Want an effective cleanser that not only leaves your skin glowing but helps to minimise the appearance of large pores too? Of course you do! The Carousel’s Contributing Beauty Editor, Sharon Farrell, road-tests Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Daily Cleanser and discovers a glowing ticket to success…
The Product: Neutrogena Pore Refining Daily Cleanser
What it does: Gently and effectively cleanses skin, removing excess oil and impurities while smoothing rough textured skin and shrinking the appearance of pores.
Scent: A light, crisp fragrance that leaves you feeling fresh and clean.
Key ingredients: AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) Glycolic Acid breaks down the glue holding dead skin cells together making them easier to remove, revealing a fresh new complexion. The BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) Salicylic Acid exfoliates the skin, dissolving those dead skin cells and cleaning out pores.
Why we love it: Pores suck, who needs ‘em? Ok, so technically we all need pores (otherwise we would inflate like a giant sebum-filled water balloon*) but still, it doesn’t mean I want to see them pocked across my T-zone. Being a combination/oily skinned gal, it’s an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes my skin resembles the surface of the moon, usually around that magical time of the month, and no amount of spackle can disguise it. *not actual science.
Pores become bigger and more visible when a nasty mixture of dead skin cells, makeup residue and excess oil plugs them up causing them to stretch and even to become pimples. Then we usually go and make it worse by taking our index fingers and performing extractions… a very satisfying yet damaging practice whereby we squeeze the bejeezus outta our skin, removing the blockage yes, but stretching and distorting the pore even more.
So what’s the solution? Acid! That’s right, Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids are your pore’s new best friends and that’s where Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Cleanser comes in. First off, this product has got you covered with both Salicylic and Glycolic Acid to dissolve dead skin cells, eliminating potential pore blocking detritus from your skin. This is the most gentle way to exfoliate your skin and minimises the risk of stretched pores and broken capillaries caused by overzealous scrubbing and squeezing.
Secondly the gentle foaming gel breaks down and removes every trace of makeup and oil built up from the day (no easy feat with my makeup let me tell ya) all without stripping the skin and keeping it feeling soft and supple.
Thirdly, it’s from Neutrogena! You can get it from your local supermarket and it’s completely wallet friendly. A true trifecta of awesomeness.
The clean linen-esque scent is a refreshing way to start the day too, removing sweat and oil that’s built up overnight, and the pump dispenser is super handy in the shower.
How to use it: I love to wet my face with some warm water and massage the cleanser in until it forms a luxurious lather. I then take a hot damp muslin cloth and gently buff. If I have time, I’ll repeat this process to give my skin a salon style deep double cleanse. It’s left feeling soft and smooth as a baby’s bum!
Price: $14.99
This is a sponsored post by Neutrogena. All opinions expressed by the author are authentic and written in their own words.