After years of chasing the newest beauty trends, I learned one thing: Mother Nature has already provided me with everything I need to be my best self.

The beauty industry makes a lot of promises: This 100% natural lotion, with a list of unpronounceable ingredients, will erase your stretch marks! This magic serum, extracted from the tears of Amazon's rare unicorn species, will eliminate your wrinkles! This night-time moisturizer, endorsed by Kim K herself, will give your face the same glow as her Instagram-filtered photos!

As ridiculous as these claims are, most of us will fall for them at some point in our lives. Lord knows I have - time and time again.

After blowing paycheques on the latest and greatest trends in Sephora's best-selling beauty and anti-aging aisles, I realized the products all did the same thing for my skin. The most expensive night creams were not necessarily the best, and all the products contained ingredients that I could barely pronounce, let alone recognize. I often got stubborn whiteheads from the thicker night creams and rashes from the exfoliating serums. Beauty consultants met my complaints with assurances that my skin would "get used to it."