All posts tagged: cleanser

Great Cleansers at any Price Point

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A member at one of the forums I frequent asked what product makes you feel better when you’re not at your best, and the answers were interesting.  A lot of people said lipstick – they put it on and instantly feel better.  Others went for perfume – a couple of spritzes and they are ready to take on the world.  For me, it’s cleanser.  The act of washing my face is healing to both my skin and my psyche.  It’s like I’m washing away all of my troubles along with my makeup.  It’s the best pick-me-up I know of. A good cleanser needs to do three things to keep me happy: remove makeup (including eye makeup – even the waterproof stuff), clean the skin, and leave the face feeling soft and well conditioned.  I’ve found three that perform each of these tasks beautifully. Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser is an absolute bargain at £5.99.  At the time of writing, it’s on sale for £2.95, making it an ever more amazing deal.  It comes with a lovely …

B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser

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I’ve mentioned before that I love cleansers because I really enjoy cleaning my face.  Cleansing one’s face doesn’t sound particularly complicated, but finding the right cleanser for your skin type can be tricky.  You want to remove every speck of grime and makeup, but you don’t want to over-cleanse or strip your skin.  I have used many cleansers, and most either leave traces of makeup behind or clean so well that my face feels tight and uncomfortable afterwards. B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser cleans and conditions pretty well.  While it’s a touch drying for my maturing skin, it doesn’t strip, and it removes eye makeup better than cleansers costing five times as much. It’s lovely to use, too.  Simply rub into dry skin, add a little warm water to allow it to melt, massage well, and then remove with a hot cloth.  Skin is clean, fresh, and ready for skincare. Effectiveness: 5 – cleans very well and removes waterproof eye makeup easily.  Great for removing sunscreen in summer, too. User Experience: 4 – nice texture, …

Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cleanser

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Having inflamed skin is upsetting.  It looks awful because it’s red and scaly, and it feels awful because red, scaly skin is sore.  When my skin gets like this, it stresses me, which I think makes the problem worse.  I have to be super-careful about what I use on my skin during these episodes, but not cleaning my face isn’t an option.  I need a gentle cleanser that will clean as well as comfort.  Thankfully, one exists. Skin Iceland Pure Cloud Cleanser is wonderfully mild.  It goes onto dry skin like a lotion and quickly lifts away excess oils, dead skin, and other grime.  Simply wipe it away with a hot muslin cloth and skin is clean, conditioned and calmed. This cleanser boasts an impressive list of ingredients including cocoa butter, cranberry seed oil and meadowfoam oil.  Also impressive is what it doesn’t contain: parabens, petrochemicals and synthetic fragrance, so it’s perfect for soothing irritated, angry skin. Effectiveness: 5 – this is a gentle-yet-thorough cleanser.  It removes makeup well. User Experience: 5 – creamy and it …

May Lindstrom The Honey Mud Cleansing Silk

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I’m not going to even remotely suggest that you need this product.  It’s pricey, and there are plenty of cheaper options out there that perform the same function.  But May Lindstrom products are not about function.  I think of them as products for the Beautiful People, May herself being one of them.  May’s products are all about luxury and decadence for the sake of luxury and decadence: organic, wildcrafted, sustainable, and natural.  And they are a perfect antidote when you’re feeling fragile or in need of a boost. I fell head over heels with The Honey Mud Cleansing Silk as soon as I opened the jar.  May’s blend of essential oils including cocoa absolute and vanilla CO2 extract is the most phenomenal scent – like a delicious cup of floral hot chocolate – and the mud itself is just as comforting.  This is a multi-functional product which works well as a cleanser and brilliantly as a mask.  I wouldn’t recommend it for removing makeup, but it’s perfect for a morning or second cleanse.  Paired with a muslin cloth …

Oskia Super 16 Serum, Restoration Oil & Renaissance Cleansing Gel

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I tend to be fairly agnostic with it comes to skincare brands.  A brand can excel at one product, and completely fail with another.  Just because someone makes a great cleanser doesn’t mean their facial oil is just as good.  But sometimes, it is.  In fact, sometimes a brand gets a lot of products just right. British skincare maker Oskia is trying hard to tempt me into brand loyalty.  So far, I’ve been impressed with every product I’ve tried, and their Super 16 Anti-Ageing Super Serum (£80) is no exception.  It boasts sixteen different nutrients and bio-actives, including hyaluronic acid and vitamin A palmitate.  There are exotic ingredients, too, such as bakuchiol and seaweed extract, all working together to deliver a nutrient boost to the skin.  With regular use, my skin is noticeably smoother, brighter, and soothed. It’s also a pleasure to use.  It sinks in quickly, relieves any dryness or tightness and is brilliant at calming upset skin.  It reduces redness and irritation better than any I’ve tried, which is amazing when you consider its anti-ageing properties. Effectiveness: …

Outstanding Skincare for under £7

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It’s possible to spend thousands of pounds a year on skincare.  A jar of face cream from a famous Swiss skincare brand can set you back a shade under £300, and while I’m sure it’s wonderful, not everyone has that kind of cash to splash about.  The good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot for great results.  There is perfectly affordable luxurious skincare available, and I’ve come across three that are sure to impress. Lacura Caviar Illumination Day Cream is phenomenally good.  It contains vitamin B5, caviar extract, stem cells, snow algae extract, and hyaluronic acid – ingredients often found in high-end skincare.  Together, this potent cocktail of nutrients helps to firm skin, stimulate collagen production, brighten, tighten and guard against free-radical damage.  It also contains an SPF of 15. This cream glides onto the skin and feels lovely.  It keeps my skin feeling soft and supple from morning until bedtime and sits nicely over all of my other skincare.  I can use it around my sensitive eyes without irritation as it isn’t …

8 Steps to Fabulous Skin

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Layering skincare has been a revelation for me.  Without really noticing, I’d been slowly adding steps to my routine for the past few years.  I started with cleansers and SPF day creams.  Then I added serums and night creams. Soon after came essences and chemical exfoliants.  Early last year, I discovered the joys of facial oils, and more recently, facial mists. If I’d started with all eight steps at once, I don’t think I’d be able to appreciate how each new step/product benefitted my skin.  To be honest, I probably didn’t need all of this skincare a few years ago, but it’s become essential since I’d been edging ever closer to the big five-o.  I’ll take you through the routine that works for me.  Feel free to pick and choose the bits you feel will benefit you. Cleanser – I think I’ve mentioned before that this is my favourite type of skincare.  There are few things I love more than taking off my makeup at the end of the day and treating my skin to some much-needed care and …

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

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Confession: I love cleansing my face and actually look forward to it.  I enjoy waking my skin up in the morning with a gentle cleanse, and I really like washing away the day before bed.  Cleansers just might be my favourite bit of skincare kit. I’ve been a fan of cream cleansers for a while, and I often have more than one on the go in my bathroom cupboard.  Right or wrong, I feel that my skin gets bored when I use the same product again and again.  And no, that isn’t an excuse to buy more skincare. *ahem* Recently, I  read that ladies of a certain age should consider a balm cleanser.  To be honest, I wasn’t convinced.  I tried a balm cleanser a few years ago and found it goopy, sticky, and hard to rinse away.  I’ve since discovered I was using it all wrong – I should have been doing the hot cloth cleanse.  By using a warm, wet cloth (I prefer muslin) to remove your cleanser, you not only end up …