Recently I have started using a water-proof, silicone-based foundation on days when I need to look extra professional. (I have quite sensitive skin, but I am finding Face Atelier Ultra Foundation to work quite well for me, in moderation. Reviews to come at the end of the summer, as I am still experimenting with it on myself and others.) The problem is, my gentle face wash just doesn’t cut it! I had been resorting to washing my face over and over and over again and really scrubbing to get it off. Not very nice for my skin!
My skin care routine prior to all of this was all Philosophy: Purity in the evening and Microdelivery in the morning. I love Philosophy. They market themselves extremely well, with thoughtful packaging that has a natural, but also a very luxurious feel. Now, I would not necessarily recommend them to people who are devoted to natural products because Philosophy does use dyes and a few other very chemical things. There are many products in the line i cannot use for this reason. But the cleansers are so gentle on my skin, much more than a lot of natural products that can be quite harsh, going overboard on essential oils. Just about everyone in my salon/spa uses some combination of Philosophy products, despite having a lot of different skin issues. So I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for something new. Also, the cleansers last a long time! Much, much longer than your St. Ives drugstore cleanser or other department store cleansers.
So, naturally I wanted to try this oil cleanser. I must say, I have been very happy with it. I am even using it on some days where I don’t need it. It also gets all my eye makeup off. I don’t wear a ton but occasionally I will have some stubborn black eyeliner and I use the oil cleanser and a Q tip to get it off. It is simple to use, so great when I am a bit lazy before bed. All I do is poor a little in my hand and then rub all over my face, dry, then rinse off after massaging for a bit. Sometimes I will use Purity or Microdelivery after, but there isn’t a need to. The lady at the Philosophy counter also said you could add the oil to either of the other cleansers to change the consistency.
It also makes my face more receptive to moisturizer, which is great. I am the sort that needs to reapply moisturizer over and over, no matter how much I exfoliate and no matter how wet/dry my face is when I apply it.
All in all, I am a big fan.
Rachel Lynn Carr 