BB Cream -Unlisted Brand - Rachel K - CC Cream Blemish Balm: Mineral Color Control
evyyhl 4/19/2013 2:24:00 AM
I'm a realistic person and don't believe in the multifunctional claims stated on the product package. I honestly think this product is overrated. I have been using it for 1 and a half month as a foundation alternative. I didn't change anything to my skin care regimen and my skin hasn't been reactive before I try this product. Here are my thoughts about this CC cream: Texture: It has a lotion-light cream texture, yet it's oil free. It's not greasy and thick like the Juice beauty CC cream. It gives you a MATTE finish so if you have oily skin, this is a good choice for you. It gives streaks on your face if you "RUB" it on your face. The package instruction tells you to "PAT" the product in a "PATTING" motion all over the face. I think it's because this product contains mostly "silicones" & it's very drying, so if you try to rub it, it will look nasty & you will have streaks on your face. Anyway, I don't really like the "PATTING" motion application because it takes quite a while to apply. It's also drying for my skin because I'm using retinol. Coverage: This has similar coverage to all the other Asian BB creams I tried (Missha, SKIN79 pink label, Etude house precious BB cream). The coverage is medium so I give it 1 STAR. I do like the coverage because it's better than the Juice Beauty CC cream, which offers NO COVERAGE at all!! Ingredients: I'm skeptical about the "actual ingredients" in this product. When I received this product, the ingredients listed on the box did not match with the ingredient listed on the tube. I guess there were 2 different formulations out there. It has PARABEN as a preservative & fewer skin beneficial ingredients compare to other BB creams. Although it states on the package as a Non-comedogenic product, it still clogs my pore terribly. I get little white bumps after wearing it for a few days. I stopped using the product for 5 days to see if my skin condition improved & it did. So I know this product was clogging my pores. So far it hasn't cause any cyst acne. I don't see any skin improvements based on what the package claims. Conclusion: I think this is a cheap Asian BB cream that is marketed as CC cream. They market it as CC cream so they can charge higher price. Most of the ingredients are inexpensive except the "human oligopeptide". It's hard to find in the stores or online. I had to buy it from a seller on EBay and have it ship all the way from Singapore. After the results I see (basically no positive improvements on my skin) with clogged pores, I won't repurchase this again. I'm done with the CC cream hype!! I will try the Boscia BB cream instead. Boscia makes a new lighter shade of BB cream with much better ingredients and NO PARABENS. I ordered it today. I'm excited to give it a try & write a review about it. Update: This CC cream is going to the trash can!! My skin starts to develop mysterious red bumps and they are very itchy!!! I'm done with the CC cream hypes. I'm sure that cosmetic companies will come up with similar creams, but they will call them DD cream, EE creams, etc and claim that they are much better than BB cream or CC cream. I'm sure you get the idea why they are doing that!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Estee Lauder - Time Zone- Anti-Line/Wrinkle Eye Creme
evyyhl 3/1/2013 5:51:00 PM
I got this eye cream as part of the GWP from Estee Lauder.com. I wasn't impressed with this eye cream, but the ingredients in this eye cream are probably better than other EL or department store brand eye creams that contain fragrance & coloring. I give 1 star for the reason below: Ingredients: This eye cream seems to contain better ingredients compare to other depart. store brands I tried in the past. It has more botanical extracts, NO fragrance, & NO parabens. I took off 4 stars for the following reasons: No skin care benefit: Although it contains many botanical extracts, it doesn't moisturize my eyes very well. I'm a realistic person. I don't believe any miraculous claims from many cosmetic company. All I care about from an eye cream is to moisturize my skin. I have some fine lines underneath my eyes but NO severe deep wrinkles yet. I think the most critical feature of an eye cream is to provide moisture so my fine lines don't get worse! However, despite having many botanical extracts, this eye cream does not moisturize the skin around my fine lines. It seems to make my fine lines look worse!! There is also no scientific evidence to show whether these botanical extracts have anti-wrinkle benefits. Skin irritation: The skin around my eyes develops red bumps. The corner of my eyes has little patches of rashes. Expansive: I wouldn't pay $52 for a 0.5 oz. jar of eye cream that gives me rash around my eyes. Conclusion: I will not purchase this eye cream since it irritated my skin. I end up using this eye cream around my neck & chest. I like simple skin care regimen so having different skin care creams for different regions of my face is too much trouble! I'm switching to Juice Beauty Treatment oil. It's much cheaper, USDA certified organic, & I can use it on both my face & around the eye area. I will write a review about it once I have used it for more than 1 month.
