Reviews and Other Stuff

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Favorite Face Wash & Cleansers

best face cleansers

 

One of my favorite part in my skincare regimen is washing my face. There’s just something exciting and relieving of finally cleaning my face and getting rid of the day’s makeup, dirt, and excess oil. A clean face makes the skin breathe and be ready for nourishment. When it comes to cleansing my face, I tend to be very picky about the products I choose. I mostly do double-cleansing to get rid of my makeup, and that means using a cleansing oil or sometimes a cleansing wipe at first, then I would proceed to use either cream or gel facial cleansers, depending on my skin condition at that time or sometimes depending on my mood. LOL. Facial cleansers are so important for me because they’re basically one of the first steps to start the skin care routine and I like my facial cleansers to either jumpstart my day or calm me down at night. With that being said, I like some good well-scented facial washes that can awaken the senses or calm the nerves, the type that won’t make me get so bored after using them several times. I usually gravitate towards the citrusy or orange-scented ones, since they’re invigorating, or the ones with mild lavender or rose scents for the calming effect. I use the facial cleansers reviewed on this blog on a case to case basis. There are days when I reach out for mild cleansers, and there are also those days when I reach out for stronger more therapeutic ones. These are my favorite facial cleansers of all time.

 

murad essential-c cleanser

Murad Essential-C Cleanser (6.5 oz: $39) – One of the first cleansers I fell in love with. This has antioxidants with vitamins A, C, and E. It has a nice fresh citrus-orange scent that will capture the senses and it also has little exfoliating beads. This cleanser is great for all skin types, and also does well with acne-prone skin or stressed skin and it doesn’t leave it dry. This cleanses thoroughly, takes out excess oil, and it leaves the skin soft.

 

SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser

 

Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser (Mini 2.54 oz: $14, Standard 5.07 oz: $26) – This cleanser smells milky and has a creamy and luxurious feel. The scent is divine and it’s kinda relaxing. The texture is soft yet it lathers very well, so no need to use a lot. This is a great facial wash for any skin type and it’s mild enough for those with very sensitive skin. I love how this cleanser truly cleanses my face and it has a nice softening effect. Thumbs up to Korres for creating this.

 

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser (5 oz: $20.50) – LOVE this so much. This is one of the most invigorating facial washes I’ve ever tried. The true orange scent of this will definitely wake you up and this has nice soft scrubbing beads that are gentle enough for daily exfoliation. This cleanser is perfect for anyone with oily skin since it has a gel-like consistency and it doesn’t dry the skin. This could also work for those with sensitive skin to use a few times a week. This is one of my holy grail face cleansers and this leaves my skin squeaky clean. If you haven’t tried this particular cleanser yet, oh well, I think that you really should.

 

origins ginzing refreshing scrub cleanser

 

SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser (3.6 oz: $75) – This gotta be the priciest face cleanser I’ve ever tried and I like its soothing rose scent that calms me down at night. Like with most SK-II products, this particular cleanser has Pitera – a signature SK-II ingredient that is rich in amino acids and other minerals. This cleanser feels really mild and it has a very soft creamy texture which foams well and I usually use this on good skin days.

 

Olehenriksen The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser (1.7 oz: $10, 7 oz: $30) – One of the easiest face washes to use, thanks to its really practical packaging. This cleanser is probably the one I tend to reach out for when I’m in a hurry since this dispenses a nice foam that’s ready to use for the face. I love the refreshing citrusy scent of this, and the ingredients are brightening yet mild, also, this really cleanses the face thoroughly, and it removes excess oil and dirt like a charm. A little foam goes a long way and that means this cleanser can last a long time. Love this a lot.

 

olehenriksen the clean truth foaming cleanser review

 

Dermadoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Medicated AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser (7.1 oz: $30) – This is my fave cleanser for bad skin days. That is, whenever I have any breakouts that need care. This has Glycolic and Salicylic acids which are beneficial for acne-prone skin, and this cleanser can also be added for any acne skin care regimen. With that being said, this cleanser can reduce excess oil, and it helps to control zits. I like that this feels creamy and it’s one of those acne cleansers that my skin can tolerate since this isn’t so drying and this is soap-free, oil-free, and fragrance-free.

