My Urban Skin Rx 30 Day Challenge: Week 1 Update

Week One is in the books! And what a week it's been! If you've been following along on my Instagram page, I've been documenting my daily progress using this line of amazing skin care products. And as promised, I am going to be writing in detail about the experience here. So lets dig in!

My Introduction to Urban Skin RX:

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Urban Skin Rx at a brunch they sponsored, hosted by Toya from NaturallyShesDope. About 20 bloggers, influencers and girl bosses met up at the Barcelona Wine Bar in Philly on May 5th to network and learn about the benefits of using this brand and my oh my, were we in for a treat! (Side note: The Barcelona Wine Bar is super good! The food was delicious, the drinks were spectacular and the service was amazing. If you get a chance to go, don't walk, RUN!) After an informative teaching session, we were blessed with goodie bags of trial sizes and a few full sized products from Urban Skin Rx that addressed our personal skin issues. 

Me? I'm dealing with some adult acne that I've been fighting for more years than I care to count, and fine lines that life has seen fit to bless 

me with. I suppose fine lines are better than the alternative but... it's whatever. 

At the beginning of the week I took some pics of what I was working with. View them right below:

I have been using the Even Tone Cleansing Bar and pH Balancing Toner morning and night, the Super C Brightening Serum and DermShield SPF30 Moisturizer in the mornings and the Clear Complexion Acne Serum and HydraBalance Instant Moisturizer at night. I've also been taking the Even Tone Supplement Vitamins in the morning (they recommend 2 a day but due to dietary restrictions, I am only taking one a day). All of these products are pictured below with their prices and links to them in the Urban Skin Rx online store. 

​Now for the break down:

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The Even Tone Cleansing Bar
Price: $24
Claim: cleanser, reduces hyper-pigmentation, evens skin tone, exfoliates and can be used as a complexion brightening mask

How To Use: you wet the exfoliating sponge, lather the bar inside the jar, then gently rub the soapy sponge on your face. You can leave the lather on for a few minutes to give it a chance to really get into your pores and work it's magic. 
​Does It Deliver? YES!
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
​The Scoop: This stuff is AMAZING. It made light work of removing ALL my makeup in one rinse. My skin felt fresh and clean and a little firmer after the very first use. It even took off my waterproof mascara and eyeliner without any effort at all. One thing to watch is that it doesn't get in your eyes when you are swiping across them. It stings a bit, but what soap doesn't burn if it gets into your eyes. I rinsed it away with warm water and the stinging went away without any lasting affect. In my opinion, this is a small price to pay for not having to scrub and scrub to get that stubborn make up off. I'll take 2 please! ​

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pH Balance All Skin Toner
Price: $32
Claim: balance pH level of skin, prep for other treatments.
How To Use: Apply to clean, dry face using a cotton pad. Repeat until cotton pads show no dirt. Use twice a day or as directed by a physician. 
Does It Deliver? Absolutely
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 /5
The Scoop: This toner is a great staple for everyday use. It has a fresh, light scent and glides across the skin like silk. It left my skin feeling 

refreshed and clean and ready for the next step. I love the cool feeling it leaves behind. It surprised me to see anything on the cotton after applying this because I thought the cleansing bar was really thorough. I think I will be incorporating this toner into my everyday arsenal forever. A+

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Super C Brightening Serum
Price: $58
Claim: promote even skin tone, reduce hyper pigmentation, anti-aging, clarifies pores and makes the skin glow
How To Use: apply 4-6 drops after washing and toning but before moisturizing, all over your face and neck, avoiding your eyes. This serum can be used once or twice daily.
Does It Deliver? YES!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 /5
The Scoop: This product is absolutely wonderful! It brought on the glow up like nothing I've used before. Seriously though! It left my skin feeling amazing and looking so ​hydrated and healthy! I believe this serum will leave an accumulative effect because Vitamin C serums usually do. I can't wait to see how my skin looks after 30 days of using this consistently. I'm using it morning and night and it is worth every single penny of the price. This serum is definitely going to be a staple in my arsenal. A+

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The HydraBalance Instant Moisture Infusion
Price: $34
Claim: intense moisture for a youthful glow
How To Use: apply a dime size amount all over face, eyes and 

neck. Can be used morning and night.
Does It Deliver? YES!
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
The Scoop: Ok, I know you're probably thinking, yea right, three for three? This has to be a fluff piece! But I'm being completely honest here. I ​love it! For real! I think I've found my new go-to face cream, y'all! This whip is super silky and extremely hydrating. It doesn't clog my pores and it feels heavenly as it slides across the skin. Can I get a "whoop, whoop!!"

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Clear Complexion Acne Serum for Sensitive Skin
Price: $38
Claim: clear up acne and reduce inflammation
How To Use: apply to clean, dry skin twice daily or as directed by a physician
Does It Deliver? Too soon to tell but I am cautiously optimistic
My Rating: Too soon to rate but again, I am cautiously optimistic

The Scoop: So far, I like it. I only use this at night because I don't want to over do it with the strong serums on my slightly sensitive skin. This stuff has 5% Benzoyl Peroxide and the most I've used on my skin before was 2% in a ​prescription, if memory serves correctly. I will revisit my rating at the end of week two and hopefully then, I will have some results to report.

