I Used Only Lush Skin Care Products For A Month And Here’s What Happened

I went from using two products to using EIGHT every day.

Hi everyone! I'm Farrah, and it feels like I've struggled with my skin my ENTIRE life. But now that I'm 28, I want to try a grown-ass skin care routine that will keep my complexion youthful and clear into my thirties. So I tried a complete Lush skin care regimen for 40 days to see how it worked.

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I've never had "perfect" skin. I was SO INSECURE about my constantly broken-out/oily complexion in high school that I was always wearing heavy makeup to try to hide it. Hormonal acne, acne scars, oiliness, dry patches, extreme skin sensitivity, dark marks, under-eye circles — you name it, I've tried to tackle it.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

It's hard to tell because when I was younger I NEVERRRR took pictures of my "naked" face, but here I am at 16 (covered in foundation) when my acne reached its worst. I went on Accutane a year later.

I currently use three over-the-counter drugstore products on my skin, which work fine, but I'm looking for more of an advanced routine that will tackle my imperfections and provide the gorgeous skin of my dreams.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Oh, plus I take birth control that helps keep my hormonal acne at bay.

There are a few areas I want to try to tackle: my oily skin, redness, and discoloration. Also, I DO NOT WANT TO BREAK OUT. I FEAR IT. The reason why I've stuck with a simple routine for so long is *because* it doesn't cause me to break out.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

To be honest, I was really nervous about this. I was concerned it would make me break out SO MUCH or that the fragrance would cause a weird rash or dry patches.

I chose Lush for a few different reasons. It's affordable and environmentally friendly, it creates ongoing ethical campaigns, doesn't test on animals, and makes its products with fresh ingredients. So I set up a consultation with someone who could provide me with a customized skin care routine for my skin type!

lushusa.com, Farrah Penn

Here's what I walked away with:

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

From left: Eau Roma Water toner ($10.95), Aqua Marina cleanser ($12.95), Skin's Shangri La moisturizer ($49.95), Magical Moringa cleansing lotion ($22.95), Fresh Farmacy cleanser ($11.95), 9 to 5 cleaning lotion ($10.95), Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask ($9.95), Full of Grace solid moisturizer ($16.95).

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

To start, I traded out my coconut oil makeup remover for the 9 to 5 cleansing lotion.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I typically wear eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara and found coconut oil can easily remove all of the above without any raccoon-eye residue.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Buuuuut I found that after using the 9 to 5 cleansing lotion as directed (wash your face with it and use some on cotton pads to wipe away excess makeup), this didn't get everything completely off.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

You can see a difference in the cotton pad:

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

So I tried a different method the next day! This time, I took 9 to 5 in the shower with me and really scrubbed around my eyes with it. Then I took my wet wash cloth and removed any leftover residue. Voila! This worked WAY better.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

The skin cleanser I used most mornings was Fresh Farmacy. This was the solid facial bar designed for both sensitive and troubled skin (AKA MINE). It's supposed to help soothe dry patches and contains tea tree to keep skin clear. AND!!! It did!!!!!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Another reason I loved Fresh Farmacy was BECAUSE it came as a solid bar. Although I wish it were a bit more sudsy, I spent the last 10 days traveling and I didn't have to worry about running out of face cleanser or worry about getting through security with too much liquid.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

The second facial cleanser felt soooo luxurious, and I ended up using it in the evenings before getting ready for bed. Aqua Marina smells like calamine, seaweed, and the ocean breeze, and it felt incredible on my skin. It's designed specifically to calm irritated, sensitive skin. I'd say it did the job very well.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

My only complaint is that it doesn't come in a bigger size! I ran out by the end of week two but, to be fair, in the very beginning I was literally using this both day and night because I loved it so much.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

