Conditioner -ISO - Hydracondition
atlas84 5/1/2011 2:17:00 PM
SCORE! I'm a guy with thick, naturally wavy hair that has lots of body and volume. I also have seborrheic dermatitis and have to watch the products I use. I've searched high and low for a hair conditioner that was cetyl alcohol free (at least in high quantities), was lightweight and rinsed easily from my hair, made my hair feel soft and smooth without weighing it down too heavily, and did not cause breakouts on my scalp and hairline. A tall order, I know. I think I've found the perfect conditioner right here. It rinses cleanly, has not caused me one problem and provides just the right amount of moisture for my hair. The product doesn't smell so great in the bottle but there is no lingering smell once applied and rinsed from the hair. This conditioner does contain silicones, which I have no problem with but if you are anti-silicone, you may want to steer clear. I found this at a local beauty supply store for only $10. Will definitely repurchase.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Complete with SPF 15 Lotion
atlas84 5/1/2011 2:10:00 PM
My go-to daily moisturizer with SPF. While I am not religious about sunscreen use (sunshine-generated vitamin D is good for you), I do like to use a light SPF for daytime during the sunny months of the year since I do tan easily (but do not burn easily) and use Retin-A most nights. I gravitate to sunscreens that are combinations of zinc oxide and chemical filters, which this product contains. The first time I tried this product it was a bit greasy feeling, so I discontinued usage. I think that over time my skin's oil production balanced out, so I reintroduced this product into my routine. I'm glad I did. It soaks in well, does not cause additional shininess to my face during the day, and sits comfortably on my skin. It also does not clog my pores and has not caused breakouts. I did try the reformulated product Olay introduced a while ago and disliked it immensely. The "classic gentle formula" is much better and can be found at Costco in a two-pack for about $17. UPDATE 7/31/11: For summer, this is a bit heavy for my skin. Will keep it around for winter use.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Nature's Gate - Tea Tree Oil Shampoo
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:47:00 PM
I tried Paul Mitchell's tea tree shampoo to help clear up my seborrheic dermatitis. While that product had it's pluses and minuses (more of the latter), this tea tree shampoo was much better. I think it cleaned better without overdrying my hair and was gentler on my scalp. It also smells very good. Not as minty as the Paul Mitchell shampoo but very earthy and pleasant. I didn't end up using the entire bottle so I used it up as body wash to see if it would help with body acne. Worked fine for cleansing, but didn't clear up any body acne. (Side note: I reviewed the old version of this shampoo that contained sodium laureth sulfate, I've not tried this product since being reformulated without sulfates.)
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Conditioner -Paul Mitchell - Invigorating tea tree conditioner
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:44:00 PM
I used this conditioner in conjunction with the matching Paul Mitchell shampoo (reviewed separately). While the shampoo was not to my liking, I really did like this conditioner. It lightly conditioned my hair, didn't weigh it down, and did not seem to aggravate my seborrheic dermatitis. However, I think time took its toll and the peppermint oil (and possible tea tree oil) made my scalp very sensitive and irritated. I used this conditioner with different shampoos and did not develop sores and scabs on my scalp, so this product was not responsible for those. This product does smell kinda funky, but it's an earthy, minty smell and I actually like it. I don't like the sweet, coconut-y smell of Paul Mitchell's other conditioners.
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Shampoo -Paul Mitchell - Cleanse- Tea Tree Special Shampoo
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:41:00 PM
I've used this shampoo off and on for about two years. I wanted to see if tea tree oil would help treat my seborrheic dermatitis. The first time I used this product it made my entire body itchy, so I stopped using it. After a few months I tried it again and really liked the results. I used it in conjunction with the matching conditioner (reviewed separately) and liked that it cleaned my hair well. However, my scalp started to rebel and I got a lot of sores and scabs, which were often painful and uncomfortable. I blame the high sodium lauryl sulfate content in this shampoo for that (some are more sensitive to that surfactant than others). Also, while the invigorating rush of peppermint felt great on my scalp, that may have been too irritating over time as well. I've discontinued use of this product. (Side note: if I had to rate the smell of this product, it would be five stars. It's AWESOME!)
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Hair -Unlisted Brand - Prell Rinse Clean Shampoo
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:35:00 PM
Prell, where have you been all my life?! Excellent, excellent shampoo! I have a picky scalp that is prone to seborrheic dermatitis and this is a terrific shampoo if you have an unpredictable scalp. I use this product up to twice per day (once in the morning and one or two times at night) and my hair and scalp are not left dry or irritated. My hair texture can range from slightly dry to slightly oily and this shampoo seems to have helped balance that out. Prell has this reputation of being an outdated product more worthy of removing tough stains out of carpets, but this is far and away one of the best products I've used. I would not recommend this product if your hair is color treated (Prell will strip the color out) or very, very dry. Otherwise, this is a fantastic drugstore buy.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Aveeno - Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:28:00 PM
I bought a trial size of this at Bed Bath and Beyond. I'm always on the hunt for a good conditioner that makes my hair soft and manageable without weighing it down (I'm a guy with thick, naturally wavy hair with lots of volume and body). Also, it must not aggravate the seborrheic dermatitis that persists on my scalp and back of my neck. At first, this product worked really well and I loved the way it made my hair feel. After about a week of daily use (once in the morning after shampooing), I started to get large bumps along my hair line and back of my scalp. Sadly, this conditioner is a no-go and had to pitch it. It has a lot of silicones in it, but I've used other silicone conditioners without issues. I don't recommend this if you have SD or a picky scalp.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Aveeno - Skin Relief Body Wash Fragrance Free
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:23:00 PM
Love this product. If you find Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing Body Wash a bit too moisturizing, this is a good alternative from the same company. It cleans well and does not overdry the skin. While being labeled "fragrance free," this body wash does have a light herbal smell due to the extracts in the body wash. I actually like the smell. Highly recommend for everyone, but if your skin is highly sensitive to extracts you may want to pass over this one.
