By the time I was introduced to Origins, I was getting very embarrassed that I hadn't been able to DIY my way into good skin and frustrated with the fact that blemishes weren't going away as I got older. I had skin issues since middle school and it was never a problem until I realized I was 24 and still not seeing clear skin.

I'm a very independent person and it took a lot for me to ask for help. In fact, I didn't ask for help. Jordan was the one who took me to Origins, because his sisters and mom use it. I was so embarrassed about my breakouts that I couldn't speak for very long to the nice lady at the store. When I tried to answer her questions about my skin, I would get choked up and almost cry, so Jordan stepped in a lot!

Anyone else ever felt this way? It's really hard to ask for help when I can't do something by myself. Especially since I had been struggling for a really long time. I still didn't want the help because, I figured, I was sooo close to making it on my own. I didn't want to admit that there had been a better way all along. (Anyone else thinking this could apply to many other areas of life? Yeah, me too.)

The lady at the Origins store was so sweet to me though and really took the time to explain what each product was used for. She sent me home with a great line up of products. I could tell my skin was improving, so I went back Origins again. This time we discussed how I was using the products and decided to tweak the regimen here and there. Eventually, after a few more trips of trying this product and that product and switching up my routine, we came up with this winning combo of daily products. They are gentle, but efficient, which my skin really loves.

Clean Energy™ - Gentle cleansing oil

Clean Energy™ is such an awesome product.. It's this oil that I use on my face, without water, and over my make-up. It's as if it melts the make-up off my face. It feels so good that I just know that most of my make up is really getting off. I think that's a first step I was always missing - getting make up off and cleaning my face is not the same thing. I think for many years, when I cleaned my face, I was actually rubbing the make-up deeper into my pores! So this stuff melts off the make up by itself and then I use a little bit of water to lather it into a milky lotion and rinse it off.

A Perfect World™ - Age-Defense Treatment Lotion with White Tea

Next, I finish the cleaning process with this hydrating lotion. I put A Perfect World™ onto as many cotton balls as needed until they stop turning brown (2-5 cotton balls). It removes that last bit of make-up and dirt while also leaving my skin refreshed and hydrated. (*I've recently switched to Clinique's Clarifying Lotion #3 because it has salicylic acid that clears up pimples before they begin. I wouldn't have known to use Clinique's product in this one step unless I had honed in on this Origins 3-part regimen. July 2017)

GinZing™ - Energy-boosting moisturizer

Right before bed and in the morning I use this light moisturizer all over my face. Some others I tried were just too heavy or oily for my skin. This one doesn't overwhelm my skin before I put make up on again for the day. (*I've also stared using makeup primer under my foundation as one more barrier between my skin and makeup. July 2017)

Every skin type is different, I think the biggest thing I had to learn is to not be embarrassed by my skin. It's natural, even if it's not how you want it to be (yet) and it's okay to ask for help in getting your skin to a better place!

THE KEY: Clean skin! I think all my skin issues started getting visibly better once I made sure my skin was clean! Piling stuff (even more "good" products) on top of pores that aren't really clean to begin with, seemed to be the beginning of all my skin problems. Once I really learned to clean my skin, everything sort of fixed itself.

I am by no means an expert in skin care! I would love love love to know what you do in your skin care regimen. What brands do you like? What do you do that might be different than other people?

These are bonus items I got for purchasing over a certain dollar amount. A Perfect World™ SPF Eye Cream + Precipitation™ Body Lotion. I haven't tried the Eye Cream, but I really like the lotion so far! The extras are also one of the fun parts about shopping at Origins. There's always a little gift to go along with a substantial purchase!

I hope this helps you feel like you're not alone in the skincare search and I hope you feel more confident than I did when asking for help! I hope you'll try out these products, if you think they sound right for you. If not, help out other readers by letting us know what products you use in the comments below!

As always, thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a fantastic week!

*This post is not sponsored.