If you've been following this blog for a while, you probably know a little bit about my skincare journey. For any new readers, here is a quick rundown on the history of my skin:

I had acne once when I was in high school and cleared it up pretty quickly with ProActive. Beyond that, I never had any problems with my skin (aside from my hereditary rosacea), despite not taking very good care of it. When I went on birth control as a teenager, my skin dried out horribly. And now that I've moved away from hormonal birth control, my skin has gone crazy, leaving me with oily skin and the worst acne of my life.

Since last October, I have been trying anything and everything to keep my skin clear. Literally nothing was working and I was starting to think I would just have to deal with bad skin for the rest of my life. Dramatic, I know. At the same time, I was making a move towards minimalism: eating simple, clean foods and being careful about what I put in and on my body. So when I spotted S.W. Basics on the shelves of my local Target, I was thrilled.

S.W. Basics is a Brooklyn-based skincare company that lives by the motto less is more. They believe that "using fewer ingredients means more potent skincare." I would have to agree. I bought the cleanser and toner from this line a few months ago and, when I take the time to use it regularly, I see a massive improvement in my skin.

The cleanser has only three ingredients: organic rosewater, organic vegetable glycerin, and organic tea tree oil. I use it after I remove all of my makeup by putting some onto a cotton pad and rubbing it in circular motions on my face. It gets rid of any traces of makeup left behind and leaves my skin feeling clean, but not dry or stiff. You know the feeling I'm talking about.

I rinse the cleanser off and do the same thing with the toner, which has five ingredients: water, organic raw apple cider vinegar, organize witch hazel, and organic essential oils of clary sage and sandalwood. This product might scare some people; it has a slightly browny-yellow color from the apple cider vinegar, as well as a film that is from the 'mother' part of the vinegar (the most useful part) and a slight odor. But it honestly feels amazing on the skin and you get used to the smell.

In the few months I have been using this-- again, when I remember to use it regularly-- it has diminished my hormonal, cystic acne, faded old acne scars, and even lessened the appearance of my rosacea. I even notice a little bit of a glow to my skin when I use these products, plus I feel better knowing exactly what I am putting on my skin. These two products are $22 dollars each. It sounds a little pricey, but they do last a while and they come in reusable glass bottles. When I have finally finished using up the product, I plan on using them as little vases on my desk.

If you're interested in learning more about these products or S.W. Basics, visit their website here. And, by the way, this was not a sponsored post... But if they see this post and like it, I wouldn't mind a coupon or something. I got student loans to pay, y'all.