Aveeno’s Cleansers and Moisturizers: Not Just For Chicken Pox Anymore

My first memory of an Aveeno product was as the one and only thing that made me stop scratching my chicken pox. I was three, and it was kind of gross but kind of wonderful that I was allowed to bathe in oatmeal. Nonetheless, it was a while before I gave the brand the credit it deserves: The products are reasonably priced but feel luxurious, and the trio I’ve been using has kept my sometimes-oily sometimes-dry skin clear and moisturized. And if I run into some poison sumac this summer, I trust that my oatmeal bath will be ready and waiting.
 
I’ve washed my face with Aveeno’s Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser ($7.49) every morning for about a year; it has acne-fighting salicylic acid that staves off occasional breakouts but leaves skin feeling clean, not dry or tight.

I love the summer-evoking botanicals-and-sunscreen scent of the Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 ($19.99) so much I’ve been using it as hand lotion as well as a face cream – the high SPF and creamy formula keep delicate hand and face skin soft and protected.

The Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Night Cream ($19.99) is super-moisturizing - it seems to do something overnight that leaves skin more even and smoother. I'm not questioning.

Clinique 3-Step System For Stubborn, Hard-To-Manage Skin

Recently, I've settled on the fact that I'll just have to live the rest of my life with erratic skin. My mom still has acne in her mid-fifties and has convinced me that she's tried everything, it's genetic, and basically, I'm screwed for life. Thanks Mom!

One positive note from mother – apparently I can look forward to clear skin when I'm pregnant. If you could only hear the sarcasm.

I've tried everything. From dermatologist prescribed creams like Retin A, to Acutane and other oral medications, to every over-the-counter face wash, toner, scrubber, exfoliator, cream, lotion, serum you can imagine. Even the 3-step celebrity-guaranteed system that need-not-be-named didn't work for me. So what's a gal to do?

I've always seen Clinique's 3-Step System in friends' medicine cabinets, but thought, how can something so generic work for my complicated skin? Turns out, Clinique has turned with the tides and created different 3-Step System products for every skin type from oily to dry. Their website has this great questionnaire that helped me figure out which products I needed. Turns out, I needed all three products in the "you have acne" strength. Big surprise.

The Acne Solution cleansing foam ($17.50) is mild yet effective and made my face feel amazingly smooth.

The Acne Solutions clarifying lotion ($13.50) - or exfoliating toner as I know it - cleans off all that extra makep that my face-washing regime missed. It really gets rid of all the excess oil on my face and neck.  

The Acne Solutions clearing moisturizer ($16) has that amazing acne zapper we know as benzoyl peroxide that helps control oil throughout my day. It's lightly hydrating so it is great for my dry cheeks and oily forehead and nose. 

This three step system is bound to last me about two to three months – absolutely worth the price for the beautiful skin it's giving me. All 3 products add up to $47. Or get the 4-week starter kit for just $32. Smaller sizes, but at least they'll let you try it out.

Get Yours: nordstrom.com

Beauty Bestseller: Neutrogena Helps My Face Get Out Of High School Mode

What: Neutrogena Oil-Free Anti-Acne Moisturizer, $4.54 

Why: One would assume after a quarter-century of existence, that blemishes would be a thing of the past - something you'd leave behind in adolescence along with braces, training bras, and virginity. But once in a while, under times of intense stress (or when you-know-what comes to visit) my skin tends to misbehave. Normally I am randomly blessed with a decent complexion - which I have no business having, seeing as how I don't drink enough water, don't take my vitamins, abhor fruits and vegetables, and partake too heartily in the weekend cocktail.  But I mention this not to make enemies, but rather to drive home the benefits of my all-time favorite little life-saving product. Neutrogena's  Oil-Free Anti-Acne Moisturizer is perfect for skin that needs a little help keeping blemishes under control. The low concentration of salicylic acid is not too intense, so it won't dry out your skin. I have been a fan of this product for years now due to its mild blemish fighting power combined with soothing moisturizing benefits. And I love that since it's actually a moisturizer, there's no extra cream I have to apply after washing my face. So when my job, my social life, or my hormones have me under the gun, Neutrogena is there to keep my skin from giving me away - and for that I will remain a very loyal customer.

