Body Shop DeoDry Deodorant Review

The Body Shop has introduced a new deodorant range.  It contains minerals to absorb wetness and keep you dry without the need for harsh chemicals.  Right now, everything in the line is 50% off. 

I picked up the roll on deodorant in the cool and zesty scent.  The scent is fresh and herbal, and reminds me a little of the all natural bug spray I use.  But since I like that scent, I didn't mind.  I also liked that you can buy a refill for it when it runs out.  Saves on packaging waste and cost.  Nice.

However, the deodorant itself did not work for me. I sweat a lot, and definitely need something that controls wetness and odor.  This deodorant did not deliver, so I ended up smelling like a stinky old man two hours into my day.

I was determined to give this product a fair chance, and wanted to try and wear it exclusively for about a week.  I couldn't do it.  I only lasted three days.  I smelled bad.  I had pit stains.  Oh, and did I mention I smelled bad?  I mean, BAD.

So it's back to the chemical stuff for me.   Maybe if you hardly sweat at all, this will be a good option for you.  But if you are more on the sweatier side like me, stay away.  Far, far, away.

My Skin Care Routine

Here is my skin care routine as it stands right now.  My approach to skin care is to keep it as simple and gentle as possible.  The more harsh products I use on my face, the more redness and irritation I then have to cover with foundation. 

CLEANSING:

I absolutely love the Bioderma Sensibio H2O.  I use this to remove my makeup and to cleanse my skin.  It does not dry out my skin, and yet it removes ALL of my makeup - including mascara and MAC fluidlie.  See my review of this one for more detailed info. 

I am still on the search for the perfect cream or sensitive skin geared cleanser, but so far I have had no luck.  If anyone is using something good, please let me know in the comments.  I am also still in the market for an exfoliator.  Again, this has to be geared for sensitive skin.  Everything I've tried is too hars and I end up using it as a body scrub - which is getting pretty expensive.

MOISTURIZING:

The best moisturizer I've ever tried is the Bioderma Sensibio Light moisturizer.  Another one I have reviewed previously.  I am on my third tube of this and it's amazing.  It has completely changed the properties of my skin, which used to be dry and is now in the normal range.  This is extremely moisturizing without being greasy, and soaks into my skin like a dream. 

In the day, I also sometimes use the Estee Lauder Daywear Plus. This is a slightly tinted moisturizer that gives me a bit of luminosity on non-makeup days or with just a light bit of mineral makeup dusted on my face. I like the bonus SPF15 of this one, but I don't like that the SPF is chemical and not mineral. 

OTHER:

The only eye cream I have ever tried that I feel does anything is the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.  It is extremely moisturizing, though it does not really reduce the appearance of fine lines - though I doubt the existence of that magic line eraser that we all yearn to discover at our local beauty counter.  See my review of this one for more info.

I recently started using a serum.  I am using the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair.  I scored this one at a CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet) and I'm really enjoying it.  Is it doing anything?  My skin seems healthier and smoother, but that could be a placebo effect.  It may also be due to the Bioderma skin care.  Hard to tell.  I'll probably be revisiting this one in a couple of months.

I love the Dermalogica Super Sensitive FaceBlock SPF30 as my daily sunscreen.  It's great under makeup and I really like that it does not contain any chemical sunscreens, but is instead a mineral based sunscreen.  Because it goes under my makeup, I find that it is not too reflective on my skin and does not make my face appear white.

What are your favorite skin care items?  I love learning about other peoples' skin care routine, and what they think of the various skin care products.  There is so much out there, and it's nice to get honest reviews before I buy.  So if you do a skin care routine post or review skin care items, let me know!

Bioderma Skin Care Review

I was cruising through our local drug store when I spotted some Bioderma skin care.  I thought that Bioderma was only sold in France.  And yet there it was, smiling down upon me from the shelf right here in Canada.  Since I've been DYING to try it ever since Gemma reviewed a cleanser on Youtube.

My skin is normal to dry, depending on time of year, climate and what skin care I've been using.  I the odd hormonal breakout around my chin.  But my biggest skin care issue is redness and skin sensitivity around the corners of my mouth and down towards my chin.  This area sometimes gets so irritated that the skin flakes.   As such, the two Bioderma items I picked out are both geared towards sensitive skin.

According to the Bioderma website "Sensitive skin makes its presence felt with feelings of overheating and diffuse or localised redness. It easily becomes dehydrated and the subsequent dryness contributes further to its weakness and is accompanied by feelings of tightness".  Yup.  Check.

BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O
Bioderma describes this as a Soothing non-rinse cleanser and makeup remover.  It is alcohol and fragrance free, and is supposed to completely cleanse the skin and remove makeup.  Furthermore it is supposed to soothe irritated skin and minimize redness.


Like others who have tried this product, I was a little skeptical about cleaning my face without the use of water and some sort of creamy and/or bubbly cleanser.  However, I was impressed with the way this product removed ALL of my makeup.  No racoon eyes in the morning from leftover mascara!  And I figure that if it can remove my makeup so well, it can also cleanse other impurities out of my skin.  So I have been using this product as a makeup remover and cleanser.  When I have makeup on, I cleanse with two cotton pads.  The first pass removes all of the makeup and the second ensures no residue.

