I'm about through with Neutrogena. Each new collection released leaves me disappointed, and the new Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing collection was no exception.
I happened upon this set in Wal-Mart and was intrigued by the fact that Neutrogena left out some if its usually irritating ingredients.
First, the Facial Cleanser, $7.99. I was super glad to see that Neutrogena had left out the highly irritating ingredient Sodium C14 16 Olefin Sulfonate. This ingredient is a detergent that can be super drying and irritating to the skin.
Unfortunately, Neutrogena neglected to omit the Menthyl Lactate (aka Menthol). They added less of it but it was still super irritating to my skin. Why they feel the need to add menthol to everything is beyond me. If your face needs that much cooling, sit in front of a fan for Pete's sake! This had the potential to be a great salicylic acid cleanser with no irritants, but Neutrogena totally missed the mark.
As far as the Gentle Scrub, $7.99 goes, it was far too gentle to be effective as a manual exfoliant. It has great ingredients such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid, but has the consistency of a cream cleanser, which isn't a fave for oilier skin types. This also has menthol, but in a far less irritating amount. Try this if your skin in super sensitive to more abrasive scrubs.
Have you tried these? Will you try them? Let's hear it!
Beauty Review: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing
"Black Don't Crack", however...
Though the amount of melanin in skin of color offers a degree of natural protection from the sun, we should all still be wearing sunscreen. And before you start saying that you don't need sunscreen, let me just tell you that anyone who tells you that Black people don't need to wear sunscreen is a liar, and I give you full permission to tell them so! ;)
Ladies, puh-lease wear sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (though I prefer SPF 30 ), as it will keep any dark spots you have from getting worse, not to mention prevent aging down the line. Yes, Black and Brown skin typically doesn’t “crack”, but just because we don’t wrinkle doesn’t mean we don’t age. African American skin can become rough, saggy and develop changes in pigment and benign growths (Source: BrownSkin.net) if not properly taken care of as it ages.
So wear your sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Basically, unless the moon is out, you should be wearing sunscreen! A sunscreen that I absolutely love is Peter Thomas Roth’s Uber Dry Sunscreen SPF 30. It soaks right in to your skin without a hint of stickiness or ashiness. Not only does it not disturb your makeup, but its chock full of anti-oxidants to protect your skin even further. Love it!
Another great option is alternative Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30. This bestseller gives you a semi-matte application and anti-oxidants at a drugstore price.
So give these products a try and let me know what you think!
Beauty Annoyance: Neutrogena
Ugghhh! I am dealing with a serious case of Beauty Annoyance. You know, when a beauty product or company really ticks you off? Well, Neutrogena is the bane of my beauty existence today.
You see, I have been looking all over town for some products from their new Ageless Intensives and Ageless Essentials Lines. I I really had my eye on an eye cream and a cream to even out dark spots. I finally found these items at a 24 hour Walgreens super-far from my house. But I didn't care, I had my products!
After I got home I had a sneaking suspicion that something was amiss. I grabbed the new items and my MacBook and did a little online research. Lo and behold, these fabulous new items I had just dropped my hard earned cash on, already existed!!
The Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum Night and Continuous Hydration Eye Cream were none other than Neutrogena's Visibly Even Night Concentrate and Radiance Boost Eye Cream in sheep's clothing!! Not only were they renamed and in different packaging, but they cost more!!
Shame on you Neutrogena! If any of you ladies were interested in trying any of these "new" items, I suggest hitting up your nearest drugstore to catch the originals on clearance.
As for me, I returned that mess. And I think someone at Neutrogena needs to reimburse me for all that gas I wasted!
Got a beauty annoyance? Let me hear it!
