Exfoliators : Beauty and Fashion Tech

MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator

MAC Cosmetics has come out with one heck of a good exfoliator. MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator is truly wonderful stuff, and I predict that it will make my best of 2008 list at the end of the year. I find the MAC product description to be quite accurate, so here it is:

A highly effective, dual-purpose, foaming and exfoliating scrub blending natural Volcanic Ash with fine sugar crystals from the islands of Vanuatu. Adds moisture: leaves skin feeling soft and comfortably clean. Mineral-rich. Good for absorbing skin’s natural oils. May be used on any part of face or body. Rinses off with warm water.

The scrub is pretty coarse, which I like, but the foaming action tones it down a bit, It also leaves the skin feeling moisturized–something I find pretty impressive for a scrub. The one odd point though is that it is black in color. So it seems a bit weird scrubbing this jet black goo all over your face. I suggest avoiding use of it while wearing white or with white washcloths. I don’t know if it would stain and I wasn’t keen to test that! Personally, I use it in the shower.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Review: Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion in a Jar

I am rather particular about scrubs. I want to feel them working and I want to see results. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion in a Jar nicely fit the bill on both accounts.

The Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion scrub is very fine grained and is a fairly powerful scrub. I definitely could feel it working, and my skin was nicely smooth after each use. It is strong enough that I do not recommend it for those with sensitive skin. However, it is gentle enough that those who hate real coarse scrubs might like this one because of the fine grain. It also is rather adjustable. Rub hard for a more intense scrub and rub lightly for less. In many ways it reminds me of the Biolements Pumice Peel, which was one of my favorite products of last year.

I do have one nit picky complaint though about the packaging. Every time I use the Dr Brandt scrub, the screw on cap is difficult to get back on straight, making it difficult to close the lid. But that does not keep me from recommending the product.

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Popularity: 5% [?]

Befine food skin care at CVS

I picked up a couple of the Befine food skin care products at CVS the other day. The Befine products are made with vegetarian proteins and are allergen, fragrance and paraben free.

The first item I tried was the Pore Refining Treatment Scrub. This light scrub contains coconut, jojba and citrus. It is very lightly exfoliating. I tend to prefer a harder scrub–basically if it doesn’t feel like my skin is being sanded off, I don’t trust that it is working (yes, I know that I am nuts). So this light scrub it isn’t one that I would use daily, but it felt great on the skin and would be perfect for the person who wants a gentle scrub. I figure that is likely most of you!

I also tried the Warming Clay Mask, with cardamom, arnica, and pomegranate. This stuff was pretty cool! Well actually, it was literally pretty warm! When it says warming, it means it. When mixed with a bit of water, the product warms up, which feels oddly refreshing. My skin was left looking radiant and I will most definitely use this product again!

Sorry that I lack photos! These are so new that none of my sources for public domain or authorized photos have pictures up.

Befine products are available at CVS pharmacy stores.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Yes to Carrots Exfoliating Mask and Day Cream

Yes to Carrots is a new skin care, body, and hair line available at Walgreen’s stores.

I tried the C the Difference Exfoliating and Soothing Mud Mask and the C Today or C You in the Morning Moisturizing Day Cream. Both are quite nice products.

The mask is a light clay mask that is appropriate for dry and sensitive skin. It provides light exfoliation without any irritation, and it generally is nice to use. It smells quite nice, with a very light scent and left my skin very soft. I will keep using this fairly often.

The day cream is also fine, but I found it to be a bit too much moisture for my skin right now. I recommend it for those with dry skin, but others might want something lighter. Come winter, I will likely be using this!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Neutrogena Illuminating Microderm Cleaning Pads and Pond’s Exfoliating Clean Sweep Toweletts

I had high hopes for Neutrogena Illuminating Microderm Cleansing Pads, but merely found them to be OK.

