You might have seen an activated charcoal product or two in the skincare aisle or online, most likely as some kind of mask. Perhaps you’ve even used one before. Private label skincare products containing activated charcoal are usually black or a dark grey in appearance, and typically marketed as being detoxifying. But what exactly is activated charcoal, and why is it something you would want to use in your skincare routine? What are the pros and cons (if any), and is it any different than using clay instead? Here’s the RSL breakdown:

If you’re like most people, there’s a good chance that your skin reacts to the changes that come with the seasons. Though it can be any and every season, for most of us it’s the transition between spring and summer and fall to winter. That’s because these are the times when the weather moves to its next extreme. For some this shift manifests in full on breakouts, while others experience their skin become thirstier and in need of heavier moisture. Some people find they need to tweak their approach just a little, while others remain perplexed about what their skin is asking of them and how to meet its needs.

Perhaps you’ve heard of oil cleansing, but what about washing with honey? It sounds a little crazy, but there are actually a good amount of people who have found honey to be the secret ingredient to their skincare success- especially among those who suffer from acne. You don’t have to have acne to benefit from using honey as your facial cleanser, though. Your skin can be perfectly fine or have other issues you want to work on. The great thing about honey, when real and raw (lots of honey on the market is actually not real honey or has been heated to a temperature that damages its beneficial properties) is that it’s benefits are universal, meaning they’re great for everyone.

Just like every quarter comes with new or refined goals and strategies for your business, so too does every season come with a new theme that you can use to your advantage. Whether it’s capitalizing on the increased sun and warmth in the summer, snow covered pine trees in the winter, changing colors of the fall and blooming flowers in the spring, there’s a way for you to make seasonal changes work for you and your business. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to release a seasonal product offering.

Some people believe natural matters, some people don’t. Some people don’t care, and some people can’t even agree on what “natural” really means! The truth is, while everyone will have their own opinion and beliefs, there are certain things that point to natural and organic skincare being superior to chemical laden, artificial ingredient filled skincare products. And among all those things, perhaps the most convincing is this: the results actually garnered from using those products.

In parts one and two of our series on acne scars, we covered how to deal with hyperpigmentation and what to do if you have rolling, or ice pick type scars. In this third and final installment, we are going to talk about what to do for your rolling acne scars if you can’t afford (or don’t want) to go with more medical type treatments, specifically microneedling and sublative laser with PRF. Though it’s important to state upfront that it’s very hard to achieve serious change to deep pitted acne scars from simple skincare alone, there are still things you can do to improve the appearance and texture of your skin without more expensive and serious treatments.

In the first part of our series on acne scarring we covered how to heal post inflammatory pigmentation, the kind of darkly colored mark that occurs after a blemish is formed. They can take months to heal, but with proper skincare and patience, the skin will regenerate and the skin’s regular, uniform tone will return. The second type of acne scar that can occur, and that is much harder to get rid of, are the skin indentations known as rolling or ice pick scars. When it comes to these guys, a combination of high quality, botanically active skincare and other, more clinical treatments are usually necessary to help fill in the skin.

If you wear makeup, then you probably know about primer, the product you can apply to your skin before makeup that helps the makeup stay and also helps protect the skin. Plenty of brands sell primer as a complete product ready to be purchased at the store or online, but we have a little secret: you don’t have to use primer! You can still get all the benefits of wearing primer by using a private label skincare product in its place.

Clogged pores are responsible for everything from blackheads to bright red pustules and everything in between. They’re every skincare fan’s bad dream and can be extremely hard to get rid of, especially blackheads. While there are many different ways that people try to get rid of them and prevent them from occurring, there are as many people who find their search for a solution to be fruitless. Their pores stay clogged, the blackheads never go away and that’s just not okay!

If you have sensitive skin, then you know it’s a constant process to make sure that whatever you are using, or might potentially use on your skin is as non-irritating as possible. But even then, your skin might feel perpetually irritated and can flare up at the slightest change. Maybe it looks red, or feels itchy. Maybe it even breaks out! You might walk through the world feeling like you have to constantly be on alert for things that could irritate your skin: people touching it or a new product your friend wants you try, for example. It can feel overwhelming. So what are you to do?

Going to the spa is a serious treat. It’s relaxing, rejuvenating and helps us reboot and recharge from our regularly busy and responsibility filled lives. There’s nothing like getting a massage, facial, or a simple relaxing soak in a hot tub to help yourself rewire. Unfortunately, the spa isn’t always the most affordable luxury. For many of us, we only get to go a handful of times in our lives, even though most of us could really use it on the regular! While the price it costs to go to the spa isn’t going to change any time soon, the good news is that you can recreate your own version of a spa day at home. With a little bit of time set aside and a few key private label skincare products, you can be well on your way to some much needed, low cost relaxation.

When your skin just isn’t feeling right and you could swear you’ve tried everything- what is there left to do? It’s probably safe to say that at some point in your skincare journey you’ve come upon a point where you feel like everything you’re doing for your skin is failing. Whether you have acne or dry skin or redness that just won’t go away, it can be really frustrating to feel like you’re at the end of your rope. And when you get to that place, what do you do? Where do you go? What body of information do you turn to?

You probably think you have a skin type. Oily, dry, combination, aging...the list goes on. And while there is definite value in viewing your skin through a lens that involves skin type, the buck doesn’t stop there. At some point, skin type doesn’t matter anymore. I know, that sounds questionable. But it’s true- skin type just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s more to the picture--much more.

When you think of the kind of complexion you want, do the words radiant, glowing and rosy come to mind? If these exact words don’t, there’s a good chance that one of their variants do. Why? Because happy, balanced, well cared for skin really does glow. Blush and other cosmetic aids are nice, but nothing beats natural radiance; it’s magnetic. But what if you don’t feel like a glowing goddess all the time? What if--like most of us--you have your days (or even weeks, let’s be honest here) where your skin just looks plain and dull? Does it matter? And if it does, how can you get that natural glow back?

Even though winter has just barely come to an end here in Oregon, we know that not everybody is dealing with the cold right now. Whether you live in a warmer place like Florida or Arizona, or are planning a tropical vacation to escape the last remaining days of winter weather, we know your skincare needs are going to be different. They’re going to be different because heat and humidity place different demands on the skin than the cold and the dry. Thankfully, it’s easy to meet your skin’s needs in a climate that’s on the hotter side of things, even if it’s just for a vacation.