The Bioderma H2O delivers on all of its promises.  It does not irritate my skin.  There is no stinging and tightness after cleansing (which is what I've experienced with irritating toners in the past).  And while it is gentle, it is also an excellent cleanser.  I do not have any congestion on my skin that would suggest my skin is not properly cleansed.

SENSIBIO LIGHT CREAM
I usually tend towards heavier moisturizers when possible, because I find the light moisturizers are just white water that sinks right into the skin and does nothing in terms of moisturizing.  As such, I wanted to get the Sensibio Rich Cream.  However, the packaging is completely the same, so I picked up the light cream by accident.  I'm glad I did because the light cream is actually sufficiently moisturizing.  Bioderma recommends the Sensibio Light Cream for normal to combination skin.  It is supposed to restore the cutaneous barrier, allowing for a reduction in the penetration of possible irritants, and increasing the skin's tolerance threshold.  Translation: it strengthens the skin, allowing it to be better at it's main function - to be a barrier.  Bioderma also promises that this moisturizer is formulated with rigorously selected active ingredients, and is free of fragrance and preservatives.

To be honest, I am not sure if this cream delivers on all of these claims.  How does one tell if their skin has been restored and fortified?  The non-empirical evidence suggests that this claim has been met, since my skin is much less irritated and red.  The main thing I notice with this moisturizer is that my skin is well hydrated but not greasy.  And as an added bonus, it effectively moisturizes my skin without leaving my face greasy as an oil slick.  I should also point out that I have been using a smaller quantity of this cream than other moisturizers even though if I compare labels this one is 'lighter'.  This is great for my wallet!

All in all, I really like this skin care.  I am a minimalist when it comes to skin care.  I do not have separate products for day and night.  There is a mask with this range that I would like to try and also the eye cream.  I will definitely be keeping the cleanser and cream in my skincare routine permanently.  My skin has never looked better.

Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly Review

We all have petroleum jelly in our house.  When it comes to beauty/body/skin care, petroleum jelly is a real work horse.

From the Alba website:
With beeswax, moisture rich coconut oil and soothing, protective vitamin E, this natural, non-petroleum jelly is perfect as an all-over body moisturizer for soothing, softening skin rejuvenation...The original, multi-purpose skin moisturizer and protectant is made from only pure plant oils and all natural waxes.

I don't really believe all the hoopla about petroleum jelly being carcinogenic or particularly bad for you.  But since I put the stuff on my doggie paws (keeps snow/ice crystals from sticking to their feet), an they tend to lick it off, I prefer the natrual stuff.  I have been using the un-petroleum jelly for about 6 months now, and I have found it to be comparable to vaseline.  So if you are worried about petroleum products and want a more natural alternative, look no further than your local health food store.

Favorite Things: Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment

I have never purchased a full sized Kiehl's product before I plopped down the $30CDN (or $25.50US) for the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I'm not a huge believer in Kiehl's.  I think their products are on the most part quite overpriced for their not-that-special ingredients.  Kiehl's being owned by L'Oreal, I am not convinced that I can't get equivalent or better products in my drug store for a fraction of the price.

Having said that, I love this eye treatment.  It is the only eye cream I have ever used that results in a noticeable difference the next day.  This eye cream is basically an intense moisturizer, which is exactly what my dry undereye area needs.  This cream does not have any ant-aging properties, and what little amount of antioxidant it has is going to degrade the first few time the jar is opened, but it is the best moisturizer for my eye area.  Although this product is intensely moisturizing, it does not give me milia (the tiny white bumps you get when you use a moisturizer with is too rich).  Finally, this eye cream delivers on its promise to not migrate into the eye. So if you have dry skin like me, and your concealer tends to get flaky or cakey because of that dry skin, then you need this eye cream.  If, on the other hand, you have oily skin, then this is probably not the product for you.

If this eye treatment sounds like something your dry skin, but you are just not sure, and not ready to part with your hard earned cash to try it, do what I did.  Get a sample next time you are at a Kiehl's counter or store.  This cream is quite rich, so a little goes a long way.  So a sample will last you a long time.  I just transfered the cream from the sample packet into a clean MAC sample jar, and used it from there.  It lasted me about a month with daily use.  I have since bought a full size of this cream, because I can no longer imagine my skin care routine without it!

Favorite Things - The Magic of the Wet Wipe

Photos: Everyday Minerals, Pampers

I discovered the magic of the wet wipe when I started camping. There is nothing better when you don't have access to a shower for a couple of days! I rediscovered wet wipe magic when Everyday Minerals came out with their makeup wipe. These wipes smell like lavender and grapefruit, and are great to have around. My other fave is the Kandoo wipe by Pampers, available at every grocery/drug store. Kandoo wipes don't smell like baby (powdery, etc), and are a good size, plus I'm attracted to the lime and purple packaging. I use wet wipes for wiping my face after a workout, wiping my makeup brushes after I use them, and even wiping the sink area of residual mineral makeup. I take wet wipes camping, and when I travel. I have even used wet wipes on my dog! Both brands are great smelling, great value, and do the job. Neither will take off makeup very well, especially anything water resistant or water proof, but they're good for just about everything else. The Kandoo wipes win the race by a nose however, because the EDM wipes have to be mail ordered, and the packaging is not very airtight (the seal does not reseal very well), so you have to store them upside down and be very careful so they don't dry out on you. Either way you go, wet wipes are great, so get some.