Skin Breakthrough - Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

My cleanser dance continues...

Pears' was a good cleanser, but my skin was dry for days even after 1 use. I don't attribute this to Pears', however - my skin has just become increasingly sensitive over the years. Even the simplest products just won't do.

I reconsidered my options and thought back to what I did in high school/college. Back then, my staples were either Oil of Olay foaming cleanser, Clean & Clear foaming cleanser, or Clean & Clear cream cleanser.

I used the C&C cream cleanser the longest, stopping only after reading too many beauty magazines and convincing myself that it was too greasy for my combination/oily skin. But in retrospect, chances are that my skin issues then had more to do with lifestyle and stress than what cleanser I was using. My skin was never irritated or dry as a result of my cleanser then. Now in my 20s, I thought it would be worth a shot trying something similar.

I almost went for the C&C again, but thought that something "natural" might be a small step up. Since my Burt's Bees Peach & Willowbark Scrub has actually worked for me over the last few months, I decided to try the company's Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.

After 3 uses, I think it's safe to say that this is The balancing, non-drying, non-irritating cream cleanser for me. I also feel that it's better to have a slightly moisturizing cleanser (or one that leaves your skin's natural oil balance as is) instead of a drying/stripping cleanser after which you have to slather on some moisturizer anyway.

The Deep Cleansing Cream isn't thick or waxy in the least, but is still rich and soothing. It also washes off easily without leaving any residue. It definitely creates a slight "tingle" on application, which I would normally take to be a sign of irritating chemicals. But this hasn't led to any irritation, and the benefits far outweigh it.

I would recommend this as a safe, reliable cleanser if you're skin is somewhat combination/oily, or if you'd like something richer for the winter months. It might not be the best bet for very oily skin, but could be worth a try - the prevailing wisdom on these things isn't necessarily always correct.

Most of Burt's Bees products list how "natural" it is (this one is 97%), and contain no parabens, phthalates, or sulfates. If you're interested, take a look at this helpful page on their website which advises you on How To Read Your Personal Care Ingredient Labels. And yes, it is also a bargain. $7.99 @ Drugstores

Clearly Clear

So with the recent spate of hot and humid NYC days, I've been wearing very little makeup. But I have noticed my skin looking better lately, which got me wondering - which one of the eleventy million skin care products that I use have made the improvement?

I can't say that I'm diligent enough to use a product regularly -- I've got product ADD! -- so I was definitely a bit perplexed. But the answer hit me while I was in the shower this morning. There's one product that I've actually been using according to the label directions, and it appears to be making an extremely positive difference in my skintone and complexion.

I present to you: Clean & Clear SOFT In-Shower Facial. No, really. Clean & Clear. I swear. The same brand that many of us were introduced to in the mid-nineties when Johnson & Johnson introduced a gentler, more feminine approach to skin care. They've apparently been evolving the brand offerings over the past decade, and I picked up this product based on some glowing reviews on other beauty blogs.

And boy, they weren't kidding. C&C In-Shower Facial contains a combination of glycolic acid (AHA), clay, natural fruit acids, and exfoliating beads. The bottle instructs you to spread all over your face, and wait a minute while allowing the steam from your shower to activate the formula. After the minute is over, you massage into your face, and the gentle beads allow for a little bit of physical exfoliation. The instructions say to use this 1-3 times a week, and I've managed to keep that routine up, reaching for the bottle while I'm taking a shower.

The result is simply soft and glowing skin that's not tight or over-dry. I"m talking 'touchably soft' and 'pregnant woman glow' here. (Not pregnant, I swear!)

I'm really loving this product. My skin has achieved a smoother texture overall, and my acne scars have faded pretty significantly. Now, I count that as a miracle. I've been fortunate to have reasonably good skin my entire life, but a particularly heinous bout of hormonal acne in my early 20's left some hyperpigmented scars on my cheeks. Of late, I had been using foundation to cover them up; however, since I started using this product 3 months ago, I find that I don't mind going without.

The best part is - it's cheap! It retails for $6.99 and as part of JNJ's marketing campaign for this line, they've been running coupons on their brand site. With these kind of results, I'm definitely going to try out some of the other products in the SOFT line. I'll report back when I do!

$6.99 @ Drugstore.com