Sprout Skincare at Vegan Cuts

The kind folks at Vegan Cuts sent me some Sprout Skincare products to try out. I first heard about Sprout Skincare at the Natural Foods Expo in Anaheim early this year. This was the first time I was able to try their cruelty free, vegan products out.

Sprout makes no-frills skincare. They use the simplest possible blends of whole, high-potency ingredients to create products that truly work. Their ingredients are sourced ethically from organic, local, and fair trade farms. The reason for this is also simple: they want their product to be as healthy for their customers as they are for the planet. Sprout rejects trendy, exotic ingredients that do little more than raise a price point. They want everyone to have access to safe, effective skincare.

Here are my thoughts on each product:

Sprout Toner –

For most people, a good toner is an afterthought. But Sprout’s Toner is an absolutely essential step in our nighttime routine. It evens skin tone and neutralizes pH, meaning we wake up both less oily AND less dry. Plus this product supports small, family farms, and that makes us sleep a little better.

Ingredients: Water, Raw apple cider vinegar*, Witch hazel from Wild Crops Farm, MO, Essential oils of clary sage and sandalwood* (*Organic)

I loved the toner! Apple cider vinegar is so amazing for regulating the pH balance of your skin. My combination/oily skin really seems to clear up when I use it. Unfortunately, I was only able to use the deluxe sample they sent me for about a week or two. It seemed to be clearing up my acne, but I would have liked to try it out for a longer test drive. I’ll probably buy a full sized bottle soon, but in the meantime I went ahead and made my own. I’m going to experiment with different recipes, but here’s what I did:

• Get a small plastic spray bottle (around 6 oz or so) from your local drugstore
• Make one cup of hot green tea and let it cool completely
• Fill up the bottle with the cooled green tea. Add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s is a good one to try). You’ll need to experiment with how much ACV is too much for you.
• Add essential oils to help regulate oil and cover the scent. I used lavender. There are lots to choose from!
• Shake it well and keep in the refrigerator. Mist over your face after cleansing at night.

The downfall to the DIY apple cider toner recipe (above) is that it’s not shelf-stable, so I had to keep it in the fridge (because of the green tea) and it takes a few tries to get the quantities right so you don’t smell like apple cider vinegar for the rest of the day (you can just use it at night if the smell bugs you).

Sprout Cream –

This is the mother of all Sprout products. You know how lots of lotions and moisturizers leave you needing more, like ten minutes after you put them on? That’s because they use water as a base. When it evaporates, you dry out all over again. Sprout Cream starts with wild-harvested shea butter we get from an incredible Fair Trade women’s cooperative in Ghana. We add some organic extra-virgin coconut oil and organic extra-virgin olive oil. So it’s extremely rich, sinking deep into the skin and staying there. But since all the ingredients are totally non-comedogenic, it won’t clog your pores, meaning it’s just as awesome on your face as it is on your body.

Ingredients: Wildcrafted unrefined shea butter°, Extra-virgin coconut oil*, Extra-virgin olive oil* (*Organic, 
°Fair Trade)

The Cream is definitely for dry skin. It was too heavy for me since I have combo/oily skin, but I would definitely recommend it for those looking for a rich, vegan skincream – especially for the Winter months.

Sprout Cleanser –

When did scrubbing your face with harsh chemicals become the standard way to get clean? We think that’s weird. Next to rinsing with water, Sprout’s Cleanser is about as simple as you can get. It’s perfect for problem and sensitive skin. It’s gentle, non-drying, and contains no alcohol. Plus it smells awesome. We start with a traditional organic rosewater-and-glycerin base and add a tiny bit of organic tea tree oil. No soap, no alcohol, no para-sulfate-whatchamacallits.

Ingredients: Rosewater*, Vegetable glycerin*, Tea tree oil* (*Organic)

A gentle cleanser that SMELLS AMAZING – I love rosewater! It doesn’t leave your face feeling too tight, but it DOES make your skin feel clean! Why are there so many “gentle cleansers” that don’t clean? This one does! This is a good one for mornings or evenings when you’re not wearing a ton of makeup, but you want a quick cleansing (you apply with a cotton ball and then rinse). For heavy makeup days, use a waterproof makeup remover first.

Sprout Exfoliant –

Sprout’s Exfoliant is pure kitchen-cabinet awesomeness. We take organic oats and almonds, grind them until they’re not too rough but not too soft, add mineral-rich sea salt harvested from coasts nearby, and voila: a simple, nourishing, super-effective exfoliant that leaves your skin soft and glowing.

Ingredients: Maine sea salt, Oats*, Almonds* (*Organic)

This exfoliant is all natural and a good alternative if you don’t have time to create it yourself. I personally prefer finer grade exfoliants, but this product would be good for sensitive, mature skin.

Sprout Vegan Lip Balms –

How about a coupon code? Use Vegan Cuts promo code BLOGFRIEND for 10% off the whole site (except shipping) – valid until 10/31/12. You can use the code for anything at Vegan Cuts – a great place for cruelty free and vegan beauty products!