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Moisturizers -Estee Lauder - Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Creme SPF 15
evyyhl 3/1/2013 5:34:00 PM
I got this moisturizer as part of the GWP from Estee Lauder.com. I received a whole set of Advanced time zone moisturizers (day cream w/SPF15, night cream, and eye cream). This day cream is okay & nothing special. I give 2 stars for the following: Texture: Absorbs well & goes on smooth! It's not oily & doesn't sit on my face forming a silicon film. Ingredients: Compare to other department brands, Estee Lauder incorporates more botanical extracts, skin beneficial ingredients, and NO parabens. So I think spending the same amount or more $$ buying other brands such as Lancome, Chanel, Christian Dior is just not worth the money. Many of these brands don't have any skin beneficial ingredients & contains many harmful irritants & fragrances. I took off 3 stars for the following reasons: Skin irritation: Both the night cream & the Day cream w/SPF 15 are NOT for sensitive skin. The night cream contains coloring dye & fragrance, while the day cream has fragrance. I like the ideas of adding LOTS of botanical extracts in the "Advance Time Zone" line of Estee Lauder (EL), but some of "natural" extracts irritate my skin & give me red bumps. The red bumps evolve into rashes & my chin breaks out with many large cysts, even though the EL website claimed "non-acnegenic" on the Advance Time Zone moisturizers!! Also the coloring dyes & fragrance probably contribute to the skin irritation as well!! Packaging: It doesn't come in a pump. I prefer skin care product to be dispensed from a pump so it's more sanitary. Expansive: You can buy "organic" botanical exacts and peptide skin cream from many health food stores & only pay 50% less of EL products. EL claimed on its website that extensive scientific research had been performed to show efficacy?! These claims are not only biased, but also there are no peer-reviewed scientific published journals to support the effectiveness of these wrinkle creams. The Advance Time Zone skin care line is not bad if you have NORMAL SKIN and if you can afford them!! Many customers believe department store skin care brands are "better" for their skin. EL is probably better than other major dept. store brands since their skin care incorporates a tremendous amount of botanical extracts & other beneficial ingredients. If you have ultra sensitive and/or acne prone skin, you may want to be cautious when trying out these creams.
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Moisturizers -Estee Lauder - Verite Calming Fluid
evyyhl 2/27/2013 2:33:00 AM
I had high hopes for this moisturizer due to many great reviews at the MakeupAlley. I've been looking for a light-weight moisturizer that will sooth my irritate & ultrasensitive skin due to the side effects of using Tazorac. However, this "calming" fluid did not moisturize my skin at all but made my chin and nose broke out. Texture: Some what watery texture that's similar to DHC emollient balm. Goes on smooth & gives me a shiny complexion. Ingredients/Fragrance: There is no fragrance in this calming fluid. I took off one star because this moisturizer is overpriced & is filled with "cheap" silicon ingredients. The ingredients are "cheap" & definitely don't add up to the price of this calming fluid. The point I'm trying to make here is that I overpaid ($65) for this calming fluid that made my chin broke out & gave me blackheads. So I don't think it's worth the price! Moisturization: It does not moisturize my skin at all. My skin looks shiny with a thin film on the surface, but it does get absorbed after a while, then my skin dries out again. So the moisturizing power is not very strong. On the Estee Lauder website, it suggests using the combination of calming fluid and calming cream together. I think the cream may be too heavy and can cause me to break out. Also I don't feel like paying over $120 for skin care products that are made of cheap ingredients and are not suitable for my skin condition. I give 3 stars for the following reason (2013 formulation): 1) It contains ceramide & green tea exact --> both are good anti-aging ingredients but not miracle ingredients. 2) Fragrance free --> great for sensitive skin because fragrance can irritate sensitive or acne prone skin. 3) Pump dispenser --> less contamination when dispensing the product. But the glass bottle is heavy and breakable, so it's not good for traveling. Conclusion: I will not repurchase this expansive "fluid" that provides no benefits to my skin!! I'm switching to acne.org's moisturizer. It's much cheaper and doesn't seem to break me out. I'm going to use it for at least one month then write a review about it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Juice Beauty - Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
evyyhl 2/21/2013 7:30:00 PM