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Daily Moisturizer with SPF30
Price: $28
Claim: effective, mattifying sun protection and moisturizer without turning your skin gray
How To Use: apply to all skin exposed to the sun
Does It Deliver? Sure does!
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
The Scoop: Ok, so for a sunblock, this stuff is great! It doesn't sting, it doesn't leave a gray residue on my skin, it absorbs quickly, it hydrates like a great moisturizer should

AND it smells fresh too. BONUS: IT WORKED WELL UNDER MY MAKEUP!!!! I will say that it is slightly heavier than most moisturizers which had me worried it might be clogging my pores but I​have had not any new breakouts so I'm going to say my fears were unfounded. I'm sold. This will be a summer staple for me whenever I go to the beach. I don't need to use it everyday as I wear foundations that already have SPF in them so using this when I'm wearing makeup is probably overkill. For days when I am not wearing makeup, this is a definite must, but as I've mentioned above, I'm fighting acne and unless I'm being really lazy, I usually have at least foundation on to even out the appearance of blemishes. ​I know some people have complained that this sunblock made their skin turn ashy gray but that has not been my experience. I did read a comment Urban Skin Rx left on an Instagram post saying they were reformulating this to address that issue so I'll keep a look out for that as well. But for me, for now, I'm happy with this SPF moisturizer as is.

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Even Tone Night Treatment
Price: $68
Claim: lifts discoloration, lightens blemishes and hyper-pigmentation left behind from breakouts, reduces fine lines and wrinkles while promoting collagen production, exfoliates and unclogs pores
How To Use: apply to face and neck after washing but before moisturizer, avoiding eyes. Can be applied once a day or as directed by a physician. Reduce use to every other day if irritation occurs.

Does It Deliver? Too soon to tell but I am cautiously optimistic.
My Rating: Too soon to tell but again, I am optimistic this stuff works. I will explain below. 
The Scoop: So, I think this stuff works and here is why... I used it on day one before bed as ​directed (on my face and neck). When I woke up the next morning, my skin did have a soft, supple feel and the lines between my eyebrows didn't appear as deep as they normally do. Additionally, when I wrinkled my brows, the lines were there but they didn't stay creased like they normally do. The skin smoothed out much faster. The down side is that my neck was very itchy and red. I couldn't help but to scratch, which of course, lead to irritation. Fair enough. the minute I washed my face and neck, the irritation was completely gone and left nothing behind to remind me of the pesky redness and itch. As it was the only product I put on my neck, I am pretty sure this was the product responsible. Okie dokie.

On day 2, I applied this serum to my face only (avoiding eyes and neck) and when I woke up, the same results were happening on my brows AND the crows feet that are trying to creep in at my temples BUT my neck (which did not have the product on it) did not have any itch or irritation. So I know this stuff is doing something, and I think it's actually doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

I plan to  continue using this serum but only at night and only on my face, not my neck. I will be keeping a close eye on it because I don't want to risk damage to my skin. I think with sparing use (only at night or every other day) I will be fine. In my opinion, this will not affect my rating, because the product seems to be doing what it claims to do. I will adjust my application for my personal needs (as everyone SHOULD do when using anything on or in their bodies). ​

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Even Tone Support Supplements
Price: $38
Claim: regulates melanin levels, improves uneven skin tones, reverses sun and age damage and works as an antioxidant to clean the liver of chemicals, hormones and pollutants.
How To Use: take two capsules a day
Does It Deliver? Too soon to tell but I'm feeling energized 

after a week of use!
My Rating: Too soon to tell. I will revisit at the end of the month.
The Scoop: Ok, I have some dietary issues that I do NOT want to upset and any changes like vitamins or supplements have to be closely monitored by my doctor. I am so not trying to have a flair up - no one wants that, trust me. SO, I ​have been taking one of these a day to be careful and so far, they are gentle on my stomach and I am not experiencing any adverse affects. This is a huge plus because any change to my normal diet (adding vitamins or things known to agitate my condition) can often have an IMMEDIATE affect. This supplement is obviously gentle and like I said above, I feel like I have more energy. That's gotta be the Vitamin C and probably also the detoxing affects too. I'm stoked! 

I will continue to take this vitamin supplement for the rest of the month as long as I don't have any side effects and give thoughts on it at the end of the challenge. WHEW THAT WAS A LOT!

Summary: 
Ok so all in all (so far), I LOVE this line. It's only been a week but I can see drastic results already as pictured to the right. My skin is hydrated and clean, the acne is definitely reduced and the fine lines and wrinkles are beginning to lessen. My skin tone is also more even and looks healthier than it has in years. You hear me? YEARS! WHOOP WHOOP!!!! As a whole, I am confident to call the Urban Skin RX brand a winner! ​But before I jump all the way over the moon, I will continue the 30 day challenge, updating my Instagram Stories daily and the blog posts weekly. 

Thanks so much for reading and following the challenge. I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Blessings, love bugs! 💋