Green Beauty Finds: Evodia Gentle Facial Cleanser

My skin is moody! I don't know about you, but I am always trying to keep up with my ever changing skin. Usually I struggle with combination to oily skin and clogged pores. While clogged pores are always a thing with me, lately my skin has been slightly dry in certain areas on my forehead, around my nose and my mouth. While I have found a few products that work well for me, many of them are quite expensive, so I'm always looking for something more cost effective that also performs well and is vegan! Natural skincare is really all about trial and error. Experimenting is key, but when a moisturizer costs 50 bucks, that's not so easy. 

A few weeks ago I happened to be at TK Maxx and I always love browsing through their beauty section. Nothing gives me a bigger thrill than finding a rare beauty brand for a bargain...clearly I need to get a life!

On my latest TK Maxx trip I happened upon, what later turned out to be, a real gem. A gentle, but thorough, facial cleanser, that properly cleanses my skin without stripping it of its natural oils and leaving it soft and smooth. In my opinion, cleansers are the most important step in my skin care routine. They can have such a huge effect on how my skin feels and behaves and how well it absorbs other products.

Evodia (www.evodia.com.au) is an Australian brand that uses no animal products in their skincare and also doesn't test on animals - two very important issues for me. They do ship internationally as well but check your local TK Maxx to see if they might still have it in stock. The cleanser is priced at 14.95 AUS Dollars on their website and I picked it up for 6.99€ at TK Maxx. What I love most about this cleanser is that it effortlessly removes all of my make up while being extremely gentle and soothing. The gel does not foam up but is slightly slippery, so there is no need for lather. It might only be my imgaination, but my skin looks and feels brighter and smoother after using this product for three weeks. I am very impressed and already went back to the store to pick up another one!

The moral of this story.....check your local stores! You don't need to order anything expensive online, like I have done so many times. Skin is very fickle and it's probably going to take you a while to find something that suits you. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars in the process. Also check your local organic gorcery store or markets, you never know what you might find!

Where Have I Been?

I'm back and you might wonder where I have been for over one year. I guess, the short answer is I was busy interning with a global company and writing my MA thesis, but then again it's always possible to make time for something that is important to you. The long and more complicated answer is, I was figuring out a few things about my health journey and I felt like a hypocrite blogging about natural living and clean eating, when I wasn't really embracing all parts of it, especially when it came to make up and nutrition. 

When I first posted a 'What I eat in a day', I was telling you that I like to have plant-based days but I wasn't a vegan. I had cut out dairy because of health reasons and never really liked eggs but I was still eating meat. On my journey (which I am still on, btw), I started looking into plant-based living, documentaries, speeches and online resources to educate myself. At the beginning of this year, I finally reached the point where everything clicked in my head and I knew I never want to go back to eating meat. There was a connection between animals and the meat on my plate that I never had before. 

I have a lot of exciting things planned for this blog such as more cookbook reviews, recipes and skincare items to show you. I am also just exploring natural make up, so I will definitely share my findings with you. 

I want to add that I tried veganism before about two years ago and it didn't work for me at all. The reason being that I had not done my research. I feel like I've finally found the right way to eat for me. I feel good and it has empowered me to listen to my body and recognize what it is telling me. I hope you share my journey with you!