I do not have an extensive skin care routine. Currently, my routine consists of face wash (lately it’s been Neutrogena but I use whatever’s on sale or strikes my fancy) and Olay moisturizer with sunscreen.

That’s it.

Seriously. That’s it. That’s been my skin care routine for as long as I could remember, with some minor modifications (I used to also use St. Ives Apricot Scrub once a week). I’m a low maintenance kind of girl, and have been blessed with pretty decent skin that didn’t required much besides a simple wash. I never really had to worry about pimples growing up and look at me…I don’t even look my age. But now that I’m a little bit older, let’s face it, I’m 30. My skin isn’t the same as it was when I was 15, let alone 25.

In recent weeks, I’ve been mulling over establishing an actual skin care routine. I need to do something other than wetting my face, especially since I want to keep looking younger than I actually am. As with most things not related to sports or eating, I had no clue where to start. Walking down the skin care aisle at Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond or Sephora causes my head to spin. I needed help.

Help finally came my way. During my visit with the boyfriend (I was there to celebrate his 30th birthday with him), we were walking around the mall after his birthday dinner and found out that Origins was having a special in-store Earth Month party where they were live-streaming a Gavin DeGraw and Vanessa Carlton concert along with free food and drinks, massages, facials and make-overs. I opted for a facial and after explaining my concerns (combination skin and sun exposure), plopped down for my facial.

The sales associate who gave me my facial pulled out an arsenal of bottles and jars, about 7 or 8 in total, and began to talk her way through the routine. Granted, it was a lot more extensive than my usual routine (but really, what isn’t?) and I was taken aback by the sheer amount of work. There were a lot of steps and it was hard to remain undaunted by the time I would need to devote to this routine. In the end, I really enjoyed how my skin felt; it was really soft, smooth and reminded me of a baby’s skin. I couldn’t stop touching it, which kind of defeats the purpose of a facial because you’re wiping your greasy, grimy fingers over your just cleaned face. It was also a lot brighter and not as oily as it usually is, and even the boyfriend noticed the difference. My skin was still soft the next day and I was really sad about having to wash my face with my regular stuff.

Here’s what she used:

[Source: Origins]

I’m now thinking of making the investment and start using Origins. I liked the way the products smelled and the effects were undeniable. I will admit that the price of the products is causing some hesitation. It’s a lot of money to drop at one go (I priced the entire collection at $250!) so  I’m trying to decide if I want to go all in or if I want to pick and choose the basics and slowly add in the extras. Sure, I can stick with my current routine out of convenience and cheapness but I’m getting sub-par results and it’s hard to keep that routine when I see the results I could be getting and want. Looks like my wallet is about to take a hit!

Does anyone else have good experiences with Origins? Or perhaps can suggest something else to try?