Body Love with Sugar Scrubs

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In my home, I try to surround myself with objects that act as reminders of care. A candle sitting on the kitchen shelf, a blanket strewn on the couch, hand lotion in my clutch … all of these things add value to my day to day and are strategically placed so that I have a visual aide reminding me to slow down from my over-zealous lifestyle. I am innately bad at making time for myself, which is probably why I spend so much time talking about its importance. But I have found that the system that works for me requires adding small doses of magic in forgotten corners so that I come upon them in my living and am prompted to make use of said magic.

One of the tiny overindulgences that I’ve been obsessed about this holiday season is a jar of bathroom goodness – a new exfoliating sugar body scrub made by True Botanicals. They have outdone themselves with this one! It delivers all the necessary ingredients for everything nice. A blend of natural, nourishing elements – organic sugar, sandalwood, rich camellia, jojoba oils, and kaolin clay – come together in this masque for the limbs. I absolutely relish the stuff, especially after an especially trying yoga workout, or a long day at the bakery or dental office. It provides just the right amount of body love.

The sugar’s roughness sloughs away all that dry, winter skin cells, leaving behind a velvety smooth complexion. I take a handful of the stuff and massage it straight onto the skin in slow circles. The scrub is enriched with emollient essential fatty acids, which nourishes and supports the skin barrier function. Plus, my skin never feels stripped after a shower. When I rinse off with warm water, the scrub simply melts away as a warm and woodsy scent wafts upwards.

Using True Botanical’s sugar scrub is like having a spa day, in the comforts of my own home. I keep the glass jar on the tub sill of my bathroom. I’m not one to have many products in the shower, typically keeping only a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. However, the addition of this small simple amber reminder has made all the difference to the quality of my baths. I had originally meant to keep it there for special occasions but have found myself reaching for it daily. Honestly, prior this, my showers were quite rushed, just another task that I needed to check off on my to-do list. However, since placing the scrub in the tub, I have been taking longer baths, slower, and with more intention.

True Botanical’s Exfoliating Sugar Scrub sells for only $38, and it has been three weeks and I am about halfway done with the jar. It is vegan, cruelty free, certified non-toxic and sustainably made. It is packaged in a beautiful amber glass jar which can be reused as a container for cotton balls and the like once the scrub runs out, which I’ll pretend to be never.

This post was sponsored by True Botanicals, and any purchase you make using my links above could result in a commission for TheDebtist. Rest assured that all thoughts and opinions are my own. And once again, I thank you for supporting the companies that support this space.

My Updated Winter Skin Care Routine with True Botanicals

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn more.

The dry winter months in deserty California can be especially harsh on the skin. That’s why I have decided to update my skin care routine, switching my go-to summer products (such as this True Botanicals Renew Nutrient Mist) with a different set that’s meant to hydrate and renew any dermal dryness blues that come my way this season.

This year, my arsenal consists of True Botanical’s You Make Me Glow Skin Care Kit, which includes their Renew Nourishing Cleanser, the Renew Pure Radiance Oil, and a new moonstone facial roller that has been the first tool I have ever used on my skin.

One of the reasons why I love this kit is because it supports my minimalist and simple lifestyle. All of the products come in tiny amber glass packaging that fits neatly in my drawers under the sink. They are esthetic to look at, as well as practical in size. Additionally, there are only three steps that form the routine, which makes it easy for me to follow and eliminates the chances of decision fatigue. I don’t like having too many options and I also don’t like having too many steps, so this kit is just right. Since I have a shortage of knowledge when it comes to skin care, it was nice to have a brand that I could trust to curate my regimen. It is the PERFECT kit for a minimalist like myself who wants a simple process of ordering a routine online and then moving on with the more exciting life stuff.

About the Trio

The Renew Nourishing Cleanser is a gentle milky solution that delivers nutrients to my skin without drying it out. I simply wash my face with warm water, massage the cleanser into my skin, and rinse thoroughly. It leaves my skin moist, unlike other cleansers that strip the skin of its natural oils completely.

After patting my skin dry, I apply three drops of the Renew Pure Radiance Oil onto my face. I usually put the drops of oil right onto my skin using the syringe provided without allowing the applier to touch my skin. I then pat the oil into my skin and let the moonstone roller help me apply it.

How to Use A Facial Roller

Since it is my first time using a facial roller, I had to first learn the motions. There are two sides to the roller which allows me to massage all the areas of my face . I have learned that treating half of the face at a time is very important in skin rolling. Every motion starts at the midline and goes outward towards the hairline. Each section should be rolled three to five times before proceeding to the next section.

I start at the neck and roll up and down a few times. Then I start at the chin at the midline and roll outwards toward the hairline. I do that moving up my cheek, including my lip and nasolabial fold. I flip to the smaller stone when rolling under my eye going carefully from the bridge of my nose to my temple. I trace the big end over my eyebrows towards the temple too. Then I stroke upwards from the eyebrows to my hairline. Finally, I do long strokes from the top of the midline down to my clavicle.

