Up on the ladder: cleanser

Showing posts with label cleanser. Show all posts

I bought this bottle of powder face wash during my trip in Tokyo. I don't remember the exact price, but searching on google it seems it retails 1,200 yen in Japan. This Keana Baking Soda Powder Wash is also available on amazon! At the moment it costs $14.98 which isn't too bad. I've had this face wash for a year now so I can say that I do recommend it!

The bottle is small-ish but you don't need a lot. I never used a powdered face wash before but it wasn't hard to figure it out. I do like that its a powder so I would assume it have a longer shelf life. Just add a about a bean size amount of powder to your hand and add water. You can lather it between your hands or directly on your face. Doing it on your face will exfoliate your skin more, but doing it on your hands will be more gentle to your skin. There isn't a smell to it and it actually does a great job at making my skin feel real smooth afterwards. I don't use this everyday so its why I still have it after a year. So if you want to have smooth skin then give this a try!

Clarisonic Mia Smart is the new cleansing brush device that you connect it to an app. It is advertised to be a 3 in 1 device but it only includes one brush head so you'd have to buy the other two separately. The app helps track your usage and change routines. These a list of different routines from quick cleanse, gentle cleanse, makeup removal, etc. I find it do be a bit more effective than the old Mia I used so I do think its not a bad upgrade.

I've had my Clarisonic Mia for like 6 years and I've used it regularly. Its at the point that it is definitely dying as it needs to be charged all the time in order for me to use it. If it isn't on the charger it usually will not have enough power to turn on the vibration. It can only do one round also. So yeah I need to get a new one. Luckily Clarisonic was doing a promo to trade in your old device if you preorder the newly announced Mia Smart. I was skeptical to preorder this as there was hardly any detailed info on what it does and what it comes with. But the convenience of getting rid of my old Mia for free got me so I preordered it. This trade in is limited time so its unfortunate that they don't offer customers to recycle their devices all the time. I had faith that this device would at least do the basic job of cleaning my face as well as the old Mia did. I didn't have to wait for the release date to get this device as it was shipped the day after I placed my order.

The Clarisonic Mia Smart costs $199 with the trade in discount of $25 and tax my total came to $184.88. Shipping was free. What came in the box is the device, a brush head, and the charging stand. The charging stand is a USB charger and not a plug. No plug adapter came in the box either so I just used the one that came with my iPhone. Only other thing in the box is a manual booklet that just maps the buttons and tell you the warnings. Another piece of paper tells you to download the app. The app does let you make routines and change settings on the device.

The routines depend on the type of brush head you have attached on. These routines can have different strength in the vibrations depending on the kind of results you want. You can make as many routines as you want, but only one can be active at a time. So you will need to use the app to change the routine. The app will track your usage and even gives you an option to take a photos of yourself to see your skin progress. The device does make a beep sound but you can turn that off in the app but it will vibrate instead of beeping. There isn't a way to get rid of the timed beeps. These timed beeps just tells you when to move to the next area of your face. The app also tracks your uses and daily streak. You don't have to bring your phone with you when you use the device either. Once you connect and sync the device to the app it will update it with how many uses you did.

So far the device does seem to be a bit gentler on the skin than the old Mia device. It also seems to do just as good as the old Mia despite it feeling more gentle. The device is bigger, but it is lighter than the old one. The head of the device is bigger so the whole device has like a mallet look. Locking in the brush head isn't as smooth to do as the old Mia. There's also a slightly gap that I think acts like a cushion effect when you push the head down. The new brush head has a bigger middle opening to show the indicator in the middle. The indicator in the middle will turn red when you need to change it. So there is less brush hairs that vibrates. The outer ring doesn't vibrate. In this new brush head the out ring has a pink silicone U shape things that they say is to massage away impurities.

Overall I like it so far and I'm glad that I upgraded. I do want to try out the firming massage head and some other applicators. I will update this post as I continue to use this to see how it continues to hold up.

