Earth to Skin: Is it a win?

In August 2019, Walmart launched an exclusive skincare line called Earth to Skin. I only just heard about it when my aunt told me to give it a try because her and my other aunt have been using it and enjoying it. I was mentally and financially preparing to splurge on Clinique but luckily my aunt unknowingly interrupted and encouraged me to give this a try.

Earth to Skin is a company that believes in using clean, powerful ingredients from the earth to create essential skincare. According to their website, “clean means there are NO parabens, NO phthalates, NO petrolatum, NO mineral oil, NO sulfates, NO gluten, NO animal testing.” They offer four different starter kits: Super Fruits, Honey, Tea Time, and Super Greens. Super Fruits is meant to brighten and hydrate, Honey is to protect and moisturize, Tea Time is to reduce fine lines, and lastly Super Greens is to detox and refresh. With such a variety, there is something for everyone. And get this: the four-piece starter kits are only $9.98! They each include an exfoliating cleanser, a moisturizer, an overnight mask, and an eye cream. I’d say the products in the kit are sample-sized.

The Walmart I went to offered every kit but the Super Greens. Since I do not need to reduce fine lines just yet, I was torn between Super Fruits and Honey. Ultimately, I went with Super Fruits because I’ve been looking for products that make my skin glow. This particular kit is 4.6/5 stars on Walmart’s website and includes Blueberry Exfoliating Cleanser, Citrus Day Gel Cream, Avocado Overnight Mask, and Banana Brightening Eye Cream. My biggest concern was that I don’t love a gel moisturizer. I much more prefer a moisturizing cream but I told myself to stay open-minded.

There were a few other products on the shelf that either weren’t kit products or were full-sized versions of the kit products. I decided to pick up the Watermelon Face Serum for $8.94 because I figured it would work well with the other fruit-based products in my kit. I’d also never tried a serum but been eager to buy one because they’re all over tutorials on the ‘gram. Here is my four day experience with Earth to Skin:

Night 1: My first impression was that the cleanser is very lightweight and actually smells like blueberry. The exfoliating aspect is gentle enough to be used every day which I really like but I love exfoliants. I did not take the little makeup I had on off because I wanted to see how the cleanser would do and it did great! After patting my face dry, I grabbed the serum and applied as directed. I have no clue if I did it properly and I was surprised at how tacky it felt. I finished with the Citrus Day Gel Cream and the Banana Brightening Eye Cream. I didn’t notice a scent with the moisturizer but the eye cream really smells like banana! After the serum and the gel cream, my face was super tacky. Gel moisturizers are always tacky to me (which is the exact reason I don’t like them) but this was pretty extreme. I also don’t know if that’s normal with serums because I have nothing to compare it to.

Morning 1: I woke up VERY glowy! My skin was not tacky nor oily in the morning; just had a subtle glow. However, a very strange thing happened when I went to wash my face. As soon as I rinsed my face with water, I felt this thin layer of weirdness come off my skin. It was like the product just chilled on my face all night and didn’t absorb into my skin. The only thing I can compare it to is the feeling of wet glass. But again, I wasn’t tacky and I was super glowy. I loved my second experience with the cleanser just as much as the first. I used less than a pea-sized amount and rubbed it in my hands before putting it on my face. I decided not to use the serum and go straight to the gel cream and I knew right away I probably used too much. I chose not to apply any makeup because I wasn’t going anywhere important.

Night 2: Since I used a little too much moisturizer in the morning, midday I could feel my skin getting oily. After a few dabs with a cotton pad, I was good to go the rest of the day and felt like I looked pretty glowy. As soon as I rinsed my face, the weird wet glass thing happened again. Since I didn’t use the serum, I knew it had to be from the gel moisturizer. It’s not a deal-breaker, it’s just not something I’ve experienced before. However, still loved the cleanser. I decided to use the Avocado Overnight Mask as my final layer instead of the gel cream. The mask was not sticky in any way and felt really good during and after application.

Morning 2: Good news: the wet glass weird thing did not happen when I rinsed my face. This proves the wet-glass-like layer is not from the overnight mask or the serum, just the gel cream. Again, not a deal breaker but still weird. I decided to follow up with the serum and the moisturizer after cleansing. I applied some makeup (BB cream, concealer, and powder) afterwards. I was curious to see how my makeup would feel on my face after the three-step kit.

Night 3: My skin felt so good all day! Not oily (I applied way less moisturizer than I did on Morning 1) at all and not dry at all! The tackiness of the serum went away as soon as I applied my BB cream and I actually really enjoyed the way the makeup reacted with the products. My skin wasn’t as glowy as I’d hoped but I assume the powder could have affected that. After cleansing, I decided to go with the overnight mask again!

Morning 3: On the fourth and final morning of this experiment, I decided to wash, serum, and moisturize and finally use heavier makeup than the BB cream. I applied my It CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ (which I’ve been loving thanks to Jojo Fletcher), some concealer, some eyeshadow, and no powder! I usually set with powder because I feel like it evens everything out but I wanted to see if I’d glow more without it. However, my dumbass completely ruined that plan by spraying my face with my Elf Illuminating Mist & Set in habit. By doing this, I ruined my chance at seeing if I’d glow just from the Earth to Skin products. On Night 2, I learned my skin already glows without makeup so I really wanted to see what would happen with a full face of makeup.

Night 4: I glowed all day!!! Yes I made the mistake of putting on my setting spray because now I really don’t know if I glowed from the makeup, the setting spray, or a little bit of both but I am not complaining. I kept looking in the mirror and I thought it was oil build up (because it usually is) but I was not oily at all! However, I take back what I said about the cleanser being able to successfully remove my makeup. On days with a full face, I should probably use a makeup wipe pre-wash because it took three cleanses to get my makeup off. I don’t normally use wipes but I enjoy the cleanser so much that I can definitely incorporate them into my routine when I have (my idea of) a full face on.

Conclusion: I am seriously enjoying these products. I have been dedicated to keeping my skin healthy ever since my Accutane experience and I’ve been trying to find the perfect skin care routine ever since. Earth to Skin might be exactly what I’ve been looking for! I may not love that the moisturizer is a gel cream, however, I can get over it as long as it doesn’t cause oily skin. My skin has felt soft, silky, and smooth. Most importantly, the glow is real!

I appreciate that these kits are meant to let you try before you buy. I can’t tell you how many full-sized products I’ve wasted because they were the only available options to test. You also cannot beat the price! My favorite Clinique moisturizer is $29.50 for 125 ml and the full-sized version of the Citrus Day Gel Cream is $8.94 for 118 ml. It is seriously a no-brainer! One complaint I do have is that I prefer my products to come in a pump or a tube like the cleanser, eye cream, and serum do. I would love the moisturizer and overnight mask even more if I didn’t have to dig for the product with my finger.

I truly believe I will continue using these products for a long time! They are lightweight, refreshing, and most importantly, budget-friendly. I’m so glad I didn’t splurge on Clinique and opted to try this Walmart exclusive. I am the first to admit that I am not very knowledgeable about skincare but it’s clear that Earth to Skin has created an easy, affordable experience for all ages and skin types. I’d definitely say it’s a win!

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