Facial Cleansers - My Top 4

As a make-up addict, I know there are a couple steps to my day that are extremely important. Those steps make up my skin cleansing routine. For me it is rather simple, I don't really like to spend a lot of time washing my face, so I generally have two steps.

Step 1. At night I generally wash my make-up off with a mild cleanser or my goddesses in a packet, the cleansing make-up cloths. This little handy things are made by a variety of different companies, such as Garnier, Neutrogena, Ponds, Walgreens, Clean and Clear, Olay. Pretty much everyone makes a version these days. While I am sure all have their benefits, my favorites are the Garnier and Neutrogena cleansing cloths. I tend to avoid Ponds because I feel it is a bit oily and I don't really care for Clean and Clear because I have not had great luck with their other products. This could be because my skin is rather stubborn and I feel clean and clear is a rather gentle line. This is great for those of you with sensitive skin.

Step 2. In the morning I use a mild exfoliator or mild facial cleanser, depending on the state of my skin in the morning. If I wake up with a crazy shine and I just feel oily, I will opt for the exfoliator over the cleanser. It just really depends.

Infrequently - since we all have hormones that render our skin care products useless from time to time, I also have some back-ups. I may use a mask once in a while or a stronger exfoliant. Sometimes I add a little baking soda to one of my mild cleansers to get a stronger exfoliating experience. My honest opinion is that skin is temperamental and it takes the lead from how you are feeling and acting. If you are stressed or dealing with that evil time of the month, you may need to do something more drastic to get your skin in line. The key is to find products you love and work for you. Then, listen to your skin when it comes to determining what to use.

My Top 4 Facial Cleansers


4. L'Oreal Go 360 Clean

I originally found out about this product from Tiffany D. If you are not a subscriber yet, I recommend it. Aside from being a make-up guru, she also likes to share her drugstore purchases

and gives some nice reviews. I trust her instincts, so I am generally game when trying what she recommends. I tried this face wash and I really loved it for a while. It is a fairly gentle cleanser that has some exfoliating beads within it. Then, the fun part is that it comes with a little rubber scrubber that you can use to wash your face. I liked this for a while, but ended up ditching the scrubber after a week or so. I found that my fingers were going to do a much better job than the scrubber. However, again, this really depends on your skin type. If you have stubborn oily skin like me, you may want to avoid the scrubber. If your skin is a little more normal, the scrubber should be fine. In any case, I really liked it and I would recommend it.

You can buy it at any drugstore and it will run you approximately $6.99. Right now Walgreens is advertising it for $5.24 on their website.

3. St. Ives Naturally Clear Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub

Honestly, I am not even sure where to start with this stuff. I wouldn't recommend using it everyday because it is fairly aggressive for a face cleanser. However, if your skin is dull in

the winter or really oily in the summer, this stuff is fantastic. It is an exfoliant, so it is not gentle by any means. However, if you are looking for a soldier, this product is it. It has pretty coarse exfoliation beads and it is made from natural products. The other nice thing about this product is that they sell it in travel sizes at some stores. I think I have seen it at Target and maybe one of the Bed, Bath & Beyond stores that has the make-up section in it.

It sells for approximately $3.99 at most drugstores, but I usually by it at Target or Walgreens.

2. Freeman Superfruits Refining Cleanser

I have known about the brand Freeman for a very long time. I believe it was one of the first brands I ever used for skincare. The skincare line was sold at Walgreens for a really long time,

but then I stopped seeing it in my area. I am not sure if it is target audience issue or what. In any case, my sister introduced me to this really interesting find maybe a year ago. One of the Bed, Bath, and Beyond stores near our area has a full beauty section. I had never seen this before, and I have to tell you it is heaven. It is a small area allotted for make-up and then maybe six aisles of beauty products. They have anything from skincare to men's hair care. The other great thing is that they have tons of products you don't see all of the time. Well, while wondering through the store stuffing my basket full of things I wanted to try rather than needed I found the whole entire Freeman skincare line. I was very excited to see this because they make some of the best inexpensive facial masks on the planet! I purchased this refining cleanser and I really like it for everyday use. It seems to balance my skin nicely.

Since I know I haven't seen it at Walgreens or CVS, I will recommend their website for purchasing the product. You can buy it there for $3.99. Also, because I know that I wouldn't bother ordering something for $3.99, try using their store locator link at the bottom of the homepage, or purchase these products as well. I really like their Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask and the Cucumber Peel Mask. I can also recommend their foot products also, they are really nice for tired and worn out feet.

1. It Is A Surprise!

Okay, so I felt I needed to set this one up before diving right in. This is a rather unorthodox choice for women's skincare, but I swear by it. I have been using this product for maybe a year now and I have no shame when sharing it with others. It is Every Man Jack facial scrub. It is a rather unknown brand, so I will explain. Every Man Jack is a men's line of skincare products. They first showcased their brand to the masses via Target maybe three years ago or so. My husband was looking for a nice line of skin care products and loved the way their body soap smelled, so he tried the skincare products also. I swear to you that within a day I could already see how nice the product was just by looking and feeling his skin. I was obviously jealous, so I snuck a try here and there and began to love it! The only problem is that when I wanted to go buy it, my Target stopped carrying this particular face scrub. Well, there was Bed,Bath, and Beyond back to save me because I found it there. They do sell it on their website as well.

To give you a good idea of what this product is, it is an exfoliant. It has a bit of a manly scent to it even though they say it is supposed to be a mint scent. It is a cream cleanser with

micro-exfoliant beads in it. I think it is a perfect mix of gentle meets assertive. I use it pretty much everyday and it hasn't dried my skin out at all. I swear by it. I also have to say that don't get yourself all crazy about the scent, we are women. If you are going to put on make-up, this means a possible toner, lotion, foundation, and maybe a powder or bronzer. By the time you are done gussying up for where you are going, you will not smell like that facial wash. If you do, who cares, you will smell like you were out with a hot date. In all seriousness, the scent shouldn't last that long.

You can buy Every Man Jack face scrub, signature mint from their website or one of the retailers they list on their website. There is a large selection, but let you be warned, I have a hard time finding it around Chicago, so I am not sure how available it is at each store listed.