The story behind HOIA home spa products started when lemongrass body scrub got noticed and started living its own life of taking care of many skin problems. Now their line is wider, so that every person with its own preferences can find a scent and formula for their body and senses. Good things do come in pairs and I believe it totally applies to body care.

HOIA lemongrass body scrub with its zestful and joyful scent picks you right up and winds you down while rubbing it all over the body. It is really forgiving when it comes to application, at first you will think you need more, but the smallest amount goes the longest way. While all exfoliated and layered with the scrub, it will be the waiting game. To get the full benefit of the product and allow your body to get the treatment it deserves, let it sit on your skin for few minutes. To pass the time have little dance party, or sing. I usually put on hair mask for full pampering session. After few minutes rinse it all off. You can feel the softest layer of all the good oils on your skin and that is a good thing, don't wash it off. Getting out of your shower you won't need the moisturiser, your skin won't cry for help because of its dryness and tight feeling. Your skin will not be greasy, but thankful for the natural butters and all the blood flow it got out of the scrubbing session you just had!

Like I said before, good things come in pairs. It is good to have a back-up plan when the winter is getting to you and your skin needs a relief, also know and something replenishing and moisturising. HOIA rosewood & avocado body whip is whipped up body balm that feels like mousse to the touch, that will melt to most precious luxurious velvety oil. When applying it will skin right into skin and leave you with the softest skin. My own personal winter preference: to 'bury' myself in it and feel moisturised, itch free, extremely comfortable and relieved without layering another, another and another layer of body lotion on in order to get rid of the dryness.

As the whip is packed with vitamins, butters and oils that will even out the skin tone, replenishes the damage, help to build collagen and relieve any skin problems you might have. Essential oils of rosewood and geranium will work for much calmer senses and renewed skin.

As you know skin care changes, depending on the skin's needs, seasons and on us who need to change it ever so often. New things are exciting, especially trying out new skin care! In this post I have gathered all the items I have used regularly, even between trying new things. These have been staples, some of them longer, some of them not so long... yet these seem to be working for me. Also stay tuned for many skin care posts in the future where I can introduce you to the new and maybe more exciting skin care products that make the cut, but aren't necessarily staples yet. 

Good skin starts with cleansing and I like to do it very deeply. So I have been using Organic Surge Daily Care Refreshing Face Wash, it is the one gentle enough not to strip the skin, yet gets everything clean. It is even safe to use it around the eyes to remove the eye makeup. I have used it on and off for a very long time and it has to be my all time favourite. To get the deeper and better cleanse I use the face wash with Clarisonic Mia that has also been around for years. Its brush heads change depending on the season, current skin needs, right now it is operating with the Deep Pore Brush Head to get the most detoxifying cleanse, cleaner pores and smoothest skin. I have heard mixed reviews on Clarisonic, but I have nothing bad to say about mine... you either love it very much or hate it. I can't even imagine going without it. Of course you can get great skin with many good exfoliants, but this makes your skin different kind of smooth and clean, that can't be described as long as you haven't tried it. Best investment ever! 

After cleansing I am using Organic Surge Daily Care Orange Flower Toning Water smells divine, clarifies, balances and leaves it very soft. Some people, even some cosmetologists think toner is unnecessary as long as you use pH balanced face wash. I have news to you... your face wash can be good, but your tap water probably isn't and it is the last thing you put on your face when rinsing. There were times where I didn't get the purpose of the toners, now I can never skip it and my skin feels a lot better. 

Face mask wise I have stayed loyal to two of them. Vestige Verdant Organic Mask I have reviewed in here. So I will be short. It is one of the masks that is multi-tasking: it cleanses, stimulates, fights with ageing and imperfections while leaving it smooth and nourished. Other one is Lumene Glow Reveal 60 Second Facial which is another multi-tasking mask. This clay based product has properties of exfoliant, purifier and brightener by containing clay, lactic acid and natural oils. Now they carry it in the new packaging, but the product in its own goodness stayed the same.

About weekly or as needed I am using some kind of treatment on my face. I just apply it during night time under right after cleansing and toning before moisturising. BioNike Acnet Cream prevents any spots, impurities and treats them quickly. Applied on problem areas only, it won't dry skin out or irritated it at all. Glycolic acid along with salicylic acid create the perfect combination to combat any clogged pores, blemishes and keep the unwanted dead skin away. Dermalogica Skin Renewal Booster that is quite expensive, but you only need a drop of it as it is concentrate to use with your moisturiser on under it. Containing exfoliating lactic acid, salicylic acid and hisbiscus extract this product much more gentle than Acnet Cream, even suitable for dry skin. I promotes natural exfoliation to get rid of dullness and get improved texture. I use it mainly for smoother texture, more even skin and overall skin renewal. Even after one use skin feels a lot smoother and clearer.

Final step in skin care is nourishing. Before that I sometimes apply You & Oil Ki Acne to any rashes, blemishes or spots. It is blend of essential oils that spot treats and heals in a natural way. They do carry different blends for different problems and purposes. Before any moisturiser or serum comes eye cream. At least in my book, because you would't put your clothes on before your underwear, would you? MOSSA Restoring Eye Cream has been with me for a while now. It has blackberry omega 3-9 complex along with many other flower waters and natural extracts that moisturise, brighten and smooth perfectly. To get the natural glowing tan that doesn't appear heavy like self-tanners do, I occasionally add few drops of Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster into my serum or moisturiser and end up with naturally glowing skin tone. When it comes to nourishing I am alternating between two oil based face serums. They are both wonderful, but have different tasks. Terre Verdi Balancing Facial Serum is like a miracle worker when skin is dehydrated, but can also get problematic and unbalanced. It treats special needs skin gently and with respect, giving it the right oil balance and keeping impurities at bay. You & Oil Nourish and Energise Vitamin Serum is a lot richer and comes into play when skin is drier or as a night treatment. As it really is like food for your skin, you will get smoother, plumper and hydrated face. It is also recommended to use it 1-2 cycles a year not to overfeed the skin. 