I've been using this for one month & everything else stayed the same on my skin care regimen. Here are my thoughts about this product: Texture: It's thick & creamy but not hard to spread compare to other full coverage foundation I have tried in the past such as Estee Lauder Resilience Lifting foundation, Estee Lauder Maximum coverage foundation, MAC face & body foundation, etc. Easy to spread is important to me because I'm using Tazorac & my skin peels like crazy. When a facial product is too thick & very hard to spread, I end up rubbing my facial skin too hard & the skin will peel & crack. So far this hasn't happen to me when I use this CC cream. Smell: The smell doesn't bother me at all. I read other reviews online & many people complain about the smell. It smells similar to a very light herbal bergamot, citrus & sandlewood scent. It goes away after a while. I think it smells better than the cheap artificial fragrance from many of the department store foundations I'd tried in the past. If you like fruity, floral or artificial fragrance smell, this CC cream may smell terrible to you. Coverage: This CC cream has NO coverage at all!! It only slightly evens out my skin tone but DOES NOT COVER UP ANY MAJOR BLEMISHES! This is the reason why I took off 1 star from this review. Don't expect this cream to be like a regular foundation (I like my foundation to provide medium coverage at least). The coverage doesn't seem to be buildable either. I use this as an 3-in-1 moisturizer. It serves as a sunscreen, moisturizer, & primer. It makes my skin more dewy, even, hydrated & healthy. I don't look like I'm wearing any makeup at all. Since it gives you a dewy look, if you like "MATTE" finish BB cream or foundation, you may not like this CC cream at all. I like my skin care steps to be simple because it saves me time, so this 3-in-1 moisturizer idea is great for me. Skincare effects: So far it hasn't break me out yet!! So this is great news for me! The package claims that it's a 12-in-1 Super moisturizer. I don't think it does anything for me on my skin except keeping it moisturized during the day. Of course this is critical for me because using Tazorac makes my skin super sensitive & dry during the day. I don't know about how well it will prevent sunburn because I haven't gone to the beach with this CC cream yet. I'm sure it at least provides decent sun protection when you do daily activities. But it probably won't give you enough protection if you surf, swim or do outdoor activities for an extended period of time. Conclusion: I will keep buying this because I don't have to spend money to buy 3 different products to use in the morning & it keeps my skin hydrated. I brush on a very thin layer of SunCat Mineral foundation when I want a MATTE look or slightly more coverage. I also dot a little mineral foundation on the acne scars when I need more coverage. When I need a "FULL FACE" makeup, I use L'Oreal's Visible Lift foundation (silicon + loads of chemicals foundation) or 100% pure foundation. The texture & coverage of this L'Oreal's foundation is very similar to Estee Lauder's Resilience Lifting foundation except it's $20 cheaper!! It's also less likely to cause blackheads on my face compare to EL's Resilience Lifting foundation. Update 3/26/2013 --> I decided to NOT repurchase this after I finish my first tube because I don't like the greasy feel & shiny look of this CC cream when I use it as a sunscreen & moisturizer. I want more coverage than this CC cream can offer. I look at the ingredients on Juice Beauty website and it's very similar to their tinted moisturizer, which also offers NO coverage with a TERRIBLE GREASY thick layer on top of my face. I tried the Rachel K's CC cream once when I was at my friend's house. I like the texture & coverage much better!! I will purchase the Rachel K's CC cream to try it out.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -DHC - Deep Cleansing Oil
evyyhl 2/19/2013 9:20:00 PM
My skin is extremely sensitive, breakout prone & often gets irritated when using the WRONG skin care products!! I liked the idea of oil cleansing method but this method did not work on my skin at all. I used Shu Uemura's High performance cleansing oil (pink bottle) once. It was very expansive & contains mostly cheap ingredients like mineral oil, silicon fillers & strong fragrance. It burned my skin & gave me rash! I wanted something that would remove my makeup. I did extensive research on various brands of cleansing oil and their ingredients. DHC cleansing oil contains the Least amount of ingredients & NO fragrance. So I decided to give it a try. Pros: I give 2 stars for the following reason. 1) It contains very few ingredients so it's less likely to cause skin irritations compare to other brands of cleansing oils that are filled with artificial colors, fragrance, fillers & irritants. 2) It's fragrance free so it's great for sensitive skin. Cons: I took off 3 stars for the following reason. 1) Expansive --> This cleansing oil is not affordable considering the ingredients are relatively cheap. At $28 (plus tax & shipping) for 6.7 oz., it should have contained organic olive & rosemary oils. 2) Not available in stores --> This is inconvenient when you have to order it from the DHC's website & it charges more for shipping. I bought a small bottle 2.3 oz. from DHC website to try it. However, if this is the only product of DHC that you love, you can buy it at amazon.com for $27.50 (6.7 oz.) + free shipping!! 