Saw this Humane Acne Wash and wanted to try it out. I mostly wanted to see if it helps with blackheads than my pimples. With 10% benzoyl peroxide, I was a bit scared that it may irritate my skin, but it didn't irritate too badly. The company has been really clear to let customers know of the side effects and other effects this may cause. They sent a detailed email on how to use the wash and a list of FAQs.

The bottle is rather affordable at around $20 and the product itself is 8 fl oz which is a good size that should last some months. I do like that they use safe and animal free ingredients. First time trying it, I was surprised that it did not sting or hurt at first. I massaged the product on my face for a few minutes and it didn't burn. Its best to use warm water as hot water may irritate your skin. Since benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabrics, I follow the wash with a gentle cleanser like Simple Water Boost Micellar Water cleanser. This wash is gentle and can moisturize my skin. After that I use cold water to close my pores and cool off. The redness doesn't appear during the wash, but after rinsing off the redness appears. Luckily the irritated feeling was mild, and the redness goes away after about an hour. I do like using the Avene Thermal Spring Water facial spray as it is a product for soothing irritated skin. Also I use Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment in the day since it has SPF 30 and it turns into your skin color so its kind of like makeup. This helps soothe your skin and it reduces the appearance of redness. When I do breakout, I use Kate Somerville Eradikate Acne Treatment.

On the first week of using the wash, I did breakout a bit but it may be just that time of the month that I'm suppose to ovulate which I do breakout a bit normally. I didn't see any results or changes to my skin which I expected. I do use this stuff on my body as well, and my chest got really itchy around the end of the week.
Since the second week is said in the instructions to be the worst so I did expect things to get irritated so I lessen the usage to once a day than two times a day. My face did get dry patches, and got irritated. Because I had to lessen the usage of the wash to let my skin heal, I didn't see improvement. Since it is fall and winter time, it has been difficult to keep my skin moisturized. My chin area is sensitive is it has gotten irritated and dry as hell. So my face has been itchy and flaky.

So for the 3rd week to the one month point that area has been red, irritated, and flaky most of the time. Since I do use the wash in the shower there have been times that my neck also got irritated and itchy. So I have to wipe the medication off instead of having the water run it down from my face to my neck. Been using facial oils, moisturizer, and anti-itching cream to combat all this. Another thing that happened was a lot more big blackheads was surfacing especially on my chest area. It feels rough there and I can even scratch a blackhead off with my nail which I know is a bad thing to do. I just hope this means that blackheads are coming out and not getting worse. My chin area has been getting quite a lot of breakouts but they were smaller than usual so they healed up rather quickly. Hopefully the second month things will be easier. I have learned to not have the wash on my skin for too long. If it start to feel like its burning I need to get it off.

Afterwards, I really didn't keep a consistent schedule on using this since it is winter, I had a hard time trying to get use to it with the dry winter weather so I had to some days between washes. I did still breakout and didn't see much improvement in my skin. It wasn't until about 3 months of using this wash that I start seeing some improvement. At that point I was able to use the wash every other day. I think using a facial oil and the Dr. Jart tiger grass treatment helped with the irritation issue. While my acne is still popping up, it is less than before. I mostly get it on my chin, and lately it is looking better than it has in years. My chin is also the most sensitive prone too so for awhile that area has been really patchy since I did concentrate on treating that area the most. But now only a small part of my chin continues to be patchy though its only noticeable with makeup on. My nose seem to be doing slightly better. Since my nose isn't sensitive, I may start trying to wash it more often and longer than the rest of my face with this wash.

I will continue to update this post!!

Bought a small bottle of this Boscia Black Cleanser to try out, and it has lasted me longer than I thought it would. My pores are always getting clogged so I do tend to buy things that target that problem I have. What appealed to me about this cleanser is that it warming so I wanted to see if this was effective or not.

The cleanser is a gel that's dark gray in color and is translucent. The warming feeling can be felt immediately, but it only lasts for like 2 seconds. I don't feel this is enough time to get your pores to relax and open up so you can clean them out. Though it is a fine enough cleanser in of itself, but nothing about it I feel is extraordinary. As for my pores, I don't feel it really made a different. I do use my clarisonic mia with it, but again I don't see that it made a difference compare to any other cleanser.

