I don’t know if it has something to do with the dry climate, the excessive amounts of antihistamines I’m taking this spring, or the fact that I’m just getting older, but my oily skin has taken a sharp turn to the dry side as of late. So, I decided to change up my skin care routine with two new additions by Alchimie Forever to help me get rid of dry skin while protecting my skin from aging.

I began with the Alchimie Forever Kantic Mask because I was in need of some pampering. And to tell you the truth, I’m kind of obsessed with skin care masks. Ever since I tried my mom’s cucumber mask as a child, I’ve been indulging in this essential part of maintaining healthy skin. And this mask definitely didn’t disappoint.

Packed with blueberries, wild pansies, oats, grapes and vitamin E, this brightening moisture mask smells and feels like a treat. The creamy texture of this dry skin treatment immediately soothed and cooled my skin. And as I let it work its magic for 20 minutes, the slight tingle reminded me that it was working. Since it’s a moisturizing mask, it didn’t harden like a clay or stiffen like a peel-off. Instead, it just seemed to dry into a flexible film that washed off easily with warm water.

The result? Beautiful skin. Seriously. My skin felt clean, really clean, and super comfortable. The dry skin patch and tight irritation were gone and the redness actually looked a little better. Not bad after one treatment. Since then I’ve used it a few more times, just once a week, and it seems to return my skin to the perfect balance, even after a rough week of abuse. And although I’ve yet to use it long enough to know if it’s really protecting my skin from free radicals, I’d like to believe those grape extracts are working hard on helping me to hang on to my youth a little longer.

In my attempt to boost the skin-nourshing results of the mask, I took a break from my regular night anti aging moisturizer and replaced it with Alchimie Forever Kantic Lights Off. Touted as a calming evening cream, it uses blueberries for reducing redness, jojoba and vitamin E for softening and moisturizing, and grape seeds for that much-needed antioxidant protection.

The creme moisturizer has a medium-weight texture so it didn’t feel heavy or greasy (that’s right, it didn’t clog my pores or cause breakouts). It took some time to absorb into my skin, which is a plus. It’s important to understand that a night cream should absorb slowly to protect and deliver its good-for-you ingredients while you sleep. And with this one, I really have been waking up to softer, brighter-looking skin.

All in all, not bad for my introduction to Alchimie Forever. I love that they use natural fruits and botanicals in their formulas. I love the smell and feel of the Kantic products. And, most importantly, I love the results.