I have been using the Natural Acne Wash daily. It’s strong enough to exfoliate and kill skin bacteria, but not so harsh that you get dried, flaky skin. It’s made with 2% salicylic acid, olive leaf extract (to kill germs), willow bark extract (to reduce inflammation), acai pulp oil (antioxidant), carapa guaianensis seed oil (contains omega 3′s and has antibacterial properties) and balsam copaiba resin (reduces inflammation and fights bacteria). It also has essential oils such as tangerine, rosemary, bergamot and lavender.

The Natural Acne Healing Moisturizer has SPF 15 to be used daily. It’s non-greasy and helps to even out skin tone while fighting acne. It has willow bark, lavender oil, rosemary oil and bergamot oil to heal, calm and exfoliate. It also contains 1% salicylic acid – which, in my case, is just the right amount to exfoliate and keep acne at bay without drying out my skin.

I also use the Overnight Pimple Eliminator when I see a breakout coming on. It dries a bit, but not too much (like a lot of other spot treatments out there). It reminds me of the Mario Badescu spot treatment – it comes in a glass bottle and you apply a small dot of the white liquid directly to the areas that need it. Since it’s white, this is best used for nighttime. Sulfur, zinc oxide and tea tree oil kill bacteria and in most cases I have seen my zits either disappear faster or disappear before they even break out!

The prices are very reasonable too! You can buy Happy Me products online or at Duane Reade, CVS or Kinney Drugs.

Jen

I tried their Young Skin line (okay, so I’m not that young, but my skin still acts like a teenager). The Perfecting Cream is made with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), birch sap, linseed, goji berries, raspberry oil, green tea, yogurt and chicory. The cream goes on light and is immediately absorbed into the skin. There is no greasy feel at all. The cream itself is a green color, which actually helps reduce the appearance of redness.

It gives a nice, matte appearance to oily skin, but I did notice it tends to peel off a bit after application. For this reason, I’d suggest using it at night instead of under makeup during the day. But, for teens who don’t wear makeup, daytime use is probably fine. Because of the AHA (lactic acid), I would also recommend using a sunscreen with it. I have to admit, I haven’t found a sunscreen that doesn’t make me break out, but then I hardly ever go outside, so I’m probably safe there!

Jen

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.

I’m so skeptical of most acne treatments, because they generally do one of two things:

1. Dry out my skin, and eventually make my acne worse

2. Do nothing because the ingredients are too moisturizing or useless

Well, Dermalogica sent me some of the Clearing Skin Wash from their MediBac line, and I am HOOKED! I have been using it for a couple of months now, and although I think it’s too harsh for the sensitive skin on my face, it’s perfect for my back. I started out using it every other day, and now I use it almost every time I shower. It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and has significantly reduced my breakouts. (It even makes my backside super soft! Shhh!)

The main ingredient is salicylic acid, which exfoliates, clears pores and helps reduce acne. There are a ton of products out there with salicylic acid, but the trick is getting the right amount. Too much and your skin will get all irritated and peel. This product is just right for body acne (would probably be good for those with less sensitive facial skin as well).

The treasure trove of other ingredients are there to help soothe, kill germs and prevent acne flare-ups: licorice, bergamot, milk thistle, lemon, arnica, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, goldenseal and matricaria.

I wouldn’t think a cleanser would do much for your skin by itself, since you wash it off immediately, but this stuff really has staying power. I used it with the mediBac Skin Purifying Wipes and Sebum Clearing Mask, which were both great, but I really think this does the job all by itself. The wipes are perfect for the gym – but again, a little harsh for my face – I use them on my neck and back. The Sebum Clearing Mask is kind of hard to apply to your own back (unless you’re lucky enough to have a partner to apply it for you), so I didn’t use it on my back very often. I LOVE it for my face though – it’s not as harsh as it’s sister products, so I highly recommend it for weekly or twice-weekly face masks.

Jen

During my recent trip to NYC, I naturally paid a visit to one of my favorite retailers: Sephora–a beauty junkie’s paradise!  With so many exciting cruelty-free products to sample at once, how could I resist the urge to splurge?!  You know me too well….

My favorite new purchase happens to be TEMPTU’s Retouch powder.  This brand–renowned among pros for its ability to create an air-brushed effect–was first developed in 1981 as a temporary tattoo and body art process to be utilized on film: Cape Fear‘s makeup team used it to paint antagonist Max Cady. (You didn’t think De Niro sported permanent tatts, did you?  Apparently, grinding his teeth for the role was modification enough.)  For us regular consumers, the AIRbrush system was released in 2009; however at $225 to start, it was a bit out of my budget.

Having said that, I’m anything but disappointed with my Retouch experience.  For a not-entirely unreasonable $43, this powder lives up to its promise: shine-free skin that is also natural-looking and satin-soft.  Since my skin hasn’t been breaking out lately, I can get away with wearing it sans foundation–instead I apply on top of my Pomega5 Green Tea moisturizer and DERMAdoc Tease Zone.  Even on humid days, my face has remained relatively shine-free.  What more could I ask for?!

Good news for all makeup aficionados: Retouch is hypo-allergenic, dermatologist-approved, and suitable for all skin types.  Key ingredients are:

• mica: a naturally-occurring mineral whose name is derived from the Latin root micare (“to reflect”); adds an age-defying, light-diffusing quality to cosmetics
• kaolin: a naturally-occurring form of clay, and the raw material from which porcelain is made; acts as a natural absorbent that lifts excess dirt and oil from the skin
• caprylic/capric triglyceride: a natural extract of coconut oil; imparts cosmetics with improved glide, texture, stability, blend-ability, and penetration

All TEMPTU cosmetics are available online from temptu.com and sephora.com.  Again, I highly recommend splurging on Retouch!

Jen#2

Product image and info courtesy of temptu.com; movie tidbits from the Internet Movie Database and Wikipedia.