does facial wash really matter?

luvmylocs · 01-14-2013, 04:41 PM

i'm going through my stash and throwing out old, ineffective or unused stuff. i have a few face washes. i'm always buying some new face wash (until last fall when i decided not to buy more until i used up all i had). anyway, it got to thinking, facial washes are on for such a short time. does it really matter what facial wash you use? are "natural" washes better? fewer ingredients better than one with more? i know i'm leaning towards not using any washes with colors added. why would i put dye on my face. so just thinking. what do you girls think?

i got a green tea wash from makeup artists choice. i love their stuff but i noticed thte cleanser has dyes in it.

i have mario badescu glycolic acid wash that i plan to use and a philosophy purity cleanser that seem pretty good.

Alice_42 · 01-15-2013, 10:03 AM

I look for three things in my face wash:
(1) Can I afford it?
(2) Is it easily available?
(3) Does it dry my skin out?
]Natural, paraben free, synthetic dye free, etc. are nice perks but not really necessary. Especially because products like that are generally out of my budget.

redcelticcurls · 01-15-2013, 10:06 AM

This makes me miss my PSF.

My skin can be sensitive. Not to the 'chemical' stuff, but to the 'natural' stuff, which usually has things like citrus or cinnamon type things or mint or menthol or tea tree oil. They all sting and make me red.

I also think that the parabens thing is highly overblown. It came from one very flawed study.

rouquinne · 01-15-2013, 10:45 AM

unless you're allergic to an ingredient (or have sensitivities like RCC), i don't think it makes a difference because it hardly stays on your skin long enough.

when i got my Clarisonic, i got their gel cleanser with it - it has willow bark extract in it. you couldn't pay me to use it because i'm violently allergic to birch and willow trees.

once i use my makeup remover, i use diluted Dr. Bronner's as my cleanser.

coilynapp · 01-15-2013, 11:05 AM

I think the wash doesn't make a difference unless you have sensitives or a skin condition. I use African black soap to wash my face (and body). I spend the big bucks on face and eye cream, masks and peels. I love Mychelle products!

Josephine · 01-15-2013, 01:59 PM

So is keeping it at a certain ph all bs? I have noticed my skin is less dry and seems to break out less with certain cleansers. I really like the psf gentle one. I still have some left. I'm assuming I can't order it anywhere. It lasts a really long time for me.

redcelticcurls · 01-15-2013, 02:00 PM

RCW may have an idea. I thought she talked about ph and cleansers. I do believe that she's pretty anti soaps/detergents as they tend to damage the skin barrier.

coilynapp · 01-15-2013, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josephine

So is keeping it at a certain ph all bs? I have noticed my skin is less dry and seems to break out less with certain cleansers. I really like the psf gentle one. I still have some left. I'm assuming I can't order it anywhere. It lasts a really long time for me.

Yes and no. It matters the most for leave on products. Like we get away everyday with using soap (pH 9-10) on our bodies, but our lotions and creams are pH 5-7 right where our skin likes to be. I use very nourishing creams and lotions, so maybe that's why I have no problem. I do know that if I do not use lotion, my skin gets really really dry and itchy.

jmo (and e)

multicultcurly · 01-15-2013, 06:29 PM

I have sensitive skin so cleansers do matter to me. I do better with natural cleansers. I currently use Shea Moisture's African black soap. I also tend to leave mine on for at least 5 minutes.

Did PSF go out of business?

luvmylocs · 01-15-2013, 08:34 PM

i'm really surprised psf stopped making that one skin cleanser. it seemed really popular. i had some and it did last a long time and was a good cleanser. psf is still in business. i like their salicylic acid. i still order it when i run out.

good point about leaving the cleanser on a little longer. i use my clarisonic about 50% of the time. whatever i'm doing now seems to be working but the thing is i'm not doing one exact thing. sometimes i use a scrub in the shower, sometimes i use a cleanser (no one in particular) and a clarisonic, sometimes i just use a cleanser and give a good scrub with my white towel. i also use salicylic acid most days and vitamin c most days. i'm drinking a ton of water, healthy teas and taking my usual supplements (multi, omega 3, viviscal, green tea extract, etc) and i've tried to cut my sugars from my diet.

who knows? i'll keep doing what i'm doing and hope my results stay the same.

