, breaks up white- and blackheads, and prevents acne.
• Increases blood flow to your face so your skin glows. 

How to Exfoliate Your Skin 

1. Wash your face with your favorite face scrub or cleanser. Washing your face before exfoliating helps get rid of excess bacteria on your face and prepares your skin.
2. Apply the exfoliating product to your skin. 
3. Rub the product onto your skin using a gentle, circular motion. You don't have to grind the product into your skin for it to be effective.
4. Rinse of the exfoliating product with warm water. 
5. Pat your face dry. 
6. Apply your favorite moisturizer. 

Since exfoliating can cause your face to have some normal temporary redness, I recommend that you exfoliate at night so you don't have to worry about applying makeup correctly. Plus, your face will look great in the morning.

If you have sensitive skin, exfoliate your skin once a week. Otherwise, exfoliate twice a week or as many times as the manufacturer recommends.

Natural Exfoliating Product

I like to exfoliate my skin. I like how the scratchy ingredients feel as they massage my skin. I swoon over how soft my skin feels afterward.

I recently tried the Adovia Exfoliating Facial Sea Salts. Unlike other exfoliating products, the jar only contains sea salt from the Dead Sea -- no cleanser or lotion to bind the salts together. This type of packaging ensures that the salts don't dissolve, I guess.

To apply the salts to my skin, I pressed my damp hands into the jar of salt and then rubbed the salt on my damp skin. The salts felt good on my skin and their smell reminded me of being at the beach. After I rinsed my skin, I felt (and smelled) like I just got out of the ocean.

You can mix a bit of the salts with a facial cleanser or coconut oil if you're afraid of the salt falling off your face. While I generally exfoliate my skin in the shower, I don't recommend bringing the jar of salt into the shower with you because they may get wet, which will ruin them.

After exfoliating, I moisturized my skin and applied Adovia's Mineral Eye Gel around my eyes. While I'm a big Adovia fan and like its skin care products, I can't say that I appreciate the eye cream. When I used it, the fumes or evaporating moisture from the cream greatly irritate my eyes for a few moments. A few moments is all it takes, however, to make me not use it around my eyes anymore, despite the benefits it offers. I guess my eyes are more sensitive than I thought.

So, I say "Yes"to the Exfoliating Facial Sea Salts and "Pass" to the eye cream. You can find both on Amazon.com.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on an Amazon.com link and make a purchase.  

Skin peel for sensitive skin

Over the last six months, I have had the opportunity to try a few skin peel products that ranged from professional strength to a mild strength with barely noticeable results. The latest one I tried is called Instantpeel™ from Earthen Products. 

Instantpeel™ provides a natural exfoliant that removes dead skin cells gently with proteins and enzymes. It is not as harsh as a chemical peel because it only removes dead skin cells, unlike facial scrubs or microdermabrasions, which can irritate skin and cause dryness. Earthen Products states that Instantpeel™ will give its users naturally glowing skin, improve skin texture, is perfect for all skin types and only takes seven minutes to use. 

I think Instantpeel™ is the perfect peel for beginners and those with sensitive skin. I used Instantpeel™ after a shower, per the instructions on the package. I immediately felt it tingle, so I knew the peel was working. The tingle did not hurt, nor did it make my skin feel like it was burning. When I rinsed off the serum, my skin did not feel like I had waited too long to remove the product. Then, I immediately applied moisturizer because I have sensitive skin. I truly love how my skin feels smooth. Unlike with other skin peel products I’ve tried, my face does not feel tight or itchy, and my skin has not flaked-off. Additionally, the serum that came in the packet did not smell of chemicals; it had a clean scent. 

I definitely recommend Instantpeel™ to those who have always wanted to try a skin peel but were afraid of the harsh chemicals. You can use Instantpeel™ once every few weeks, and work your way up to using it once a week before transitioning to chemical peels. I, on the other hand, plan to use Instantpeel™ a couple times per month as part of my deep-cleaning skincare regimen.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product reviewgiveaway Disclosure. &

Ma Mi Natural Skin Care Product Review

Rose hip is one of my favorite ingredients in skincare products, so I was really excited to try out a line of products from Ma Mi Skin Care. The products reviewed are all for normal to dry skin and include the Reawaken Foaming Cleanser, Radiant Exfoliator and the Satiated Moisturizer.

The first things I noticed upon receiving the products were the great names—they are simple and descriptive without using many words. I have dry skin and the Reawaken Foaming Cleanser felt gentle. The cleanser did not dry out my skin or give it a tight, stretched rubber band feeling. The one thing that surprised me, however, is that none of the products that contained rose hip in them smelled like roses. I was mildly disappointed about this, but thought this is a great product for those who do not scented skincare products. The Radiant Exfoliator is a gentle acid peel that does not have any grits in it to slough off skin. I left the “exfoliator” on my skin for a minute or so and rinsed it off my face. The exfoliator is gentle and a good solution for those who find traditional skin peel products to be too harsh. Finally, the Satiated Moisturizer quenched my skin’s need for moisture. The cream did not feel greasy and made my skin feel silky.

The natural ingredients in the products I tried included rose hip seed, seaweed and essential oils to nourish and protect the skin. Rose hip helps treat sun exposure and pigment spots, seaweed hydrates the skin and the essential oils help revitalize the skin. Ma Mi Skincare products do not contain any toxins, parabens, filters, petrolatums or sodiul laureth.

I do recommend this product; it is a treat for the skin. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from Ma Mi Skin Care. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.