Today we have a review for a set of skincare products which is becoming increasingly popular on Instagram: the Banish Starter Kit! If you struggle with acne scars like me and are interested in natural products this is the post for you.
This Kit was kindly sent to me by the company Banish Acne Scars, whose founder's a lovely lady called Daisy. Her story is available to read on the official website, and I must admit it is quite inspiring. She also has a Youtube channel, where she continues to spread positivity for all acne sufferers out there:
My confidence plummeted. I had little social life so I immersed myself in school. My dream career was to be a dermatologist; so I could help others find a solution for something I had longed to find myself.What I particularly appreciated was how this lady speaks to all potential customers as if they were friends, recommending exercise and a good diet as well as the use of skincare products:
Along my journey, I realized having great skin is about 70% genetic, 20% internal factors, and then, 10% skincare.
When our skin is ‘breaking out’, it’s sending signal to our body that something is off. We’re not supposed to have acne, but because of the crap we eat and the chemicals we slab ourselves with; our skin yells for help. We don’t listen to it and we aggravate it more by consuming and using the harmful stuff.
From left to right: The Activated Charcoal Clay Masque, The Vitamin C Beauty Elixir, The Pumpkin Enzyme masque, The Banish Oil
She founded Banish Acne Scars in Pasadena, California. The great thing is that not only the products all contain natural ingredients, are vegan&cruelty free, with no parabens or artificial preservatives, but they are also created the same day as they're shipped to you. Speaking of which!
The package was sent on January 17th and it arrived in Rome where I live on the 31st, which is not bad considering the journey it's made.
But let's talk about the kit itself and what it contains.
The price of this specific kit is $195, but there are more options available, whether it's different types (and cheaper) kits, or single products to purchase → LINK HERE
The products will be listed in order of use:
The Pumpkin Enzyme Masque (50 ml) & The Activated Charcoal Clay Masque (25 ml):
Both masks leave your skin feeling clean and refreshed. But more specifically, the Pumpkin Enzyme Masque is supplied with Vitamin A and C, the latter being particularly good for reducing and preventing skin damage, whilst the Charcoal Clay Masque will unclog pores and absorb all oils and impurities (it contains Tea Tree Oil which I LOVE and use when spots appear) .
The Charcoal Clay Mask smells fresh , and minty for some reason? Whilst the Pumpkin mask - I have to warn you - has quite an intense, although natural, smell.
I personally decided to rely on the video showing how to use the kit that was linked to me by the company itself --> click here, and I usually mix the Charchoal Clay Masque with the Vitamin C Beauty Elixir to get better results. You can use one of the two, or maybe both on different areas.
The Pumpkin Enzyme Masque
The Activated Charcoal Clay Masque
The Vitamin C Beauty Elixir (30 ml):
It's a face mist armed with Vitamin C and Tea Tree Oil. I spray it onto my face after I cleaned off the face mask of choice, it dries quickly and provides that extra hydration necessary to prevent the skin from getting too dry due to the mask. There's something really therapeutic in using it, plus the effect is very soothing.
What caused a tiny bit of trouble was the pump, it's a bit stubborn, as in it requires to be repeatedly used for it to dispense some product, I don't know if it's my one, or if it's common to all the people who purchased it, but yeah, that needs a bit of patience.
Ah, and you can spray it whenever you want!
What caused a tiny bit of trouble was the pump, it's a bit stubborn, as in it requires to be repeatedly used for it to dispense some product, I don't know if it's my one, or if it's common to all the people who purchased it, but yeah, that needs a bit of patience.
Ah, and you can spray it whenever you want!
From left to right: The Banisher, The Pen Banisher, The Pore Smasher
The Pore Smasher is one of the rollers that come with the kit. You leave it in the freezer for at least 30 mins and roll it all over the face (2-5 mins) mainly to prep it for the star of this entire review - the Banisher! As it numbs the face a little so the tiny needles don't feel as "aggressive". It feels particularly pleasant, as if it is relaxing my face muscles too and shrinking my pores. The only not-so-relaxing thing maybe is just the squeaky noise it makes when you use it (I watched grav3yardgirl's video review on the product, she really enjoyed it but noticed the same peculiarity), which is not a big issue, but I like not to leave out any details.
Here it is. The Banisher. The most interesting and fascinating skincare tool I've ever seen. Yes, before Banish reached out to me, I never heard of micro-needling (pardon my ignorance).
What it essentially does is creating teeny tiny holes in your skin, which reacts as if you "injured" it, and therefore stimulating the production of collagen. Five minutes before & after use, it MUST be disinfected in alcohol (the kit comprises a little container where you can do so - how cute is that? ↓↓↓)
What it essentially does is creating teeny tiny holes in your skin, which reacts as if you "injured" it, and therefore stimulating the production of collagen. Five minutes before & after use, it MUST be disinfected in alcohol (the kit comprises a little container where you can do so - how cute is that? ↓↓↓)
Do not apply make up after using the Banisher OR expose your skin to sun rays - make it part of your night time routine!
The Banisher claims to intervene on:
☛ Post-acne marks/scars (old or new)
☛ Wrinkles or loose skin
☛ Hyper pigmentation
☛ Cellulite
☛ Stretch Marks
☛ Uneven skin texture or large pores.
☛ Wrinkles or loose skin
☛ Hyper pigmentation
☛ Cellulite
☛ Stretch Marks
☛ Uneven skin texture or large pores.
[source: Banish Acne Scars Website]
I use the entire kit with the Banisher once a week, roll it on the problem area both horizontally and vertically about 5 times.
Depending on the type of skin one has, the needles will feel more or less intrusive (I experienced no pain, even if I was a little scared to try it at first!), in any case I suggest to go extremely gentle on the skin. I personally only used it on my face, but I'm curious to try it on stretch marks/cellulite - I will keep you updated!The Pen Banisher:
Same as the Banisher, the Pen NEEDS to be sanitized, the same recommendations for make up and sun exposure must be followed here. The only difference is in it being employed for a more specific treatment, you pat it around active acne or areas of hyper pigmentation.
The Banish Oil (15 ml):
If you're in for a boost of Vitamin C, this lovely serum can be applied daily (about 2 to 3 drops to pat on the face) or obviously after using the Banisher for best results (it may sting a little after the micro-needling session, depending on how sensitive you are - I can say I felt a tingly sensation a couple of times).
I wake up in the morning with my skin feeling incredibly smooth and looking glowy!
Conclusions:
I wake up in the morning with my skin feeling incredibly smooth and looking glowy!
Conclusions:
This was a different experience, I must admit. I felt a lot fancier than normal with all these tools and products to use, so I can say I gained a better knowledge of skincare in general and of my own skin.
What I recognized was my skin feeling the softest it's ever been and the redness of my existing acne scars fading. Also, after intervening with the Banisher Pen on one new spot which made its appearance on... (TMI Alert lol) that time of the month, I noticed that it immediately started to deflate and the day after it was nearly disappeared.
People have complimented my skin lately, thinking it was the foundation I used, whilst I'm positive that it's definitely this new routine I started which made all the difference.
So would I recommend these products? Yes, I obviously want to see how I get on with them in the future, by using them for a longer period of time, but I've seen some noticeable improvement and that's always nice when speaking of skincare products.
I'll leave the link for my Instagram video showing how to use the Banish Starter Kit → CLICK HERE.
Much love from your fellow beauty addict ♡
