vitamin C

Unexpected Find: Trader Joe’s Spa Gentle Facial Cleanser + Regenerating Antioxidant Moisturizing Face Lotion

January 7, 2011

As a blogger, my taste in creams and cleansers tends toward the uber-fancy. We all know that while drugstores have some good old standards, the CVS experience isn’t as exciting as toting home a tiny, pretty shopping bag stocked with high-end lotions and potions. In fact, I would have never given this sleek and stylish cleanser and lotion combo a second glance on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s had it not strongly reminded me of the clean lines in the packaging of Ren Skincare.

Stocked unobtrusively among the paper towels and vitamins, I spotted Trader Joe’s Spa Gentle Facial Cleanser and Trader Joe’s Spa Regenerating Antioxidant Moisturizing Face Lotion. I surreptitiously sidled up to the shelf and examined the slim cylinders, giving the ingredients list a quick perusal. The citrus-scented formulations lacked parabens, mineral oil fillers, and boasted Vitamins A and C in addition to skin-friendly aloe vera juice and super-hydrophilic hyaluronic acid. At far less than $10 a pop, I could not place them back on the display, and into my cart they went.

Some cursory research indicated overwhelmingly positive reviews of the product, and I followed the tip of massaging the cleanser into dry skin for enhanced chemical exfoliation. (That sounds scary, but it just means scrubbing without scrubbing.) The cleanser tingles, but not in a bad way. It rinses off with low foam, and feels almost like a mini peel. I followed with a generous application of the Regenerating Antioxidant Moisturizing Lotion, and my skin drank up the moisture- resulting in a clean, but not dry or tight result.

After two weeks of use, I have not required a manual exfoliant once. My skin glows and hasn’t succumbed to winter dehydration, a frustration many of us oily-skinned girls can experience when temperatures plummet. I’m almost mad at Trader Joe’s for depriving me the joy of scanning the counters for a pricey cream and serum to combat cold-weather flakes, but then I remember how awesome my skin feels and all is forgiven.

What beauty finds have you come across in unexpected locations?

Review: Elizabeth Grant Vitamin C Hand & Nail Cream

June 21, 2010

Over the years our hands can show signs of aging such as wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sun damage, dry skins and lose of elasticity. One of the main reasons why our hands look older is due to wrinkled skin which is caused by dryness so it’s important to make sure that out hands are properly moisturized. Elizabeth Grant created a Vitamin C Hand and Nail Cream which contains a high dose of Vitamin C which in antioxidant that helps brighten skin and combat hyper-pigmentation. This hand cream also contains Shea Butter which is a natural moisturizer and Aloe which is known to soothe skin and boost hydration.

This hand cream is very moisturizing and has a light citrus scent to it. It’s hydrating without being greasy or sticky and absorbs quickly into your skin . I also love that this hand cream has Vitamin C in it to help my hands keep a more youthful appearance. My hands remained hydrated for several hours after application, so I was pretty happy with this. As someone who washes their hands quite a bit, it’s nice to have a hand cream that keeps my hands soft and supple. I would recommend this product to anyone seeking a rich hand cream that protects your skin while keep it soft as a baby’s bottom.

Elizabeth Grant Vitamin C Hand and Nail Cream retails for $25 for a 3.3 fl oz tube.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this review was provided by a PR Agency for consideration.

Be Kind and Be Fine to you Face

March 1, 2010

Once a week I like to treat my skin to facial mask for a little deep cleaning. Be fine makes beauty products that are Paraben free, Allergen Free and made from vegetable protein. The product that I tried was Be fine’s Cooling Peel Off Mask with Apple, Lemon & Green Tea. This mask cools instantly upon contact and felt tingly on my face (it didn’t sting). The apple and lemon have natural occurring alpha hydroxy acids to help remove impurities and support new skin growth. The green tea which nourishes your skin while helping to prevent free radicals which age your skin.

It took about 15 minutes for the mask to dry completely. Even after removing the mask my skin still felt tingly and also incredibly soft and smooth almost like I just exfoliated. My skin didn’t feel tight like I does when I sometimes try new facial cleansers. I also liked that the product contains many natural ingredients and that it’s not tested on animals. One things that I did notice was that my skin my slightly red after I took the mask off but the redness toned down after about 10 minutes – my skin still felt tingly as if I just came from a spa facial. Overall I loved the results and thought that the mask felt great and was very relaxing.

The mask is sold as a kit with a one use cleanser and retails for $20.

*I did not use the cleanser as part of my facial.