Cleansers, Exfoliators worth buying!!

I am ONLY posting and writing about the product I like and wouldrecommend. If you have questions about any specific brand, feel free to ask! :)I USUALLY buy all my skin care products at the pharmacy or specific beauty stores. I definitely feel proper skin care products ARE worth the money and you shouldn't buy based on prices...( Cheap product usually are cheap for a reason! Expensive products ofter are expensive because you are buying the label! ) Go for trust worthy products that are not too commercial!

CLEANSING:

CETAPHIL CLEANSING BAR

This is a great product for normal skin or skin that

is well hydrated and a little bit oily.

What I find with this product that

it gives a great gentle cleanse, though if you have d

ry skin it will make your skin feel tight.

It will not cause any irritation in general, it doesn't have any potent scent or any

coloring...it just lathers and foams which

usually means it is in fact removing your essential oils and water barrier...which is fine if you have the skin which can cope, and produce back the needed amount of oils and hydration...but can be too strong for anyone who suffers from dry skin.

BIODERMA Sensibio H2O:

This is initially a makeup remover made especially for sensitive skin. I used it for a long time to wash my face with or sometimes to just calm my skin. It has kind of a yucky taste to it, but it was great for my skin.

You can put some on a cotton pad and cleanse your face with it, or put 3-4 drops in the palm of your hand and use your other hand to pat the product on to your face...when it

is all on, you can massage it around a bit, then rinse with cold water.

It is water based and totally fluid, not gel-y at all!! Very gentle and will not take away any of your skins natural moisture. Safe for all skin types to use!

I would buy it again if I find where to purchase it!

Usually you can get it in any pharmacy or drugstore! If not check on line!

I have not tried any other of their cleansing products, but based on how wonderful this product is, it's

worth to try their other products for other skin types.

BIOTHERM BIOSOURCE:

I have used both of th

ese products before. They are cream c

leansers, meant to be used with cotton pads...

I honestly used them as face washes...I never liked having a creamy feel with a cleanser, so I would also recommend just massaging a small amount around the face then gently rinsing with cool

water. This brand is great for sensitive, dry skin... if you have a little bit of oil in the T-Zone, this product will be great as

well! Those who have a bit more oil or shine can

try the foamy face washes from this brand...the variety is huge! All super safe to use and don't have any harsh scents or chemicals.

I used the white "fragile" skin one when I had the eczema...it was the ONLY thing my skin would tolerate! Gradually my skin got better but still stayed quite dry, so I started using the other one...it was perfect!

It is a bit pricey but you don't need too much of it for each use, it's very spreadable.

LIERAC EAU DE SOIN DEMAQUILLANT:

I used to to promotional work for this company (LIERAC Paris) and it it one of those brands that you fall in love with!

This cleansing water is amazing! It foams just enou

gh to get that sense of cleanliness, but is so gentle because of it's watery base. It is very similar to Sensibio, but this one is just more desirable. It has a wonderful peachy-rose smell that is not at all over powering but is just light enough to make you enjoy it more! It is made for more delicate skin, but the great thing with Lierac is, their other cleansers for i.e.: oilier skin is also water base, so your skin feels refreshed but not tight and dry after washing. You may use this the same way as the Sensibio.If I have the money to splurge, I will buy this one.

NEUTROGENA Oil Free ACNE STRESS CONTROL:

This is the ONLY "generic" product I like and have no issues with. It's price is reasonable. The texture is spreadable. It cleanses very well keeping the skin feeling fresh and not tight or dry. It was a great smell and gives a cool tingle feel after use. At the moment I am using this a few times a week...maybe 2-3 times maximum and once a day only. (It is safe to use every day, I just find my skin needs all the moisture

it can get...so I alternate between this and the next item I will write about...)

Normal to any of the Seborrheic skin types may use this product.

FACE WIPES:

The main thing is, you want it to have the least bit of chemicals in the ingredients list. You can choose them to fit your skin type. Since my skin is super dry and sensitive, plus I have a little bit of oiliness in the T-Zone, I either buy ones good for normal skin, or ones for sensitive skin. In all honesty, my little bit of oiliness doesn't bother me too much, and it is better then having full on dry and irritable skin. I use these morning and evening. If you want to use them for makeup removal, ONLY use ones made for sensitive skin...the texture of the towelette is quite rough...add some strong chemicals and trust me your eye area WILL NOT APPRECIATE IT!

