#I do have a vitamin c serum and hydrating watermelon primer

[miss-floral-thief]

Oof my Korean cleanser isn’t in my backpack

[phamios]

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE: MOLLY

New Post has been published on https://nanacorner.com/finding-right-balance-molly/

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE: MOLLY

Tula (which in ” sanskrit” means -Balance) is a skincare brand founded by Dr. Roshini Raj.  It is aptly named as it beautifully balances the benefits of science and nature in its products.

Dr. Raj is a board certified gastroenterologist and internist with a medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, and an Attending Physician at NYU Langone Medical Center.In 2014 she launched TULA , that allowed her to apply her medical knowledge to create a patented probiotic technology which has proved to be beneficial for the healthy skin.

Why do we need a probiotic in skincare ?

Probiotics are very well known to improve the health of our digestive system. In addition, they have also been documented to improve skin conditions such as  atopic eczema, atopic dermatitis, healing of burn and scars, skin-rejuvenating properties and also improving skin’s innate immunity to fight infections.  The probiotics have the capacity to optimise, maintain and restore the microflora of the skin . Topical applications of probiotic bacteria have a direct effect at the site of application by enhancing the skin natural defence barriers. Probiotics can produce antimicrobial peptides that benefit cutaneous immune responses and eliminate pathogens causing different skin conditions

Probiotics help by  –

reducing redness and inflammation

maintaining the pH balance

even out tone and texture

maintaining hydration

What is in Tula ?

The products in the Tula skincare range contains the proprietary blend of ingredients with all the above said benefits.

Probiotic actives and yogurt extract

Rice nutripeptides

Vitamins A, C and E 

Chicory root extract 

Antioxidants, including turmeric, white tea and blueberry extract 

Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids derived from wild flax oil 

TULA ILLUMINATING SERUM

It’s a light weight creamy serum which is easily absorbed and gives skin a healthy glow.

Packaging : It comes in a beautiful turquoise colored glass bottle with a pump dispenser.

Fragrance : none or at least I can’t make out.

Texture : Creamy

Ingredients :

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate, Dimethicone, Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Yogurt Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Vegetable Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Tetrasodium EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Decylene Glycol, 1.2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

My Experience

My skin type: Oily/ combination /sensitive / sometimes dehydrated which gets congested easily along with post acne hyperpigmentation over the jawline and some sunspots.

How I use it ?

I have been using this from last one month . It can be used both in day and night but I prefer to use it in the mornings because not only is this light weight, it also gives me a primer like effect and never feels heavy. My skin is combination oily and I find that it provides enough hydration on its own. When needed I use a facial oil on the top but on most days I can get away with just this serum and a sunscreen. It sits very well under a foundation too and gives me a natural dewy glow. It feels nourishing and soothing and never gave me a breakout rather I would say it calms down any inflammation. It contains milk protein , rice protein and blueberry and is mildly exfoliating and it refines the texture of the skin and I feel it softens the skin. I was initially worried about the lemon and orange oil in the list and considering that they are photosensitizing but they never posed any problem for me. They are way down in the list so I don’t consider it much of a concern but it is something to be kept in mind and diligent use of sunscreen is must which you should use anyway.

PROS-

lightweight , creamy and hydrating

mildly exfoliating and refines the texture

good antioxidant serum

acts as a primer and gives a glow

helps to even out the tone

works great under a facial oil , sunscreen or foundation

doesn’t clog pores

nice airless pump packaging

CONS-

contains photosensitizing – lemon and orange oil

Suitable for – All skin types, very dry skin may need additional moisturizer.

Will I repurchase ? Yes

Do I recommend it ? Yes , if you are looking for a good antioxidant serum and you want to feel good about what you are putting on your skin than this should be your choice.

Price : 78$ for Size: 1.6 oz / 50 ml.

TULA HYDRATING DAY AND NIGHT CREAM

It’s a beautiful hydrating cream which contains the signature Probiotic Technology that combines plant-derived Squalene and extracts from watermelon, lentil and Avocado Oil. This complex claims to provide intense hydration to soften, firm and smooth the skin and visibly reduces fine lines.

  Ingredients –

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Squalane (plant derived), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Yogurt Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Vegetable Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Carbonate, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, Beeswax (CeraAlba), Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Packaging : open tub packaging inside the glass jar, no points for packaging. I’m very lazy with using a spatula. I do make sure to clean my hands before dipping my hands in the jar but I prefer the tube , pump or air suction jars.

Texture: Nice whipped soft cream texture which spreads evenly and absorbs instantly.