What Does A Facial Roller Do?

It moves fluids from all the parts of your face to areas in the body that can process these fluids best. This is why the facial roller has been said to reduce puffiness, especially around the eyes. It also helps with product absorption. As I use the roller, I am also massaging the Renew Pure Radiance oil into my skin. After the treatment, I notice that my skin isn’t extremely oily, but rather, quite hydrated and nourished. Lastly, it just feels really good. I have tried keeping the facial roller in the fridge like other bloggers have suggested to have cooling effects on the skin, but I have to say that using it at room temperature is my preferred method.

It has been one week since switching my regimen and I have confidence that this will keep my skin feeling nourished, contoured and hydrated all winter long. I am looking forward to avoiding chalky, withered, parched skin this year and carrying that summer glow with me through this cold and harsh season.

The You Make Me Glow Skin Care Gift is the perfect gift for yourself or those who light you up from the inside. True Botanicals begins their Black Friday deal early this year, and starting today, you can use the code TRUEVIP to get early access to their sale and receive 20% OFF the entire site! The sale runs through the weekend and opens to the general public tomorrow but why not get a head start on that wish list? They have a well curated selection in their Holiday Shop for both you and your loved ones which makes holiday gifting extremely easy and stress-free!

This post was sponsored by True Botanicals. TheDebtist may earn commission from any purchases resulting from this post. As always, all opinions and content are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this space.

Facial Skin Care with Aesop

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn more.

I’d be the first to admit that in an effort to rid our house entirely of plastic waste, I’ve been neglecting many aspects of skin care, and after a year and a half of doing so, it has started to show. In all honesty, walking down aisles of grocery stores in search of self-care products can be a bit nauseating for the environmental enthusiast. Almost every bottle promises some magical cure packaged in plastic capsules, listing a number of chemical compounds that stray far from being natural. Not a big fan of beauty products anyway, I decided it would be easier to rid my life of this added complexity by just ousting the need to buy. And while that has worked well with some aspects such as make-up routines, and substituting bars of soap and refillable aluminum bottles for daily necessities such as shampoos, conditioners, and lotions, I’ve found that when it comes to facial skin care, my skin has suffered and has started to rebel.

Admittedly, this past winter in California was the driest that we’ve had in a while. I woke up some nights with an itchy throat that needed clearing, and made a habit of having a glass of water by my bedside easily within reach. I recognized the dryness when our adopted toothless cat started to have asthma attacks in the evenings, waking us up and worrying us to death. And I couldn’t deny it any more when my facial skin started to itch, form a rash, and flake, when it has never reacted like that before.

Part of the irritation lies in the fact that I wear a dental mask every day, and the itchiness is localized around where my mask touches my skin. A visit to a dermatologist told me that it’s nothing that a good skin care routine couldn’t fix. She prescribed me a routine that required buying moisturizers, facial cleansers, sunscreens and ointments in plastic bottles, and at first I resisted. The resistance only lasted so long until my body signaled with fervor that it’s in need of some attention. Eventually, I did get her prescribed regimen, and I saw some improvement right away. My skin seemed satisfied, but I was not. I could not, in good conscience, bear to buy another round of plastic bottles filled with chemicals.

Then I remembered that when we went to Melbourne in January, we stayed at an apartment that was furnished with only amber glass bottles. I quickly started researching Aesop and was quite pleased with what I found. Packaged in those amber bottles were little doses of formulations created with meticulous attention to detail for one’s body needs. Their focus was to source plant-based ingredients mixed with lab-made ingredients that have proven record of both safety and efficacy. Headquartered in Melbourne, I was glad to learn that they had a store here in Southern California.

Searching for something to soothe sensitive, dry skin, the knowledgable staff at the store was able to guide me towards a selection of bottles lined up on their walls, but only after offering me tea and refreshments. They then helped me sample the products and the experience was akin to being at a spa and being waited on hand and foot. They massage the oils into your hands while talking you through the best treatment methods and tips. They detail the differences in ingredients and explain why each one has a purpose. Every item smelled heavenly, and best of all, they were packaged in glass! The only plastic to be seen are the caps and lids, which is much better than the alternative options. Plus, when you take them home, they are sent home in beautiful linen bags that can be re-purposed for such things as jewelry bags and stationary tool kits.

Off course, the price point is a little bit higher, but to be honest, not much different from the prescribed routine by my dermatologist. And you may call it a misperception due to my obvious affinity towards the brand, but I do believe it worked wonders much better then the Western medicine that was prescribed. Either way, I received these as gifts and took them home with care. Using them in my own bathroom elicited the same type of spa-quality that I experienced in store due to the fresh aroma and high tactile quality of the products. Lighted candle use, optional.