For the record, this post is my own view and I did not receive any compensation for this post.  Other than my two online orders and my Instagram likes of their posts, Cocokind doesn’t know I exist :).

For a few years now I have been making a conscious effort to be more aware of the beauty products I am purchasing.  I am strongly against animal testing in the beauty industry and overall have been making an effort to reduce the amount of chemicals I bring into my home.  I’ve been working hard to find beauty products that are not only completely natural, but also animal testing free and vegan.

For a while I was using Origins products, but then I was disappointed to learn that while they don’t do animal testing in general, they sell in China, which still requires animal testing.  Also, their products are not as natural as I’d like.

While I was finishing up my Origins stock, I decided to search for some new beauty products to try.  I settled on two that I liked: Cocokind and 100% Pure.  100% Pure has a entire line of beauty products ranging from makeup to face washes to body wash, while Cocokind mostly has face care products.  I decided to go with Cocokind for skincare because they are a bit more affordable, and I appreciate their commitment to maintaining affordable prices.  I was attracted to their organic, simple ingredients, and I admire the fact that that their founder is focused on empowering women.  The brand is also local to me here in San Francisco!  (For the record – although it’s more expensive than Cocokind, 100% Pure is great and also empowers women.  I actually get my makeup products there, so more on them in another post!)

Cocokind products are oil based, which believe it or not, is not as bad for your skin as you were lead to believe as a teen.  You can buy their products online or in certain retail stores, like Whole Foods (although it depends on your area, so check Cocokind’s website before you go).  Most of their products are also vegan!

I was really excited to try out Cocokind, so I headed to my local Whole Foods and picked up close to the full line of products (some I ordered online).  Here’s what I bought and how I used them:

Organic Facial Cleansing Oil – was using to cleanse in the morning and at night
Organic Sea Moss Exfoliator – every other morning as an exfoliator
Organic Rosewater Facial Toner – after cleansing, morning and night
Organic Facial Repair Serum – after cleansing and toning, morning
Organic Matcha Face Moisturizer – after cleansing and toning, night
Organic Chlorophyll Mask – when needed
Cocokind Collective – MyMatcha moisture stick, Macabeet tinted moisture stick, Turmeric spot treatment – when needed

My Cocokind haul!

OK, now onto what you really what to know – how did it go?

For some reason my face had decided that it didn’t like my previous routine anymore and I was breaking out like crazy.  So, when I tried Cocokind it was in pretty bad shape.  It took about two months for my face to become accustomed to Cocokind’s products.  It didn’t get any worse, but it wasn’t getting any better.  After about a month and half, Cocokind introduced their Raspberry Vinegar Toner, which seriously helped my skin.  I saw a decline in acne after using the Raspberry toner in the morning and at night in lieu of the Rosewater Toner.  At night I also add some watered down apple cider vinegar to my cotton pad for some extra umpfh.  I use the Raspberry Vinegar Toner every day now, unless I’m going somewhere fancy and don’t want the chance of my face smelling like vinegar.  It’s definitely not a strong scent, especially when you put moisturizer and makeup on top of it, but there’s still something about knowing you might smell like vinegar that might ruin a fancy event or date.  So in those cases, I just use the Rosewater toner.

However, even after the improvements I saw with the vinegar toner, my face wasn’t really where I wanted to it be.  I was still breaking out some and noticed an increase in large-ish blackheads.  I decided my face needed a little something stronger, so I searched for a natural facewash with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.  I found Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Deep Pore Wash and this has worked fantastic.  Alba Botanica is also fairly natural and against animal testing, so I was OK with using it.  I realized through this process that sometimes you need some reinforcements.  Instead of Cocokind’s Facial Cleansing Oil, I now use the Alba Botanica cleanser every other morning (the others I use Cocokind’s Sea Moss Exfoliator) and at night and my face has gotten significantly better.

Another change I made to my skincare routine was how I sleep. I realized my hair was probably a source of breakouts since it usually has some kind of product in it.  Now I wear a satin bonnet when I sleep and I’ve also noticed a significant improvement in my skin.  They are super cheap and you can get them on Amazon.  Also, change your pillowcase often!

While my face was telling me I needed a stronger cleanser, I really love what Cocokind’s other products have done for me.  My face looks brighter and I know that my skin is absorbing nutrients and not chemicals.  After using the Organic Chlorophyll Mask, my skin just glows.  The Cocokind Collective sticks are also great for skincare on the go.  I have a reminder on my phone to use the MyMatcha moisture stick under my eyes every afternoon around 2pm, and I use the Macabeet tinted moisture stick as a natural blush and lip balm.  The Turmeric spot treatment is also great for those breakouts that still sometimes emerge because, well, I’m not perfect!

Overall, I’d highly recommend Cocokind’s products.  I love how they make my skin feel and how they are good for the environment.  I also love everything the company stands for and their founder’s (Priscilla Tsai) commitment to her products and making skinCARE.