The Quest for the Perfect Cleanser...

Hello people...!

Well, i'm currently sitting on my luggage, waiting for my train to arrive...not an easy wait, huhu.. So, i decided to be productive and write this.

I don't know about you, but i have an extremely (and i mean Extremely) hard time trying to get skincare products which agree with my skin. One wrong product and i could end up with scaly dragon skin!

Actually, i had discovered the Perfect Cleanser... It's the Eucerin Re-balance Soothing Cleansing Cream. It really cleans your skin yet leaving it silky smooth...no squeaky tightness or tingling sensation.. For the 8 months that i used it, my skin was fabulous! Yes, i did have a zit or two from time to time, but I didn't have to worry about facials, extractions, a-gazillion-product-cleansing-regime...and my skin was still great.

Note the use of the word "was"... *sigh*

I went in search of a new bottle of Re-balance to replace my empty 2nd bottle and horror of horrors- it's been discontinued! What??! How could Eucerin do this to me? And no alternative product either! Damn.

Hence, my quest begins...

Let me start out by saying that i have combination hypersensitive skin (yeah, figure this out: dehydrated skin yet oily surface...apparently I'm overcompensating...huhu). 

So, first step...

I went back to my gentle Cetaphil cleanser. It doesn't foam, and it's okay..it just didn't do anything for my skin tho', not improving it nor making it worse. I guess you could say that i didn't feel that my skin was clean enough.

Not long after that, i received a bottle of Eucerin Dermatoclean Gel Cleanser to try. I think it was a fairly new product back in March- April 2012 so they wanted to get some feedback about it (plus, i did call and ask them about the previous Re-balance, bla bla bla). It started off alright...my skin felt clean after using it, although i was a bit concerned about the clear foaming gel being a bit drying. After 1-2 weeks’ use, i stopped. i was right, it was too drying. My skin was a bit itchy and started to peel a bit on my forehead.

On to the next one....

As i trusted the Eucerin brand, i decided to buy a bottle of Eucerin Dermatclean Cleansing Milk. Yeah, it's milky, it should be more moisurizing and better for my skin right? Wrong! Firstly, it's such a bother to have to always use cotton pads. And then, it leaves a residue on your skin and therefore, i must use it with a toner. Buy again.

After using it for a few weeks, perhaps a month, my skin wasn't getting that clean feeling. It still looked smooth, but i could feel some grittiness - not a very comfortable state to be in...

Oh well, i walked around Guardian (a drugstore) and someone promoted a scrub; My Beauty Diaries Vanilla Soufflé foam scrub. I tested it on the back of my hand and it seemed pretty good...very fine beads in the bubbly foam for gentle exfoliation. I thought, okay, this might be what I need.

Boy was I wrong. The stupid thing, which was not cheap by the way, made me have an allergic reaction. I mean, my almost clear skin had a full blown breakout all over! ALL over! Not only that, my skin was red, itchy, and slightly inflamed with lots and lot and LOTS of tiny little bumps which look like spots.  Noooooooo!!!!!

I was depressed and frustrated, and it was taking a long time to heal. I went back to Cetaphil, I tried Oilatum (which looked good for a while but I’m not sure if it made a few more bumps appear…it was a bit drying for me too).

Whatever.

I was at the point of giving up when I looked at my bathroom counter and saw small bottle of Estee Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich foaming cleanser which I got as part of a set. It’s been there for a while, never used on my face as it has quite a strong fragrance and when I tested it on my hand, it felt drying. However, at that point where my skin was terrible, I felt I might as well give it a shot. If it’s bad, what’s a few extra spots right?

Turns out, that was probably one of the best things I tried!

It really helped my skin. I wouldn’t say it’s the best one for me, but it was pretty damn good.. and without a doubt, the best of the lot. Surprisingly, it didn’t dry my skin at all. The fragrance didn’t break me out altho’ I still get a few spots here and there.. my skin felt cleaner, my spots were lessening/ drying up without flaking and well, it was improving…slowly.. lol. I know, I know, I must have patience. Sigh.

I had almost run out of the Soft Clean cleanser, and so I thought to try the Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean foaming cleanser (which was part of the Hydrationist set I bought earlier this year). As the name suggests, it really made my skin clean… too clean! The good: my spots were really reduced. The bad: it was too drying, making the face feel tight/taut. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it was really true, but I thought my skin was over-compensating the dryness by producing more oil.

