cleanser | Glitter Geek

Gaaah! It must be spring! My sinuses are clogged, and my eyes, ears and throat are so itchy. Right now it’s so important to have the proper skincare so that I won’t look like a red hot mess. A good skincare regimen, as you know, starts with cleansing.

allergy season skincare 1

In the evening, shu uemura ultime8 sublime beauty cleansing oil ($98 for 450ml online and at Holt Renfrew) takes off almost all my makeup in 30 seconds. The oil is so soothing and effective, and it’s been a staple in my bathroom since fall last year. As you can see, it is well loved. I then do a milk cleanser: Holistic Vanity Damage Care Rejuvenating Rosewater Cleanser ($30 for 100ml online and in Pure + simple spas). It’s so gentle and takes off the last bits of makeup while also soothing skin with rosewater and tamanu oil. All other cleansers really irritate my skin right now, so I really appreciate the soothing feeling I get from this rosewater cleanser. In the shower, I am nothing without Live Clean (baby) Soothing Relief Foaming Wash ($6.99 for 265ml at Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstores, Real Atlantic Superstores, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix and Walmart). I am obsessed with the soft baby smell of the entire line, so much so that I’m convinced that I am, in fact, just a giant baby. Also deserving of an honourable mention is Live Clean (baby) & Mommy Bath and Massage Oil ($6.99 for 126ml), which is enriched with lavender, chamomile and aloe that feels incredibly moisturizing on the skin. The entire Live Clean (baby) line is of course petroleum-, paraben- and phthalate-free, because you wouldn’t want that stuff on your baby, am I right?

allergy season skincare 2

Every time the founders of Pure + simple come out with a new line, I do a little happy dance. Minimalist Face Lift Serum ($99.95 online and in Pure + simple spas) is from their latest anti-aging skincare line, and it is fantastic! It is a liquid, much like Pure + simple collagen elastin serum, and I use it to give my moisturizers a boost. This regenerates damaged skin with Vitamin F (linoleic acid, linolenic acid) as well as reduces inflammation and sensitivity. There are two moisturizers that have been saving my sensitive skin since the winter. First, SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer ($78 for 50ml, in dispensing doctors, medical spas and high-end spas. List of locations at www.skinceuticals.com/canada) is actually made to prevent redness associated with rosacea. This alcohol-, fragrance-, paraben- and silicone-free formula is gentle and hydrates nicely without any stinging, which is usually a problem for me this time of year. Also, I bought La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra ($31 for 40ml online, and in pharmacies) at the drugstore when my skin was really at its worst in the winter. I still use it now during allergies season, because like the SkinCeuticals, I don’t get any stinging from this and it thoroughly hydrates my skin without being too greasy or heavy for daytime. In the evening, my eyelids become pretty raw from constantly rubbing all day, and Bobbi Brown EXTRA Eye Repair Cream (CDN $80 / US $69 for 15ml online, Sephora and Holt Renfrew) is heaven sent, you guys. This is a heavy, greasy balm so I wouldn’t recommend it under makeup, but for nighttime it is perfect. Again, it’s important to point out that I experience no stinging from this product.

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? How do you switch up your skincare regimen for the season?

Here’s the thing: my skincare regimen takes too long. Cleanser. Toner. Serum. Moisturizer. Oil. Sunscreen. When you’re running late in the morning, that adds up.

When I end up sleeping in because of a late night Sherlock marathon, I really need to streamline my skincare routine. Recently, I have been loving how easy and quick Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner ($24) takes care of cleansing and prepping my skin for my daily lotions and potions.

As the newest member of the gentle cleansing line, the 2-in-1 formula is what you get if the Gentle Cleansing Milk and the Gentle Refining Toner had a baby. At night, after taking off my eye makeup, I moisten a cotton pad with it and run that all over my face. It’s not recommended for the eye area, but I quickly do it anyway (live on the edge, babe!) with my eyes closed. Then I rinse that off with water.

You don’t get any sudsing action with this cleanser. It looks and feels watery like milk. But it is effective. On heavy makeup days, I use it as my second cleanser and it doesn’t dry out my skin. On normal makeup days this has become my cleanser of choice. It leaves my skin clean and hydrated, and takes off the last bits of eye makeup left behind by makeup remover. This is a great cleanser for those with normal to combination skin.

Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner is available online; Whole Foods Market; natural independent health food stores; Planet Organic Market; Nature’s Fare; Noah’s Natural Foods and Rexall Pharma Plus stores.

Now that you’ve heard what I think, would you like to try it for yourself?

Giveaway (Canada Only)

You have a chance to win a huge prize pack containing a 1-year supply of the Weleda One-Step Cleanser & Toner PLUS a Weleda facial care collection best suited to your skin-care needs. You can pick one of the following:

Almond Soothing Facial Care: for sensitive skin
Iris Hydrating Facial Care: for moisturizing and balancing very dry to normal to combination skins
Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Care: for skin that’s experiencing its first lines
Pomegranate Firming Facial Care: for mature skin

All you have to do is answer the following questions in a comment:

What do you do to save time in your busy day? And what do you do with that free time?

Don’t forget to mention your chosen Weleda skincare line in your comment. After you have commented, for additional entries, you can tweet about the contest once daily.

Contest ends on Saturday, April 21 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time.

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