EXFOLIATORS

There are only 2 that I like enough to write about so this will be super fast.

MAC Microfine Refinisher Gommage:

I have just read it is discontinued and I HOPE IT IS NOT TRUE because this is THE BEST EXFOLIATOR I have ever used!!!

The tiny scrubbers act the same way microdermabrasion acts...they are like little crystals. They remove all the dead skin cells wonderfully and the texture is c

reamy enough to help the product to be spreadable, but will not take away from the products initial job. You only need a little bit at once and use it every 2nd week! The price is 100% worth it! I have been using this for the past 3 years and still have my second tube half full.

It could be strong to use on very very sensitive skin, but if you used it only on the areas needed and not too vigorously I believe you could be ok with it. You will be a little bit red though after it ,with any type of skin, so use it in the evening before bed time.

LIERAC Soin Exfoliante Lumiere Visage:

Again, Lierac. I started using the MAC exfoliator to try and replace this one. It suddenly started to vanish from stores, but I still am keeping my eye open, and seeing if I can find it somewhere. It had such a great texture, it was like cake frosting/icing...the color and the scent was like it too. It made me feel like I wanted blue ice cream or a cupcake!

The micro scrubbers where the perfect size, and fully eliminated all dead skin cells! I would recommend this to anyone and I hope I can find it again! Use it the same way as the MAC one... a bean size amount with on wet skin, massage around for a good 30 seconds then rinse with cool water. I found this product left my skin less red and a bit moisturized...I LOVED IT! PLEASE COME BACK IN MY LIFE! :)

So that is the list of my top fave products for cleansing and exfoliating! I have used many many others, but THESE are some of the best ones for your money's worth!

If I come across any other amazing products I will make sure I make a post about it!

Next Post will be about Serums and Moisturizers :)..probably in the next few days! :)

Skin Types 101

So there are 3 main skin types, with one having 2 subtypes.

To begin with let's start with NORMAL skin type.

This is considered to be the most ideal, though it is not PERFECT! There is no such thing as perfect skin folks!

Normal skin usually is described as having/being:

• well hydrated ( no wrinkles )
• dead skin cell exfoliation rate normal (no peeling what so ever)
• circulatory system functions normal ( no broken blood vessels )
• balanced secretion ( never shiny, but glowing..if that makes any sense )
• few blackheads/pores around nose area ( usually under folds )
• pigmentation levels are balanced ( no freckles or any other type of pigmentation marks)
• no scars, or any other type of secondary skin symptoms
• no irritation ( a.k.a. blemish/acne)
• no abnormal hair growth

If you have this type, you are lucky...all you need to do is keep up and watch for signs of unusual symptoms...then you need to start using some prevention products...SOME! You do not need to change all your elements or your every day skin care products, just maybe change or use some other product(s) on target areas.

Moving on , we can talk about ALIPIC skin type.

This skin type is missing the fatty/oily substances hence the name! This skin type occurs usually in older age groups ( normal production in the glands slow down ), or overly treated dry skin ( I have had this skin type after using Pro-Active over time! ).

Usually these tend to be the most sensitive and easily irritable skin types. The hydration levels are low as a result of not having a barrier of oil to hold in the water between tissue and cells.

Alipic skin description:

• dry
• tight pores
• red, irritable, allergic
• wrinkles
• peeling, flaky skin
• irritation blemishes can occur... think of eczema
• fallen
• broken blood vessels

Briefly these are the main "red flag" warning signs!

This skin type is a MAJOR pain and can be utterly devastating...Because it is so sensitive it is difficult to treat externally alone, thus your key treatment will be in internal consumption.

If you feel you have this skin type or experience signs of it..I suggest first of all trying to ONLY drink water and TONS of it! Ideally 3 liters, though we live in a busy world so this can be difficult, try to go for 2! Try to eat as much fruit and vegetables as well to make sure you get your kick of nutrients and vitamins. In order to boost oil levels, eat nuts (if you don't have allergies) and some oily fish as well.

Externally make sure you shop at the pharmacy and you will have to stay away from "commercial"/mid-low quality generic brands. (La Roche Posay is GREAT, Avene, Aderma...)

You will have to probably spend a bit more money, but trust me, it is worth it!

