Pond's

I don’t want to knock this when the previous reviewers have both praised it, and it is decent. If you’ve used a cleansing balm, you know the deal - massage on so the oil can break down your makeup and rinse. This rinses cleanly and my skin feels nice and soft and not irritated. It’s soft enough to get enough in your hands but not so soft as to be a cream.

But it is highly scented. I actually kind of like the fragrance, or would if it were a balm perfume. It’s like a thick honey note at first with mixed florals beneath. In fact every time I use it I smell something new. And it’s so strong that when I dry my face after my morning water rinse I can smell it.

And the other mark against this product, which is admittedly a mark against all the cleansing balms I’ve tried - why oh why is this in a screw top? And why is the opening so small? Great product, but I don’t like the fragrance in it and I wish it came in a flip cap.

ETA, December 7, 2018: I had been noticing a little redness in my cheeks when I used this and thought it was just my cheeks beneath my makeup, but I have larger pink blotches and my face feels hot. I think I am reacting to something in this, so I will chuck it.

I don’t know why I ever quit using this stuff. A year ago, I had used Ponds with great success- my ever-present acne cleared up, my dull, dry, flaky skin bid adieu, but as is commonly the case, I thought there must be something better out there and ditched poor Ponds.

Cue the present time; the breakouts had gleefully reasserted themselves, and I was dealing with extremely dry, flaky skin again. Nothing I did worked, and I had no idea how to treat two opposing skin conditions on my face. Heavy creams helped my dry skin but worsened the breakouts, and acne treatments helped my breakouts but worsened the dry skin. So I thought back to what had worked previously and decided to give Ponds a try again.

As of now I have been using the cold cream for about a week, and wouldn’t you know it, but my skin has almost completely cleared up again. The awful flakiness has decreased greatly as well; it hasn’t entirely gone, but that’s to be expected given how how long I was damaging my already dry skin with harsh acne treatments.

I have heard the new Ponds formulation isn’t as good as the old one, but personally I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this product. I use it once a day, at night, and follow it with the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula in the jar, which as a side note, is one of the few moisturizers to not break me out. I don’t wash off Ponds with any other cleanser, because my skin is so painfully dry I need that extra bit of moisture it leaves behind. My complexion has been improving at a marvelous rate, and I am confident it will improve even more. :)

This is so moisturizing with such a light feel! I have not had any dry patches which use to be normal for me up until now! Not too strong of a scent.

My only reason for 4/5 rating on packaging is it might get a little more difficult to get to the bottom once it's almost out.

Seemed a little pricey until I started using and realized a little will go a long long way.

The second ingredient is Niacinamide, Olay's superstar anti-aging ingredient, and to find a moisturizer with such a high content of it, for so cheap, is a steal! I purchased the travel sized version for $1.50. Since potted moisturizers lose effectiveness quickly after being exposed to air and light, I figured the smaller size will get used up before it "goes bad". Also the small tubs are so cute and travel friendly! This has a light, pleasant scent, and provides nice hydration, making it a great night cream. Even works well around the eyes, and I usually layer it over my eye cream, or use it in place of eye cream (when I don't have one on hand). Keeps my complexion looking nice and clear, and does not irritate my sensitive skin. Will absolutely repurchase the little tubs for the ridiculously low price!

I bought the pink one! I used this today for the first time with Maybelline Fit Me concealer (no foundation), because I just wanted to cover up my dark circles. I kinda swatched it on my hand before trying it on, and at first I thought it will give me a whitecast. But when I baked with it, surprisingly the powder faded away and voila, no white cast! After wearing it for 10hrs+ it still holds my concealer in place, with decent shine (i’m a combination leaning to dry though). I like this product a lot, considering the cheap price. I only hope the packaging comes in a jar instead of a tube.