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Worth the Splurge: DUŠA & KAMEN Rose Quartz Skincare

I’ve been trialing DUŠA & KAMEN, a new German luxury natural and cruelty-free skincare line, for the past several months, and I’m excited to share my thoughts today on the products and the brand as a whole.  Hana, the company’s founder, is a trained beautician and physiotherapist who first formulated skincare products to solve her own skin problems, then later decided to sell them.  What followed was two years of further product development and dozens of test formulas before DUŠA & KAMEN was born in June of 2020.


The company’s inaugural launch, the Rose Quartz line, features wonderful raw and natural ingredients, and, per the name, there are real rose quartz stones found in every bottle.  The line is specifically targeted towards acne-prone skin, but after using the products for the last few months, I think they have a lot more versatility than that description implies, and could in fact suit a variety of different skin types. 


Keep reading for my detailed take on each product in the line, plus head over to my Instagram page for a chance to win two of the products for yourself!

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Beat Acne Without Killing Your Skin? Apoterra Skincare's Neroli Clarifying Toner Has You Covered!

I've been really into making and customizing my own homemade toners the last couple years, so it takes something special to get me interested in incorporating a pre-made one into my routine.  But, that something extra is exactly what Apoterra Skincare (formerly Caru Skincare Co) brings to the table with their Neroli Clarifying Toner with Vitamin C + Green Tea* ($38 for 4 ounces).

The toner's stellar ingredient list caught my eye immediately and the toner itself has certainly lived up to -- or even exceeded -- my initial expectations.  The Neroli Clarifying Toner is part of Apoterra's Blemish line, intended for oily and acne-prone skin, but it's gentle enough to suit a range of skin types.  While a lot of acne products take a more aggressive approach, Apoterra's blemish products are more focused on gently returning balance to the skin so it can function at its best.  Rather than drying out the skin with harsh ingredients, the Clarifying Toner takes a multi-faceted approach to treat and prevent breakouts while simultaneously offering antioxidant and even anti-aging benefits.  

Photo Credit
Willow bark extract and neroli and thyme distillates work to clarify the skin, balance oil production, increase cell turnover, and reduce blemishes by targeting clogged pores and killing the bacteria that causes acne.  Soothing aloe vera and antioxidant-rich green tea are also included, along with healing rock rose and helichrysum (immortelle) distillates, both of which have strong regenerative properties that treat scarring, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation from past breakouts.  Stable, water-soluble vitamin C and niacinamide boost luminosity, increase collagen production and improve skin elasticity and barrier function for overall healthier and more resilient skin.  The ingredients also include glycerin for a light moisture boost, but it's pretty low on the list -- always my personal preference for toners! -- so the spray leaves skin feeling refreshed and hydrated, but never sticky.

 I don't have particularly acne-prone skin, but I prefer clarifying toners to help with clogged pores and skin congestion and the Neroli Clarifying Toner does a great job with both.  I generally only use it once a day -- either morning or night -- and my pores have been looking pretty phenomenal.  A few light spritzes also work nicely on top of makeup, if I find my face looking too powdery or heavily made up.  I've noticed my skin looking extra bright and naturally glowy since incorporating the toner -- something I attribute to the vitamin C content -- and I've been dealing with less congestion too, despite a busy schedule that's had me slacking on face masks and other "extra" skincare products more often than not the last couple months.   

 I've also grown to really love the scent of the toner -- predominantly a sweet and floral neroli with hints of something tart or slightly medicinal/herbal peeking through -- but I did find it pretty strong at first.  Bearing in mind that I'm ultra-sensitive to scents, the toner was never overpowering or offensive, but the scent was noticeable to me for several hours after using it the first six or seven times.  Since I've gotten more used to it, I notice it much less and, at this point, really only while I'm using it.  The dark glass bottle is great for protecting the ingredients and also dispenses a perfect light mist and just the right amount of product. 


 The Bottom Line
The Neroli Clarifying Toner has superb ingredients and is very effective at gently clarifying without drying or stripping the skin.  I love Apoterra's three-pronged approach that targets active acne, leftover scarring and inflammation from past breakouts, as well as improved overall skin function, and this more holistic approach of addressing skin health from all sides looks to be pretty universal across the entire Apoterra line.   This was my first product from the brand,  but I'm fairly certain it won't be my last!

 Have you tried anything from Apoterra Skincare?

*Press sample
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Balanced Guru Toners: Tone It Lightly, Tone It Smoothly + Tone It Deeply

Balanced Guru is a brand I'm becoming increasingly fond of.  The Calming Masque has become one of my favorite skincare items and a staple in my routine, and when I last needed to replenish my supply, I decided to give the company's toners a try as well.  Like all Balanced Guru products, the toners are cruelty free, USDA certified organic, and are made with natural, raw, and sustainably harvested ingredients.

