I think I’ve mentioned this before but in the last year or two I have really begun to pay attention to skin care. I started using a retinoid, several types of acids, I even use a toner every night. I know, that’s next level and yes I would like a cookie TYSM. I’ve seen a huge improvement in my skin texture, I no longer have bumps under my skin and I rarely even suffer from breakouts even when it’s that time of the month. (If you told 15 year old Nicole that would be the case she would never have believed you.) But one thing that still drives me crazy is acne scarring. I’ve tried a lot of things to get rid of acne scars, most notably microdermabrasion, and saw some improvement but honestly nothing to write home about. The issue is that my scars aren’t pigmented, they’re pitted and texture ain’t easy to fix.

Now don’t get me wrong here, my scarring is minimal and I won’t pretend to know what people with severe scarring go through, but I also happen to take HD photos of my face every day so it’s often in the forefront of my mind.

A few months ago I got the chance to try out the Banish Starter Kit from a company Called Banish Acne Scars and their message really hit home for me. They’re all about helping people feel comfortable in their own skin. I remember vividly how it felt to feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and being ashamed of my face, and caking on a ton of makeup to try to hide it. It hurt, and I’m so glad there are companies out there now who are taking a new approach to dealing with it.

The kit is all natural, cruelty free and includes:

PUMPKIN ENZYME MASQUE //

I’ve written about how much I enjoy pumpkin masks before and I believe I may have even done a DIY of one at some point, so I’m not surprised that I really like this. The enzymes in the mask cause gentle exfoliation and help get rid of dead skin cells. It’s also packed with vitamins A and C and AHA. It smells great, and it leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth like a baby…OH! and it also helps to dry out active acne if that’s an issue for you.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL CLAY MASQUE //

Clay and charcoal are great for drawing dirt and oil out of the pores, so personally I like to use it selectively on the areas where my pores are largest and gunkiest. For me that’s the nose and around my chin area. I’ll include a video below of how I use everything and in that you can kinda see even from a distance that there are little spots of oil where each pore is. It’s really cleans those babies out.

BANISH OIL //

This is a thick serum that you can either use after you use the entire Banish Starter Kit or just at night on it’s own before bed. I wind up using it before bed a few nights a week when I feel like my skin needs some plumping and moisture rather then retinol and hyaluronic acid. It’s super thick and rich so when I wake up I can still feel it on my skin and I feel extremely plump and moisturized. This might actually be my favorite item in the whole kit.

VITAMIN C ELIXIR //

A minty facial mist that’s basically the worlds most refreshing toner. It feels so nice and cooling on the skin. It helps to calm redness with it’s soothing ingredients but I like to just grab it throughout the day and spray some on when I feel like my skin could use a little refreshment. I also just really like how it smells…so I may or may not have used up my whole bottle just to feel and smell the minty freshness. Don’t judge me, Monkey.

PORE SMASHER //

This contraption quite frankly seemed like a huge gimmick to me at first, but truth be told I really like it. I’ve actually been doing a lot of reading about cold therapy for overall health and how it can reduce inflammation, and this has a very similar concept. You keep the metal roller in the freezer for a while before you use it and the cold metal helps to reduce inflammation in the skin. I don’t notice any difference in my pore size when using it but I do think it helps around the eyes when I’m puffy and it feels nice and refreshing.

BANISHER/ BANISHER PEN //

These are the big guns in this system, the microneedlers. Microneedling basically just uses itty bitty bristles to create micro-injuries to the skin. You don’t really feel much, and there is no visible damage but over time it will trick your body into creating more collagen in that area, which can help to flatten out pitted scars…huzzah! That’s when I’ve been looking for. Now for me personally I like to use the pen because my scars are small and individual so I don’t really need to roll the needles all over my face. I have only been using the system for a few months now so I can’t say for sure if this will help but it’s so easy to use and the before and afters on their site are incredible enough that I’m willing to keep it up and see where the road takes us.

Here’s a quick instavideo demonstrating how I used each product

A post shared by Nicole Quinn (@msquinnface) on Mar 12, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

I know this was a bit long winded but I hope some of you found the information helpful! I know how frustrating acne and scarring can be, and I’m really happy to get a chance to work with a company who’s mission is to help people get rid of acne scars and feel good in their skin. If you want to check out the Banish Starter Kit or any of the products mentioned (they’re all sold individually as well) You can check them out by clicking HERE.

This post is sponsored by Banish Acne Scars. The products mentioned were sent to me for consideration by the company but all opinions are my own. I only promote products on this blog if I truly like them and after testing these for months I can really stand behind their quality.