Fragrance : None

My Experience

It has a dreamy whipped creamy formula which is more emollient than the serum but gets absorbed instantly and kept my skin hydrated throughout the day. It doesn’t have any spf so it can be used both day and night. You don’t need to buy two separate products for different time of the day. I love that since I don’t like spf in my moisturizers. I feel that it clogs my skin. I like to use a separate sunscreen. But I can understand that for some ,it means adding another layer of product.

With the weather getting warm I see that it can be little bit heavy for my combination skin. Now this happens when I layer it with Tula illuminating serum which as described above adds moisture on its own. It also feels heavy when used under a sunscreen which has some moisturization benefits like Evelom daily spf 50 but it works fine with my Elta Md clear suncreen which is great for oily skin.So I prefer to use it in the night and I see such a difference on the days I use it.

The onset of spring heralds the season of allergies for me and my skin around my nostrils is perpetually red. With the use of exfoliatig serum in the night it sometimes gets even worse. But I have seen with its usage , the redness is almost gone . It has no effect on decreasing my hormonal breakouts but it doesn’t irritate or flare up the existing ones rather I find it soothing. Whenever my skin is itchy or having its own mood tantrums it provides a soft comfort and calms down my skin. The similiar product which I have used in the past is the Kate Somerville goat cream ( old formulation) but Tula is far superior to it with better ingredients and added benefits. The Kate Somerville gets point on air suction packaging though but if I’ll have to choose I’ll pick this over that anytime.

Pros-

creamy , whipped formula provides good hydration

suitable for all skin types even the sensitive

helps with rosacea, evens out the tone and calms the redness associated with acne

doesn’t clog the pores not causes any breakouts

provides light exfoliation.

Cons-

can feel heavy if you have oily skin and loves layering products.

open jar packaging

no added spf

contains the same photosensitizing lemon and orange oil.

Will I repurchase ? Yes but not in summer . This works like a charm in cold weather so definitely in winters.

Do you need it ?

If your skin is in serious need of hydration and if you are a minimalist who believes in just CTM than this should be your moisturizer. It provides enough hydration without an additional layer of serum and do much more.

If your skin is irritated due to any cause than you will find this very soothing.

It’s a healthy alternative with added benefits in comparison to  Kate Somerville goat milk cream so those in favour of that or thinking of trying that need to try this .

Who doesn’t need it ?

If you have oily skin and believes in adding layers of products than you’ll find this heavy and you should try the Tula serum with the similiar benefits.

Price : 52$ for Size: 1.7 oz / 50 g.

You can try the trial duo of the tula illuminating serum ( 15ml) and the day cream (15ml)at the price of 38$ if you are hesitant to pay the full price.( see pic below)

  TULA EXFOLIATING TREATMENT MASK

 This dual phase skin mask provides both a chemical and physical exfoliation. Lactic Acid works to gently peel away dirt and debris while Bentonite Clay and plant-based microencapsulated beads (containing soybean oil, volcanic sand and Vitamin E ) gently slough off old, dead skin cells while also releasing a boost of extra hydration, which results in a polished, hydrated, glowing complexion.

The mask I have is the sample size so I don’t know the long term benefits but I got 2-3 uses out of that sample size and I can give you my impression of it.

Consistency : Clay based

Fragrance: I can see the addition of fragrance in the ingredients list but I can’t describe it correctly, fresh linen ?? Whatever it is , it’s not overpowering at all.

Effects? I apply a thin layer of it after cleansing my face and keep it for 10 -15 min. It dries like a clay mask. While washing it off it provides manual exfoliation though the beads don’t burst. Post wash my face looks clearer , pores tightened and skin feels so soft.

Price : 54$ for 50 ml

Will I repurchase the full size ? Yes

Do you need it ? If you want a quick detox mask to get that fresh and glowing look than this mask is quite promising .

I’m overall very impressed with all the products that I have used from Tula. Though I find inclusion of some ingredients unnecessary but they don’t impose any health risk. I believe that long term usage of these products will give you a healthy and balanced skin.

Ingredients – Exfoliating Treatment Mask: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bentonite, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Kaolin, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Sorbitan Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Vegetable Oil (Olus Oil), Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Yogurt Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Volcanic Sand, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Decylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Sorbic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289)

*Disclaimer:The products were sent to me but this post is no way sponsored by the brand. The opinions expressed here are mine and not those of any advertiser, company, affiliate or group. Images used in my posts are protected by copyright, and any unauthorized copying, reproduction, republishing, uploading, posting, transmitting or duplicating of any of the material is prohibited without my express written permission. To obtain permission to copy portions of the blog, please send an e-mail to me at skinritualdiary@gmail.com.