About My Skin: I have highly tolerant but dry/dehydrated skin. My biggest concerns are some occasional hormonal jawline breakouts, a bit of seborrheic dermatitis around my eyebrows that randomly occurs, and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (AKA acne scars). I use a prescription compounded topical of .06% tretinoin, 1% clindamycin and 6% azelaic acid from PocketDerm and weekly 15% AHA peels.
About Cleansing: For cleansing at night I use the Mia 2, it is a facial sonic cleansing system that works very well for my skin. If you are interested, you can read the mia 2 clarisonic review here. It's a really good site.
Eve Lom Morning Cleanser Mosturizer Medium-High price point I bought a small size of this because I was really curious about trying a product with Hydrogenated Polydecene. Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic emollient with a really smooth, slightly tacky texture. If you can imagine combining the thickness of vaseline with the texture of silicones, it’s kind of like that, but better: not greasy, and leaves a nice and non-filmy emollient feel to your face. I was hesitant to try this because of the botanical irritants like clove oil, but I haven’t had any problems and I really would like to repurchase this. I previously loved CeraVe Hydrating cleanser but I didn’t *love* to put it on. It was kind of a rote, boring task. I really enjoy using this cleanser, enough that I think the $40-60 price point is worth it for me. If you love Banila co. Clean it Zero , you might like this.
derma e – Psorzema Cleanser Low price point Do you have Seborrheic Dermatitis on your face? I would strongly recommend this cream. It has a high concentration of Neem extract (but without the gut-churning scent) and has worked wonders for my facial seborrheic dermatitis. There are so few options out there that are appropriate for facial use – let’s face it, washing your face with shampoo is a pain, and then there’s one type of zinc bar soap that works, but it’s drying. With a price point around $15, this is a fantastic product for budget conscious skincare enthusiasts. Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Cream Cleanser
Medium price point This is a cosmetically elegant, unscented, moisturizing cream cleanser. It’s not greasy and is easy to apply and wash off. It’s unscented, and isn’t super notable in any other ways. While certainly a sufficient cleanser for someone with dry skin, it’s not a very exciting product and I probably won’t repurchase this due to the $30+ price point.
Low price point With the recent focus on environmentally safe exfoliant ingredients, I’ve been exploring a lot of enzyme and other types of exfoliators (stay tuned for an Enzyme exfoliation review in the near future). The Bamboo Tapioca beads are a nice, gentle option with smooth exfoliating spheres that won’t destroy the ecosystem. This product comes as a fine powder in a sifter jar. The value is great for the amount of product in the container – my only gripe is that it’s difficult to determine how much you actually need to use to spread it on your face, and it’s easy to mix too much water in and end up with a drippy useless mess. I’m undecided if I will repurchase this in the future; I would like to evaluate a few more products of this type before I can make that recommendation.
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Cream Moisturizer High price point I was lucky enough to receive a jar of this cult favorite for my birthday from the lovely and amazing Kerry of Skin & Tonics. I have to say, as far as emollient creams go, this one is peerless. I regularly apply gobs of vaseline to my face at night and wake up with a clean face. After applying a tiny amount of this cream before bed, I woke up to my face feeling moist, as if I had just applied moisturizer minutes ago. It’s got a strong earthy scent from the ginseng which I don’t mind, but some people might. If you’re a fan of Estee Lauder’s ReNutriv or similar product lines, this is a Must Try – but at $185 the majority will find this beyond their budget. If you’re really curious about this product, there is a less expensive option –30 mL in 1 mL sample packets are around $20 on amazon, if you don’t mind the less-than-convenient packaging.