The Arbonne products are working well so far. I have dry skin (maybe my bleeding hands posts have given that away), but the cleanser, moisturizer and eye gel seem very nourishing. The list of ingredients is not too bad either. No parabens here! Not completely natural, but this is skin care, not a mango I rub onto my face.

What is out of hand is the cost. $25 for a cleanser is a bit steep. Even my current Mary Kay cleanser comes in slightly less at $18. Mind you, I have never paid $18 for my cleanser, which makes the prospect of paying full price a little depressing. You see, my mother is a Mary Kay sales director. Yup. I'm basically turning my back on the products that put me through college. This should also tell you how serious I am about the potential toxins in my skin care.

I will say, in Mary Kay's defense, the products have always been really good. I rarely have breakouts and have had compliments on my skin for as long as I can remember, so it's not easy to give up. The price tag was always a nice draw as well.

I ordered samples from another company I have been hearing a lot about and am awaiting their arrival. Real Purity products are said to be made holistically, so we'll see how they do. They aren't quite as pricey as the Arbonne line.

In the meantime, my friend, Caryn, said I am turning into a nutcase. She says she's not going to visit me when I live in a log cabin with holes I dig in the backyard for bathrooms. She pointed out, however, that I'd somehow still be wearing $200 jeans. The best I can say is that I'm a big fan of electric plumbing, and, for that matter, electricity. I like my air conditioning; especially when I'm wearing expensive jeans.

Maybe things would be simpler if I switched to fruit salad skin care.