Overall, this is just ok.

Got a sample of this Eve Lom cleanser and muslin cloth and hadn't tried it until now. I've put it off since it seemed like a hassle with the cloth. Its says to be one of the best cleansers and is award winning with its multitasking abilities.

The cleanser is a cleansing balm which is like a thicker gel like cleanser that's said to be more hydrating and removes makeup better than oil cleansers or any other cleanser. Its like vaseline or lip balms. Its thick and creamy and goes on smoothly. It has a spicy scent like cloves and cinnamon. The main ingredient in this cleanser is mineral oil though. Some people love mineral oil, but others find it dangerous. It is a very cheap oil to produce and it not natural. This cleanser is very expensive and having the main ingredient as mineral oil isn't impressive. Past mineral oil products have given me whiteheads especially on my eye area so I will be cautious of this since mineral oil can clog pores. The sample gives you a little more than a tablespoon of product. A pea sized amount is enough for your whole face since it turns into oils as you massage it into the skin. I like oil cleansers since you can feel the bumps soften as you massage. This cleanser didn't feel as oily as the previous oil cleansers I've used.

The instructions tells you to use their muslin cloth to remove the cleanser though I believe you don't have to if you don't want to. Since the sample came with one I've used it. The cloth it gave me is abouta 7"x 4.5" cloth that's just big enough to cover my face. Its 100% cotton, thin, and feels like a napkin. You wet the cloth in hot water and wring it dry then cover your face with it and leave it for 3 seconds to warm the skin and open pores. If you leave the cloth too wet you can't breath through it so be sure wring it dry enough to breathe through it. Since the cloth is thin the heat doesn't stay for more than a few seconds so doing this as fast your can to keep the heat is also something to keep in mind. You can do this step once, but they advise to do it 3 times. After warming the skin, wet the cloth in warm water then use the cloth to wipe the skin clean in circular motions. The cloth has texture so it will gently exfoliate the skin as well. After you cleaned your skin, rinse the cloth in clod water and apply it to your face again to close your pores.

This cleansing routine is very pampering and spa like feeling. My skin does feel clean, and better though not much to make me want to spend $80 on a cleanser that's mostly mineral oil. The full size muslin cloths cost $22 for 3. I personally think you can mimic this for much cheaper price with a natural oil good for cleansing skin or another oil or balm cleanser. You can use a regular face towel and/or cotton pads instead of the muslin cloth. So far the muslin cloth hasn't gotten stained from my makeup although I don't wear eye shadows so can't say how well eye shadow colors can wash off the cloth.

Overall, this is a good cleansing routine to try so definitely recommend getting a sample if you can. It's normally called the oil cleansing routine but this uses a balm cleanser instead of straight up oil. The size price of these products is expensive, but you could probably find cheaper alternatives.

I enjoyed their Jojoba scrub, so I wanted to try this scrub out. Like the other scrub, this one also contains jojoba wax beads which are an environmentally safer type of microbeads than the plastic ones in cosmetics. They're pretty small like course black pepper so definitely be careful not to get them in your eyes.

I love the smell of this scrub though since it smells fruity, and they smell like Starbursts candy! The scrub is gentle, and didn't feel harsh on my skin. It does a decent job of exfoliating as well. Directions say to use it after cleanser, and use up to 2-3 times a week. Its 95% organic, vegan, and first two ingredients are aloe juice and coconut oil. I quite like it more for its fruity scent which isn't strong just moderate.

Overall, I do enjoy this scrub and would probably use it instead of the Jojoba one since I didn't see a different between both of them other than smell and color. Michael Todds has a small 40ml bottle of it so you can give it a try and see if you like it!

This cleanser is advertised to exfoliate, remove impurities and all types of makeup. Its a white milky cleanser that doesn't lather or anything. Its like massaging lotion to your skin that doesn't absorb it. It doesn't strip your skin or anything either which is nice. I can kind of feel the cleanser smooth out some bumps, but not much.