 

Face Reality Ultra Gentle Cleanser

 

Face Reality Ultra Gentle Cleanser (6 oz: $21) – This cleanser was recommended by my Aesthetician. This has a nice soothing lavender scent and has a gel formulation that’s meant for oily-prone or oily skin type. This is a great very mild cleanser to use when you’re on an acne treatment regimen, or when going through an extreme breakout that requires a super gentle cleanser that won’t harm or hurt the skin.

 

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed (4.4 oz: $26) – This cleanser is just really good. It smells like clean cotton and it’s really invigorating. The texture is so creamy and it foams so well with only a little bit of product. It cleanses so thoroughly, taking off excess oil while softening and calming the skin. This is a really great cleanser for all skin types and the one I also highly recommend. Another amazing cleanser from Clarins and also a personal fave of mine is the One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with Orange Extract, which has a nice exfoliating capability. Reviewed HERE. I believe Clarins makes some of the best facial cleansers that are worth looking into.

 

Tatcha The Deep Cleanse (5 oz: $38) – Another Tatcha holy grail. I love the scent and overall texture of this cleanser. It has a gentle refreshing scent with a lightweight gel form. It’s mild on the skin yet it cleanses well, which makes it ideal for any skin type, be it for sensitive skin. It’s also lightly exfoliating with loofah fruit fibers, which takes off excess oil and dirt. This cleanser has the clean seal of Sephora, so it’s perfect for daily use without worries. The packaging needs improvement though since it’s kind of hard to control the amount of product that comes out of its squeezable bottle.

 

tatcha the deep cleanse review

 

Bottom line, cleansing the face is a necessary step in every skincare regimen. Regardless of what type of facial cleansers to use, the important thing is to let the skin breathe and be free of excess oil and germs.

 

Stay tuned for more skincare favorites

 

L.O.V.E

L.

 

Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 Review

murad mattifier oil in control spf 15 review

 

Howdy Friends! ย In my quest for finding a great mattifying product in a sea of varying mattifiers out there, be it makeup or skin care, I stumbled into this Murad Oil-Control Mattifier with Spf 15. Actually, I’ve been so curious about this particular mattifying moisturizer because I’m a huge fan of Murad skincare, especially the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum and the Murad Essential-C Cleanser. Murad products are one of those reliable skincare products that actually work, and the ones I usually rely on whenever I have skincare issues.

I have an oily and acne-prone skin which I’ve been trying to manage with some mattifying makeup foundations and oil-control blotting sheets, but lately, I’ve been experimenting on this Murad Oil-Control Mattifier Spf 15 to see if this moisturizer is going to help me even more in managing my skin. I don’t think I have the oiliest skin in the world, but it’s oily enough to bug me.

A lot of people seem to swear by this Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and I tested it against my normal oily-prone skin and also against my regularย daily moisturizer for several days to see if this product actually works or would actually work better than the products I’m currently using in controlling oil.

I used theย Neutrogena Shine-Control Blotting Sheets for this experiment and swiped them once on the oiliest part of my face which is the forehead down to my nose. As a baseline to show my skin’s oiliness, I swiped the oil-control blotting sheet on my forehead and nose right after washing my face, and as you can see below, there’s almost no oil blotted.ย Just so you know, this Murad Oil-Control Mattifier is meant to give your skin that mattifying effect for 8 hours.ย 

 

Here’s what I did and what I found:

 

 

 

 

neutrogena shine control blotting sheet

Day 1: Washed face and blotted with an oil-control sheet as a baseline for oiliness. No moisturizer or anything applied on the face thereafter. 7 hours later, I swiped the oil-control blotting sheet on my face.

Day 2: Washed face and applied my regular moisturizer on the face. 7 hours later, I swiped the oil-control sheet on my forehead and nose.

Day 3: Washed face and applied the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier on the face. 7 hours later, I swiped the oil-control blotting sheet on the oiliest part of my face.

 

testing murad oil control mattifier spf 15

 

As you can see above, this product works, but it didn’t completely obliterate the oil from my face. It just minimized or controlled it even after almost reaching 8 hours. What I noticed is that this particular moisturizer works best at the beginning of the application but as the 8th-hour approaches, my face looks quite oily already. If you have moderate oiliness on the face like me, I suggest that you may still need the help of mattifying powders or foundations plus oil-control blotting sheets to combat the oiliness along with this Murad Oil-Control Mattifier as a moisturizer. Until someone invents a cement face powder for my oily face, lol, I’ll be using and recommending this as a good oil-controlย product.

 

murad mattifier oil in control spf 15

Have you tried this already? What was your experience?

 

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