Skin Effects Enzyme Scrub

I recently had my first spa experience on a weekend shopping trip with girlfriends. It seemed well worth the money at the time and I loved getting my "personal prescription facial," but I couldn't help feeling guilty afterward that I'd spent so much money with no *real* lasting effects.

The one product the Aesthetician used that gave me amazing results was a high-end, European brand exfoliant that uses fruit enzymes. I was tempted to buy it at the spa, but when I saw the price tag I gulped and put it back.

At home, I was determined to research and find a drugstore product with similar ingredients and effects. This scrub is almost identical to the expensive scrub used on me at the spa. I've been using it for 2 months with great results. It's a gentle scrub (I have extremely sensitive skin) and you can really feel it working if you leave it on for a few minutes. It leaves my face bright and glowing, with no redness. It has reached holy grail status.

Oh, and the best part: only $6.99. The Skin Effects brand is available only at CVS.

Stress Control

I've been using two of the products from the new Neutrogena Stress Control line for the past month. I have to say, I haven't adored products like this in a while. I think they're putting crack in it because I *so* look forward to using these twice a day. Usually my adoration wears off after a couple of weeks.

:: Neutrogena Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Treatment ::

Good things:

1. Gel-like consistency that moisturizes but also leaves you with a matte finish.
2. BHA helps to clear acne and prevent it, and exfoliate skin.
3. Has a soothing effect that I can't really describe with words.
4. The smell is light and refreshing, though I normally detest fragrance in face products.
5. Recommended by Paula Begoun, who researches products scientifically and ignores marketing.
6. Comes in a very nice, sanitary squirt-bottle.
   
7. Around $7 and available everywhere.
   

:: Neutrogena Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub ::

Good things:

1. I *rarely* enjoy a scrub, as most are too harsh for my skin. But this one is fantastic. I use it every morning and sometimes at night too.
2. Does not irritate or dry out skin, but leaves your skin even-toned and refreshed.
3. Has a cream base that makes it easy to put on and leave on throughout your shower, so the medicine has a longer time to work into your face.

Bad things:

1. Something in it is tingly, which feels nice but sometimes those ingredients can be irritating, so be careful.

Skincare 101

I've written before about my skin care routine, but in talking to a few of you folks I realize I wasn't entirely clear about all of the steps, so today I'm gonna break it down for you real sweet and simple. Someone I know (who shall not be named) was using Hydrogen Peroxide instead of Benzoyl Peroxide. :O| Okay if you burn your face off do not hold me responsible.

Night Routine:
1. Wash with gentle cleanser. (Summer: Basis Gel Cleanser; Winter: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser)

On lazy nights, I use CVS Brand Exfoliating Pre-Moistened Face Wipes. (Any face wipe will do, just check to be sure there isn't OIL in the ingredient list. You'd be surprised how many contain castor oil or mineral oil.)

2. Apply 5% Benzoyl Peroxide all over the face in a thin layer. Allow to dry before touching or rubbing with anything, as it will ruin towels and clothes.

There are many different brands of Benzoyl Peroxide products. Check the active ingredient list. Most come in 10% formulas because apparently Americans will only buy things that are Maximum Strength. But 10% is far too drying and irritating for most people, so try to find a 5% formula if you can. Ones to look for: Oxy Standard, Neutrogena On the Spot, Paula's Choice 2.5% BP, Paula's Choice 5% BP, Generic Brands.

3. Moisturize if necessary with an oil-free moisturizer. I usually skip this step unless my face is drying out. Sometimes I'll just do a plain honey mask if I have the time. Other good moisturizers: Wet 'n' Wild Fresh Face Oil-Free Moisturizer, Olay Moisture Therapy Cream for Sensitive Skin, Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer.

Morning Routine:
1. Wash with gentle cleanser. (Summer: Basis Gel Cleanser; Winter: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser)

2. Apply chemical exfoliant like AHA Souffle or another lotion with glycolic acid. Allow to dry completely before applying anything else.

3. Apply moisturizer with sunscreen or foundation with sunscreen.

What is all of this for? This routine is for someone with blemish-prone skin. If you have clear skin, you may not need the benzoyl peroxide but you may wish to use the AHA.

Gentle cleansers are necessary because you don't want to upset the balance of your skin or use harsh detergents that are found in many cleansers. Benzoyl Peroxide penetrates the skin and hair follicle and kills the bacteria that cause acne. It's better to use it all over the face to prevent acne rather than to use it as a spot treatment as often marketed. To get rid of the dead skin that's created it's necessary to use an exfoliant. I prefer the chemical variety because they are gentle and thorough, as opposed to physical exfoliants that are gritty and harsh. AHA is a great chemical exfoliant and it makes you skin look renewed, which is essentially what it's doing. For a gentle physical exfoliant, mix baking soda or brown sugar with your cleanser.

