Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Oil Cleansing Method OCM
lillet 9/3/2007 9:52:00 PM
I love this method and have been using for over 3 months. I do OCM in the PM and Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream in the AM. Really has helped with my extremely stubborn blackheads. Periodically a once-clogged pore pushes a small hard ball of sebum to the surface of the skin and then it is clear. It took me a few tries to find the right oils and the right proportion. Here's what I've found: 1. I much prefer the castor oil sold at the healthfood store to the stuff in the laxative section of the drugstore. It's thinner and appears more refined. 2. My face doesn't like EVOO. I know it works great for lots of folks, but it breaks me out. 3. My face loves cold-pressed high quality safflower oil. I've found it really has to be the best brand possible. I love Rapunzel brand, but it's getting harder to find. Rapunzel is very very serious about preserving the oils and maintaining the oil's natural state. This brand of oils is a expensive compared to other brands, but at well under $10/liter this is still the cheapest cleanser I've ever used. I am not sure why but when I use cheaper brands of safflower, even those that say expeller-pressed, my face breaks out. 4. My proportion is 1/3 castor mixed with 2/3 safflower. If I add a greater proportion of castor, my skin gets too dried out. 5. I add a few drops of ylang-ylang. My oily skin responds well to this EO.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neal's Yard - Lavender Sun Screen
lillet 8/11/2007 3:27:00 PM
My new favorite! I use this every day on my face as sunblock. It is a zinc block. It is truly transparent once it has sunk in and also not greasy. Compared to the heaviness and oiliness of other natural sunscreens, this one is a dream. Seems like real lavender too.
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Shampoo -Dr. Hauschka - Shampoo with Macadamia and Orange for Normal Hair
lillet 4/4/2007 5:30:00 PM
I am obsessed with the scent of the Dr. H. products but not this one. In fact, the shampoo's smell really started to grate on my nerves after a few uses: it's too sweet and sticky smelling...and maybe almost Yankee Candle in its cloying intensity. I found it cleansed in an odd way that left my hair both a bit dryer on the ends than expected (something like straw), but also behaving like oily. hair. Now it should be said that I usually use the lowest sudsing shampoos possible. I hate squeaky clean and I avoid anything with SLS. But oddly, despite its claim for gentle-ness, this shampoo robbed my hair of shine and body (albeit only temporary and until I used another shampoo). Does it leave a residue? Is it too detergent? Not sure, but it's not for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cerave - Moisturizing Lotion
lillet 2/13/2007 8:38:00 AM
I have combinaiton (easily clogged skin) and I use this on my face (after Derm's rec). I think it is one of the best creams I have ever used. Recently went back on Retin-A for wrinkle reduction and to battle clogged pores. In the past, I have found that the first few weeks on Retin-A are rough: dry, chaffed, peeling, red skin. But this time, I have had no problem b/c I have been using this lotion which is incredibly light but seems to soothe and moisturize exceptionally well. It's also been the dead of winter with extremely low tempatures and my skin doesn't feel dry at all. A-m-a-z-i-n-g and so cheap.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Weleda - Everon Cold Cream
lillet 5/8/2006 9:55:00 AM
This is my bargain Dr. H. Rose Cream. It's very cheap for what it is. It's a very rich balm like cream. But for some reason, my combination skin likes it (unlike skinfood which breaks me out). I mostly used it this winter b/c I could afford Hauschka Rose cream. You must only use a small amount. Rub between palms to warm and press gently into damp skin. I don't use on areas of my face with open or clogged pores (nose area).
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Skincare - Face -Jurlique - Wrinkle Softener Beauty Cream
lillet 5/8/2006 9:47:00 AM
I bought this as an eye cream -- as suggested by the sales person. I hate the smell -- dowdy and old-fashioned but not in a good way -- in the same cloying family of scents as Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion. It's just a thick cream. I had to stop using after a week or two because it started to make my eye area itch and I think it may have been responsible for producing the huggest and hardest millia ever.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Dr. Hauschka - Cleansing Clay Mask
lillet 7/6/2005 9:29:00 AM
I have been using this mask in an unorthodox way and really liking it. I leave it on all night but just in the area where I have blackheads (nose) and I wake up to clearer pores. It doesn't overdry, but really absorbs the sebum in my combination skin. This overnight method has the side benefit of keeping my face less oily throughout the day. (Despite Dr.H. recommendation, I don't use this with the Facial Steam Bath. Steaming with FSB has caused me to break out.)
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Masks -Dr. Hauschka - Facial Steam Bath
lillet 7/6/2005 9:22:00 AM
Something about Dr. H's recommended combination of this Facial Steam Bath with the Cleansing Clay Mask makes me break out by the next morning on the areas where I have open pores (nose). This has ocurred on three seperate occasions with a month seperating each treatment and with no pimples present beforehand. I don't know exactly why this happens since most of the other Dr. H. products are so compatible with my skin. (I have no problems using the Clay Mask alone. In fact I really like it.) I suspect that something in the Steam Bath irritates my pores and produce pimples. I rarely get pimples, but irritation from a new product is a common trigger for me. I have thought of testing them individually and eliminating the one that is causing me trouble. But in the meantime, I am avoiding using either product.
