- Value: 17/20
- Functionality: 20/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Aesthetics: 17/20
- Results: 18/20
- TOTAL: 92/100
I am the most picky person when it comes to trying out new skin care products.
You see, I’m that girl who will spend two hours obsessively googling an acne treatment and another two hours reading through customer reviews before I even consider adding it to my cart. And even then, I’m hesitant to purchase it because I know I run the risk of investing in something that won’t live up to the hype. What if it fails to treat my breakouts? What if it does nothing for my uneven skin tone? Or worse yet—what if it actually worsens my problem?
These are typically my biggest concerns when it comes to buying skincare—so I had settled for a simple routine that’s kept some of my acne at bay. However, I knew that my skin needed something more. It needed a product that could better tame my breakouts without leaving my skin feeling super dry. And it needed something that could help fade those pesky dark marks.
Enter: the Skincare Starter Collection by AbsoluteJOI, a line of clean, vegan and cruelty-free skin care products that are specifically designed for women of color. After being offered the opportunity to try some of these samples, I was immediately drawn to the fact that they’re tailored to the needs of darker-skinned women.
Made in Italy, the collection includes the Skin Refining Night Oil and a complete Cleansing Face Kit, which includes the Sunflower & Moringa Fresh Cleanse Oil, the Hydrating Gel Foam Cleanser and the Balancing pH Toner. According to the brand, these products are suitable for all skin types. The three-step cleansing kit is designed to cleanse, hydrate and balance the pH of your skin while the night oil, which has Retinol and Vitamins C and E, moisturizes the skin, improves skin tone and helps with anti-aging.
I'll admit, a part of me thought that this sounded way too good to be true. But on the flip side, I was kind of eager to try these products because 1) they’re organic, 2) they’re specifically formulated for people with melanin-rich skin and 3) I’ve been searching for something to address my acne and uneven skin tone. I’ve always had very oily, acne-prone skin, and most of my breakouts tend to happen on my forehead. In fact, right before I started using AbsoluteJOI, I’d been dealing with a few breakouts that left multiple acne marks on both my forehead and cheeks.
And now, after using their line for over two weeks, I’m happy to report that I already see some improvement in my skin. Read on for more details on my daily regimen and the end result.