Cleansing Lotions Over Cleansing Oils

In my last post, "Are You Over-Exfoliating?", I mentioned that I did not get along with the trend of acid toners, like, at all. Another huge trend that my skin was just not on board with is the craze for oils in skincare, both in the form of facial oils and cleansing oils/balms. In theory, great ideas, and it's true that they worked out well for many people. But on my skin, facial oils wrecked havoc - every single one I tried broke me out badly and just left my skin so congested, including the well-loved Clarins Lotus Oil, Josie Maran Argan Oil, and Pai Rosehip Seed Oil. I completely gave up on the whole facial oil idea and just went back to my regular moisturizers, so I don't have a whole lot more to say on that.

With cleansing oils/balms, I loved how simple and easy it was to just rub them in and be able to take off all my makeup, including heavy eye makeup and lip sticks. However, my skin was always still a little bit congested from using them and it felt like I always had bumps under my skin that just never came to a head. I put off looking for an alternative because the process was just so quick and I didn't really know what else to use for makeup removal anyway (apart from makeup wipes *shivers*). In comes summer, and let me just say that in the 40°C temperature + humidity in China, rubbing oil on my face was really the last thing I wanted to be doing. 

In my mind, I always had the impression that milky-textured cleansing milks, lotions, and creams did not have the ability to thoroughly remove makeup. However, I picked up the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion and was amazed by its ability to even remove lipstick and waterproof mascara. Its fragrance-free, oil-free, and alcohol-free formula makes it ideal for sensitive skin. I just take a couple of pumps of the product (usually 6-8 pumps), smooth it over my entire face and neck (I don't wear makeup on my neck but I do wear SPF, and all SPF products need to be removed with a makeup removal product), draw circles on my face with my fingertips for a minute or two, and then rinse off with water. Because there is no need to remove with a towel or muslin cloth like cleansing oils/balms do, I found that my sensitive skin was much less irritated.

Here I decided to show the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion in action:

1. I have on the back of my hand, from left to right, YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, Anastasia Brow Wiz, Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick, and the notoriously hard to remove Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascara. 

2. I applied the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion and spent a minute drawing circles on the back of my hand to really dissolve the makeup.

3. I rinsed off with water, and as you can see, all of the makeup is gone, even the mascara!

4. I went over the back of my hand again with some Bioderma just to be sure nothing was left. The cotton pad was spotless.


The only downside to this product is probably that I go through the bottle quite fast. A 200mL bottle probably lasts me a month. Then again, the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion is a fairly affordable product, it being drugstore and all, and I feel that it removes makeup better than the other options I've tried.

Another option that I enjoyed using is the Bevy C. Purifying Renewal Makeup Cleansing Milk. While it is called a milk, it definitely feels more like a lotion as well. What I like about this product is that it contains plant extracts to help gently slough away dead skin. I've lost the packaging so I can't be 100% certain, but I believe it uses yeast enzymes for this rather than acids, so it makes for a much, much more gentle exfoliation. However, this product is only available in China, so definitely not the most accessible of options. 

The Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Super Cleanse, on the other hand, is much easier to get a hold of. Elemental Herbology definitely feels like more of a luxurious product with the scent and packaging. I also appreciate the tube packaging as pump bottles are hard to travel with. This offering also gently exfoliates while removing your makeup with the addition of malic acid. It also contains a bunch of other plant extracts to help nourish and moisturize the skin. Bottom line: it removes makeup well, but not so much waterproof eye makeup, and is very pleasant to use. I believe Lancome also have a milky-cream makeup removal product that has good reviews (Galatee Confort Comforting Milky Cream Cleanser), but I have yet to give it a try. 

While products like the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion are capable of removing waterproof eye makeup and long-lasting lipsticks, I prefer to go in first with one of those dual-phase waterproof makeup removers on a cotton pad. I'm currently loving the Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lids (what a mouthful!) because it removes eye makeup so easily without any rubbing or tugging at the lids, and it doesn't contain any artificial colouring or fragrance. Then, I go in with a cleansing lotion to remove my face makeup and eyebrows. I know it's still more of a hassle than using a cleansing oil, but I honestly think it's so worth it. Since making the switch, I've seen such a difference in my skin in that it doesn't feel congested anymore, and I don't seem to get those under the skin bumps. 

Do you think you'll be making the switch to cleansing lotions?

January Empties

As someone who regularly switches up their beauty routine due to an insatiable impulse to try new products out on the market, the products that are actually used up from top to bottom are always the ones I can speak volumes on, so what better way to start this blog than to talk about some of my empties from the month of January? 

(As a point of reference, I have combination skin that can be extremely sensitive and is very prone to break outs.)