My favorite of the three is Tone It Lightly, a purifying toner intended for oily and congested skin.  With ingredients like witch hazel, thyme, tea tree, lemon verbena, nettle and arnica, the toner is lightly astringent and is intended to balance excess oil production without drying out the skin.  My skin isn't overly oily, but I am prone to clogged pores and congestion on my cheeks and Tone It Lightly did a great job keeping that at bay.  I also liked its herbally-citrus scent and that, as promised, it didn't dry out my skin in the slightest.

 I've also enjoyed using Tone It Smoothly, which is intended to calm and maintain sensitive or mature skin.  With a gentle formula and plenty of soothing ingredients like rose, chamomile, lavender and geranium, I found myself reaching for this one less on a daily basis and more often as a gentle mist to re-hydrate face masks or keep them from drying too quickly on my skin.  Tone It Smoothly contains a lot of floral ingredients, but the scent is actually very mild and not overpowering in the least.

 Last in the range is Tone It Deeply, the weightiest of the three.  Made with aloe vera, green tea, kelp and spirulina, this toner is made for dry and combination skin and is intended keep pores clean while simultaneously hydrating and encouraging skin renewal.  It's possible I would enjoy this one more in the colder months, but at least right now, I find it sits a little heavy on the skin.  It's not sticky, but it feels more substantial than the other two.  I'm not totally enamored with the scent either, a blend of sweet orange, patchouli, rosemary, benzoin, cedarwood, and carrot seed essential oils.  I'm not a big patchouli fan and to my nose, that's by far the dominant scent.

 The Bottom Line
I've most enjoyed using Tone It Lightly and Tone It Smoothly, but I think all three are great, depending on preference and individual skin needs.  The toners are all gentle and are made with fantastic, natural and organic ingredients.  It's also worth mentioning that these toners - even in the trial size - give a wonderful, light, easily-controlled, even mist: the best of any spray toner I've tried.  

 Have you used anything from Balanced Guru?
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Balm Balm Witch Hazel Toner

A few months ago, I received a sample of this toner in a swap I did with Sarah from Sugarpuffish.  I had mentioned to Sarah that Balm Balm was a brand I was interested in trying and she very kindly included their Organic Facial Kit, which includes mini sizes of most of their skincare line.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit how long it's taken me to actually give anything from the kit a try, but my skincare routine has been working so well that I didn't want to risk changing anything!  

 Nevertheless, I finally decided to try out the toner.  I usually use a DIY blend of witch hazel and essential oils, so the Balm Balm one, which contains only witch hazel, glycerin, and alcohol, didn't seem like too big of a change.  It's an extremely gentle toner.  I've had great results using witch hazel, but it can sometimes be a little drying.  The glycerin here definitely helps with that!  My skin never felt dry while using the Balm Balm toner, so that isn't something you need to worry about.
Ingredients: Hamamelis Virginia Extract (Witch Hazel), Glycerol, Grain Alcohol.
The toss up is that the glycerin did leave my face feeling sticky.  I used a cotton ball to apply it, so it isn't like I was applying tons of product, but my face was always left with a long-lasting tacky feeling.  I say long-lasting, because I could still feel it after applying moisturizer, and even after putting on makeup!  

 Balm Balm's prices are generally very affordable and this toner retails for £13.25 (for 100mL.)  Honestly, that's more than I'm likely to pay when I feel like I can very easily make something comparable myself, but if you're someone who prefers to purchase your skincare and you're looking for a simple, gentle toner, this is a good product to consider.  

 I will say that since trying this, I've bought some vegetable glycerin and I've been inspired to start playing around with my homemade toner recipe again.  I'm curious to see if it's possible to use just a small amount of glycerin to get the added hydration, but still avoid the sticky, tacky feeling.  If I'm successful, you'll definitely hear all about it!


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Recipe: Green Tea Vitamin E Toner



First Thoughts
Toner is not a product I've ever considered an absolute necessity for my skin care routine, and because of the cost of natural skin care products, it is a step I have often skipped.  I’ve also found a lot of toners to be either too astringent or abrasive for my skin.  This homemade toner is inexpensive and super easy to make.  It is also extremely gentle and non-irritating.  I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and have noticed definite improvements in my skin. 

For tea, I’ve been using Yogi’s Green Tea Kombucha blend, just because that is what I had on hand.  In addition to green tea leaves, it contains lemongrass, spearmint, kombucha, and natural fruit flavours.  Any tea that is mainly green tea leaves should work, but make sure it does not contain any artificial flavours, which could potentially be irritating to your skin.
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