Sometimes using all of this stuff will cause your skin to start reacting by drying out or getting reddish or feeling funny. If this happens, just try to figure out what's causing the irritation and back off on that step for a little while...maybe do it every few days instead of every day. Most of the time, it will be the Benzoyl Peroxide that causes irritation.

It's best to get your routine down and stick to it...it will take a few weeks for your skin to calm down but once you start doing this all the time, your skin will be radiant. Don't stop doing these steps once your skin is clear...keep it up and you won't be sorry. Fuck ProActiv® Solution.

She's baaaaaaaaaack

Well kids, I've been gone a long time. And I've missed you. Tons. But, I've had a lot of time on my hands to get bored and make late-night runs to buy new makeup, which means I have tons of things to blog about in the coming weeks. So all that time apart will have done us good.

For some reason lately I've been obsessed with concealer. I've never been one to use it, as I never quite found it necessary. I've always concealed blemishes using foundation and a small brush or Q-Tip. But a new day has dawned. I am now completely sold on the idea of using concealer to "highlight" your face. You apply concealer to the shadowy parts of your face (see photo) and it makes you look dewy and glowy and like someone could eat your face like a peach!

So, on the search for a great new concealer, I decided on L'Oreal's True Match Concealer because of the good reviews it's gotten, and also because I loved the L'Oreal Air Wear but they discontinued it. Because CVS had a BOGO on L'Oreal face products, I picked up the True Match Blush as well.

I never wear blush. Ever. I've always had rosy cheeks...in fact "Rosy Cheeks" was my nickname at the nursing home where I worked in high school. So the thought of adding color to cheeks that were already chubby and red was outside of my reality. But for some reason, on this day, in this CVS, I wanted that blush. I needed it.

I went home and immediately washed my face to redo my makeup (only other addicts will understand this sort of mania). The combination of my new concealer and blush (with my already fabulous foundation and Cornsilk Powder) made me feel so hot and face-forward that I had to be seen by the world. So I drove out to Uni-Mart to buy a magazine from Apu. He dug my face. Believe me.

So here are these two new products I've been raving about. The True Match products come in three different shade areas: Warm, Cool, and Neutral. The color card they give you sucks. Here's a tip: The Warm shades are yellow based, the Cool shades are pink based, and the Neutral shades are a balance between yellow and pink. If you can't see a yellow or a pink undertone to your skin, then you're probably a Neutral like me.

:: L'Oreal True Match Concealer ::
I got this in the lightest Neutral shade. You should definitely get one a little lighter than your foundation if you want to use it as a highlighter.

Good things:
Nice consistency, very blendable and not cakey.
Color is great.
Applicator is a nice brush (as opposed to those cheap spongies) but I prefer to apply it with my foundation brush.

Bad things:
I'm still not convinced this is a holy grail concealer. I'll still be on the search for a better one.
For the price, they should give you more product.

:: L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Blush ::
I got this in Precious Peach, which is a fabulous peach shade that also is pink enough to look completely natural, not orange at all. The Innocent Flush shade also gets HIGH MARKS from reviewers, so you may want to check that one out. A few days ago I was at my friend's house and I spotted this in her makeup bag. I squealed and said, "I LOVE THAT BLUSH!" and she goes, "I FUCKING KNOW IT'S FANTASTIC!" I love when two people unknowingly love the same thing.

Good things:
Holy grail status, for me.
Not super-pigmented, so it's easy to apply without looking fake, but it also shows up in one-to-two sweeps.
Makes you look like you're glowing, but without the use of shimmer. I HATE shimmer. It makes you look like a 13-year-old whore.
Nice packaging, large surface area for optimal brush-use.
There's magic in it. I swear.

Bad things:
Not a single thing. Worth every penny.

Witchy Woman

A lot of people use toner on their skin. It's not a necessary step, but I think it is leaves us all with that ultra-clean feeling. There are SO MANY toners out there that are actually bad for your skin. Please don't ever use a toner with alcohol in it. It's way too drying to put on your face.

Here's my favorite...witch hazel. I like all of the Thayer's varieties.

:: Thayer's Alcohol Free Witch Hazel ::

Good things:
Cleans your face and leaves it feeling refreshed.
Not harsh at all...this will not strip your face.
Lightly moisturizing (not like you applied moisturizer, but like your face is naturally moist.)
The scent is light and nice. (I use the rose one in the winter, and the peach one in the summer when my skin is less dry.)
Great for sensitive skin and acne prone skin.
With daily use, it may leave your skin more even and brighter.

