June 20, 2019 started like any ordinary day. I woke up early, dressed for work and sat in my usual spot in the sunshine to sip on my morning coffee. After brushing my teeth and quickly running the blow dryer through my hair, I grabbed my keys and flew out the door.
This seemingly banal and ordinary morning was, at the risk of sounding dramatic, one of the most poignant days of my life. On this particular morning, I had left the house with minimal makeup on my face — just a swipe of mascara on my lashes, some sunscreen and a huge smile across my lips.
This might seem trivial but, for me, it was a huge moment in my working life. I had never gone to work without some kind of cosmetic product on my face. I have never felt confident enough with my complexion to leave the house without makeup on.
The challenge begins
Let’s journey back four weeks, when Natural Instinct presented me with the challenge of using nothing but its natural skincare products for six weeks. All the products in Natural Instinct’s skincare range are non-toxic, which appealed to me. At the same time, however, I was apprehensive because I have always had problematic skin. Enlarged pores, excess oil and the odd hormonal breakout were my norm. I had been diligently following a six-step system from a “luxury” (read: very expensive) brand that kept my skin looking normal. Normal, but not radiant. Was I ready to try something new that might upset this balance?
=Q=
Natural Instinct had been on my radar, but I didn’t know much about the brand or its ethos. I naively thought that Natural Instinct’s affordable price point meant that it couldn’t possibly be effective. The Natural Instinct six-week challenge pack is only $80, whereas the “luxury” products I had been using cost more than my weekly wage … Surely, I need to spend big bucks to chase the perfect complexion?
When the Natural Instinct six-week challenge pack arrived on my desk, I was excited to unpack it. Inside, I found a Pink Clay Cleanser, Plump & Renew Serum, Skin Radiance Facial Moisturiser and Vitamin C + Camellia Oil. I spent the morning reading over the products and skincare challenge information.
Over the next six weeks, I committed to using the tailored three-step system prescribed by Natural Instinct: the cleanser and serum both morning and night, followed by the moisturiser in the morning or the oil in the evening. As someone with quite oily skin, I alternated between the oil and the moisturiser at night, but this was a personal decision.
Natural instinct
Natural Instinct has played a huge role in pioneering natural skincare in Australia. Using natural ingredients like acai oil, aloe vera leaf extract, avocado oil, calendula flower oil and evening primrose oil, its skincare range subscribes to the philosophy of natural products being much more effective than their synthetic counterparts. The real test, however, is in their use.
After only two weeks using Natural Instinct, my skin felt soft and smooth to touch. I noticed an improvement in my skin tone and texture. The size of my pores had decreased and my cheekbones and forehead appeared seemingly free from pores altogether. I was hooked.
Prior to starting my natural skincare journey, the team informed me that I might see a “purge” in my skin where my complexion might appear bumpy, red or break out. This wasn’t really the case for me, except for a small sprinkle of blemishes along my jawline but they could have been due to pesky hormones.
True luxury
It’s easy to get stuck in a synthetic skincare rut like I was. I was fooled by products that appeared to be natural (even claiming to be so on their packaging) yet are loaded with synthetic ingredients. These chemicals can build up in the skin, or worse, be absorbed into the body over time. I not only experienced glowing, healthy skin throughout the challenge, I also learned so much about natural living. The six-week skincare challenge prompted me to think about what other products I used on my skin, in my hair and even on my bed linen.
Now that the challenge has finished, I’m still continuing to use the Natural Instinct products. I’m amazed by the results of my skin and thrilled that my wallet has been liberated from incessant spending on expensive skincare products. That, to me, is true luxury.
Natural Instinct offers a sustainable and rewarding skincare regimen that not only harnesses nature’s gifts, but also actually works. It was through using these products that I learned to truly celebrate and embrace my own unique natural beauty and, in doing so, I felt more confident in my skin. Now, I wake up with skin that I am proud of and love to look at. What could be better than that?
