Sjal

I love testing cleansers. If I could test them all day every day I would. (well I guess I would have to give my face a break one in a while, ugh) Here are 5 that I have put through the paces over the past few weeks and months.

1. Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream – I think of this more as a mask/cleanser than a standard cleanser. As you can see from below, it is a thick grainy texture so it is definitely better for a second cleanse or even a treatment. I add a bit of water to it to make a thick paste and then pat it on my skin. I use upward massaging motions to work it onto the skin for a minute or two and then gently rinse it off. My skin is left smooth, plump and hydrated. Truly a unique product.

2. Zelens Z Pure Cleansing Liquid Balm – Boy is this stuff thick! Which initially had me wondering whether it would perform better as a makeup remover/first cleanse or massaging second cleanse. I did feel that it removed makeup nicely, but it’s a pricier cleanser so I would prefer to leave it as a second cleanse and really work it well into the skin. Because it is so thick, I like to remove it with a warm cloth and love the final result of how my skin feels and looks. Definitely another win from Zelens.

3. Sjal Deep Pore Cleanser – We all know how judgey I can be when it comes to skincare and makeup and I often make snap decisions about a product from just the name or appearance. I am forever proven wrong, but yet I keep doing it. Here was another example of a judgement gone wrong. I saw “deep pore cleanser” and immediately thought it would be foamy and stripping and designed for oily skin but leave my skin feeling worse. And this was after falling in love with the 2 Sjal masks….I’m a tough audience. Welp, my assessment couldn’t be further from reality. This is the most luxurious and decadent creamy balm that glides over the skin like silk. I use this as a second cleanse because I want every bit of the key ingredients to get right on my skin and not be wasted trying to cut through makeup. Add water and this melts beautifully leaving the skin feeling like it’s had a day at the spa. After a good 2 weeks of using regularly, my skin look noticeably brighter and my pores appeared cleaner and less noticeable. The cap is a bit troublesome to remove but frankly I could really care less because what’s inside is so remarkable. Two thumbs up! 

4. Soap & Glory Deep Cleansing Milk – First things first – this stuff smells unbelievable. It has a sweet and enticing aroma of fresh peaches and I wash just a few seconds longer each time to enjoy the smell. But yummy scent aside, the formula itself is soft, creamy and delivers just the right amount of moisture and hydration to balance my oily skin. I know this may seem like a bold statement from a product I was only recently introduced to, but it secured a spot in my top 3 favorite milk cleansers already. Yup, told you it was bold. But when you know, you know. Ya know?

5. Jurlique Nourishing Cleansing Oil – I typically don’t write my blog posts in order of least favorite to most favorite, but in this case I ended with my favorite cleanser of the bunch. I have tried a lot (seriously, a TON) of cleansing oils and this was a stunner from first cleanse. The texture is thick but not too thick, and literally erases any and every trace of makeup from my face. Stubborn eye makeup, thick foundation, 13 layers of bronzers….not a match for this stuff. And while it is easy to emulsify and rinse off, it doesn’t completely dissolve immediately. I have to work the water into the oil to really get a good milk which ensures I get a deep clean. My skin is left soft and smooth, and if I absolutely had to skip a second cleanse it wouldn’t even matter. This stuff is that effective and my skin loves it. I told my mother to go out and buy this immediately. LOL. We love to chat skincare and text about our routines and I told her that her face needed this cleanser. Stat! I’m bossy when it comes to skincare. Sorry not sorry. Her face will thank me.

To say I get excited to try a new skincare brand is an understatement. Whether it is new in general or new to me (as is the case with Sjal skincare), I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want to put it all on my face immediately and sit and play with the products for hours on end. (I’m sure all of you can relate – which I assume is why you come back day after day LOL) Sjal has been on my radar recently and I have been particularly interested in their concept of bringing elements of eastern medicine and combining it with western technology to create a simple but effective range. I had the opportunity to test out their Perfecting Mask and Exfoliating Mask and wanted to share my thoughts on each.

1. Perfecting Mask -What the above photo fails to capture adequately is the pearlescent quality that this mask has when applied to the skin. It looks luminescent and glows with a pearlized finish to it. It naturally made me that much more excited about how my skin would look after using. I used it on a night when my skin was particularly dehydrated and dull looking, hoping that it would liven things up north of my neck. I left it on for the recommended 15 minutes and used a warm cloth to remove it. While I anticipated a boost of hydration and radiance, what I didn’t expect was how instantly calm and soothed my skin looked. My pores appeared smaller and everything looked and felt firmer. Additionally, I had a breakout brewing under the surface on my chin and was expecting it to break through any day, but by the next morning the bump had gone down in size and the blemish never ended up rearing its ugly head on my face. Victory!

2. Exfoliating Mask – Second to cleansing and eating cupcakes, I love to exfoliate. With a mask, a scrub, a serum, a peel – you name it, I love it. So this was actually the first product I tried from the line. It has slight granules in it  so there is both a chemical exfoliation happening from the complex of enzymes and fruit acids as well as a physical exfoliation occurring from the granules. I typically don’t do a ton of peels or use a lot of exfoliating products in the summer because I am out in the sun more than usual so my skin has been a bit more textured than normal which gave the mask a bit to work with. Again as with the Perfecting Mask, I left it on for 15 minutes and rinsed off with a warm cloth. I should note that the granules were so delicate and fine that I barely felt them when removing. It was a nice change from standard masks with a scrub-like texture that can be effective though a tad harsh. This was gentle yet effective. My skin felt soft and smooth without any residual redness, and continued to feel that way for the next few days following the treatment. While I am definitely going to stick to my reduced exfoliation in the summer, this is one treatment that seems suitable for helping keep my skin’s texture in check without being too harsh. 

*pr samples included