Thanks to PinchMe.com I have been fortunate enough to try several full sized products from Garnier recently.
I'm quite familiar with Garnier. I love their hair products! They tend to smell nice and do good things for my hair.
Their skin care, on the other hand, I've had an iffy relationship with.
They were one of the first drugstore brands that I remember bringing BB cream here to the US. I remember being so excited only to be so let down. On the other hand, their Blackhead Eliminating Scrub is bomb. After a week of using it twice a day my skin looked fantastic.
The products that I got to try are a part of their SkinActive line. That line's biggest seller is the fact that all of the product ingredients are 96% naturally derived. There's no sulfates, dyes, parabens, mineral oil, or silicone. Even cooler is the products are also vegan!
Let's start from the bottom up and begin with the Glow Boost 2-in-1 Facial Mask and Scrub that they call a facial in a jar.
As someone who used the crap out of St. Ives Apricot Scrub as a teenager, I was totally familiar with the ingredients and excited to try this newer apricot scrub that went beyond scrub and extended to mask.
When I used it as a mask it stung a little bit. I figured it was from the apricot extract in the product but I looked a little closer and there is salicylic acid. It's one of the last ingredients but it was just enough to irritate my skin. It also contains denatured alcohol, something that is rather nasty toward the skin. Being so high up on the list of ingredients just screams that it's going to be harsh. It can help control oil, but when you suction your face dry of oil your skin will just work harder to replace it, leading to a vicious cycle of stripping and increased sebum production.
After the five minutes of masking, I followed the directions and scrubbed.
For an apricot scrub, it's rather gentle. That really surprised me. The apricot seed powder is very fine and didn't leave me with the fear that I was going to murder my skin.
The texture is... it's thick. It's sticky. It doesn't spread very easily.
Once in contact with water, it does wash away very nicely with little effort. What I don't like is the fact that it doesn't feel like my skin is clean afterward. It leaves this weird film over my skin that feels almost heavy. The package says that you can go about your day after scrubbing, just throw on moisturizer and go about your biz, but there is no way in hell I could go feeling that disgusting. It seriously felt like I hadn't washed my face at all. I followed with my usual foaming cleanser and all was right in the world again.
Overall I give this a huuuugeeeee boot.
The second product in the Glow Boost Line is the Glow Boost Illuminating Moisturizer.
It worked very well right under my makeup. You can't even see the shimmer after my foundation is on, though I will say it did make things feel like they went on smoother, even my primer.
Once again they come at you with denatured alcohol and several different acids in the formula, so even though things went swimmingly, in the beginning, my skin ended up getting irritated. It upset me more than I thought it would! I was rooting so hard for this stuff. Adding in alcohol is a way to help a product feel lighter, and to help get rid of oiliness. It's taken me so long to realize that maybe my skin isn't naturally oily, that it's the harsh products that make it seem that way. I'm not down for a moisturizer with alcohol in it. If I want to banish oil I'll use a blotting paper or an oil control powder.
Sadly, also a boot for me.
I had such high hopes for both products that I was a bit sad when neither worked for me. As I've researched more into these particular products, it seems that the entire SkinActive line is riddled with alcohol, even the Rose Water products. I don't know if I will try that line now that I've looked deeper into the ingredients. Naturally derived doesn't always mean good for you!
Have you tried any of the products in this line? What did you think about them?
Disclaimer: I did receive these products complimentary for review. All thoughts and views on them are my own and not influenced in any way by PinchMe or Garnier.
I'm quite familiar with Garnier. I love their hair products! They tend to smell nice and do good things for my hair.
Their skin care, on the other hand, I've had an iffy relationship with.
They were one of the first drugstore brands that I remember bringing BB cream here to the US. I remember being so excited only to be so let down. On the other hand, their Blackhead Eliminating Scrub is bomb. After a week of using it twice a day my skin looked fantastic.
The products that I got to try are a part of their SkinActive line. That line's biggest seller is the fact that all of the product ingredients are 96% naturally derived. There's no sulfates, dyes, parabens, mineral oil, or silicone. Even cooler is the products are also vegan!
Let's start from the bottom up and begin with the Glow Boost 2-in-1 Facial Mask and Scrub that they call a facial in a jar.
As someone who used the crap out of St. Ives Apricot Scrub as a teenager, I was totally familiar with the ingredients and excited to try this newer apricot scrub that went beyond scrub and extended to mask.
When I used it as a mask it stung a little bit. I figured it was from the apricot extract in the product but I looked a little closer and there is salicylic acid. It's one of the last ingredients but it was just enough to irritate my skin. It also contains denatured alcohol, something that is rather nasty toward the skin. Being so high up on the list of ingredients just screams that it's going to be harsh. It can help control oil, but when you suction your face dry of oil your skin will just work harder to replace it, leading to a vicious cycle of stripping and increased sebum production.
After the five minutes of masking, I followed the directions and scrubbed.
For an apricot scrub, it's rather gentle. That really surprised me. The apricot seed powder is very fine and didn't leave me with the fear that I was going to murder my skin.
The texture is... it's thick. It's sticky. It doesn't spread very easily.
Once in contact with water, it does wash away very nicely with little effort. What I don't like is the fact that it doesn't feel like my skin is clean afterward. It leaves this weird film over my skin that feels almost heavy. The package says that you can go about your day after scrubbing, just throw on moisturizer and go about your biz, but there is no way in hell I could go feeling that disgusting. It seriously felt like I hadn't washed my face at all. I followed with my usual foaming cleanser and all was right in the world again.
Overall I give this a huuuugeeeee boot.
The second product in the Glow Boost Line is the Glow Boost Illuminating Moisturizer.
They claim that this is a glow-boosting moisturizer that can give you an instant glow without makeup due to the apricot extract. They say it blends seamlessly into all skin-tones, though this I'd like to see. The last time I tried a product that claimed that I looked orange as hell.
They also claim that skin will feel healthier and energized, but that is a bit no from me on that one.
It has a lovely color and scent. As you can see it blends in and does glow thanks to the bit shimmer.
Once again they come at you with denatured alcohol and several different acids in the formula, so even though things went swimmingly, in the beginning, my skin ended up getting irritated. It upset me more than I thought it would! I was rooting so hard for this stuff. Adding in alcohol is a way to help a product feel lighter, and to help get rid of oiliness. It's taken me so long to realize that maybe my skin isn't naturally oily, that it's the harsh products that make it seem that way. I'm not down for a moisturizer with alcohol in it. If I want to banish oil I'll use a blotting paper or an oil control powder.
Sadly, also a boot for me.
I had such high hopes for both products that I was a bit sad when neither worked for me. As I've researched more into these particular products, it seems that the entire SkinActive line is riddled with alcohol, even the Rose Water products. I don't know if I will try that line now that I've looked deeper into the ingredients. Naturally derived doesn't always mean good for you!
Have you tried any of the products in this line? What did you think about them?
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