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Bath Treatments -Dr. Hauschka - Lavender Bath
lillet 7/6/2005 9:12:00 AM
The scent of this product is intensely herbaceous and wonderfully earthy. It smells like live, growing plants in a way that other Lavendar products and Lavendar Essential Oils do not. I don't take baths very often but I am addicted to another used for this product. I use a few drops of this on a hot face cloth. Then I press this on my face as a hot compress before cleansing. I am not sure if this compress has any true effect on my skin but it feels relaxing and very soothing. (BTW, my skin is very sensitive to any cleansing product that would throw off it's PH. Any bar soap or soapy liquid cleanser breaks me out. I mention this hear because, I feared this might happen with the Lavendar Bath but I have never had a break out problem using this product in the manner described above.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Dr. Hauschka - Neem Oil Nail Care Stick
lillet 7/4/2005 12:42:00 PM
Whoah, I just experienced a miracle with this product. Don't keep reading if you are easily grossed out. My feet had been looking horrid lately. My cuticles were ragged; the skin on my toes wasdried up and ashen. I can't justify the expense of a pedicure right now, but was given this oil as a gift. I used this oil for 3 or 4 days on my feet and this morning I woke up and big chunks of dry skin had fallen off around my toenails, revealing beautiful smooth baby skin underneath. I am boggled by how this happened but just so glad. My feet look much tidier and I am not embarassed to wear flip-flops or sandals. Hello summer! Thank you Dr. Hauschka!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Epicuren Discovery - Zinc Block SPF 20
lillet 7/1/2005 10:13:00 AM
Of the truly stable sunscreen options, my skin will only tolerate those with Zinc. (I break out from TO2, and Parsol creates a red rash plus other irritation.) Of zinc formulations, Epicuren is the best that I have found, and it has replaced Skinsceuticals as my daily sunscreen. Epicuren claims that they don't use any chemicals in this formulation -- I am not so sure how this could be, but I find that the product never breaks me out and never causes irritation. I also like the wieght, feel, and relative transparency of this formulation compared to other zinc blocks. Wish it was cheaper. UPDATE: Still using a year and a half later. Still love this sunscreen.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Dr. Hauschka - Hand Cream
lillet 4/26/2005 9:55:00 AM
I love the smell. It comes on strong (I love the heady botantical smell) but unlike other hand creams which are cloying and never go away, this fragrance doesn't linger too long (I almost wish it did). I love the rich texture that sinks in and remains effective without being slippery or greasy. This hand cream seems to work at much deeper level.
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Treatments -Decleor - Aromessence Ylang Ylang
lillet 4/26/2005 9:51:00 AM
I believe that essential oils can help reduce sebum and clogged pores. But I don't find this oil nearly as effective as the Clarins Lotus Oil. I used for about one month before returning to Clarins.
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Treatments -Clarins - Face Treatment Oil - Lotus
lillet 4/26/2005 9:48:00 AM
I have battled stubborn blackheads on my nose for my whole adult life. Having sworn off acids (AHA,BHA) and other chemical solutions (Benz. Peroxide), I was searching for a more "natural" solution that didn't weaken or damage my skin. I use one drop of this every morning on my nose area. So my blackhead aren't completely gone, but I have found that this oil does keep them at bay just as effectively as AHA and BHA. (Only BP is more effective and only slightly, but I believe it's just too toxic to use on a daily basis for the rest of my life). I am very happy with this product. I know that it's supposed to be used at night but I use during the day b/c I am following the Dr. Hauschka philosophy of nothing on the face at night and use it in place of Dr. H.'s Normailizing Day Oil. I have tried two other comparable products: Dr. H. Normalizing Day Oil and Decleour YlangYlang oil. I used each for about a month. I always come back to the Clarins Lotus b/c I find it much more effective on my skin. I have used the Clarins Lotus oil for a total of about 4 months.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Dr. Hauschka - Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner
lillet 4/26/2005 9:25:00 AM
To me, this toner is harmless (except on your bank account) but it doesn't do much. The Dr. H. Clarifying Toner is much more effective in keeping me very blemish free. I know the Facial Toner has many celeb and MUA fans, but I just don't get it. One thing to note: for those people that fear alcohol on their skin, I agree with earlier reviewers that alcohol used here is different. For many years, I feared putting alchohol on my skin b/c I had had bad experiences in the past with alcohol toners that caused my skin to fight back with more oil and get so irritated that it would break out. Initially, I thought the disclaimer on the Dr. H. website about the mildness of their toners was just hype, but I have come to believe that there is truth in their story, Dr. H.'s alcohol seems much much milder than that in other toners.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No