Lotion and facial scrub favorites.

[P_johnston]

Hello all I recently have been trying to take better care of my skin. I have been doing a daily facial cleanser and trying out various lotions to keep my skin baby smooth. Does anyone have any recommendations for skin care products to try? I also thought it might be nice to have a thread where everyone can list what skin care products are good (for future generations of nerds and whatnot).

I have been using Neutrogena Deep Clean facial cleanser (actually seems to work ok) and most recently Aveeno Daily moisturizing lotion (which is getting switched out as soon as possible due to it causing pizza faced, pimply doom to my complexion).

[Wondering]

I have acne issues, so most of the products I use are designed for fighting acne. That said, I use:

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash as my daily facial cleanser
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub as my weekly exfoliant

I don't wear make-up often, so I have different products I use to remove most make-up, except for eye make-up, including waterproof mascara, always I use the most magical eye make-up removing product ever: Pond's Cold Cream. I have yet to meet an eye make-up or eye make-up application Pond's Cold Cream won't remove.

[OtherRoooToo]

If you’re looking in the department-store level skin care lines, I’ve found Dr. Dennis Gross’ stuff to be great.

I think if you’re looking at the drugstore level, you want to make sure the product matches with your skin type & issues – like, for example, the Clean & Clear brand is good if you’re struggling with breakouts, but it can be harsh for skin that’s more dry or real sensitive.

Also, by another coincidence, I saw this article today:

http://www.xojane.com/beauty/skin-redness-solutions-at-every-budget

[reboundstudent]

I use Bare Essentials Cleanser and Moisturizer, and it is WONDERFUL. The Cleanser is a powder that you mix with water-you can either mix it with only a little water and make a mask, or mix it with a lot of water to make it more like a regular face wash. It's an oatmeal base, so it smells amazing. It also lasts quite a while- one bottle of the cleanser usually lasts me about 3-4 months, and I use it daily.

I have been using both the cleanser and moisturizer for about 4 years, and it really does make a huge difference on my skin. I still get acne, but no where near as badly as when I was using Neutrogena or Aveeno.

[Mel]

As OtherRoooTooo suggests, it's important to realize that which skin care products will work best depends a lot on each person's skin type.  So keep that in mind when checking reviews.

I have mixed skin--oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) but tend toward dryness everywhere else. So I have to be careful about balancing.  What's worked best for me is a lightly moisturizing, natural soap in the morning (Lush has some nice ones; lately I've been using some olive oil + goats milk bars I bought on Etsy) followed by The Body Shop's seaweed daytime cream (again, just lightly moisturizing), and then in the evening, wash with Lush's Coalface soap, no moisturizer after.

[reboot]

I like to make my own facial scrub and have used a bunch of these: http://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Basic-Homemade-Facial-Scrub

I use the oil based ones a lot if I am home because it is so dry here and the non oil ones when somewhere more humid. I prefer putting the rice, salt, sugar etc. in a coffee grinder to make it finer because big chunks irritate my skin.

[Guest]

What's the reason for having gendered skin care products? Shouldn't the expected results apply to all people?

Has anyone noticed visible improvements in your skin after using soap-free soap? If so, approximately how long did it take for those improvements to appear?

[kath]

I think the gendered skin products are a marketing ploy.

I'm currently doing two things, and I'm not 100% sure how I like it. On Enail's suggestion, I'm trying the oil cleansing method, and I do get acne (not horrendously badly, but consistently, and I can't leave it alone). I also use baking soda + honey as a face scrub. I may add some cinnamon or nutmeg for nice smells and tingliness. For the oil, I'm using castor, olive, and tea tree. At first I was doing honey/baking soda and then oil cleansing (put oil on your face, leave for 1 min with hot wet towel on face, wipe off - I just do it in the shower and leave it on for 1 min and then wipe off), but I was noticing weird skin breakouts, so I tried switching the order, and that seems better. It does keep my skin way better moisturized, and I've stopped using another moisturizer. I also sometimes do a glycolic acid peel at home (I buy the glycoli8c acid from the DIY bodycare store and dilute it).

I use just plain old canola oil on the rest of my body right after I get out of the shower. I am way more adamant about doing that than moisturizing my face; if I don't I can barely wear pants, my legs get itchy so easily.

I kinda wanna try making a DIY version of that bare escentuals stuff ... I have some colloidal oatmeal powder and I haven't used it for anything yet ...

For skincare stuff, trying the routine for a month with things you do daily seems to give you a good-ish idea of how you will react.

[Werel]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for something like an oil/sweat cleansing wipe you can stick in your purse? I have pretty good low-upkeep skin when living in cooler northern climes, but now I'm living in a place which is hot and humid year-round, and my face gets this awful sheen every time I walk between buildings for classes. I've tried the Neutrogena oil/makeup removing wipes and they dry out my skin like MAD, which subsequently tends to make it even oilier. Is there something less harsh than a makeup removing wipe (don't need, don't wear makeup) which I can use real quick in the 30 seconds before walking into a class?

Actually, on that note, any suggestions for a good non-oily daily high-SPF facial sunblock? I am white as a ghost and the sun here is murderous. Been using this, and it's decent, but I'm not sure it's actually delivering SPF70 levels of protection, cause I'm still getting pink.

[Enail]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for something like an oil/sweat cleansing wipe you can stick in your purse? I have pretty good low-upkeep skin when living in cooler northern climes, but now I'm living in a place which is hot and humid year-round, and my face gets this awful sheen every time I walk between buildings for classes. I've tried the Neutrogena oil/makeup removing wipes and they dry out my skin like MAD, which subsequently tends to make it even oilier. Is there something less harsh than a makeup removing wipe (don't need, don't wear makeup) which I can use real quick in the 30 seconds before walking into a class?

I dunno what they're called or if you can get them where you are, but in Japan they have these little sheets of oil blotting paper for exactly that purpose. It just feels like baking parchment, maybe dusted with talcum powder or something but they're not at all harsh or drying.

[reboot]

Voila: http://nymag.com/thecut/2012/10/which-blotting-paper-works-the-best.html

I use the Clean and Clear ones in the summer here. Whoever said AZ has a dry heat obviously did not visit during monsoon season.

[kath]

Yes you can get those here! They're called blotting papers, most brands make them.

Here are some from Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/mattifying-blotting-films-P388013

Here's Clean and Clear's version: http://www.cleanandclear.com/product/blotting-papers/clean-clear-oil-absorbing-sheets

Your drugstore might have an in-house version too.

[Werel]

Oh hooray, those look like exactly what I need! Thanks y'all.

[InkAndComb]

Tossing this out there for those with sensitive skin and mild fragrance allergies;

Cetaphil facial cleanser and lotion have been very nice with my skin. I get windburn, as well as friction burn (from scarves even), and I have fair skin with visible pores in the t-zone. Usually lotions are so-so, and I get the "super-dry-then-shiny" effect on occasions, but not so much while using these!

[caliseivy]

As OtherRoooTooo suggests, it's important to realize that which skin care products will work best depends a lot on each person's skin type.  So keep that in mind when checking reviews.

I have mixed skin--oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) but tend toward dryness everywhere else. So I have to be careful about balancing.

Something else to point out here, especially if you use or plan on using ones for acne (with the alcohol in them, I think): they can dry out your face badly if they are too strong for your skin type, to the point where a regular moisturizer might not fix the dryness. That's actually why I can't use acne medications even though I have mixed skin also.
There's also the season to think about. I could almost get away with an astringent in the summer since I tend to be oily or sweat more, but in the colder seasons I'd better not even think about it. I almost have to adjust how much moisture I need for my face each season. Just something to think about when choosing facial products.

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