Why is it that your face can feel as dirty and oily at the beginning of the day as it does the end? You clean it. You moisturize it. You use the toner the lady at the department store counter told you to use. You’ve been told alcohol is too harsh, but at least it gets your skin feeling clean, if a little dry. You’ve tried Witch Hazel, which feels good for about five minutes. Any moisturizer you use feels like you’re clogging your pores so that even more oil and dirt can be trapped on your skin. To top it all off, it all has that weird chemical cosmetic smell that creams and cleansers have had since your grandmother was using them.
There are several products out there that have been formulated to keep you from going crazy trying to have that clean yet moisturized yet not too oily face. AWAKE, a product out of Japan in the United States since 1997 has a new Polyphection line made just for such problems. The Polyphection products, including the Polyphection Fluid Cleanse, Polyphection Wash, and Polyphection Pore Smoothing Perfect, are confections of polyphenols, botanical oils, trehalose, and other natural botanical products (such as the 11 essential herbs used as aromatherapy to calm you and your skin) that help bring balance to your skin; give it that healthy glow and keep it moisturized without being oily. One of the products used in AWAKE is Lavender Polyphenol. Lavender was used in a lot of homemade concoctions and remedies "back in the day" but now scientists understand why it is so effective. Lavender, like many plants, has polyphenols, also known as flavonoids, and tannins, that help with plant defense. In fact, they have anti-oxidant properties. This can be changed a little so it may be used for your skin’s defense. Plus, it smells better than your grandmother’s cosmetics.
Another product, Trehalose, is a product in plants and animals that help cells withstand dehydration and desiccation for long periods of time. It retains water at a high rate for a prolonged period of time until rehydration can occur again. Once rehydration occurs, the skin cells can claim the moisture they need since they have not been damaged by the long period of dehydration.
These are just two of the main ingredients used in the AWAKE line that are sure to help you keep your skin balanced through the day. The products can be found at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf, as well as the flagship Bath and Bodyworks stores.
Another option for those oily days, however, is Shiseido, another outstanding line out of Japan that specializes in purity. Considered one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world (your grandmother could have used it – it was founded in 1872), it also focuses on finding things "of the earth" that will help create beauty. According to the Shiseido Philosophy, true beauty is when the outer reflects the inner in perfect harmony, achieving balance. It shouldn’t be too much of a leap to see how making sure your skin is balanced will help keep it youthful and beautiful looking.
As with AWAKE’s Polyphection line, Shiseido’s Pureness line strives to combat oil secretion without drying out the skin, thus attaining an overall balanced look. The Pureness line, however, has 14 products, as opposed to three, that include 5 dedicated to cleansing the skin in different ways. Pureness Pore Purifying Warm Scrub, warms the skin up to open the pores, clean out the black heads and other oily secretions, while the Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam and Foaming Cleansing Fluid let you decide how much you want to "foam up" when you cleanse, and whether it will be a more gentle cleansing. In addition, there are Pureness Refreshing Cleansing Sheets – for those times during the day when it still feels like you need to clean your face. Alternately, if you don’t want to spend too much time reapplying your make up, try the Oil-Control Blotting Paper. Easily kept in your makeup kit in your handbag, this handy little tool will keep you looking fresh as you dash from work to dinner out with friends. All you need to do is pull out a small sheet and dab it in those areas where you need it most, such as the nose, forehead, or chin. It blots the oil without removing the makeup.
For moisturizing, Pureness has a selection of creams and lotions created to be light and refreshing, not heavy or claustrophobic. The Pureness Balancing Softener tones the skin after it has been cleansed. You can then choose from three different selections at varying levels of moisturizing: Anti-Shine Refreshing Lotion for just a touch of moisture; Matifying Moisturizer Oil-Free for something that will hold in more moisture and last all day; and the Moisturizing Gel-Cream, a rich, creamy gel that nourishes the skin, while it refreshes and moisturizes without clogging pores. Almost like giving your skin a drink of water.
Shiseido brand products can be found in most major department stores and many beauty stores worldwide.
Rachel is a freelance writer, copy editor, and proofreader who attempts to cobble enough together each month to pay for rent, kitty litter, and chocolate (and maybe cat nip for the cat). Sometimes you can find her in Larchmont Village struggling to pass by the Leonida's Chocolates without going in.