The facial lotions were a bit trickier at first. I'd originally walked out with Skin Shangri La as my day *and* night moisturizer, but quickly realized I felt way too oily during the day. It's a heavy moisturizer. After I explained this to Lush, we decided the Vanishing Cream might be a good fit for my daily lotion. I saw (and felt!) a GIANT difference.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I began to use Skin's Shangri La only as my night moisturizer. Even though it was the heaviest skin cream I've EVER used, it didn't cause acne and it prevented me from waking up with any type of dryness.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Also, while I was traveling a friend stayed with me one night and asked to use this before we went to bed. The next morning she asked what it was called because she was going to go buy it. So if you don't take my word for it, TAKE HERS!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I continued using the Vanishing Cream instead of the Skin's Shangri La in the morning under my makeup. It's Lush's lightest moisturizer, so it works REALLY well if you hate the feeling of thick lotion on your skin. I really think this helped even out the tone of my skin over the course of the month.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I also used Magical Moringa matte primer under my makeup in the morning. Honestly? I truly felt like it helped mattefy my skin. And a little goes a LONG way with this product, which I loved.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Did the Vanishing Cream + Magical Moringa cure my oiliness? No. But I also didn't expect it to. HOWEVER, I was *less* oily than I was when I was using the CeraVe lotion, so I'm calling it a win. Also, I loved how lightweight the Vanishing Cream is. And — because I know you're wondering — neither caused me to break out!!!!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

The Full of Grace solid moisturizing bar was something I could probably cut out of my routine. I loved that it was easy to travel with, but using it at night on top of my Skin's Shangri La was too much. It helps skin maintain its elasticity, which is good in the long run for anyone looking to maintain firm skin, but I would personally use one or the other and not both.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

It was also a *tiny* bit hard to keep clean, so I ended up keeping it in a bowl in my bathroom!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

At first I thought the Eau Roma Water toner was going to be kind of bogus, but I realized that 1) it really is hydrating and 2) helps spread out all of the above lotions so you don't have to use as much.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

For the first two weeks, I used the Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask, which is designed to soothe redness and irritation, and cleanse the skin without stripping its natural oils. It made my skin soft and supple.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

These particular masks are made SO FRESH that they need to be refrigerated and aren't recommended for use after two weeks. You can literally see just how fresh here.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

For the last two weeks, I picked up the BB Seaweed mask. This one is gently exfoliating, using the meat of ground almonds to clear dry skin and nutrient-rich seaweed for nourishment.

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I wasn't a huge fan of how large the seaweed chunks were because they sort of got in the way when I tried to massage my skin, but overall the entire mask is so soothing and exfoliating!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

Because I thought you might be curious, here's the final reveal!

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

I took both of these pictures a month apart in the same exact lightning in my bathroom. There's not much of a *huge* transformation here, but my skin looks more even/less red. I can even tell I look a little less shiny. And the best part: My very sensitive skin didn't have any weird rashes or breakouts using these products.

If you're like me, then you want to know how just far you can stretch your dollar. Here's how much product I had left after 40 days:

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

From left to right, top to bottom: Fresh Farmacy cleanser ($11.95), Vanishing Cream ($44.95), Magical Moringa face primer ($22.95), and Skin's Shangri La moisturizer ($49.95). I was honestly relieved that the more expensive products were long-lasting. I also barely made a dent in the Eau Roma hydrating spray and the Full of Grace solid moisturizer.

Products that completely ran out by week four: Aqua Marina cleanser and Cosmetic Catastrophe mask and BB Seaweed mask (*meant for two-week use).

Lush / BuzzFeed

All of these products come out to $129, which — yes — is a lot of money upfront. The two facial moisturizers and the primer are the most costly, BUT I use 1 oz. of $44 CC cream on my face every day and only need to buy a replacement twice a year. So if I can invest that amount in makeup that goes a long way, I think these will be able to last me a long while too.

I can definitely tell this new routine has helped reduce redness, provided a more even tone, and helped slightly eliminate some excess oil on my face throughout the day.

I'm pretty open and honest about products that have adverse reactions on my skin, but every single item I used gave me gentle and calming results. Now I understand why people use a multi-step skin care routine. I was skeptical at first since my skin is SO sensitive, but I think I've just found my new regimen.

Disclaimer: BuzzFeed was provided these products free of charge.