True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm | $48

Okay here’s the deal with True Botanical’s cleansers. They clean your skin without stripping the oils off your skin. Why is this so key? If you strip your face of its natural oils, your skin goes into overdrive and makes more oil to compensate. That’s when most people will experience “combo” skin or “oily” skin.

But when you let your skin regulate oil production on its own, guess what happens? Your skin evens out—and becomes balanced.

This whipped balm cleanser melts into skin breaking down makeup, dirt and grime without leaving your skin feeling tight or dry. It doesn’t foam or created suds, but it turns into a milky emulsion when mixed with water and rinses right off. My skin feels so hydrated and plump after. Also I love the scent.

True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm Pros:

• Won’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
• Helps reduce that “combo” or “oily” skin feel.
• The balmy texture melts into your skin.
• Removes makeup (and daily grime).
• Skin feels hydrated and plump after use.
• Can be used A.M. and P.M.
• Comes in glass.
• Smells amazing.
• Is MADE SAFE Certified.

True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm Cons:

• Won’t foam or suds up (which, to me, is actually a pro, but if you’re looking for that feeling, you won’t get it here).
• As with all oils cleansers, be sure to cleanse your face twice. Once to remove makeup and then again to cleanse the skin.
• I’ve experienced an inconsistency in texture with this product. Sometimes it’s a bit gritty and sometimes it’s not.

Pure Radiance Oil | $110

I started using this oil again and my esthetician was like “OH LISA, YOUR SKIN LOOKS AMAZING!” I’m like, “IKR?!”

I’ve used both the Clear Pure Radiance Oil, which is great for clearing up blemishes and acne, and also the Renew Pure Radiance Oil, which is currently giving me a brilliant glow.

If you’ve never tried a face oil before, start with this one. This oil has also outperformed ($300+) La Mer in every measure. It has astaxanthin, derived from micro algae, that’s proven to improve skin’s texture as well as chia seed and kiwi extract—two Omega-3 powerhouses which help skin retain moisture and shield it from environmental aggressors. I can’t get enough.

True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil Pros:

• Gives skin a beautiful glow.
• Helps skin retain moisture.
• Shields skin from environmental aggressors.
• In TB’s clinical trials, has outperformed ($300+) La Mer in every measure.
• Is packaged in glass with a glass dropper.
• Can be used A.M. and P.M.
• Smells amazing.
• Is MADE SAFE Certified.

True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil Cons:

• It’s a bit of an investment.
• I love the light scent, but if you’re not a floral person, this one is rose + jasmine…maybe not for you.
• If your skin leans oily or congested, I suggest the Clear vs. Renew.

Resurfacing Moisture Mask | $65

A one-two punch that every woman needs in her skincare kit. Seriously. I love this mask because it makes my skin glow but mostly I love it because it’s QUICK!

Like, no time for a mask? You got time for this one, friend! The Resurfacing Moisture Mask goes on clear and stays on for 2-5 minutes only. Put it on before you brush your teeth and take it off when you are done and BAM! Glowing, radiant skin.

This mask is a clear gel-like consistency that you apply in a thin layer. It provides exfoliation, moisture and hydration. The secret ingredient here is astaxanthin, which I briefly mentioned above, and it’s what’s responsible for turning salmon, lobster, shrimp and flamingos pink.

It also happens to be 65x stronger than Vitamin C and 14x stronger than Vitamin E in combating free radicals. This NIH study shows it improves skin elasticity and texture, increases skin’s moisture content, reduces wrinkles and diminishes dark spots. It’s kind of like a little miracle ingredient. And after seeing it here for the first time, I’ve seen it in so many other green beauty products too.

True Botanicals Resurfacing Moisture Mask Pros:

• Leaves skin fresh and glowing.
• An effective and gentle exfoliator for most skin types.
• FAST—2 to 3 minutes is all you need!
• Over time, it helps with dark spots, hyperpigmentation and acne spots.
• It’s clear so you can run around in it and no one knows.
• It’s packaged in glass.
• It’s MADE SAFE Certified.

True Botanicals Resurfacing Moisture Mask Cons:

• If you have really sensitive skin, you might want to skip this one.
• Although I haven’t experienced this, some readers report it can sting a bit on any areas of redness or irritation, so don’t overuse it or apply to upset skin.

Nourishing Shampoo | $34

Okay, so in 2016, after trying all the grocery store clean shampoos and even a few special order brands—I was ready to go back to my Pantene and call it a day. I didn’t want to use shampoo with crap in it, but I also can’t stand washing my hair and having it still be dirty.

That’s when a friend of mine recommended True Botanical’s shampoo so I tried it…and never looked back.

Two rounds of washing and my hair is light, clean and bouncy. PLUS, that washing lasts 3 days before I have to wash again.

But not only does this shampoo clean hair, it foams (yes, it really does!), the ingredients are clean and it comes with a screw cap (and a pump) so you can alternate between both if you are traveling. It’s spendy but it will last a few months especially if you are not washing daily. Also, it has a beautiful, fresh and clean scent.

True Botanicals Nourishing Shampoo Pros:

• It gets your hair clean—like actually clean—without conventional stripping ingredients.
• I can go 3 days without re-washing.
• It smells incredible.
• Has a pump and a screw cap option.
• It works on all hair types.
• It’s MADE SAFE Certified.

True Botanicals Nourishing Shampoo Cons:

• Pricey—but it lasts if you’re not washing every day.
• Most people will have double cleanse with this shampoo (AKA wash hair twice in a row).
• I wish they offered refills.

P.S. True Botanicals reformulated their conditioner in 2019 and it’s too heavy for me now. I don’t personally recommend it but if you have dry hair, it may be a good match for you.

Renew Chebula Active Serum | $90

First and foremost I love this serum because it leaves my skin feeling hydrated without feeling gooey. But then when I learned what it does, I fell in love even more.

The hero ingredient in this formula is Chebula. Chebula, an ayurvedic fruit with an ORAC score higher than Acai. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and is a scale developed by National Institute of Health and Aging (NIH) to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods. And basically what that all means is this ingredient is wicked high in antioxidants.

True Botanicals explains its specifically adept at “minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, visibly evening skin tone, smoothing roughness and giving the look of firmer and brighter skin.”

I’ve gone through two bottles and I just gave my sister one. It makes my skin feel soft and hydrated and it’s the perfect layer underneath their Pure Radiance Oil.

True Botanicals Renew Chebula Active Serum Pros:

• Super hydrating.
• Lightweight.
• Helps deliver that glow.
• Can be used A.M. and P.M.
• It’s packaged in glass.
• Smells beautiful.
• Super high in antioxidants
• It’s MADE SAFE Certified.

True Botanicals Renew Chebula Active Serum Cons (Considerations):

• Expensive