Christina Alyce Beauty

Products that truly make a positive difference in the appearance and health of your skin can be a challenge to find and afford. High performance ingredients are often costly, and even these luxury lines can be poorly formulated, leaving much to be desired for the price you have to pay.

The founder of Blissoma, Julie Longyear, believes in the importance of sourcing pure, potent ingredients and her masterful understanding of the skin and cosmetic chemistry shows in her finished products. She is a wealth of information, and helped me choose two wonderful serums to help my acne.

I have been on the quest for clear skin for what seems like an eternity, but in reality it's been about 4 years. In that time I have tried and essentially thrown away money on useless products. I never imagined I would eventually find my holy grail serum, much less one for $34! Blissoma's Smooth A+ Correcting Serum is that exact product that I've been searching for. I love that this product uses some less common ingredients to treat acne, instead of the typical tea tree oil, which is incredibly prevalent in natural acne treatments, and my skin does not particularly care for. Instead, Smooth A+ focuses on ingredients like rose, goldenrod, coriander, yarrow, and fennel for their antiseptic and soothing properties. One aspect I look for in acne care is gentle and soothing ingredients, because acne is essentially an inflamed, irritated pore. Attacking a spot with harsh ingredients will only further irritate the pore. With soothing ingredients like olive leaf, licorice, and heather, the pore has a chance to calm down and start healing. Something else that Smooth A+ offers that I don't often see in other acne products are ingredients like niacinamide which actually prevents breakouts in the first place, and prevent and reduce signs of aging and sun damage. For someone like me who has noticed a little bit of aging over the last year, this is an important ingredient to incorporate into my routine. Organic carrot and helio carrot CO2 lend the regenerative effects of beta carotene to increase cell turnover rate for faster healing and youthful skin. Smooth A+ contains no heavy oils, instead it features lightweight jojoba oil which makes it the perfect formula to wear in the daytime under makeup, or to layer under other products in the evening. I use Smooth A+ in the morning and evening. I love that I can barely feel it on my skin, and it has a beautiful fresh scent of frankincense, bergamot, and rose.

The second product I was sent is Restore: Deep Healing Oil Serum. I settled on this product because after so many years of attacking my skin (not only with harsh products, but I pick at my skin too) my complexion is a little worse for wear. Vitamin E oil is fantastic for diminishing old scar tissue, and Restore contains two sources of vitamin e; cranberry seed and grapeseed oil. Omega essential fatty acids from Evening Primrose oil and Pomegranate oil work wonders on inflammation and are both great antioxidants. Because much of my acne is caused by hormones, ingredients that are hormone balancing such as evening primrose and pomegranate work beautifully with my skin. Restore is a wonderful option for preventing aging and sun damage, with antioxidants and sun protection from tamanu oil and red raspberry oil. For existing signs of aging, Calendula CO2 can regenerate skin. I use Restore almost daily, only in the evening. It is such a smooth and soothing product, that it is my favorite part of my routine. The green scent is therapeutic and comforting. This product is most definitely an oil, and does not disappear into the skin the way Smooth A+ does. This does not bother me because I like the additional layer to trap in moisture, and it is not heavy or greasy feeling by any stretch.

Since adding these two products to my routine, I have noticed an immense change in my skin. I began using them during one of my worst breakouts ever, and after about 6 weeks I had an entire week with not a single blemish. Not one. That is an incredible accomplishment, because prior to that, I have not gone a single day without acne since I was 19. I have had a few breakouts since then, but they have stayed under control. I have noticed my breakouts clear much faster than they previously did as well, and overall my skin looks more youthful. I am so happy with the results I have seen, and I can't wait to explore more of the brand. I'm also excited to share that Blissoma is offering a 30% off sale to email subscribers on June 16th and 17th! This sale is especially important because Julie is trying to buy the beautiful building that is currently the hub of Blissoma. The sale is the perfect opportunity to try the brand and help Julie achieve her goal. I am curious to try the products Tone, Awake, and Flawless, as well as stock up on Smooth A+, so I can't wait for the sale!



Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

Overhauling your skincare routine can be a daunting task, especially if you are completely new to the world of clean beauty, and unaware of what brands are out there. There's also the money factor. Glowy, smooth skin doesn't usually come cheap, so when a brand offers a boxed set of things to try at a pretty decent deal, you thank the skincare gods. I was happy to see that Fig + Yarrow, (one of the first clean beauty brands I had heard about) offers such a set. At $76, for 5 trial/travel size items it seems expensive, but if purchased individually, the total would be $88, so not a bad deal, especially if you can snag a coupon, or catch a sale. In case you wish to check out any of these products individually, I will provide links to each product listing as well.
Of course when buying a set there is the downside that one or two out of the several curated products may not be the right fit for you, but I find that for the value that comes with these types of sets and the small amount of each product you get, it's not that much of a loss. Besides, the odd product out can always be used in an alternate way than originally intended, gifted, or traded with a product junkie friend. I was lucky enough to be able to use all of the products in the Fig + Yarrow Facial Care Kit, without any issues and as you will see, I was quite pleased with everything.

Cleansing Nectar [1oz $12] [4oz $32]

My main focus in my skincare switch has been to find a non-foaming, low pH cleanser, and this product ticks both of those boxes. The Cleansing Nectar is meant to be a gentle cleanser for all skin types, that exfoliates and purifies the skin while leaving the acid mantle intact. I think it does a very good job of this, particularly for oily and acne prone skin, because it does not strip the skin.
It is formulated with lavender hydrosol, which helps to soothe the skin, along with aloe and ginko bilboa, which is also excellent at improving nutrient delivery. The cleanser exfoliates with a combination of manuka honey, apple cider vinegar, willow tree bark (salicylic acid) and dead sea salt, which all contain exfoliating enzymes. This is a purely chemical exfoliation process, so it is well suited for anyone with sensitive skin. There are no salt particles or other rough ingredients to be found in this formula. Calendula repairs damage, and green tea offers antioxidants. Licorice soothes irritation and redness.
I use this cleanser primarily at night. If I have worn make up during the day, I oil cleanse first, then wet my face with water, apply the cleanser to my face, and use either my hands or a konjac sponge to spread it around, then rinse and follow with the rest of my skincare. I have never felt stripped or dry when using this product, and I do not break out. I do think it does a great job of balancing the skin and healing/preventing further breakouts.

Facial Scrub [1.4oz $14] [2.8oz $22]