How many of us have received beauty advice from our moms? Raise your hand if yours had ever reminded you about the perils of going to bed–while still wearing makeup!

Turns out, she is absolutely right. Since the skin’s dermal layers rejuvenate during sleep, it helps to leave the outer layer clean and free of this morning’s cosmetics–they don’t call it “beauty rest” for nothing!  But let’s be realistic: sometimes you’re too tired to give your face a thorough and proper scrub.  Fortunately, Almay’s Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes seem to be just what Mom ordered.

Though certainly not a substitute for regular cleansers, these pre-moistened wipes do their job–and they do it well!  Aloe, cucumber and green tea nourish the skin, gently lifting away even waterproof or long-wearing makeup–in one easy step! No need to rinse; I can vouch for Almay’s non-comedogenic promise, as I’ve yet to notice any ill-effects from lingering product residue (i.e. new breakouts).  Thanks to these miraculous little towels, I only have to scrub my face once each day–after I wake up.

Something else to love?  Availability and price: Almay cosmetics are widely sold at drugstores everywhere, and the average cost at larger retailers (such as Target) is about $4.99 for a package of 25 towelettes.  That’s a small price to pay for their overall convenience, in my opinion….

Jen#2

Product image and info courtesy of Almay; thanks to Wellsphere for the health info.

According to the National Rosacea Society (NRS), over 14 million Americans have rosacea and don’t even know it!  According to NRS, Rosacea can manifest as:

• Redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead
• Small visible blood vessels on the face
• Bumps or pimples on the face
• Watery or irritated eyes

I have had mild rosacea for as long as I can remember – it seems to be a lot better now than when I was a teenager, but I still get a little redness on my cheeks that occasionally makes me think twice about putting on blush.

I also have very fair skin that blushes easily and is very reactive to weather, skin care products, alcohol, etc.  So, that being said, I was very excited to try Pevonia Botanica’s RS2 line, which is for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.

I tried the cleanser, lotion (really a moisturizing toner), RS2 Care Cream (moisturizer), makeup remover and the RS2 Concentrate (serum).

RS2 Gentle Cleanser

I didn’t think I’d like the cleanser because it’s a creamy formula, and the creamy facial cleansers I’ve used in the past have left a greasy film on my face.  Not this one!  This stuff is great – it’s non-irritating and washes completely clean!  It’s much better than the Murad Redness Therapy gel cleanser I have also been using (which cleans my skin, but doesn’t help my redness at all).

I will definitely buy this again!  The key ingredients are:

RS2 Gentle Lotion

Pevonia calls their toner a lotion, so I was a little confused at first.  But, what I would call the “moisturizing toner” is also a great product – in fact, I prefer it to the Rachel Perry moisturizing toner.  And, it’s not just for dry skin – oily skin can benefit too.

It includes:

RS2 Concentrate

The RS2 Concentrate is a serum designed to soothe red and irritated skin before applying moisturizer.  This is a concentrated product with the RS2 line’s active ingredients.  I really wanted to love this product, but I honestly didn’t feel much of a difference when using it.  There are testimonials on Pevonia’s website from people who love it though, so maybe it’s just me.  One reason may be the licorice extract.  Although licorice is known as an anti-irritant, it can also cause contact dermatitis in some.  I may be sensitive to it, while most may not.

The key ingredients are:

Eye Make-Up Remover

I really liked the eye makeup remover – it’s not a greasy lotion – just a nice, moisturizing, non-irritating liquid.  The key ingredients can actually help you de-puff your I-was-out-too-late-last-night raccoon eyes and the product is safe for contact lens wearers (like me).

Key ingredients:

RS2 Care Cream

The RS2 Care Cream moisturizer was also great – I used it morning and night.  I didn’t seem to be bothered by the licorice (maybe it was a lower concentration than the serum).  The moisturizer was thick enough to feel like it was doing something, but light enough to vanish completely after a few minutes and was fine under makeup.

It has some of the same key ingredients:

All in all, I’m very excited about this brand.  Their products do NOT contain: sodium lauryl sulfate, PABA, formaldehyde, parabens, artificial colors, mineral oil or lanolin.  They are, of course, cruelty free and not tested on animals.  I will definitely be trying more Pevonia Botanica products in the future.