Gressa is a brand that makes wonderful products from natural makeup to skincare with very few 'au naturel' ingredients inside of them. The most impressive one for me has been Renewing Polish for your beautiful face. Ingredients wise it is simple, yet effective when it comes to its actions. This honey-based product gently exfoliates, brightens, clarifies and moisturises like one good facial treatment should do. Synergy between rice enzymes, alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C will work its magic in order to give smoother, brighter and hydrated skin after every scrub session with it. Because its very fine non-abrasive texture it is like a microdermabrasion, but in a natural way.

I sometimes use it daily and it won't dry my skin out or make it sensitive. I will give my skin a gentle scrub and let it sit on it 5-10 minutes to get even deeper exfoliation. Honey makes it a perfect exfoliating face mask and all the other goodness combined with it gives it even more power. 

My pores are always appearing smaller, any blemishes appear a lot calmer, dead skin all gone. I despise using makeup when I see the flaky around my face after applying it. Many times I pass on it when my skin feels dehydrated or dry on same areas. This helps to combat everything that is unwanted or may annoy you on your face. Every product afterwards glides on like a butter. My personal tip is to use it as a lip scrub whenever exfoliating face. It is a treat for the skin indeed!

Conscious Skincare is something I have heard before, but really haven't had a proper chance to hop in and try something out. I must admit, these two products from Neutralize line are totally different what I meant them to be when I first got them. Being organic, I thought I get something very gentle, mild and not so surprisingly active. But when I say 'active', I do mean it in a good way. These two, and especially this exfoliant are something I would recommend testing out with caution, because oh boy, they are effective. 

Neutralize Face Wash is a clear gel that mildly lathers up and really gently makes your skin tingle. This does help with microcirculation, and its zesty ingredients along with the lovely refreshing scent will deep clean your pores from all the buildup in a regular use. At the moment my skin is quite tolerant and I always give this cleanser little bit more time to work and leave it on my face for couple of minutes before rinsing it off. This allows all the zesty goodness sink into my skin, cleanse it properly and treat any imperfections like pimples, clogged pores and even dry patches. This cleanser will leave your skin like you have had a mild chemical peel in the most natural way as it feels acidic without any harm actual acids can do when misused. 

Neutralize Exfoliant is the real bad boy in this duo. This is a lot thicker gel with pretty sparingly added beads in it. When I first poured a dollop on my hand I wondered how it does its job with so little amount of actual particles. Little did I know that besides almond shell powder that does its mechanical exfoliation, this exfoliant is packed with good natural acids, floral waters, essential oils to work deep in the skin like a good chemical peel. It will make face warm and stinging, but tolerance builds up use after use. My face was little bit red after rinsing, but after 5 minutes the redness was gone. Even after first use, you will notice how smooth, bump free and even your skin is. Every other product from toners to serums, moisturisers and makeup will be so much easier to apply and blend in. Truly 'get that glow' product in a bottle!

I start to somewhat repeat myself when I say you should give yourself a break from all the ingredients you put into hair, skin, body etc. I do believe in restarting your whatever regimen and giving a more natural options a chance to boost the health and condition of whatever you are trying to deal with. Resetting your haircare should start with good cleansing shampoo, that removes any buildup, additional products in the most gentle way. Whenever your hair is in need of a boost, last thing you want is to strip it too much. 

This Skin Blossom Complete Care Shampoo is the perfect option for it. Its zesty scent and texture feels not only refreshingly calming and cleansing to scalp, but also will gently lather to remove the dullness without weakening the hair strand. Bergamot, rosemary, aloe vera, lemon, lime, sweet orange, lemon grass, jojoba oil- all these work together perfectly to ensure healthy scalp and locks without compromising hair's overall health. Not only it is perfect shampoo to cleanse before giving your hair a good deep condition afterwards, it actually combats any problems your scalp may have: balances oil production, keeps dandruff at bay, stimulates hair growth. After using it few times it felt like I got back the clean, simple, 'blank canvas' hair I once had when I was a kid. If you have to choose between the two, this shampoo is the way to go!

After getting rid of all the build up, depending on your hair type, you might not feel the urge to slather a good conditioner all over the strands. When this is the case, congrats, you have normal and healthy hair, do enjoy the fullness and shine that natural essential oils in shampoo provided you. I am always reaching for the extra moisture and Skin Blossom Complete Care Conditioner is something I am confident applying all over my head, not to mention my scalp. Its creamy texture glides on easily, even though I myself would prefer even richer product on my ends. For a daily conditioner, I will use in between weekly masks, it makes a perfect product for me, but my dry hair type does require some kind of hair oil or serum afterwards. Pracaxi oil, aloe vera, rosemary and all the citruses seal the cuticle of the strands, give it volume, shine and stimulate the scalp while gently nourishing. Not to mention the refreshing and boosting zesty aroma therapy whenever you apply it. 

After I have completed the routine of using these two, I usually give my damp ends a good dose of natural oils as a leave in serum and can absolutely see the difference in absorption. Not that it is overly dry, but my hair can actually breathe and skin in everything that otherwise would have stayed on top of the hair strand without actually giving full penetration.