One Very Long, In-Depth, Honest Review
Ghost Democracy Review: The Complete Collection
"My skincare routine was always just washing my face and putting on moisturizer every night. Well, I just moved from a really humid environment to a desert climate, and my face has been struggling to adjust! It was so dry that I was trying about three different moisturizers, and having to put stuff on many times a day. My face was still flaking, but it would somehow also get super oily, and I was breaking out worse than I have in a long time. My skin is extremely sensitive, so I've always looked for different, better products that were non-toxic, but I figured it was time I finally got a real skincare routine (but a simple one that I could ease into and realistically stick to) now that I'm starting to get close to 30. I scoured the internet, found Ghost Democracy and this collection, thought it looked like a great price for a good looking bundle. I liked that there were videos and instruction that demonstrated how to use everything, and what their purpose was. It seemed a good fit for me, so I ordered it. I got it a few weeks back, and have stuck to it every night since.
Here's what I think:
First off, I love it! After the first use, my issue with dry skin became nearly non existent. The only other time I seem to need to use moisturizer at all is if I take a shower other than at night when I'm going to use it, or I've been working out in the harsh, cold, dry, windy, high altitude for a while.
Anyways, the face wash seems great! My face is clearing up incredibly well. All the breakouts that were on my face have been quickly going away, without ANY reinfection (which is amazing for me), and the very few tiny whiteheads I've had appear since then could very easily be attributed to my current state of not eating, exercising, or hydrating well (I just moved, and it's been very stressful!), Or the oil, which I will get to later. The one thing to remember is to wear sunscreen during the day. It did make my skin a little more sensitive to the sun (and moving to high altitude didn't help either), but hey, sunscreen should be a must anways, so this is just a reminder to make sure to use it. And the trade-off has been worth it anyways.
Next are the serums. I alternate them every night. Everywhere I've read on the internet, people seem to be in love with the vitamin C one. Don't get me wrong, it's seems fantastic, and seems to be helping lighten some minor acne scarring I have on my face. But for me, the real winner is the hyaluronic acid serum! Since day 1 of using this routine, my skin has felt amazingly soft, looked healthier, and, for the first time ever, actually looks like it glows without ever looking straight up oily. But the day after I use the hyaluronic acid serum, it just seems to look even more dewier? And happier. It feels a little tacky as you put it on, but that feeling goes away as it dries, which is usually in about a minute. For both serums, I only apply about 3-4 drops directly on my face, then spread it around.
For the face moisturizer as well as the eye moisturizer, I was shocked at how tiny they looked when I got them, and thought for sure I'd run out of them before anything else. And despite them feeling a bit thin and watery, I can tell you that for both, a little goes quite a long way! So I have no worries about that anymore, and they're both clearly effective as I no longer feel a need to moisturize my face a bajillion times a day.
Lastly, is the oil. At first, I did not like it, and thought I might cut it out of my routine knowing how oily my face can get by itself, and how sensitive it is. When I used it the first day, I'm pretty sure I used too much, and it caused me to have a few pimples the next day. I didn't use it for a few days, then decided to give it another try when the weather had my skin feeling a little more dry than normal (for this collection! Believe me I still didn't feel anywhere close to as dry as I typically felt before I started using it). I've found that 2-3 drops is the absolute max for myself, but when used properly, it's seems like a great addition to the routine for locking everything in and assisting with the moisturizer. Depending on climate and everything else, I might not use it every single day based on what my skin feels like it needs, but it is great to have for when I do feel like a little extra support wouldn't hurt. Also, fun fact, I work with my hands a lot, so they get really dry, cracked, and busted up, and I've noticed my fingers and cuticles are really loving the oil as well when I put it on with my hands.
Honestly, this routine didn't have to be as effective as it is for me to have stuck with it. What had won me was the transparency of the company, the non-toxic ingredients, the eco-friendliness, etc. I'm not going to lie, that's more important to me than the state of my face (although I obviously wouldn't have stuck to something that was detrimental to it!). So my expectations weren't as high as perhaps they should have been. But after using these products and seeing how effective they can be in conjunction with all the other positive aspects of the company, my bar is very high, and I can't express enough how pleased I am with the results."
- Emily G.
The Complete Collection:
Cleanser, 2 Serums, Moisturizer, Eye, Oil