3) Causes breakout --> I know there are many great reviews at MakeupAlley regarding how this cleansing oil has helped acne prone skin. Unfortunately, this cleansing oil does the opposite on my skin. It took me a while to figure out this was breaking me out & completely ruined my skin!! I developed cystic acne all over my face with an unattractive looking strawberry nose (very red, swelling + blackheads all over my nose)!! I read reviews on acne.org about oil cleansing method & I wasn't the only one who suffered from severe cystic acne outbreak from cleansing oil!! Conclusion: I will never purchase this oil again or use any other oil to remove makeup & clean my face. This oil is GREAT FOR Dry, Normal, or Combination skin that are not acne prone. If you have combination, acne prone & sensitive skin like me, you may want to think twice before using cleansing oil. It has been 3 months & my face has cleared up 50%, but I have red acne marks on my face that may take months to years to fade. Now I use Neutrogena's oil free eye makeup remover on my eyes & part of my face that's covered with makeup. It doesn't cause any irritation or breakout on my skin. It is also a lot cheaper than the Shu Uemura or DHC cleansing oils.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Olay - Regenerist Micro-Sculpting SERUM
evyyhl 2/14/2013 12:21:00 AM
This review is for the FRAGRANCE FREE version!! I was excited that Olay came out with the fragrance free version of this serum since I thought this may be a good substitute for the "ESTEE LAUDER" Advance Night repair serum. This serum has many good reviews & the price is a lot better for my wallet. However, this serum is NO comparison to the advance night repair serum. Note: This serum is the ONLY new item I added into my skin care regimen. Everything else I'm using have been the same products, so I'm sure what my skin is experiencing is due to this serum. Texture: It's somewhat thick & very STICKY with a shimmery glitter appearance. I think it's from the light reflecting pigments that were added to the serum. It doesn't absorb into my skin at all & sits on my face, forming a sticky film. It forms clusters of tiny particles if you rub on the stick film by accident. Effects: I'm a realistic person & don't expect the 5-day perfect skin miracle as stated on the Olay serum package!! This is what the box says: -Younger-looking skin without drastic measures -Instantly, skin is hydrated -After just 5 days, skin is firmer -Skin looks brighter, more radiant This only thing I expect is more "hydrated" skin after 5 days because I'm using Tazorac to control my acne & it dries out my skin. Unfortunately this serum does NOT even moisturize my skin at all, but it makes my skin very ITCHY with tiny red bumps for the first 2 days of use. Then I begin to notice tiny white non-inflammatory acne forming underneath my skin that is still very ITCHY. My conclusion about this serum is to be careful if you have extremely sensitive skin. I'm still recovering from the "damages" caused by this serum. I'm glad I've never tried the "Fragrance" version since it might contain even more irritating ingredients. I'm going back the the Advance night repair serum.
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BB Cream -Etude - Etude House Precious Minerals Bright Fit BB cream SPF 30
evyyhl 2/5/2013 9:07:00 PM
This BB cream sounds like a perfect magic cream that will make ALL your skin problem go away!! For me, this BB cream causes more damage to my skin than anything else I have used!! The ingredients are GREAT for people with normal, dry, or aging skin, but NOT for oily and/or acne prone skin. The first 2 days my skin looked fine but after using it for one week, it DESTROYED my skin. My pores were clogged with white bumps all over my T-zones and VERY large inflammatory cystic acne around my chin. I stopped using it and was determined to find out WHY this BB cream exacerbated my acne so badly!! This BB cream contains Codium Tomentosium Extract (seaweed extract), Ecklonia Cava Extract (a type of brown algae), and Gelidum Cartilagineum Extract (red algae). I read online blogs and scientific articles about comedogenic ingredients. Algae extracts are ranked as one of the most comedogenic ingredient. This explains why I always get severe acne outbreaks whenever I use BB cream (I used Skin 79 pink label, Missa, Dr. Jart, etc)!! Most of the BB creams are very Thick and contain algae extract or many comedogenic ingredients (like Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristal Myristate, Laureth-4). I know there are many excellent reviews about this BB cream. This review is more helpful for people with very sensitive and easily clogged acne prone skin. My conclusion for this BB cream is --> STAY AWAY from this BB cream (and ALL other BB creams that contain algae extract) if you have ACNE ISSUES!!
