Note: While this post is sponsored by United & Free Natural Skincare, all opinions are my own, and I would not have agreed to this collaboration had our values misaligned.

The lovely folks over at United & Free Skincare were kind enough to send me their “Balance Face Cleanser” and a sample of their “Absolut Face and Body Lotion” to try out. Being a big believer in natural skincare, I agreed to test them out as their products are 100% vegan and environmentally-focused. They are also a family-owned company from my city (Vancouver, BC). Below is my honest review of both products.

Balance Face Cleanser
I loved the packaging of this product. It comes with a useful pump that you can lock and unlock, making it a great cleanser to travel with. It also has this adorable blue orca whale on it, which goes with the environmentally-friendly theme of their products (all of which are cruelty-free). I knew that the Balance Cleanser was a natural product as soon as I rubbed it into my face because it didn’t immediately lather, which means that it’s definitely free from harsh foaming agents like parabens and sulfates. Though I couldn’t particularly feel the cleanser working (it was smooth as silk in my hands and on my face), I knew it was doing its job — after I was done washing, I noticed that it had completely taken off all of my makeup. Since it doesn’t lather in your hands, it’s hard to tell how much cleanser you actually need to get the job done. I would say it took me a few pumps to fully remove my face and eye makeup, which could be a lot to some people. Also, I absolutely adore the natural citrus scent of this cleanser. It’s super light and not overly scented, since it is free from perfumes. I recognized the faint smell of bergamot right away because it reminded me of my favourite tea: earl grey!

Bonus: This cleanser does not strip your skin of moisture since it is formulated with high-grade essential oils that don’t leave your skin feeling dry and tight like drugstore cleansers do. This could also be because it is pH-balancing (hence its name, “Balance”), which protect’s the skin’s natural moisture barrier.

Absolut Face and Body Lotion

This lotion has Absolut-ely nothing to do with the vodka brand (haha, see what I did there?). I’m not sure why it’s named the way it it is, but I’m into it. Right now I’m big on nighttime facial oils (will do a post on that soon), so I decided to use this lotion as a daytime moisturizer. At first I was a bit skeptical to use a facial moisturizer that’s marketed as a face and body lotion, but then I realized that since the product itself is all natural, it should obviously be multi-purpose. I started with a very minuscule amount and then added more if needed. My skin quickly drank up every drop of the moisturizer, and I immediately loved the light, fruity scent of this lotion. I have dry combination skin, and this product did not break me out or cause any sort of skin reactions or sensitivities.

Overall, I would recommend United & Free Skincare to those of you who are looking for a more natural alternative to an everyday cleanser and moisturizer. Their full product line, including body wash and hair care, can be found online and in stores here.