This is the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. As you can see from all the writing having been rubbed off of the packaging, this product has been well-loved (and between you and me, I already have three back-ups of this in the back of my skincare drawer). This is the first product of my night time skincare routine, and for the most part, this is the only product that I use to take off makeup and sunscreen. I use about a bottle-cap-sized amount for my entire face and neck, and as you rub this product gently into the skin, it almost melts from the temperature of your skin and becomes very easy to spread and smooth over. One of my favourite feelings ever.

What I particularly love about this product is that there is no fragrance at all. In fact, it doesn't really smell like anything. Perhaps the product lacks a bit of luxury because of this, but my extremely sensitive skin is very happy with it. 

I have decided to write about these products in the order that I would normally use them, so next up is the famous GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment. Right off the bat I am going to say that I did not enjoy this product and would not repurchase this. The only reason I used it up is because this is a very small jar and only lasted about 5 uses. Because this is a very popular and very expensive product, I kept trying to give it another chance, but my opinion of it has not changed. 

This product is a clay mask which also exfoliates the skin. I am surprised to find that this product does not contain glycolic acid or another form of acid because when this product is on your face, there is the stinging sensation typical of acid exfoliators. For some reason, there are pieces of green tea leaves in this product, making it very messy to apply and hard to spread on the skin. Green tea extract is one of my favourite skincare ingredients, but if I wanted to rub tea leaves on my face, I might as well pour my mug of tea into the sink and save myself $21, which is how much this product cost. There are also pieces of volcanic pumice rock for manual exfoliation, but I find this to be incredibly harsh on the skin and can hurt if not carefully applied. 

Now for the high price point and the hassle to put this product on, the results were unimpressive. I did not see anything this product did that something much cheaper like the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask could not do. Quite honestly, I like the Queen Helene a lot better because it is much easier to apply and does not contain harsh exfoliating bits.

Next up is the Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum, and this is a product that I absolutely loved. Since it is winter, and Vancouver can get pretty dry during the cold months, I try to keep my skin very hydrated with serums. Caudalie is one of my favourite skincare brands and this product did not disappoint. This a water-based serum (made with Caudalie's famous grape water) and the consistency is extremely light. I always prefer water-based serums over oil-based serums because water-based serums are so easy to absorb and almost feel like nothing on the skin. Just very comfortable to use. The product has a very light fruity scent, probably from the grape water and extract, but nothing too strong or irritating. 

When I used this product, I found that my skin was indeed very hydrated. My skin also felt plump and soft, and seemed to look more radiant. This product was not irritating at all for my sensitive skin, which is to be expected of Caudalie products. The only downside is that this product ran out very fast. I used one pump day and night, and this product only lasted about 1.5 months, maybe a little longer. Because this product is so light and watery, it is very easy to use more product than needed. But for a $48 price point, I really hope this could have lasted longer. With that said, I would still repurchase this serum. 

Another great product for sensitive skin is the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Soothing Protective Skincare. Basically, this is a light moisturizer with the consistency of a gel-cream. Again, no fragrance, and also no preservatives or parabens, if you happen to be concerned about those ingredients. After I put this on, my skin just feels very soothed and comfortable, so I particularly enjoy using this when my skin is having a rough time with break outs. This product gets rid of a lot of the redness in my skin, and did not make my T-zone oily throughout the day. However, I do find that this product is not quite enough moisture for the cold winter months, and I do find that my cheeks are a bit dry on particularly cold and windy days. Those who live in cold climates or have dry skin may want to try the richer cream version of this product, which I am hoping to pick up soon. Already repurchased this product, but will save until the warmer months.

This month, I managed to use up a makeup product, which is extremely rare and very exciting. My daily makeup routine usually only consists of BB cream, brow pencil, tinted lipbalm, and blush, and the Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super Beblesh Balm is my favourite BB cream. The product is packaged in an opaque, airtight container, which I think is very sanitary and good for preserving the skincare benefits of the product. You dispense the product by pushing the top of the bottle, and let me just say that it was a very sad moment when I pushed down on there and no more product came out. A real tragedy.

Although I did not really see any skincare benefits from using the product, possibly because I am always switching up skincare products, this BB cream was fantastic as a makeup product. It is very easy to blend in with fingers, brushes, or sponges. I typically apply BB creams with a Beauty Blender sponge, mostly because the sponge is easy to wash daily and applies product very quickly in the mornings, and when blended in this product looks very natural on the skin. Although it cannot completely cover up spots and scars, this product has fairly high coverage and can cover up all the redness in my skin, so that is good enough for me for a daily basis. Will definitely repurchase soon.