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -DHC - Cleansing Foam
evyyhl 1/17/2013 2:37:00 AM
This cleansing foam is as expansive as the department store brand (if you divide the price per ounce). In my opinion, it's NOT worth the price. The foamy texture reminds me of Clinique's Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser. It doesn't have fragrance so it's less likely to cause skin irritation. Here are some pros about this cleanser: -It cleans extremely well and takes off everything on my face. My face feels "squeaky" afterward. -Nice, soft and creamy foam makes washing face a good experience. Here is the down side: This cleanser has a VERY high pH (I measured the pH with a pH strip) as compare to a regular bar soap or dish detergent. High pH cleansers tend to strip skin's natural protective barrier away. Of course my skin was peeling & dry when I used this cleanser to wash my face. Perhaps this is due to the drying effects of Tazorac on my skin. So I need to use a milder facial cleanser that will not dry my skin. For this reason I discontinue using this and will not repurchase.
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Moisturizers -DHC - Emollient Balm
evyyhl 1/17/2013 2:19:00 AM
I wanted to try a light weight moisturizer so I could alternate it with my favorite Bubble & Bee Organic Face Cream (it has shea butter & rosehip oil so it's very heavy) for my extremely sensitive acne prone skin. Despite the poor reviews of this product on this site, I still wanted to try this product because I liked the concepts of DHC and I read some good reviews on DHC's site (maybe biased) and else where. Here are my comments about this Emollient Balm: Texture: It has a very thin and watery consistency. So I think the word "Balm" on the packaging may be misleading!! The light weight texture is suitable for oily and combination skin. Smell: It smells like a combination of oat meal, milk and an odd honey smell (probably comes from the royal jelly). So it doesn't have a sweet honey aroma. However, the smell doesn't bother me at all. I think it's better that skin care products don't contain "harmful artificial fragrance" chemicals. The fragrance chemicals can give me very bad headaches & allergic skin reactions. Luckily this "balm" (watery lotion) does not cause headache for me. Results: It does provide enough hydration but that's about it. It's not a miracle lotion. I've been using this balm for 2 months but everything else in my skin care stays the same. My skin did not react to it for the 1st 3 weeks. Then I noticed some white bumps on my face. I wasn't sure whether it's acne or not? I kept getting more and more small white bumps on my face. With the help of Tazorac (retinol cream), these white stuff finally emerged to the surface so I could squeeze them out. I'm guessing they were non-inflammatory acne underneath my skin. I stopped using this balm & the white bumps didn't reappear. Packaging: It's in a glass bottle with pump. I like the packaging, but it's not easy to travel with. Ingredients: Although I like the philosophy of DHC company, I don't like the "PLACENTAL PROTEIN" ingredient in this balm. I found some reviews indicated that these animal proteins were derived from cell cultures (but what kind of animal's cells did they come from) according to DHC. I prefer skin care products without animal ingredients (my personal preference), although both animal or plant derived ingredients can cause skin sensitivity and allergic reactions. So I will not repurchase this.
