Before and After { Amanda T-R. }

How long have you been using moss?

6-12 months

How often do you use moss?

Every skincare ritual

What products do you use?

Beurre Céleste, Revele, Illumina, Potentci, Aurum, AMBAR Daily Antioxidant Primer

What’s your typical morning routine?

I always begin by cleansing with beurre celeste on just damp skin, I try to take my time working the product around and use the opportunity to gently massage the skin, getting the lymph moving and blood flowing.

After cleansing I pat the skin dry with a clean towel and apply a hydrating and toning mist (I do this between each step to help keep the skin moisturized and help the product absorb more easily) then press a thin layer of Potentci into my skin. I am always amazed how quickly Potentci calms any redness or irritation in my skin, it’s like all at once my skin looks and feels totally nourished and content, as if I’ve just fed it its favorite meal!

Another mist of toner and I’ll follow with Aurum, taking my time to warm the product with my fingertips, pressing the product into the skin, and making gentle upward sweeping motions.

I’ll usually take a minute or two to allow the products to absorb and let the skin sort of rest and just soak up the goodness, then I’ll spray toner (again!) and apply Ambar antioxidant primer as a sort of “seal” or barrier to hydrate and protect the skin, then follow with a non nano zinc oxide daily spf (every day! I foolishly tanned for years when I was younger and the damage to my skin is already showing up in my early 30s so I never ever skip this step).

What’s your typical evening routine?

My evening routine is fairly similar to my morning routine but for a few key steps. I wear makeup almost every day, so on the days I wear it I will first cleanse with Revele oil cleanser applied directly onto my dry, makeup adorned skin. I take my time gently working the oil cleanser into the skin (much like my morning “massage” for lymph drainage but for this evening step my priority is to loosen the gunk deep in the pores).

I have four children so my night time skincare routine isn’t always as luxurious and indulgent as I’d like it to be… but on the nights when my kids are cooperating and not tearing down the bathroom door (haha!) I like to take an extra little step and remove the oil cleanser with a hot damp towel, letting the steam open the pore and help to further loosen any residue.

After that I’ll follow with a second cleanse using buerre celeste (so calming for my sensitive, fussy, acne prone skin) and pat dry with a clean towel. The steps following cleansing are very similar to my morning, with the addition of Illumina, applied immediately following cleansing and misting with a hydrating toner.

For illumina I apply it with a light touch and try to spread it in an even thin layer, sometimes focusing more product on specific trouble spots or where it looks like a breakout may be brewing. After that the skincare routine very closely mimics the products and techniques from morning: mist, then potentci, mist, aurum.

For evenings I add an eye serum under my eye cream as an extra layer of nourishing the delicate eye area, and a richer, heavier eye cream than my daytime cream.

Once more I’ll mist with toner and follow with a final moisturizing step, depending on the current condition of my skin. if I’m feeling very sensitive and inflamed I will use a calming balm-to-oil product containing skin calming ingredients like blue tansy.

If my skin is feeling dry or depleted I will use a heavier night cream and apply it more heavy-handedly in the extra dry areas.

Unlike morning, I will take more time with each step… I try to really experience the skincare and be present with the textures and smells and how they make my skin feel. Dealing with hormonal acne and having felt frustration with my skin for so many years and like I was trying to control it or work against it, I’ve learned to shift my focus and embrace the beauty in the ritual of skincare, staying present and mindful.

Ive come to really appreciate the dreamy little refuge I’ve curated for myself through skincare, helping me feel more grateful for the skin I’m in and less like we are enemies.

What skin issues were you hoping to resolve by using moss?

After my first pregnancy my skin never seemed to fully recover, the angry hormonal acne flare ups from pregnancy persisted not only during breastfeeding but even after weaning. My skin also became much more sensitive and reactive after having children… products that I used to be able to use without incident would suddenly be causing rashes and scaly dry patches on my face.

This put me in a particularly frustrating predicament… any product that would be “strong” enough to treat the acne would trigger sensitivity and dry my skin, and any product gentle enough to pamper my delicate reactive skin would seem to worsen the acne.

I had read about moss on a few different organic beauty blogs and been interested to try it, as so many of the reviews seemed to be specifically highlighting the concerns I was struggling with.

What improvements have you seen after using moss?

Using Moss daily has dramatically reduced the congestion in my skin and my breakouts are less severe and fewer and farther between. I’ve noticed my skin looks not just clearer but brighter and smoother as well.

Being in my early 30s, I had begun to discover some fine lines and just a general “duller” appearance, but I believe using Moss products has contributed to helping me maintain a youthful plumpness to my skin that seemed to be fading before introducing these products into my routine.

I of course have no illusions about looking 25 forever, and I consider aging an honor, but using good quality skincare helps my skin looks nourished and healthy.

Which product(s) MOST wowed you and why?

It’s hard to choose just one because I’ve seen positive results from each but I think for my skin personally the most impressive change comes from potentci. It is instant when I apply it, my skin goes from looking angry and irritated to calm… and any redness subsides.

The texture has a delightfully milky feel and it glides on so beautifully, it doesnt feel sticky or gunky and it sinks right into my pores.

What did you try BEFORE using moss?

I probably ordered one of everything off each of the organic beauty stores’ websites… I would fall in love with the smell or texture of a product but inevitably, continued use would either make no change in my skin or it would exacerbate the problems.

I visited a dermatologist a few times and the suggestion was always antibiotics or steroids, and I didn’t feel comfortable going that route.

In your opinion, what makes moss UNIQUE?

Moss has (seemingly by magic) managed to address concerns for both acne and aging without comprising the results for either.

Also, I love that everything is made in microbatches and how personal the skincare feels. There is something that just feels empty about mass produced and mass marketed products, whereas Moss has sort of perfectly encapsulated the soulfulness of small batch mindful skincare without feeling overly fussy or pretentiously so.

Using natural skin care and makeup has been a huge priority of mine for as long as I’ve been aware of the potential dangers of conventional cosmetic products.

As a mother and also a resident of planet earth, the health and environmental benefits of using non toxic ingredients was something I decided I would be unwavering on, but I had started to lose faith that I’d be able to continue using organic products without suffering from constant breakouts and unbalanced skin.

I honestly feel deeply passionate about the changes I’ve experienced in my skin since using moss because it’s allowed me to stay strong in my convictions and avoid risking my health while also enjoying the benefits of seeing actual results.