Do NOT Exfoliate, use scented or overly processed products with too many chemicals... Only buy products that are for "Dry, Very Dry, Sensitive, Irritable" skin...if it says "normal" or "combination" PUT IT DOWN.

Lastly, if symptoms last too long and your skin does not improve see a dermatologist immediately!

Last but not least SEBORRHEIC skin type.

This type has two sun types. Both have over production of oil in the glands, paired with other different symptoms generally having to do with the keratinization ( rate of new skin cells forming and dead ones exfoliating off ). The most common is the DRY version (Seborrhea Sicca) and the other, less common is the HYDRATED version (Seborrhea Oleosa).

Seborrhea Sicca description:

• Oily shine in the T-Zone area
• Blackheads and whiteheads on the entire face but mostly in T-Zone area
• Open pores whole face
• Tightness and dryness of skin
• Irritation ( Blemishes/Acne)
• Sandy and/or flaky peeling
• Broken blood vessels around nose and chin
• Skin color usually looks "dull"
• Wrinkles
• Can become easily irritated

If you believe this skin type is familiar to you, your best bet will to be products to combat irritation, peeling , hydration and secretion. Because this skin is in need of hydration I would opt for a gentle cleanser...either a milky one or a watery based one...nothing that is lathery...so no strong soaps or gels. In the past I have liked Lierac, Bioderma and Biotherm most.

You can however use a tonic to help treat secretion, if you feel your cleanser alone is just not 100% "strong" enough. The next step is one of the most vital! EXFOLIATION! There are many many product on the market... "every day exfoliator" and brushes and these rubbery things that have little tiny spike-like surfaces... I say...FORGET IT! All you need is a GREAT exfoliator that you use every 10 days. Best ones are alpha hydroxy acids and ones which have tiny tiny little "scrubbers"... Ideally , you will probably use the latter one... AHA-s are great but they can be dangerous to use at home, or expensive at the salon. My FAVE exfoliators are MAC MICROFINE and LIERAC SOIN EXFOLIANT LUMIERE VISAGE....They have the best price and product level ratio!

Exfoliation will help prevent irritation ( helps dead skin cells off ) by letting secretion escape the pore, not trapping it inside to become irritated.

Then you want to use some type of serum. Serums are usually water based, so you help your hydration level to increase ... not to mention those nasty irritations also occur because of your dryness... hence the problem of abnormal keratinisation...

Serums also come in a wide variety, treating specific symptoms.

After this, you will still want to use a hydrating day cream. I would opt for a lotion, because of it's light texture. I would stay away from anything containing salicylic acid or alcohol ( THEY WILL DRY! ).

For treating specific areas/ blemishes it is safe to use either/or:

Tea Tree Oil,

La Roche Posay's Effaclar A.I.,

Natural Aloe Vera...even from the leaf!! That's the best!!

If symptoms are abnormal and become worse over time see your dermatologist.

MOVING ON ( I know...FINALLY, right?...)

Seborrhea OLEOSA description:

• Oily shine on whole face
• Face/skin looks "full" (hydrated)
• Blackheads mostly in T-zone, white heads entire face
• Open pores on entire face
• Not too much irritation
• Brocken blood vessels
• "Dull" skin color

Basically you may have giggled reading "Face looks full"...but it does. This is because there is always a substantial amount of oil on the face , it acts as a barrier, keeping moisture locked in.

The pores are open thus there is less irritation...the sebum can escape the pores easily and because the hydration is more "normal", the dead skin cells peel off at a normal rate, not trapping sebum in the pore.

If you feel this is the type that is most familiar to you, you will need to regulate the secretion levels firstly then tackle secondary symptoms..such as blood vessels...

You can use some stronger face wash, something of a gel or soapy substance...VICHY is a great brand for this skin type... and many other more "generic" brands are ok to use too...

Use a toner, it will also help to regulate secretion levels.

You should use a serum or a light lotion for the day time... I have not myself experienced this skin type, but what i would do is carry a little spray bottle with toner in it and a little bottle of a light lotion in my bag...then during the day I can evaluate which one I need to use.

Keep using an exfoliator of corse!

As with the previous, if symptoms worsen, or do not subside contact your dermatologist.

What do you think? And what should the next post be about? Acne or My skin care rutine?

I will do both but I want each post to make sense with the previous one...and not have them all over the place. What do you think?