Bad things:
The cost seems a bit much, but considering the volume of the package, it's very economical in the long run.
Hard to find...I get mine at the local Granary natural food store.

Keeping Pimples Away

In my teens, I was blessed to not have problems with acne beyond the occasional pimple. In my twenties, I've not been so lucky. I've spent the past few years trying to keep away the demons on my face. I've seen a dermatologist for prescriptions, tried every product I could get my hands on, all to no avail. The most success I've seen is with using the combination of products recommended by Paula Begoun.

In a nutshell, what Paula advises (and what others have recreated in overpriced products like Proactiv, et al) is that you use a gentle cleanser, a chemical exfoliant (BHA or AHA), and a disinfectant (Benzoyl Peroxide) on your face twice daily. Click Paula's link above to read more about this process and the research and science behind it.

You can buy products like these in a kit, some of which contain these ingredients in the cleanser, professing to save you time but what you're really doing is washing those ingredients away so they do nothing for you. Paula sells kits, and I've bought them, but they really aren't any better than the cheaper drugstore versions. I read ingredient lists like a maniac to achieve the same goal. Here are some of my current faves, though I switch products with the same basic ingredients from time to time.

Cleanser:
I've already posted about Basis being my favorite cleanser. Cetaphil is also good if you have dry skin. There are many others out there and you can read on Paula's site about how to find the good ones.

Chemical Exfoliant (put on after cleansing and drying):
I have used both BHAs and AHAs but currently favor the latter. Right now I like the Alpha Hydrox brand AHA Souffle, a 12% AHA cream. It's perfect for my somewhat sensitive skin, though I wish it didn't come in tub form, which is less hygienic. I've found this locally at Wal-Mart*...sometimes I order it online. It always come with a mail-in rebate which is nice. You use a small amount and put it all over except for the eye area.

Disinfectant (allow exfoliant to dry before putting this on):
I use the Equate brand Acne Treatment Cream that says 10% Benzoyl Peroxide on the tube. It's $1.84 at Wal-Mart*. It will bleach your clothes/towels if you don't wait for it to completely dry before touching things to your face. Make sure you apply it to your entire face and not just to blemish areas. This prevents pimples from forming if you use it this way, which is why I like buying a big tube for $1.84.

Moisturizer:
Because you're using some powerful stuff on your face, it's gonna get dry even if it's normally oily, so I recommend using a light moisturizer with these products. I only use the moisturizer once a day (morning) and I apply it after all of the above products are on my face and it's dry. Anything that is oil-free and has SPF-15 (without added ingredients like retinols) work for me. I like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 30, Purpose Moisturizer with SPF 15 (unscented), and Clean and Clear Morning Glow Moisturizer with SPF 15.

Notice I am a stickler for sun protection. If you look at all the sexy ladies in the world that are older (Michelle Phillips, Julianne Moore, Demi Moore) they are all PALE. Pale is sexy, Paris Hilton is not. Embrace it.

When I use these products religiously morning and night, my face stays clear and radiant. Sometimes I get lazy though, and I find myself breaking out like a mother. This *really* works if you find the products that work for your skin and stick to them. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.

*Disclaimer: I hate Wal-Mart...but there are a handful of products that I can only find there, so I time my trips accordingly. I am a hardcore Target girl because Wal-Mart makes my blood boil.

Squeaky Clean Face Wash

No matter how many times I try new face washes, I always come back to this one Holy Grail Facial Cleanser.

:: Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash ::

Good Things:
Ingredient list is solid. Oil-free and Soap-Free
Lathers well. All makeup gets removed.
Rinses very clean, but doesn't leave your skin feeling dry.
Cheap! About $4.99 for a bonus-size tube.
Nice squeeze tube packaging. Gel-like consistency.
Smells clean (though I would prefer fragrance free).

Bad things:
Sometimes it stings my eyes.
If you have dry skin you will definitely need to follow-up with a moisturizer.

Runners-up in Face Soap Category:
Purpose Gentle Cleanser
Clean and Clear Daily Pore Cleanser
St. Ives Apricot Face Wash - Blemish and Blackhead Control
Olay Daily Facials Night Cleansing Cloths
Dove Sensitive Skin Bar Soap (with a washcloth)
Cetaphil (both the lotion-based cleanser and the Oily Skin pump-version)

I tend to use different cleansers because I like variety and I think my face likes it too.