TULA will FULA

If I see one more influencer tout TULA Skin Care I’m going to throw my phone out of the window into the dismal abyss below. Sure, the premise is good. Probiotic skincare made with superfoods? Yes, please! #EmbraceYourSkin, love that hashtag! The aqua colored bottles, jars, and tubes are eye-pleasers for sure! They also don't add any icky stuff, TULA is formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil and petroleum, formaldehyde, triclosan, retinol, gluten, and fragrance.

TULA, which means 'balance' in Sanskrit, was launched in 2014 by Dr. Roshini Raj, a gastroenterologist. She graduated from Harvard and New York University and has been studying pro and prebiotics for more than 15 years. She noticed the impact that probiotics and supplements were having on her patients' health, both internally and externally. So, she used her medical savvy and created TULA. But there are downsides to this beloved skin care empire. I'm going to give you my top three reasons why TULA is not for me.

1.) The Price

For the love of all things right in this world, why is a jar of hydrating cream $52? Good ol' face wash? Yep, $28. Makeup removing balm, $28? No thank you, kind sir! They do have some options to try smaller, travel sizes before you commit to the bigger versions but even those cost around $50.

I took the skin quiz that they offer. The quiz has six questions which ask you how your skin is now and what are your skin care goals. It then recommends five products (at least it did for me).

1. Cleanse 2. Treat and Prep 3. Moisturize 4. Eye Care 5. Sun protection

The total for these products was $182. They do offer a discount for first time buyers and for subscribers (15% off plus free shipping with auto-delivery.)

I'm not sure how anyone could afford this price tag. I know I couldn't. I cringed when I purchased the face wash and daily moisturizer, but I wanted to try it so badly. I mean, all the women on my feed were using it and they are some hot mamas! Luckily, I was able to return it for full price when I found it didn't work for me.

2.) The smell

This did not smell anything like I thought it was going to. I thought there would be a clean, crisp fragrance but no. It smelled like...sour milk mixed with Lysol. It's like they tried to make it refreshing but didn't quite get there. I know they boast a "clean" product, but they should really work on that. Smell is one of the most important things when choosing a skin care item.

3.) The pimples

This product made me breakout like crazy! I felt like a teenager going through puberty all over again. I didn't understand why! This was supposed to be the best product out there. Everyone and their dog were using TULA. I followed the directions on the back of the bottles, but maybe I didn't give my skin enough time to adjust. This was what ultimately made me decide to take it back. Sure, I could have dealt with the smell, I even would have pawned my belongings to afford it if it had only worked for me.

I'm sure thousands of people love TULA and it worked great for them. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them and I really wanted it to work for me. I couldn't get on the Insta-hype train that was TULA. But that doesn't stop me from being influenced by the next best trend! What can I say, I'm a sucker for pretty things!