Ooohhh the shine! Noooo….! After about 4 washes, I ditched the blue Perfectly Clean foaming cleanser and went back to the pink Soft Clean.

Somehow, I was persuaded to try the Estee Lauder Nutritious 2-in-1 foaming cleanser which also doubles up as a deep cleansing mask. I have a tiny sample jar of it and have used it for hmm, let me think… 6 days. Lol. This time, I did my research before trying it out. I saw very good reviews which gave me the courage to try it.

Right. I took the jar, spread a thin layer of Nutritious all over my face and neck and left it for exactly 5 mins. I’ve never been punctual, but I was determined to follow instructions this time ;)

Back in the bathroom, I added water to the mask which promptly turned it into a very very VERY foamy cleanser. That wasn’t all, as it was being rinsed off, the skin of my hands and face started to feel a bit weird. I don’t know how to describe it, but honest to God, it squeaked. Literally. There was so much friction between my hands and my face that I almost couldn’t rub them together. Oh man…wth?? Anyhow, I got in the shower and rinsed it with tons of water to make sure it was all washed off. Used a tissue to pat it dry and rushed to the mirror, wondering what had happened.

Mirror mirror on the wall, did I make a misstep once more?

Obviously the mirror thought it would be a waste of time to answer my question and remained silent. Humph.

Well, the Me in the mirror looked fine – no blotchiness, no itching, so inflammation…and amazingly, the skin didn’t feel tight nor dry. In fact, my face looked brighter and a bit matt. It definitely felt super clean! I dabbed on my usual toner, serum and a generous amount of moisturizer, and then picked up the hairdryer to dry my hair before going to bed.

From across the room, I glanced at the mirror and panicked. Oh God, are my cheeks red??? Hairdryer off. Mirror, close up please. Okay phew, not red. I have no idea what’s going on but I’m sure that something is happening to my skin. Good or bad, I’m not yet certain. Nevermind, let’s sleep on it.

Next morning…

Hmm, skin looks ok. Nothing weird happened, aside from the fact that it wasn’t as oily as usual. Perhaps this cleanser might work for me after all. Let’s try it a while longer… 

Six days on, and I’m still using the Nutritious cleanser. I consulted (yes, I use the word consulted, lol)… I consulted my Estee Lauder facial therapist about the Nutritious cleanser and she seems to think it may be too drying on my skin for the cleanser to be used twice daily, and to alternate it with a lotion cleanser.

*quick update: more than a year later and I'm still using my Nutritious cleanser.. turns out, it's the best cleanser ever! my sister and mum have both started using it too. Review coming up sometime soon :)

Well bugger that. Add on a new product to my 3-feet long Estee Lauder wish list, why don’t you, huhu. Item #1096, the Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Light Lotion Cleanser.

Who am I kidding? I went and got the cleanser today. First thing’s first, I need to improve my skin condition. Not because I’m vain (well, I am a teeny tiny bit vain but who isn’t?), it’s because having blemishes affects my self-confidence. Yes, I’m a believer of beauty coming from within and is in the eye of the beholder, yada yada, BUT I find myself less confident when I don’t feel pretty and right now I’m not exactly feeling pretty, erk.

Anywho… back to my main topic. Yes, I got the Lotion Cleanser today and I’m just about to use it. It would be a bit too early for me to say if it works or not tonight, so I will update this blog in a few days’ time and let you know how it goes…

*update: I used the Lotion cleanser for a while, maybe a couple of months but I decided to stop. Altho' it's a great cleanser - I can feel my skin is clean but without any tightness, but unfortunately, it doesn't really agree with my skin (i'd get a big zit every so often.. and no, it wasn't hormonal) so it has to go. Such a shame.

For all you lucky people out there who never have skin problems, never have to worry about sensitivity issues, can put just about anything on your face and still be zit-free, be very grateful for you are truly blessed. For all of you who have found your perfect cleansers, I’m really happy for you… resist the temptation to try anything new and unnecessary. For all you companies who have developed a great product, for heaven’s sake don’t discontinue it and cause misery for the rest of us! And last but not least, I pray that all of you who are on a similar quest as I am will find The One.. and soon ;)

Love & hugs,

xoxo