March Must Haves: Lily Organics, Skin Apotheke, Sprout Skin Care, JumpSport
Hey everyone! I want to update you on a few things I’ve been using for the last 2+ months, with which I have fallen in love/lurrrrve.
In no particular order, I give to you…

1. Lily Organics Kukui Sensitive Facial Oil Treatment (Unscented), $28.99. I can sum this one up easily: WOW. I received this luxe oil to try out about 2–3 months ago and noticed a difference after the first night. The area around my eyes gets dehydrated easily, and I want to keep it free of fine lines (no wrinkles, thank you). The oil feels light and silky, and has no discernible scent. I like that it absorbs quickly, so as not leave any marks on my pillowcase. It completely hydrated and smoothed out my dehydration lines – I have zero now. Zero. I love that the ingredients are “clean” and simple, and they make use of the natural form of vitamin E (d-alpha, not dl-), which is a potent antioxidant and skin lovin’ hydrator. I have a sneaking suspicion this one will end up on next year’s Epic Beauty Awards.

2. Skin Apotheke Wild Rose and Sandalwood Mask, $15.50. You may be wondering why Skin Apotheke keeps popping up in my “favorite” products lists and in my skin care routines over the past several years. Well, ask Ria (SA’s owner and skin care magician). I just can’t help that this woman keeps churning out miraculous handmade formulas. This mask is no exception. One, I love the incredible deep red color of this mask. Two, I love the delicious, earthy rose smell. And three, I love that it does a great job of balancing my oilier T-zone, and how quickly and thoroughly it completely eliminates any redness, irritation, and…blackheads (a welcome result). All gone! I do a little mini-facial for myself about once a week, and this has been a perfect final step to my simple facial.

3. Sprout Skin Care Cleanser and Toner, $24 each. Two new tools in my beauty arsenal that I will not go without. At first I was sent samples to review but loved them so much I repurchased on my own. The Sprout Cleanser is a watery, toner-like consistency, which I apply with a cotton ball at nighttime. First, I do my usual warm-filtered-water-towel-on-the-face thing for a few minutes, swipe the cleanser on using a cotton ball, and then give a quick rinse with filtered water. The simple, all natural glycerin and rosewater (yes, it smells like roses) mixture does an excellent job of removing any dirt or oil remnants. Sometimes I’ll swipe some on my hands to eliminate any dryness. Some nights, I’ll just wash my face with water like usual and swipe some Sprout-Toner–soaked cotton balls on my face, skipping the glycerin cleanser altogether. The toner is a simple mix of apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and essential oils, which does a wonderful job of balancing the skin’s pH and preventing pimples. While being a bit expensive for being so simple (their catchphrase, after all, is “simplicity is the essence of awesome”), I love that they use quality ingredients and have so carefully formulated their products. Another plus is the products are so long-lasting (I have another 1–2 months to go in order to finish ‘em off). Their blends work amazingly well, are non-drying, and leave a beautiful glow to the skin.

4. JumpSport Fitness Trampoline Model 250, $239. It may seem silly, but I have wanted a trampoline sooo badly, since I was a wee lass. My dad never let us have one because he deemed it unsafe for soft, breakable kid bodies. But my dream never died. For the past few years, “rebounding” for exercise has caught my attention – for some reason, I never thought of jumping gleefully on a trampoline to be a workout. Alas, it is, and a very effective, NASA-endorsed one at that. So after my typical obsessive research period, I finally bit the bullet and bought this “fitness trampoline” (a.k.a. rebounder) by JumpSport. There was no way in hell I was going to spend $800 on a Bellicon, nor did I want to spend $50-$80 to replace cheapo spring-based rebounders every few months. Not a day goes by where I don’t jump on this little beast (it sits in the middle of my living room). I love it. It’s silent (no squeaky springs, it has bungees instead), it’s easy on the joints, and best of all, it’s an easy, super fun way for me to some quick cardio in and get the blood/lymph moving.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Leave a comment letting me know your latest must-haves! Seriously, I wanna know.
~Steph x


















thank you so much for the rebounder info, i have been looking into it for such a long time! also is there any particular reason you no longer create your own facial products (DIY)?
Heya Saffron! No problem, I took forever to find my “dream” rebounder lol. No, I still create my own products, but lately I’ve been ridiculously busy and haven’t felt like storing bulk quantities of ingredients. I love making my own toner, so when I run out of the Sprout toner, I may make my own version. We’ll see, since I like their formula. If mine works out, I’ll post the recipe.
~Steph x
Great! Also have you started on the newsletters? I’ve signed up!
Hi Steph,
Have you tried 100%percent pure’s brightening line ?I have combination skin, not very sensitive. I want to have lighter complexion. But I heard many brightening products are bad for your skin.It will graduate make your skin more sensitive. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Amy
Hi Steph, I have been wanting a rebounder as well. I live on the third floor of a condo complex, do you think this rebounder would disturb our neighbors below? I would love to get your input. Thank you!
I’ve been searching for a “natural” cleanser and checked out Sprout’s website. Apparently, their cleanser only has 3 ingredients: rose water, glycerin, and tea tree oil. I searched the web and recipes exist. Surely, it can’t be that easy? Will this work and should I spend the time/money to gather the ingredients and do my own mixing? Basically I’m asking, doesn’t this sound like something that’d interest you to do first and wouldn’t it make a pretty cool post? Sprout may not like it.
Hey Nina!
It’s true, the recipes are very simple and you could mix it yourself after trial and error, but I also like what Sprout makes and their stuff is very simple and effective. Regarding the cleanser post…that is a good suggestion and something I have considered, since I have draft posts from a year or two ago of cleanser recipes I had devised. Perhaps I’ll post one sometime.
But back to Sprout and the cleanser – like many products, you can make your own, it just comes down to cost effectiveness and convenience.
~Steph x
Hi Steph. That’d be great if you shared your cleanser recipe. Knowing that the skin isn’t just an organ of elimination, but stuff applied topically may penetrate into the body is making me avoid typical cleansers with cryptic ingredients. Anyway, I’m gonna trust your recommendation and give Sprout a try, then I’ll have a basis for comparison if I try to mix my own. Thanks for your blog!
Hello Stephanie! I see in yoour book you recommend the neem man toner for acne prone skin. Which do you recommend more for acne prone skin? The neem man toner or sprout toner? Which helps prevent blemishes and treat them better? Thanks!!
Both are excellent. The Sprout toner is great for balancing pH and helping to restore the skin’s protective acid mantle, as well as preventing pimples (it has antibacterial qualities). The neem leaf extract is also antibacterial and very soothing — amazing for skin prone to redness. I cannot make super personalized recommendations since I do not know your skin type and I can’t have a good look at your face, so your best bet is to try one for a few weeks and try the other, and see which you like better for your skin.
~Steph x
Hey Steph, would you recommend the Lily Organics Oil Treatment as a daily moisturizer, or is it something you must rinse off?
Hi Alli!
Yes, you can use it as a daily moisturizer — don’t rinse it off.
~Steph x