I like how gentle this cleanser is. It didn't irritate me or break me out. It has a lime like smell to it too though it is light. I does clean my face, but that's pretty much it. Its suitable for all skin types, its vegan, and is 70% organic. It didn't work that well with my clarisonic though unless I use a lot which I don't want.

Overall, this is a good cleanser. A good option for those wanting gentle exfoliation, and organic ingredients.

Pure Truth Melting Cleanser is a gel facial cleanser that turns into oil on your skin. The 3 is for its ability to transform from gel, to oil, to milky cleanser. Its advertised to be brightening, repairing, and nourishing.

This cleanser is translucent orange in color. The texture is similar to vaseline, but is softer since its mostly oils. A dime size amount is enough for your whole face or even a smaller amount. You must have your face and hands dry to use it. Then rinse with warm water. It does leave a slight residue since it is oil, its a tad hard to take it off completely. I just tend to leave it. Or you can take a shower, and there won't be a residue. The oils does leave a moisturized feel to your skin as well as making your skin feel soft. It also makes your skin feel slightly heavier, but its not a a big deal. The scent is is like vaseline and vegetable oils. Its really light and it didn't bother me at all. This cleanser didn't break me out or irritated my skin.

Overall, this is a decent cleanser. I think it be good for travel or in a rush since you don't need much water. I did enjoy it even though it just cleans my face like any other cleanser. I would recommend it!

This is the first time I've tried a powder face wash. Directions says to put the powder on my hand and activate it with water. Then massage it onto wet face. The powder is like powder milk and it has a light vanilla smell. It kind of makes it smell like cereal to me. The powder does fizz up when it touches water and it feels like rubbing salt on your face, but it quickly disintegrates, and dry up on my skin. I couldn't wash my face for more than 10 seconds with this before it dried up at first. I didn't use much.

Powder face wash seems it could make a mess if you're not clumsy. The powder is really light and it can easily get blown away. When you add water to it it foams up and expands quite a lot that it could spill over your palm. Though I can see this be good for traveling since its light and not liquid. Its advertised to use vitamin C to brighten your skin, have enzymes to exfoliate. It has omegas 3, 6, and 9. I took the time to search each ingredient and they're all safe though one ingredient, "Subtilisin" has a moderate risk for toxicity. Its something to consider about otherwise this face wash is OK. I don't see anything special about it in terms of effectiveness to my skin. I'm not fond the process of using this product as its not easy to get a good consistency. It usually gets too watery and the product ends up running down my arms as I wash my face with it.

Overall, I don't think I'll ever purchase this. I'm not sure powder washes will seem appealing to me after trying this sample. Its just not easy to use.

This Regenerating Cleanser is also a treatment cleanser that brightens and exfoliates for daily use. It's advertised to be a 4-1 cleanser that purifies, minimize pores, preserve hydration, and boost glow.

Have to be honest, at first when I tried this the product looked like puke to me, haha. Luckily it smells quite citrus-y with a hint of alcohol. It has a orangey-tan color and has a watery and creamy consistency. There's also tiny red sand like specks that is probably the apricot seed powder that they advertise that it exfoliates the skin. It does give the cleanser a bit of a grainy texture but its not too grainy that it feels rough on the skin. Its quite gentle though its probably due to the size.

I quite like the cleanser. The first couple tries it did make my skin feel pretty soft. It helped buff away rough spots in my skin. After using for a few days I have noticed it did make a difference to my skin. It looked more even and brighter. I normally believe cleansers just get rid of the grime off your face and nothing else since that's all they really did for me, but this cleanser actually did more to my skin.

There's a 125ml bottle for $75 on the Tata Harper site, and a 50ml for $38 on Sephora. It is pretty pricey, but if you can afford it I highly recommend it.

This is a review on the Revitalizing Foaming Cleanser and Anti-Aging UV Moisturizer SPF 15 I bought from Olay's Total Effects 7in1 line. This line is to fight the 7 signs of aging which are: fine lines and wirnkles, age spots, uneven texture, dryness, free radical damage, dullness, and pores. It supposedly packed with vitamins for a younger looking skin.