Get Yours: drugstore.com  

What Is This On My Face? Lotions To Ease You Through Those Embarrassing Situations

A few months ago I developed a rather embarrassing skin problem on my face – above my upper lip to be exact. Thank goodness for good girlfriends because I never would have noticed it on my own! Overtime I had developed hyperpigmentation or a pigmentation issue with the skin above my upper lip. I can't tell you why (tanning too often might be the culprit here) but I blame hormones. Either way, it's not something I noticed until a girlfriend pointed it out. Then it was all I could see! When I looked in the mirror or when I saw myself in pictures I was mortified. I exfoliated, scrubbed, tried bleaching – but since it's not the hair that is the problem, bleaching wasn't the solution. It's actually the color of my skin! I searched high and low for something to help and just recently found my miracle product - Proactiv Skin Lightening Lotion

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Not only does this skin lightening lotion work for pigmentation issues like mine, but it will lighten acne scars, age spots, brown spots, and sun spots. It's an oil-free product and made my skin tone nice and even.

Other products out there for lip pigmentation problems can also help decrease the loss of collagen that happens overtime and lighten the fine lines that form from facial expressions. Bliss Spa makes a product called Stiff Upper Lip that does just that. It is formulated with a powerful retinol agent, a skin lightener, and GABA, known for its ability to smooth facial lines.

Get Proactiv Skin Lighten Lotion for just $21.95 from qvc.com and Bliss Stiff Upper Lip for $48 from Saks. 

Beauty Find: Battle Adult Acne And Aging

What: Dermaquest Rejuvaderm ($56) and Dermaquest C-Lipoic Antioxidant Serum ($70)

Why: When we were teenagers, acne was the bane of our existence. We tried it all – Retin-A, Vitamin A, even Accutane. With an innocence that only comes with youth, wrinkles seemed so far away, only affecting those old people and not our 15-year-old friends.

Fast forward ten years and, much to our chagrin, we still have to fight off acne and are now regretting our carefree moments in the sun every time we spot a wrinkle. Faced with this double whammy, we turn to Dermaquest’s Rejuvaderm, designed to knock out acne with the combative trio of glycolic acid, azelaic acid and salicylic acid. These agents get rid of pore-clogging dead skin cells and work to reduce inflammation and the ugly red sploches that surround zits. However, they replenish the moisture they take away to leave your skin smooth and breakout free, reducing acne and those unsightly hints of wrinkles.

We're also fans of Dermaquest C-Lipoic Antioxidant Serum, with Alpha-Lipoic acid.  An anti-oxidant, it helps to soothe damaged skin and reduce the appearance of those laugh lines with a powerful dose of Vitamin C.

Get Yours:  DrSkinSpa.com

See the other great acne solutions SheFinds has featured. 

Excuse Me, Is That Pumpkin On Your Face?

What: MyChelle Incredible Pumpkin Peel, $18.50

 Why: Growing up, my mom and I were both into pumpkins, although she favored the baked pie version while I was all about the indie rock “Smashing” variety. Now we can bond over a common pumpkin interest: a face mask. MyChelle’s Incredible Pumpkin Peel might look, feel, and smell like pureed baby food (which might explain my niece's flawless complexion), but the pumpkin and pineapple extracts, honey enzymes and honey wine do the decidedly grown-up job of exfoliating sun-damaged and acne-prone skin. Plus this mask, unlike some of the others with mysterious chemical ingredients, is totally toxin-free and never tested on animals. But the best part of this pumpkin party? No dirty dishes. 

Find it: Amazon

Forum Find: Zap Zits With Zeno

 What: Zeno, $185

We may play with beauty products professionally, but that doesn't mean we're not plagued with the same acne everyone else faces. Which is a major frustration. Really, we have the best face washes at our finger tips, but we still turn to our killer concealer to cover up the mini-eruptions that appear every now and then. If only there were an easier way to manage zits…

Well, maybe there is. Stacylynn posted her recommendation for Zeno in the SheFinds Forums. This handy, hand-held zit zapper uses a dose of heat to reduce inflammation and redness. According to early reports on this FDA-approved device, treating a pimple with Zeno can shorten the lifespan of that pesky blemish to under 24 hours. So we won't toss the concealer yet, but we will take this great suggestion under consideration. Thanks, Stacylynn!

Get Yours: Sephora

Are you sitting on a great find you can't keep yourself? Let us know!  

News Updates: Gaultier Honored, Designer Bags Nabbed, and More

Jean-Paul Gaultier honored for breaking all the rules. [FWD]

Designer handbags are the new target of choice for British thieves. [Daily Mail]

Breakouts, be gone! A new drug proven to reduce acne by 70%. [Science Daily]

Clorox expands into the natural beauty market with their purchase of Burt's Bees. We hope this doesn't mean change for the worse with some of our favorite products. [Business Week]