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Gels/Soaps -Aveeno - Moisturizing Body Wash
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:20:00 PM
I like this body wash for the winter when the skin on my body can get a bit drier. It's plenty moisturizing, but can feel a bit hard to rinse. I get acne on my body but this does not cause acne or make it worse. The fragrance is nice and does not bother me at all. I've even tried this to wash my hair and it made it feel clean and moisturized.
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Lotions/ Creams -Aveeno - Daily Moisturizing Lotion
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:18:00 PM
My everyday hand lotion that I've been using for years. I have an aversion to hand lotions that just feel like grease on my skin (lookin' at you, Lubriderm). This particular lotion is lightweight, absorbs quicky, and makes my hands feel soft and smooth. Being fragrance free is an added bonus. I use this at home and at work, and I know my coworkers steal a few pumps when I'm not looking.
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Shave Products -Aveeno - Therapeutic Shave Gel
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:10:00 PM
A great shaving gel for guys (and girls, too)! I used Gillette for Sensitive Skin (blue gel) and Edge for Sensitive Skin (orange cap) for several years before trying this product. It's awesome! Gives a nice, close shave with little to no irritation. The product is labeled as "no added fragrance," which is true, but the product has a light, oaty smell that doesn't bother me since it contains a high amount of oat extracts. I bought this product when it was still being sold in the old packaging that was rust-prone, which made me adverse to repurchasing. Aveeno has since improved the packaging thus eliminating that annoyance.
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Moisturizers -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Moisture Gel
atlas84 5/1/2011 1:03:00 PM
I bought this to use as a night-time moisturizer to use in conjunction with Retin-A Micro to help alleviate the dryness and flakiness one gets from prescription retinoids. It does a great job! It is silicone based so it has a smooth finish (I have no issues with silicones) and contains a good amount of niacinamide and antioxidants. A moisturizer with a smooth, matte finish loaded with great ingredients is exactly what I was looking for and this product fits that bill. I will say I was a bit concerned at first since this product contains high amounts of wheat germ oil and seaweed extract, and those ingredients can be very comedogenic for some. So far I've experienced no negative side effects and my skin looks and feels better. Definitely a welcome addition to my skin care routine. UPDATE: 7/31/11 I've been using this at night after applying Retin-A Micro and it still works very well. Every now and then I would get a clogged pore on my face where I don't usually get them and initially suspected this product to be the culprit. However, continued use has shown something else may have been the cause. Definitely keeping this moisturizer as part of my routine. UPDATE 12/17/11: While I like the texture of this moisturizer very much, I'm sad to conclude it causes me to breakout. Each time I've used it I get small clogged pores on the most clog-prone areas of my face. When I use a different moisturizer with Retin-A Micro (or none at all), no clogs or breakouts occur. Reducing rating to 4 since I can't use it on my entire face. Going to use the rest of the tube I have under my eyes.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Paula's Choice - Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser - Normal to Oily/Combination Skin
atlas84 5/1/2011 12:57:00 PM
This cleanser just doesn't suit my skin. I tried a few samples of this and wasn't impressed. My T-zone can get very oily and I need a cleanser that can thoroughly clean but not dry out my skin too much. While my skin felt clean after using, I felt like I had to rub much harder than usual just to clean my face. That would lead to excessive irritation which will just bother my skin. To me, this product is just glorified Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Little cleansing ability (for my skin at least) and nothing special.
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Cleansers -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser
atlas84 5/1/2011 12:52:00 PM
I tried a few samples of this and thought it was OK. Not a bad product but maybe not the best for me, either. I'm a bit hesitant to use this cleanser regularly since it has some ingredients that could potentially aggravate my mild acne and seborrheic dermatitis (specifically sunflower seed oil, stearic acid, and some other thickeners/moisturizing agents). My face did feel clean, slightly moisturized, and comfortable after cleansing. I may consider trying a full-size of this product down the road. UPDATE 7/31/11: I ended up buying a full size of this and after two uses, my skin felt much drier and I think it actually caused my SD to flare up a bit. Not good, won't repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant
atlas84 5/1/2011 12:49:00 PM
After using the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment as a post-shave BHA exfoliator for quite some time, I decided to take the plunge and give this classic Paula's Choice BHA exfoliant a try. So far, so good! This product has a slightly sticky feel and glossy finish if you use too much, so I think I need to figure out the right amount to use. Will update my review after a few weeks of usage. UPDATE 12/17/11: Okay, review was updated a few months after my initial review, but better late than never, right? After trying several times to like this stuff, I just can't do it. No matter how little I use, I still get a greasy finish left behind. I've tried applying with my fingertips and a cotton pad, still greasy each time. It's not so bad if I apply it to an area on my body (shoulders, arms, etc.) but on my face, it is a no-go. I tried a sample of the PC 2% BHA gel and it was slightly better, but had a tacky finish. I am sticking with the Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment as my post-shave BHA exfoliator.
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