I have had a few thoughts about a few skincare items I have been using as of lately that I wanted to share. I've hit a nice little groove of good skin days for the past few weeks and I believe it is due to my routine so here is what I have discovered.
LA-ROCHE POSAY TOLERIANE FOAMING CLEANSER
Yes, yes if you are a Caroline Hirons reader, foaming cleansers are the devil and all that. I like CH, she gives great skincare advice and insight to the naive but I also am a firm believer in something she has said herself: if something works for you, by all means keep using it. That is how I feel about certain foaming cleansers. Balms and oils are wonderful and all, but nothing gets all the crap off my face quite like a gentle yet thorough foaming cleanser. I picked this La-Roche Posay item up after reading about it so many times on Sandra's blog and I quite agree with her, this is a kick ass cleanser. It is gentle yet cleanses well without over drying. It requires the SMALLEST amount to get a nice rich foam and lather. That always impresses me. It reminds me a lot of Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser, one of my favorite cleansers I have ever used (I miss it too, I probably will get it after I use this guy up). The only difference is the Clarins smells fresher and cleaner. This La-Roche Posay version doesn't really have much of a scent to it. I think this would be best for combo to oily skin as it will balance out your skin nicely. I think normal to dry types will find this too stripping.
CLARINS LOTUS OIL
I know, I did a review on this already and I mentioned it in my night time skincare routine post but I wanted to say one more thing about this: I think this works best ONLY on problem areas and not all over. At least for me. I traveled away over July 4th and I left this behind. My oily areas stroke back with an oily vengeance but my chin area, which has been super prone to hormonal cystic breakouts, was clear as day. I came back from my trip and started using this up again and my chin started getting clogged up and hormonal again. It might just be a coincidence but I've been experimenting by applying this only to my oily areas and skipping out on my normal patches. I have noticed significant clearing up on my chin. Just something to keep in mind and something I found interesting.
PETER THOMAS ROTH MAX COMPLEXION PADS
Speaking of my chin area, let me go into more detail. I haven't had to really deal with bad breakouts in a long time ever since I did the Accutane deal back in high school. Yes I got a few bumps and spots here and there during the hormonal times of the month but nothing that I couldn't zap away with some La-Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. But the past couple months my chin area has been a nightmare! Small bumps, hormonal cystic acne, you name it. It was very frustrating as my normal remedy of Effaclar Duo had no effect on them.
I bought these pads to chemically exfoliate my face at night and to also clear up pesky spots. This worked very well for me. It cleared up my chin in no time. However, it is a VERY strong formula! It took some time for my skin to acclimate. The first time I used it, my skin was in bad shape and quite vulnerable. I swiped a pad over my chin and went to bed. The next day all the spots were dried up and gone, BUT, it left my skin so dry! It was peeling and quite unattractive. I had to rescue my chin with some Avene Soothing Moisture Mask to repair the damage. If you do want to try these out and have sensitive skin, I would be very, very cautious. My skin is used to it now so now it clears breakouts in a breeze without leaving peeling skin behind but I took baby steps to get there. I also cut the pads in half to extend the life of the product. I find half of a pad is more than enough to cover my face.
BOTTOM LINE
Quite a lengthy chat! In summary: La Roche Posay Foaming cleanser is kick ass and recommended for combo to oily skin. Very great at balancing and will last you a while. Very similar to Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser. Clarins Lotus Oil is best for application on only your oily areas, if you have hormonal patches try to skip those parts as I believe it exacerbates the problem. The Peter Thoomas Roth Pads are really great at clearing up stubborn breakouts but are quite strong so if your skin is prone to peeling I wouldn't risk it unless you are desperate. Phew. Any skincare bits you have been enjoying lately?
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