Confession of a Product Junkie...Skin care edition

I am a self proclaimed product junkie.  Not that I buy tons and tons (well, probably more than some people I'm sure), but I am a full believer in products... make-up, hair products, skin care, you name it.  I'm a little suspicious of people who don't use products.  Not as suspicious as I am of people who carry small purses, but it's a close second.

I'm going to write a few posts on products and I'm starting today with Skin Care.  I have tried a zillion types of skin care...  Expensive, Inexpensive, 3 steps, 20 steps, department store, drug store, etc. 

For the past couple of years, I have found myself leaning toward the cheaper products.  I have found that they provide just about the same amount as satisfaction as the more expensive brands.

To remove make-up, I like two products:

Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash is a good one.  It's made by Johnson and Johnson.  It's cheap too.  Like around the $6 price point.  It's pretty gentle and I like using it with my Clarisonic.

 

I have been using a different product for a while though.  I've been using CeraVe hydrating cleanser because my skin tends to be dry, especially in the winter.  It's a bit more expensive (around $14), but it's a bigger bottle and lasts longer than the Purpose.

 

I also really like the CeraVe PM Moisturizer.  This costs around $13, but I bet it has lasted me about 9 months.  I use about 5 pumps every night, and rub it all over my face and neck.

 

Finding an eye cream has been the bane of my existence.  Several years ago my body decided that it would reject almost every kind produced. I've recently found one that I like, and thankfully my weird eyes have agree with me.  It's Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.  It is the most interesting eye cream I have ever used.  It goes on thick, then emulsifies into an almost water like feel, then back to a thick moisturizer feel.  Best of all, it really feels like it moisturizes AND my eyes don't swell (as long as I don't put any on my eyelids).  This size is $28.50, but you can buy a bigger jar that's almost double the size for $48.

 

Finally, I finish up my nighlty regimen with a good lip balm, and my favorite is Rosebud's Strawberry lip balm and moisturizer.  It costs about $7 and I've bought it all over, but Sephora always has it. 

 

 

Those are the products I use every single night.

 

 

From time to time, you may need to give your face a good scrub.  I like a good scrub, but let me tell you that a good scrub is hard to find.  How do I define a "good scrub"?  I want it to feel like it is scrubbing my skin off!  As I mentioned, I have dry skin, and my skin tends to flake.  There is nothing I hate more than using a scrub and then seconds later seeing flakes on my face!

 

In the world of face scrubs, there are two kinds:  (1) a manual scrub (granular of some sort) or (2) a chemical scrub.  I've tried both, and a manual scrub is my fav.  Take my word for it that I've tried tons of scrubs.  I have gone to Sephora and Nordstrom and taken sample after sample.  For a while, I was convinced they had my photo posted in the back saying "No more samples for her!". 

 

I still haven't found one that has completely rocked my world (well, I do really enjoy Kate Somerville, but at $85 for 2 ounces, it just isn't happening).  I have settled on one that I think is a close close runner-up, and it is only $30 for 3.4 ounces.  Laura Mercier's Flawless Skin Face Polish.

 

Not necessarily considered skin care, but I'm addressing it anyway, is the importance of cleaning your brushes.  There are a couple of reasons why this is important.  (1) You may have a considerable investment in your brushes, and you should take care of them.  (2) You don't want some weird funk growing in your brushes and transfer that onto your face.... hello, breakouts! 

 

I know I sound all preachy here, but I'm the first to admit I don't do it often enough.  I cleaned my brushes this weekend, but to tell you the truth, I was prompted by my desire to change from winter to spring make-up colors.  I decided to set up a prompt on my cell phone calendar to remind me to clean them more often. 

 

Here are my clean brushes which were drying...

 

They say you can use your face wash or a gentle shampoo to clean your brushes, but neither of those have really been a fav.  The most common brush cleaner is a spray.  I do not like that either.  I love love love, this brush bath by Trish McEvoy.  I just got a new bottle in my stocking at Christmas, but I'm sad to report that I believe Trish has discontinued this fabulous product. (Why Trish?!? Why?!?)

 

Sephora has come out with a brush bath.  My Mom had to get it when we couldn't find Trish anywhere after Christmas.  She has reported that it works really well.  It's $6 for 2 ounces, or $14 for 6.75 ounces

 

 

So those are my recommendations for skin care products.  I'm certainly no expert, but I have tried a bunch of different products.

 

Stay tuned for more of my confessions of a product junkie...