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BB Cream -Jane Iredale - Glow Time BB Cream
evyyhl 10/18/2012 1:37:00 AM
I have been using Origin's Stay Tuned Foundation for a while without any problems, but I want to try a BB cream since it's so popular in the U.S. & Asia. I searched many brands of BB cream including the Asian brands. I tried the "SKIN 79 PINK LABEL" BB cream & it broke me out terribly because it had isopropyl palmitate + other acne causing ingredients. Since my skin breaks out easily & is prone to allergic response, I try to avoid products with long ingredient list, natural w/o many toxic chemicals, fragrance-free, & cruelty free. This BB cream fits all the criteria I'm looking for so I decide to give it a try despite the price is expansive. I have been using it for 3 months & nothing has changed in my skin care routine. Here is my review of this product after using it for 3 months: TEXTURE --> This is more like a "FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION" then a BB cream. It is extremely thick so if you don't moisturize your skin well, you will see white streaks & look cakey. I'm using Tazorac (the strongest type of retinol) & my skin can be dry after using retinol. This BB cream enhances the flakiness of my skin & make it look dry if I don't moisturize it well. The down side is that it is very difficult to blend despite that it contains silicon ingredients (silicon compounds is supposed to allow foundation to glide smoothly on the skin). It does provides a dewy look on my face but it looks too shiny after a few hours. COLOR: THIS IS NOT COLOR ADJUSTING LIKE OTHER BB CREAM (therefore I think of this product as a "FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION")!! So if you get the wrong color, you will look like you are wearing a white ghost mask or have strange orange tan on your face. I tried out the BB7 in the store & it was TOO ORANGE for me so I bought the BB5. It is much whiter than my skin but the SA told me this BB cream will SELF-ADJUST its color to match my skin color. I put this on & it looks like a white ghost mask on my face. The color doesn't 'self-adjust" to my skin color after a few hours & I still look like a ghost mask. SKIN REACTION: No itching, burning, or unpleasant allergic reactions. I started to get small bumps on my face & LOTS OF BLACKHEADS after using it for 2 months. I know the packaging says it's NON-COMEDOGENIC but it still clogs my pores. Maybe its thick texture causes blackheads on my nose. After trying it for 3 months, I'm done with this product & going back to the origin's foundation which is much lighter & friendly to my skin. I'm not writing this review to discourage you from buying this good product because there are many good reviews about this product. I think as long as your skin doesn't have so many problems like my skin, then this is a great BB cream for you!! If you have acne prone skin, this cream might still cause breakout or blackheads. Because of my skin problems, I will not repurchase this but I still think this is a great product for people with normal skin.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Bubble and Bee- Organic Anti-Aging Face Cream
evyyhl 10/8/2012 7:08:00 PM
I LOVE this face cream. It sounds intimidating using a face cream with oil and butter for someone with very reactive & acne prone sensitive skin. I have been using this face cream on and off for about 2 years. The first time I tried it, I thought in only keeps my face moisturize and doesn't do anything else like other magical night creams with magical effects claim by many cosmetic companies. I was looking for a cream with unrealistic magical effects so I didn't repurchase after the 1st try. Then I tried many expansive dept. store brands like Shiseido, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Sisley etc...the list goes on & on until they all ruined my skin and caused countless times of break outs. I received a holiday sale offer from the Bubble & Bee website & decided to try it again since I did not experience any negative side effects with this cream. I tried it the 2nd time then stopped since I received other brands of face cream as birthday gifts or presents. I got my fiancé to try this face cream since he did not use any skin care & his face was always dry with flakes from psoriasis medications. He has very sensitive skin & is prone to psoriasis outbreak so I was glad this cream works great for him. He was hooked on this cream & started using this religiously. I followed his footstep & stopped switching between different brands. Here is my review for the cream: Texture --> very nice and creamy. I need to be careful not using too much b/c it can be too oily if you use too much. Effect --> keeps my skin healthy & moisturized!! No unreal magical claims like other face cream I have purchased. Also, it is fragrance free which is a bonus. Many heavily fragranced face creams make me sneeze & give me headaches. My skin also burns & gets rashes when I use a face cream with synthetic chemicals that make the cream smell good. Ingredients --> They are the BEST ingredients you can find. It's simple & organic. Face creams with too many ingredients often clogs my pores, make me break out, or cause allergic reactions. With only 3 ingredients, I know which ingredient my skin will react badly to!! Luckily, my skin loves these ingredients so far & has not have any bad reactions. I finally find my stable skin care regimen & my acne condition is under control: I use an organic face wash like 100% pure or Avalon's Organic from Whole Foods. When I'm wearing makeup, I use DHC cleansing oil to remove makeup. I follow up with an organic toner. My favorite brand is the 100% pure brightening tonic. Morning: Kiss my face Face Factor SPF 50 Sunscreen. It keeps my face well moisturized b/c I'm using retinol which makes my skin very dry & often peels & flakes during the day. Evening: Use cleanser & toner first, then Tazorac (retinol) cream. I wait for 20 min. for the Tazorac cream to be absorbed, then I apply the Bubble & Bee Organics Face Cream.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - healthy defense daily moisturizer spf 50 with helioplex
