Drugstore Face Care Products Hits & Misses

I wanted to take a second to go through some face care products that I have tired out in the past few months sort of a hit or miss type post for you all. First off you should know that my skin can be super sensitive on a whim!While I was pregnant with my daughter it started with my entire body I couldn't use  certain soaps or detergents otherwise I would end up covered in hives! Then slowly but surely my face products started causing my face to break out.

I have tried a bunch of products recommended by my dermatologist, higher end to drugstore brands , and even ones targeted towards sensitive skin. Some started out amazing but then once my skin got it's fair share of them it was game over. Today I'm just going to mention a few of the drugstore brands I've tired. I will start off with some of the brands that I think have worked best for me then get into the not so great ones.My skin can be dry at times so I do use a light moisturizer morning and night. When I get breakouts I get just a few here and there. Also something I haven't mentioned which I probably should is during this time frame I was on a prescription for my scar on my face so I will talk about which brands worked best with the tretinoin cream.

This is a new product love for me so far it has helped clear up the disaster the Simple products left on my face in the matter of 2 days! How is that even possible?? I'm still in shock in how fast these three drugstore  products worked! I started using the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Alcohol Free Toner, and the Oil-Free Moisture - Sensitive Skin (Equate Version).

Cleanser- What makes the Fresh Foaming Cleanser so amazing is that it's a cleanser  and makeup remover in one. This hypoallergenic formula  does not irritate my skin in  any way at all which is a huge plus. Removes all my makeup with one single pump,  lathers wonderfully, and cleans all the nasty stuff out of my pores. I cannot believe the difference this has made in my skin in such a short period of time.

Toner- This Alcohol-Free Toner refreshes skin without stripping its natural moisturizers.Cleans up any left over oil and dirt after cleansing without stinging my face. 

Moisturizer- I wanted to stick with one product line seeing how most products used together from the same line seem to work out better for me, but I decided to give the equate version from Walmart a try seeing the $5  price difference. The ingredients in both products are almost identical and Walmart offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back on their Equate products so I figured why not right? My skin is left feeling soft, smooth and moisturized, and it doesn't clog my pores at all! 

Throughout a years time I have tried three out of  the four types of the Loreal 360 Clean Face washes (Anti-Breakout, Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, and the Deep Facial Cleanser for All Skin Types) Retails about $ 4.37 at my local Walmart.

Anti-Breakout- What I love is that it's oil free with 2% salicilic acid. This one is specifically designed to treat acne, blackheads and breakouts. It did claim to be gentle and not over dry skin which in my case that was the only down side to this one for me. If I used it morning and night to cleanse my face it made my skin fee tight and dry. This product cleared my breakouts and defiantly helped prevent me from getting breakouts.

Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin- When I ran out of the Anti-Breakout I decided to try another product from the 360 line seeing how I loved it so far minus the over drying so I opped for the sensitive skin one. This time I was on my tretinoin cream 0.1%  and my skin was super sensitive to everything x2. I figured it would be a great product. Plus for this product it's dermatologist tested for sensitive skin, contains no fragrance or soap. It removes all dirt, oil and make up really easily with the little scrubby it comes with. It made my pores almost disappear and removed all my makeup I  think that the only reason this product wasn't a keeper for me was the fact that it stung my face in combination with my prescription.

Deep Facial Cleanser All Skin Types-  This one I just came to the end of the bottle and loved it the most! I had stopped using my tretinoin cream for a little while because I couldn't deal with the side effects much longer. The tretinoid cream was really harsh on my skin and made everything from my makeup to my moisturizer sting when applied. This one  didn't over dry my skin, had a amazing fragrance that didn't irritate my skin, minimized the size of my pores, and made my skin feel fresh and clean! It has this orange flower minty fresh scent that I absolutely loved! The only reason I didn't pick up this again was because I wanted to try out another drugstore line. I would highly recommend this product if your looking for an inexpensive drugstore deep cleanser.

This has been my favorite facial scrub of all time! I have been using this product sense my early teens  and my mother always had this product handy. I have noticed that this brand has come a long way now offering a gentle sensitive skin fromula, ani-blemish and blackhead, firming, and even a olive scrub. I usually grab the St.Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub and I use it at most 4 times a week. This product claims to exfoliate to reveal smooth, radiant skin which it really does. After not using this product for a few weeks and then use it is when I see a shocking difference my skin. It leaves my face feeling so smooth and gives it a  beautiful glow. This product is one of Americas #1 scrub brands for a reason and I love it! Recently I picked up the Walmart Equate version to see if it was equally as nice and I think it was a great product. Had the same great smell and left my skin feeling clean. Only difference I did notice was that the beads and crushed walnut shells in the Equate version were a little finer. 

I started using this line while looking for a new sensitive skin targeted facial moisturizer after trying a lot of duds. This was a new highly raved about line  so I decided to give it a try. When first starting this product I was about to start my period which I normally breakout regardless to what I'm using so I continued to use this product anyways. It wasn't until I joined the HouseParty's Simple Meets the Makers Party until I started using the moisturizer in combination with their gel cleanser and facial wipes. After two weeks of use of all these products together my face was a hot mess! 

Pros-

•   Contains PRO-VITAMIN B5 known to help restore, soften and smooth  
  
  
• no alcohol , no oil so this did not sting or burn
  
  
• non drying and no greasy residue 
  
  
• no dyes 
  
  
• contains no artificial perfumes no scent at all 

• gel cleanser feels like silk on your face and foams up giving you a great lather with a tiny bit of product

Cons - 

• made me breakout horribly when used all together

• claims to have no harsh irritants that will upset skin not sure if I stand by this one as someone who has sensitive skin
• facial wipes were not saturated enough, didn't remove makeup without cleansing first

I picked the Olay Complete all day moisturizer with sunscreen for Sensitive Skin up over the summer still on the hunt for a good moisturizer and thought that this would be a great product. It has SPF 15, contained vitamin e and aloe, said it was for sensitive skin, and was a non-greasy formula. I don't know if it's just the one I got but this stuff made my face feel really greasy! I stuck with it all summer and the outcome of that was super paste face which kinda stunk because I couldn't not wear a foundation because my face was an entirely different shade thanks to the SPF in this. I thought that getting the 15 vs the 30 would be a good idea but from now on I'll veer away from products high in SPF.

Last but not least I want to talk about my experience with Aveeno skincare products. I have had horrible luck with most of the Aveeno products I've came across. I've tried the positively radiant daily moisturizer spf 15 ($15) it broke out my face after the second use. Gave two of their exfoliating face washes ($6-11) a shot and both didn't meet my expectations as far as removing dead skin and they had a weird scent. Lastly their positively radiant cleansing pads  ($7) these caught my eye when I saw that they won Allures editor choice award. I love that they are double sided with a smooth side and a textured side you can wipe off your face and then flip over to exfoliate making this a two in one product. I loved that they were pre-moistened and they lathered up easily without any water. If your looking for a product to cleanse and exfoliate without water that is quick and easy then I'd recommend this. Only reason I no longer purchase this is because it is more towards the more pricey end of the drugstore brands.

So that was my little list of products that I loved and others that I didn't really like. I'm always open to try new products so please feel free to share your favs in the comment bar below. -Tess