Skin Care Products Mini Reviews

Last updated: April, 2013

By Karen

I became interested in skin care products when I started my battle with acne during my teenage years. After trying a wide range of products, I’ve finally found a regiment that works for me. Having combination skin certainly did not make this journey very easy. Over the years, I kept a record of every product I’ve used and jotted down some comments for each. My friends would often seek me for skin care advice and this document was very useful. I thought it’d be a good idea to share my mini product reviews with more people through the online community. All the products were bought with my own money or given as samples. Results may vary on different people because each person has different skin chemistry. I hope you’ll find my reviews helpful!

Note:

  • Products are listed from most effective to least effective
  • For some products, I only use them in the morning or night. If not indicated, then I use them for both.
  • * = what I’m currently using

FACIAL CLEANSER

  • *Philosophy Purity Cleanser (night) - gentle all-purpose cleanser that removes makeup without drying out the skin
  • Clinique Liquid Facial Soap [oily skin formula] (morning) - mild formula for removing oil, not meant to reduce acne
  • *Biore Pore Perfect Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser (night) - leaves a very clean and cool feeling after usage, great for summer
  • Sana Nameraka Honpo Soy Milk Cleansing Wash (morning) - gentle, cream cleanser; effectively removes oil without overdrying the skin (great for fall, winter months)
  • Murad Clarifying Cleanser (night) - very effective for acne treatment, great for summer; very drying in the winter
  • St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser (night) - does a good job of removing makeup when used with a cleansing brush, but doesn’t seem to do anything for acne control; the formula is too watery
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser [orange package] - gentle cleanser, works fine until my skin got used to it
  • Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam (night) - not much product for the price, foam formula not effective for acne treatment
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Facial Cleanser [Pink Grapefruit] - not effective for acne treatment
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser - not effective, too gentle, doesn’t remove makeup

CLEANSING BRUSH

  • Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System (night) - small, portable, and easy to use; gentle exfoliator; use it with a gel or cream cleanser [unfortunately this device stopped working after 10 months of usage]

TONER

  • Biore Pore Perfect Triple Action Astringent (night) - leaves a nice feeling after usage, removes oil, reduces acne
  • Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion (night) - gentle, removes oil effectively
  • Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 [dry combination] & 3 [oily] (night) - not drying, removes oil, doesn’t seem to do much for acne
  • Olay Oil Minimizing Toner (night) - effectively removes oil, slightly drying, fragrance is quite strong
  • Thayers Alcohol-Free Toner: Cucumber Witch Hazel - very gentle, alcohol-free, contains natural ingredients
  • Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil Eliminating Astringent (night) - removes oil, overly-drying, stings skin

MOISTURIZER

Day:

  • *Olay Complete Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 for Sensitive Skin - light and non-greasy, very reliable product (been using it for several years)
  • Boscia Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - very light coverage, can’t replace moisturizer & makeup
  • Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Face Lotion SPF 30 - thick consistency, causes minor breakout sometimes, I use it as a general body sunscreen now

Night: (most of these are pretty good)

  • Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief - amazing product for winter, non-greasy and light
  • Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream - very hydrating for dry winter months; does not contain harsh chemicals
  • Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cream - very moisturizing for dry season; fragrance is a bit stronger than Night of Olay Firming Cream (but it smells good)
  • Night of Olay Firming Cream - keeps skin hydrated, good for winter
  • Bliss Triple Oxygen + C Energizing Cream - very good for dull skin, slightly thick consistency, good product for winter
  • *St. Ives Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer - thin and non-greasy, great for spring, summer, fall
  • Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - light and non-greasy, not as moisturizing as the other products

EYE CREAM

  • *Clinique Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream - very nice texture, doesn’t feel as rich/”oily” as All About Eyes, product goes on very smoothly
  • Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment - very hydrating formula; I love the texture and the product feels very soothing
  • Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Cream - fragrance-free, very moisturizing
  • Clinique All About Eyes - a little goes a long way, rich formula, very soothing
  • Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Eye Creme - has a texture similar to a lotion, doesn’t seem to make a difference, very pricey

SPOT-TREATMENT

  • Clinique Acne Solution Spot Healing Gel - amazing skin emergency tool, my holy grail product for acne treatment
  • *Mario Badescu Drying Cream - great for drying out cystic acne, not effective for treating whiteheads; very strong smell
  • Murad Exfoliating Acne Gel - amazing product, definitely reduces breakout, the full size product is very expensive
  • Aveda Outer Peace Acne Relief - takes a while for it to reduce pimples, able to reduces scarring
  • Clean & Clear Acne Advantage Acne Spot Treatment - doesn’t seem to do much in terms of preventing and controlling pimples; noticeable scent
  • Murad Acne Spot Treatment - doesn’t really work, formula is too watery
  • Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 - contains benzoyl peroxide (which I later found out I was allergic to :/)

SCRUB

  • Olay Professional Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser - gentle exfoliator, works well with Olay Pro-X cleansing brush
  • *St.Ive’s Apricot Scrub - works well as an exfoliator but can be too harsh (noticed redness, dry patches), occasionally use it as a nose and body scrub now
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub - prevents breakout to a certain extent, stops working when skin gets used to it
  • Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub - doesn’t really get rid of/prevent blackheads

MASK

  • *C. Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask - tightens pores, leaves skin very clean and soft, smells a little strong
  • My Beauty Diary Facial Masks [Black Pearl, Apple] - very hydrating (I always use this after my skin experiences wind damage), easy to use but there’s a lot of serum in each package so it can get a little messy
  • Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque - good for T-zone, can be overly drying on some parts of my skin, suggest using this in addition to a hydrating mask
    
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