what I'm using to cleanse...

lots of questions from different girlfriends about what I've been using to take off makeup and cleanse my face... so here's a post... actually been planning to do it for quite a while, just been procrastinating non-stop. LOLz!

so lets start with...



Meet Shiseido's Aqualabel Moist foam cleanser... its the red tube in the middle. Pic is courtesy of Mag... I've actually used up this tube. Kept it in my shower and used it when in the mornings to get my skin cleaned for the day ahead.

My impressions of this... didn't really like it. Its not that it didn't clean... it did and left the skin feeling a little taut. Which is kinda strange for something that's supposed to come from the Moisturizing range. Why I didn't like it... I think its because I've gotten used to the effect a AHA cleanser has on my skin and this just didn't feel as clean. So this isn't on my rebuy list!

Here's... the current day cleanser and my current m/u daily remover...



lets talk about the cleanser first. Its Hado Labo's AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face wash. For those of you in Asia who really like MMBB"s AHA cream cleanser, this is a really good alternative. So much so that I'm on my second tube.

its what I use in the mornings. I love how easily it foams up. Don't really have to use much to wash the entire face. I double cleanse so I do take my time washing during the first round (usually I'm rinsing off the shampoo from my hair). Kinda giving the AHA/BHA part of the cleanser time to work on my skin while giving the face a bit of a massage. The second round is just a quick clean.

what i'm left with is lovely clean skin thats ready for whatever I put on it next. Really really like it... enough to have started on my second tube!

So now on to my nite routine...

for my makeup cleanser... it really started out as a kinda experiment. I ran out of my usual and visited the Value Dollar near my place. While there, I saw this small bottle of Pond's White Balance Cleansing Milk. Its got AHA too... which always gets my attention. *grin* Anyways, I tried it. Figured since its mineral oil based, it should be oily enough to get makeup off.

So how has it worked... the answer is yes as you can see from the level of the cleanser left. I only use about the size of a 20 cent coin. I head for my eyes first to give it a little more time to work on my Majorlica Majorca liquid liner (which is usually the most stubborn m/u item). A gentle massage all over the face makes the bb cream, fondation and everything else glide off my skin. I use a piece of facial cotton to wipe off the cleanser before I finish with washing my face.

I'm currently trying a new soap from SilkMineral... its called the Detox Facial Soap. This bar of soap has two sides to it. One side has dead sea mud which helps to pull out dirt and grime from the pores. The other side is mainly a lavender/silk soap which gives the skin a more gentle cleanse.

I use the dead sea side first, rubbing it over wet skin. This does *not* foam but you definitely can feel there's soap on your skin. I concentrate especially on my nose area which is always a hot spot in terms of blackheads. After rinsing it off, I use the lavender side as a quick follow up.

What I end up with after all this is a face that feels clean and fresh and not at all tight. In fact once patted dry, its really soft and feels a little more supple. I've only been using this soap for two weeks now and don't feel confident enough to say much more. I will report back after I hit the one month mark. So far, I'm happy.

I have a bar of the Healing Facial Soap which I'm using as a bath soap... again, have just started using it so really can't give much feedback but like the Detox soap, it is making me happy.