I bought the cleanser first since I needed a cleanser that was affordable and this seemed to be the best option. Before I used a Burt's Bees cream cleanser and if I had to choose between that and the Olay one I'd choose the Burt's Bees. The Olay cleanser isn't anything special. The product is a gle that foams when you lather, but the foaming part is really lacking. Its really light and airy which doesn't do much of anything. I've used foam cleansers that foam up nice and thick and does a great job at cleansing my face plus it also feels amazing. It also has a bit of a perfume smell which I'm not fond of, but its mild so I barely notice it. The packaging is nice though. Its flexible and the opening has flexible plastic layer with a * slits that the product passes through. Its probably to prevent leaking and it does prevent it pretty well. Overall its not a cleanser I would repurchase.

I bought the SPF moisturizer since I needed sun protection and haven't had one in too long. It comes in a 1.7 fl oz light plastic pump bottle. The design of the pump is a little funny, but it works. Though the product does sit in the pump when you use it, but luckily the product doesn't dry out so I don't get dried bits the next day I use it. The sun protection is broad spectrum so it will protect your from UVA and UVB rays. The product is a white light cream, and it doesn't really have much of a smell. It does have a bit of that sunscreen smell, but it is quite light so its not entirely noticeable. It doesn't give you a white cast and it goes on the skin quite thinly, and it absorbs into the skin quickly as well. It did a good job in protecting the sun damage to my skin, and it doesn't seem to break me out though it doesn't prevent acne. Though It doesn't help control oiliness nor help with blackheads and pores. I do get quite oily by the end of the day. The bottle has a expiration date print on and mine says it epires on 8/2015 which is well over a year after I purchased it. For a drugstore spf moisturizer I think this is a pretty good one so I recommend it! There seem to be more than one version of this moisturizer, but the SPF one is what I needed the most.
I might try the other products in this line so if I do I will keep this post updated!

I received the $25 starter kit as a gift of Shiseido's new line Ibuki. It contains the gentle cleanser, softener, and refining moisturizer. Each in 30mL packaging which is a little under half the amount of the full size products so this starter kit is a super deal.

This line is focused on strengthening your cells to produce natural moisture so it can build resistance to problems caused everyday stress, hormonal flucations, and environment. It says it will fight visible pores, breakouts, roughness, UV rays, and dryness. I'm not a huge on Shiseido products since I have tried them before, and they don't really do much of anything for me. But this Ibuki line actually does something. My face has gotten a bit brighter and my complexion improved just alittle. However it seems to make the blackheads and pores on my nose area to worsen. Before I used coconut oil which had sometimes kept them at the most minimal I could get them to be. Since using Ibuki it has made my pores more visible even when I put on coconut oil as well.

The gentle cleanser is pretty nice. Its creamy and it lathers well and a little goes as long way. It makes me feel clean and doesn't dry my skin out afterwards. The products has a very mild scent which I barely even notice after the first time I used them. The cleanser has a nice citrus smell. The softener is like watered down gel. It goes on the skin nice and absorbs quickly. Its quite hydrating. The smell is a little perfume-y but more like a older person smell. The moisturizer has the least scent to it. I can't really describe it other than lotion-esque. The line is hydrating and moisturizing. Didn't see any improvements on my pores, it definitely didn't stop my acne though it does help it a little, but it did make my skin look a little brighter.

Overall, the starter kit is worth a try. Would I purchase the full size of these products? Maybe but at the moment no. The starter kit can be found at department stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, and Sephora has it as well.

KEANA Baking Soda Powder Wash

Clarisonic Mia Smart

Humane Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Acne Treatment Wash

Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser

[Sample Impression] EVE LOM Cleanser and Muslin Cloth

Michael Todd Tropical Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant Scrub

Michael Todds Skin Defender AHA Creme Facial Cleanser

[Sample Impression] Ole Hendriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser 3 in 1 Cleansing Gelee

[Sample Impression] Nude Detox brightening fizzy powder wash

[Sample Impression] Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1

Shiseido Ibuki

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