evyyhl 9/20/2012 11:07:00 PM
I have tried many brands of sunscreens from very cheap to high ends and chemical or physical sunscreens (Banana boat, NO-AD, Aveeno, Shiseido, Lancome, La Mer, Trukid, Nature's Gate, etc). Many of the chemical sunscreens burn my face, sting my eyes, or dry out my face. The physical sunscreens give me a white mask look, breakouts, blackheads, and form a very thick and pasty layer on my skin. This is the only sunscreen that my skin can tolerate and does not burn, irritate, or causes breakouts. It's not greasy and goes on clear (no white mask look). It does make my face slightly shiny but that doesn't bother me. I like the high SPF and the helioplex formulation which is a more stable avobenzene compound. Hence I rate this sunscreen 3 stars. However, this sunscreen has parabens and many other unknown chemicals that may or may not be harmful for my skin. I feel that although I protect my skin from the sun by using sunscreen, I'm NOT taking care of my skin because I'm putting many unknown chemicals on my face everyday & I don't know the long term consequences. Therefore I take off 2 stars from the rating. Overall, I would repurchase this sunscreen until I find a better alternative that contains less chemicals & is better for my skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Matchmaker
evyyhl 8/2/2012 8:17:00 PM
I bought this foundation because I wanted to switch to a cruelty free foundation. I like Josie Maran's business concepts and beliefs but my skin does NOT like this foundation at all. I have extremely sensitive, reactive and acne prone skin. I must emphasize that I did not change my skin care regimen and the only thing changed was the foundation I used. This foundation broke me out big time. Here are my opinions about this foundation: 1) It provided light coverage but you could use many layers to create heavier coverage. 2) It did change color but I'm not sure if it matches my skin perfectly. It looked a little too yellow with orange tint on my face. 3) It claimed to have natural ingredients but they were chemicals if you searched them online. 4) It was very moisturizing and made my face looked shiny. 5) It made me broke out in large size cysts and created blackheads on my T-zone, forehead and chin. This has never happened before when I used other brands of foundation. Update: I want to give this foundation "0" star if it's possible. It has been more than a month since I stopped using this foundation. The large cysts are finally gone but my face has very large circular acne scars now. I'm using Tazorac but it may take more than 6 months to lighten up these dark acne scars. I don't think it's worth the risk to try this foundation if you have very reactive acne prone skin, so you don't end up like me.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -L'Occitane - 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
evyyhl 7/27/2012 1:24:00 PM
I work in the hospital and this hand cream is NOT moisturizing enough for my hands. I use alcohol foam (62% alcohol content) more than 80 times per day in the hospital and the high alcohol content destroys my hand. I use L'Occitane hand cream after I use the alcohol foam or wash my hands. It makes my hands feel soft for an hour then my hands begin to dry out again. Texture: Very creamy and thick. It's NOT greasy or oily but it leaves a waxy film on my hands. This is probably due the the chemical emulsifiers that are present in this hand cream. It is NOT the most natural hand cream you can buy on the market and I care about the ingredients in the skin care I use. It contains lots of questionable chemical ingredients and paraben that I can't even pronounce. Smell: It's NOT overpowering but it does smell like some sort of synthetic fragrance added to the baby lotion. In fact, many people said that they smell baby diaper cream after I put on this hand cream in the hospital. So I think this hand cream smells pleasant but it smells like baby lotion or diaper cream. Price: It's $26 (U.S. dollar) for a large 5 OZ. tube ($5.2 per OZ.) or $10 for an 1 OZ. tube. It's pricey but NOT as expansive as the department store brands like Clarins or Jurlique. However, I believe I can find cheaper and better hand creams at health food stores. Package: I hate the packaging. It's in a soft metal tube that looks like an acrylic paint tube. It's hard to squeeze out the cream. I don't think the soft metal tube is recyclable. Overall I think this is a great hand cream for daily use but it's NOT suitable for me since I work in the hospital. I prefer fragrance free hand cream with natural moisturizing oils. This hand cream is just not moisturizing for my hands especially I use alcohol foam very frequently at my job. I'm going to search for an organic hand cream in the health food or organic food stores that will work better for me.
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