(Per my Disclosure Policy, an asterisk* denotes that this post is sponsored. I receive the Columbia Skincare Probiotic Concentrate and Probiotic Complex as samples in return for an honest review. While I received these products, the following review is honest and my own! To learn more about my advertising and PR policies, click here and here.)
When I was offered the opportunity to try out some new skincare, I'll admit it: I was really excited. I've been really struggling with my skin lately: a lot of break outs, a lot of oiliness, a lot of redness. I was hoping that trying something new would help me out.
The products I received from Columbia Skincare are their Probiotic Concentrate and their Probiotic Complex. The concentrate is like a toner that you apply with a dropper and rub in; the complex is more like a thick cream moisturizer.
Here's what Columbia Skincare has to say about their products:
"Our probiotics promote the natural cleansing of impurities in the cellular system, including residual impurities from other medications and treatments including retinoids."
Sounds cool, right?
I don't use products with retinol in them (but if you do and decide to give Columbia Skincare a try, you need to stop using retinol products at the same time as it can cause some issues). However, I'm very into ridding my skin of impurities. I've used acne treatments for so long that my face is numb to them, which I'm sure isn't great.
So what did I think of Columbia Skincare?
Let's start with the Probiotic Concentrate: I really liked it! It made my skin feel really clean and smooth after applying. Plus, I loved the dropper; it made me feel extra fancy. I haven't noticed a huge improvement with my skin, except that I have had less break outs since I started using it (possibly unrelated correlation, but I like to think it has helped) and my skin generally seems healthier with less bad oily and dry patches.
As for the Probiotic Complex, I did have some issues with it. When you first apply it, it feels really mattifying, which is actually awesome; I typically use a mattifying moisturizer from Dermatologica, so that was nice. However, after about 40+ minutes on, it got incredibly oily. It was like an oil slick. Underneath make up, it was even worse; my make up basically slid off two hours into wearing it. Not a great look. Even though the instructions say to apply both morning and night, I've decided to keep the Complex for night time. It's nice because it is very moisturizing and makes my skin very soft, but the excess oil for the day isn't great. If you have dry skin, however, it would be AMAZING.
Other notes: the products are high quality, including the packaging. It is glass and very heavy, as well as feeling very luxurious. The smell of the products isn't bad; there is no artificial scent. It smells really clean and... doctor's office-y, for lack of a better term. Not bad, but not like something I want to smell like--although my husband assures me my face doesn't end up smelling like that!
Want to try Columbia Skincare? Find them on Facebook here and you can check out their website here.