RedCatWaves · 01-15-2013, 08:54 PM

I think facial cleanser matters a great deal. The skin barrier (or acid mantle) works best to protect us against invaders like acne-causing bacteria if we don't break it down with overuse of detergents or high-pH soaps.

Since PSF discontinued their gentle castile cleanser, I've been at a loss. Lately, I've been using the cleanser from acne.org. It's pH neutral and uses light detergents (coca betaine) and my skin seems to do OK with it.

I wish all of you would go to PSF's facebook page and tell them to bring back their castile cleanser.

coilynapp · 01-15-2013, 10:05 PM

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

luvmylocs · 01-15-2013, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

what kind do you use? i have these two. i bought the one on the left for my face and hair but hadn't used it. i bought the one on the right for my face and it works ok but is very thin like water and i waste so much when i use it.

coilynapp · 01-15-2013, 10:58 PM

I get my black soap from here Pure Authentic Raw African Black Soap - Raw African Black Soaps

RedCatWaves · 01-16-2013, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

No way would i use that on my face...the pH is too high and most soaps are waxy and clog pores. The castille cleanser that PSF used to make had its pH lowered.

multicultcurly · 01-16-2013, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

No way would i use that on my face...the pH is too high and most soaps are waxy and clog pores. The castille cleanser that PSF used to make had its pH lowered.

What I use doesn't clog pores. Even though it has soap in the title African black soap isn't soap in the traditional sense. It has helped me to keep my skin clear and I have a long history of breakouts, inflamed skin, hives, uneven skin tone and texture, and dermatitis.

I've also been using a clarisonic Mia for two weeks and an MUAC fade peel for two months and my skin looks awesome, even in a climate that my skin hates.

luvmylocs · 01-16-2013, 09:18 AM

i used the alaffia black soap last night and it felt nice. i used it with my clarisonic. my skin felt soft this morning and my nose felt smooth and not like anything was trapped in my pores. i left it on for about 5 minutes before using my clarisonic. i think i'll use this one and see how it goes.

RedCatWaves · 01-16-2013, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by multicultcurly

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

No way would i use that on my face...the pH is too high and most soaps are waxy and clog pores. The castille cleanser that PSF used to make had its pH lowered.

What I use doesn't clog pores. Even though it has soap in the title African black soap isn't soap in the traditional sense. It has helped me to keep my skin clear and I have a long history of breakouts, inflamed skin, hives, uneven skin tone and texture, and dermatitis.

I've also been using a clarisonic Mia for two weeks and an MUAC fade peel for two months and my skin looks awesome, even in a climate that my skin hates.

I have used authentic african black soap. It clogs my pores. I'm a clogger though. I have to be much more careful than most people. I've worn out 2 Clarisonics. Clarisonic worked ok for me, but i think the lack of ability to ever truly clean the brush well is a problem, so I've moved on to skin spatulas to exfoliate and keep pores clear.

multicultcurly · 01-16-2013, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

Quote:

Originally Posted by coilynapp

^^RCW, African black soap (the real kind--which is not black but brrown) is just as gentle as castile soap. (both pH 8-9) You might try that and see if you like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by multicultcurly

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

No way would i use that on my face...the pH is too high and most soaps are waxy and clog pores. The castille cleanser that PSF used to make had its pH lowered.

What I use doesn't clog pores. Even though it has soap in the title African black soap isn't soap in the traditional sense. It has helped me to keep my skin clear and I have a long history of breakouts, inflamed skin, hives, uneven skin tone and texture, and dermatitis.

I've also been using a clarisonic Mia for two weeks and an MUAC fade peel for two months and my skin looks awesome, even in a climate that my skin hates.

I have used authentic african black soap. It clogs my pores. I'm a clogger though. I have to be much more careful than most people. I've worn out 2 Clarisonics. Clarisonic worked ok for me, but i think the lack of ability to ever truly clean the brush well is a problem, so I've moved on to skin spatulas to exfoliate and keep pores clear.

This may not be of any use to you, but I've been using sulfate free shampoo that has neem in it to clean my clarisonic. My skin is naturally oily; even when I don't use a cleanser with oil, I turn the brush gray. Did I mention that I don't wear foundation? Lol so far this has been working.

seamelody14 · 01-16-2013, 08:25 PM

Face wash makes a big difference to me, but I have dry skin AND acne. It's so finicky!