Treatments -Boscia - Willowbark Breakout Treatment
mcdlight177 4/16/2009 10:55:00 PM
I've been having breakouts on my forehead the last year and a half. Tried all kinds of products with all kinds of ingredients...salicylic acid, glycolic acid and even got a couple prescriptions from the dermatologist. Nothing seemed to work, so I figured I should try something different. Went to Sephora and found this brand. Three girls raved about how great it is. I thought maybe an all natural brand with no preservatives would help, and since it didn't contain salicylic or glycolic acid - neither of which helped me in the past - maybe this was a different, better way to go. Well I started reading the pamphlet when I got home, and little did I know, willowbark is actually a natural form of salicylic acid. It did not state this on the box. I used it anyway, religiously for about 6-8 weeks, morning and night. Sometimes it seemed to calm down my breakouts, making them less noticeable and less red, but it was a crap shoot. Some days the breakouts looked better, some days it looked the same. My breakouts never progressively got better. I still have a forehead full of congestion. I am running low on the Boscia gel. I will use it until it's up, but won't repurchase.
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Treatments -Redken - All Soft HEAVY CREAM
mcdlight177 10/9/2008 6:07:00 PM
This product worked really well for me. I gave it a 5 for the price because I bought a sample size (at CVS), which was under $4. I'm not sure how much the standard size costs. My hair was very dry. I had, on 2 occassions, added lemon juice and water to my hair and sat out in the sun to get my hair a little lighter. This worked, but my hair became so brittle that I could hear it crunch when I took a section and squeezed it. I tried a bunch of things that are normally great on my hair, but they just didn't do the trick...my hair was too far gone. So I figured I'd try this. The directions say to leave it on 5 minutes, but I left it on about 10. It rinsed out really well. My hair is so moisturized. No more crispiness, and it's also softer and shinier. I definitely recommend this for dry, brittle hair.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -DDF - Glycolic Exfoliating Wash 5%
mcdlight177 4/14/2008 11:57:00 AM
This review is for the DDF Exfoliating Cleanser, 5% glycolic acid. I could not find the 5% glycolic cleanser listed on here under DDF products, and I don't know how to add a new product to the list, so I figured I would put it under the 7% cleanser. I can't find the 7% cleanser in stores either, so I'm wondering if the 7% was discontinued, and DDF is now selling the 5% in it's place? Not sure... But as for the cleanser, so far it seems to be working great. I've been using it for only 5 days. In the ingredients, it shows it contains mentha arvensis leaf extract (which I looked up to find out it's just mint leaf extract) so this gives it a minty smell. You can still smell the glycolic acid in it, but it's not overwhelming. Smells more minty than anything else. After using it, your skin feels very fresh and clean. It's a low-lathering cleanser. I use about a dime-sized amount and it doesn't lather very much. This morning I accidentally used about a quarter-sized amount, and got a really good lather from it. So, if you like more foam, just use a little bit more. I gave it a 4 for the packaging, because it comes with 2 caps. I think the outer cap is just a waste of plastic. I threw it out. The inner cap is the kind where you push one side down so the other side pops up to dispense the cleanser. Doesn't seem to have an issue with leaking, so I dont know what the point of the outter cap was. Maybe just for marketing purposes so the bottle looks nicer, but I think it's a waste. As for the cleanser, so far it seems to be working. I haven't had any kind of irritation from it. But right now, I only use it once a day, right before bed. I read that using glycolic acid helps your other products to absorb better. I've noticed in the morning, it seems I need more moisturizer. But, I don't think it's because my face is dry from using it. My skin does not feel tight at all. I think I might need more moisture because now my skin is actually absorbing the product better, where as before, it was easily spread around because it was just sitting there on the surface. Hopefully you get what I'm saying, it's kinda hard for me to explain. My pores look a little smaller. My face looks a little fresher. My blackheads/whiteheads seem to be more easily removed since I started using this. I am happy with it so far. If my opinion changes over time, I will update, but so far, it's something I would repurchase!
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Sunscreen -Skinceuticals - Daily Sun Defense
mcdlight177 1/30/2008 3:19:00 PM
This was my first Skinceuticals product. I've been using it for over a year now. I love it! It is expensive, but lasts a pretty long time. Plus, it's got an SPF 20. I love knowing that my face is protected. I use this as a moisturizer. Some people may use this as a sun-screen and then use an additional moisturizer over it, but I feel this alone is enough moisture for my skin. It goes in really well too, doesn't leave any streaks. I've noticed it also helps makeup go on smoother. I put this on, wait about 2 minutes, then put on makeup. No breakouts, rashes or irritation from this. It's worked really well for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Neutrogena - Advanced Solutions Facial Peel [DISCONTINUED]
mcdlight177 1/16/2008 1:34:00 PM
I tried this after reading a bunch of reviews saying how great it was. I tried it and have to say, I didn't notice a difference. I used it several times, thinking you probably had to use it a while before noticing a difference. Well my skin didn't look smoother or feel softer. It didn't help with clogged pores, it didn't even-out my skin-tone, and it didn't help with fine lines/wrinkles. I was so mad that I had basically thrown away $25 that I wrote Neutrogena an email and they sent me out a check for like $15 (from what I remember, it was about 2 years ago). It didn't cover the entire cost, but atleast it wasn't a complete loss. I use other Neutorgena products, this one just didn't deliver any results for me.
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Sunscreen -Skinceuticals - Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30
mcdlight177 1/14/2008 12:31:00 AM
I definitely do not like this as much as the SPF 20 version. This is a lot thicker and heavier. It also feels slightly greasy. It also doesn't go on as easily as the SPF 20. I will not repurchase the SPF 30...I will stick with the 20 since it is light enough to be worn under makeup. Don't get me wrong...it works great as a sunscreen; I just don't like the heaviness of it under makeup.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Skinceuticals - REnew Overnight Cream for normal to Dry skin
mcdlight177 1/14/2008 12:25:00 AM
I've been using Skinceuticals moisturizing sunscreen for over a year, and the Skinceuticals .5% retinol nighttime lotion for about 3 months. I'm happy with the results I've gotten from these products so I decided to try their nighttime moisturizer. I've only used this maybe 5 times, but I love it so far. As soon as you put it on, your skin feels softer. It also helps make your skin look healthier. A few days ago, I got a few bumps on my forehead and thought maybe it was from this moisturizer. But I'm still using the moisturizer, and they're almost gone. So, maybe my skin was just adjusting to it, or it could be that I stopped taking birth control pills a couple months ago and my face broke out. If I get another break out while using this moisturizer, I will update. I gave it a 3 for the packaging. It's in a tub and would be easier if it were in a pump dispenser but I think it's too thick for that. So far, it's a repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Skinceuticals - Refining Night Cream With .5% Pure Retinol
mcdlight177 1/14/2008 12:13:00 AM
This stuff works great. I use 2 pumps to cover my face. I'm probably about half-way done with my first bottle (it's not a clear bottle so you can't really tell how much you've used). It leaves your skin looking smoother and softer. I will definitely be repurchasing. You do peel a little bit, but I've noticed that rubbing my face down (gently) with a wet washcloth before putting on moisturizer and make up normally removes any flakiness. It doesn't leave your skin red either like I've read a lot of retinol products do. I have noticed a little bit of itchiness, but moisturizer takes care of that. No weird reactions, bumps, rashes or major irritation. It's kinda pricey, but it seems to last a while (I'm guessing I'm about 1/2 way done and I've been using it for about 3 months). It really has proven to be a great product.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No