skin routine – cleansing – how to and reviews

Been meaning to post this for quite sometime… but since I have now enabled four friends to try Lisa’s wonderful stuff for the first time… here’s the “trial” set I sent to them…

*from left to right: aha exfoliating cleanser, pumpkin masque, Miracle in a Bottle, Immortelle Mist*

I basically got samples of the masque and mist from Lisa and ‘potted’ my own samples of the cleansers. The two pots, spatula and one spray bottle was a set that I got for SGD1.05… nice huh?

Well, having got them interested, I figure I should give them some ‘sign posts’ as they start using the products.

My night face routine starts with…

*in order of my usage, from left to right*

MMBB’s AHA cleanser (with or without jojoba beads). I actually alternate the two types or switch around depending on what I feel my skin needs.

Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Palm Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Vitamin E, Organic Green Tea Extract, Organic Bilberry Extract, Organic Sugar Cane Extract, Organic Sugar Maple Extract,Organic Orange Extract, Organic Lemon Extract, Organic Cranberry Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Edta, Glycolic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Mango Butter, Organic Shea Butter, Xanthan Gum , Black Willowbark Extract,Neem Oil,Rosemary Oleoresin, Citric Acid

The AHA exfoliating cleanser really makes me feel like I’m giving my skin a good clean. The beads are gentle and really smooth so they don’t feel horrid at all (unlike some other scrubs I’ve tried that make me feel like I’m sandpapering off my epidermis).

The ‘normal’ AHA cleanser does an excellent job of taking off my makeup and getting my skin clean too. I like not having to use an additional cleanser to clean off the makeup before cleaning my face. I do moisten my face before applying.

1. shake bottle 
2. I pump twice. Once for the forehead and one cheek. The second for the other cheek, nose and chin. I do add if I need to.
3. spread it around and massage it in avoiding the eye area
4. leave it on for a while (usually abt 3-5 mins : I usually brush my teeth or clean off my eye makeup or just put a nice warm cloth over my face and relax!)
5. massage face again
6. use a microfibre cloth and warm water to wash everything off

Eye Makeup Removers

The cream in the blue pump bottle is Mark & Spencer’s Calming cleanser. Its great for taking of my eye makeup and cheap too! less than sgd10 if I remember correctly. Its a little too rich for my whole face so I don’t use it that way.

If I’m using waterproof items like the MM mascara, I head for my Aubrey Nicole Balancing Cleansing Oil… I love love love the smell of this. Seriously…

Masques

I alternate between the Honey & Oat and Pumpkin masque.

Honey & Oat Masque

Organic Honey, Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Vitamin E, Organic Jojoba, Wild Oat Extract,Rosemary Extract, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Organic Black Willow Bark Extract, Neem Oil

I use this masque usually the day after the pumpkin masque… just to up the moisture levels in the skin. Again, there is a little tingle with this masque… but nothing too much to bother about.

This masque leaves my skin feeling very plumped up and feeling soft. Its really nice. Plus I love the smell of honey :)

Pumpkin masque

Pumpkin, Water, Glycolic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Bilberry Fruit extract,Sugar Cane Extract, Sugar Maple Extract, Orange Fruit Extract, lemon Extract, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Chamomile Essential Oil, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger Root Powder, Allspice Essential Oil, Nutmeg Powder,Allspice Powder, EDTA

I really really love this masque… the thing is not to leave it on for too long and to make sure you shake the pot before you use it. You see… when I first got it, I didn’t do both those steps and ended up with a mild chemical peel… lol

You only need a very little bit of this product… a thin layer is all you need. I usually end up using what is on the lid of my pot (after the shake). Its more than enough. There is a little tingle/smarting sensation when you apply it and MMBB’s instructions are to leave it on for 3-5 mins. Me… I’ve grown to like the slight stinging sensation as it tells me that its doing its job at getting rid of all my dead skin cells… so I leave it on till it stops then wash off with warm/skin temperature water.

This masque loosens blackheads and really cleans out the pores for me. Usually afterwards, the slghtest squeeze on my nose will result in lots of lovely oil and gunk coming out. Makes me soooo happy. oh.. and I’ve found tweezing my eye brows after this really easy too.

ok ok … I know some of you are gonna tell me… but you don’t squeeze or tweeze after a masque… sadly, no one has really explanined why not… so I’m still happily doing it. *grin*

Do remember to moisturize after the cleansing cos this masque can dry your skin a little.

Miracle in a Bottle (middle bottle – black cleanser)

Water, Organic Lavender Distillate, Organic Roman Chamomile Distillate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Tartrate, Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Citrate, Organic Rooibos Tea Extract, Organic Bilberry Extract, Organic Sugar Cane Extract, Organic Sugar Maple Extract, Organic Orange Extract, Organic Lemon Extract, Organic Cranberry Extract, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Edta, Hydrolized Wheat Proteins, Activated Charcoal, Tea Tree Essential Oil, d-Calcium Pantothenate ,DMAE, Hydrogen Peroxide, EDTA, Citric Acid

This is the last step in my cleansing routine… and I totally love love love this. I use this in the morning solo (as AHA doesn’t react well to sun exposure). It takes off the last bits of dirt left on the skin and leaves it ready for whatever is applied next.

I use only one pump of this on a wet face. It doesn’t really lather but after all this time, I’ve gotten used to that.

oh and almost forgot… as with everything from MMBB… SHAKE the BOTTLE!

I’ve gone without this cleanser now for 2 weeks (*sobs*) and can already feel a difference in my skin and how clean it gets.

Although this is primarily recommended for oily skins, it really does work well on a combination skin type like mine. Its really not too drying… well, I do use a moisturizer afterwards so the slight tightness I experience doesn’t last long. :P

Purifying Antioxident Cleanser (bottle on the right – greyish/purple)

Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Rooibos Tea Extract, Organic Olive Oil, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Emulsifying Wax NF, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, MSM,Organic Jojoba Oil, Decyl Glucoside, DMAE, Organic Green Tea Extract, Vitamin E, HA, Activated Charcoal, Organic White Tea Extract, Organic Lichen Extract,Organic Black Willowbark Extract,Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C Ester,Xanthan Gum

I just got this and haven’t really used it long term yet. But so far am really happy with it. Off hand, its leaving my skin softer and not taut feeling. I’m seeing this as a better option than MIB for gals with less oil issues (ie dryer skin).

I’m seeing myself alternating the use of this with my MIB. Especially so in the mornings when I wash up. I double cleanse *always*. I think Petrilude is right when he said that its important to. The first time takes off the surface dirt and makeup. The second time gets the pores clean.

Did just that this morning. Used MIB first followed by PAC (yes, I’m lazy). Will report back as I use it for a longer period.

So to sum it all up…

my night routine is

1. aha cleanser (with or without jojoba beads)
2. eye makeup remover
3. masque if necessary
4. MIB or PAC

my morning routine is

1. PAC
2. MIB

and always remember to shake the bottle before using *big grin at Lisa*

wow… when I compare this loooong account with my previous description… I’ve either become more long winded or have learnt some stuff along the way. LOL!

next post… moisturizing!