These cleansing pads are little round cases that you hold by slipping your fingers inside. One side is textured for exfoliating and the other is a plain cleansing pad. The pad also contains a bit of soapy cleanser. I really didn’t find the exfoliating side to be very effective. It felt a bit like it was scrubbing, but not much. I admit though that I like a pretty strong scrub. Regardless I can exfoliate much better than the neutogena microderm pads by using a scrub or simply with a rough washcloth (which is a great trick for cheap exfoliation). The cleansing side was too small for makeup removal and I found the whole thing to be a bit too soapy for my tastes. There wasn’t a ton of soap, but with such a small pad, I had to use quite a bit of water and a separate washcloth to wipe it all off.

Ponds Exfoliating Clean Sweep Cleansing Towelettes

I much prefer the Pond’s Exfoliating Clean Sweep, Cucumber Cleansing Towelettes. The Pond’s Towellettes are large enough to provide decent makeup removal. I also like that while they contain some cleanser, it isn’t too much. I would much rather add my own than have too much to begin with. The exfoliating side of the Pond’s towelettes is rough enough that you can feel it scrubbing, yet also pretty gentle. So between these two products, Pond’s definitely wins!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Review: Bioelements Pumice Peel

Bioelements Pumice Peel is a good manual microdermabrasion product for those who are looking for a product that is not quite as abrasive as something like the spa sciences or L’Oreal microdermabrasion systems, but perhaps not quite as mild as something like Origins Modern Friction.

The Bioelements pumice peel has just the right balance of grittiness and moisturizing ingredients for me on those days where I want to exfoliate and feel the product working, yet don’t want to do the heavy, and potentially irritating treatment that I get with the Spa Sciences or L’Oreal systems. The product also has a nice smell. It is not heavily perfumed, but has a pleasant light scent that I enjoy. It has a good number of skin conditioning oils and extracts, plus vitamin C. I thought that was a nice touch, and it did indeed leave me skin feeling quite soft and slightly moisturized after use.

Overall, this is a product that I am quite happy with. I had only a sample size to play with and very well might buy a full size jar of it.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Home Microdermabrasion: Spa Sciences Professional Skin Exfoliation System

I have been using the L’oreal Dermo-Expertise ReFinish Micro-Dermabrasion Kit for some time for exfoliation and have been quite happy with it. But being a gadget freak, I always wanted to try one of the battery operated home microdermabrasion systems. So when I saw the Spa Sciences Professional Skin Exfoliation System on sale, I picked it up.

I was satisfied with the purchase and liked it about equally as well as the L’oreal kit, which does not use a machine. The Spa Sciences kit comes with a sponge tip and an abrasive creme. A bit of the creme is spread on the face, and the machine is used to rub it in over a period of two to four minutes for each area treated and around 15 to 20 minutes for the entire face.

Warning! This stuff is not for sensitive skin! It can easily leave a person red and/or irritated after use, and comes with a moisturizing creme for soothing the skin after each treatment. Anyone with sensitive skin or who is easily irritated by exfoliating products should use this and similar products with caution. Also, it is not a miracle machine that will erase your wrinkles, and it is not the equivalent of a professional microdermabrasion treatment. But I did find it to be an effective exfoliator, as is the L’oreal kit.

The product definitely exfoliated my face just as well as, or perhaps slightly better than, the L’oreal kit. I was a bit red and flushed after use, and I often am with the L’oreal kit as well. That wore off over the next hour or so and my skin had that well exfoliated smoothness. The machine itself vibrates a lot, which took some getting used to. In that sense, I prefer the L’oreal kit, which is simpler. However, the L’oreal kit always makes my face feel rather raw while I am using it and I can feel the abrasive creme scratching. With the Spa Sciences machine, it felt quite comfortable as I was rubbing in the creme.

The moisturizer that came with it for use after the treatment is OK. I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it. I feel the same about the creme with the L’oreal product. In both cases, the creme is a bit too oily for my tastes. But each is fairly effective as soothing agent.

Popularity: 10% [?]