Now let's move on to the good stuff!
The first product I tried was the Pink Grapefruit Facial Exfoliating Scrub ($2 for .5oz Travel Size) ($4 for 6oz Full-Size) -- The full-size is clearly the better value!
Description: This non-abrasive scrub with Pink Grapefruit bursts onto skin, sloughing off dead skin cells that make skin look dull. Massage gentle Microbeads over face and neck for a revitalizing, deep-cleaning exfoliation session that promotes healthy cell renewal. Perfect for all skin types.
Directions: Apply to damp face and neck, avoiding eyes. Rinse with warm water.
Ingredients: Water/Aqua/ Eau, Glycerin, Polyethylene, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Açaí) Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia (Camu-Camu) Fruit Extract, Bixa Orellana (Annatto) Seed Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbitol, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum), Red 40 (CI 16035), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Benzyl Benzoate, D-Limonene
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| Behold my out-of-focus swatch--yes, yes, I'm sorry |
I really like this scrub, and the ingredients list explains why.
2nd ingredient - glycerin - Glycerin is naturally present in fats, and naturally present in our skin. This helps skin retain moisture, preventing dryness (and even worse, that ultra-dry 'scaly" appearance). Glycerin helps our skin attract water from the environment and air around us. It's like a humidifier for your face.
3rd ingredient - polyethylene - This is the bead-like substance that acts as the physical exfoliate (aka what makes it a scrub). These are rounded beads, meaning they're better for the skin than some more natural exfoliates (ex. walnut shells, which are more jagged and can cause microcuts in the skin -- I'm looking at you, St. Ives). This is also used as a thickening agent and stabilizer.
4th ingredient - grapefruit extract - This scrub smells just like pink grapefruit! I almost want there to be a matching body splash just so I can smell like pure grapefruit all the time. It's also a great source of vitamin-C.
I used around half the packet for one use (though I was generous with application to make sure I could fully test it). I really loved this scrub. The smell was divine (though it may be too strong for some of you), the scrub was gentle enough for my sensitive skin but the beads were strong enough to get the job done. Some of you may think this is more of a face polish, depending if you like your scrubs more abrasive. I massaged this on my face in a Clarisonic-like manner (20 seconds on my forehead, 20 seconds on my nose/chin area, and 10 seconds on my cheeks. This might be better to use in the morning if you like using a cleanser/scrub in the AM, since the grapefruit scent is quite invigorating and might help wake you up. Make sure to rinse well to remove any residue. I would consider repurchasing this--6oz for $4 is an excellent deal for this product.
Because your skin is most ready to absorb product after you exfoliate (there's no dead skin to get in the way), I like to follow up with a mask. I used the Cucumber Peel-Off Facial Mask ($4 for 6oz).
Directions: Apply evenly to face, avoiding eye area. Leave on 5-10 minutes or until dry. Gently peel off mask. Rinse with warm water. Use two times a week or as often as needed.
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| This has the texture and appearance of aloe gel (this one is in focus!) |
Do yourself a favor and try not to stick your hair to your face. Actually, just avoid your hairline in general, and your eyebrows. I recommend pushing your hair back with a headband. This mask sticks to everything. After 10 minutes, the mask was dry and I began the peeling-off process. Unlike other peel-off masks I've used, this one didn't peel off in one (or even a few) big pieces. Peeling it off was an ordeal, since I could only peel it off in tiny pieces. It probably took me around 5 minutes to get it all off. You have to be gentle when pulling the mask off your face, because otherwise you'll snap your piece off and have to grab a new spot to pull from. Then, I rinsed off the residue (which there was a lot of). It just took a lot of time.
My face was a little bit smoother, but not enough to deal with product. It was way too much hassle for the small improvement it had on my skin. However, I'm also impatient. Maybe if you enjoy peeling things off your face, you'll like this. In the end, my face felt a little tight. If you have dry skin anywhere on your face, I would stay away. I will not be repurchasing, but if your skin is oily, perhaps you will enjoy this.
After giving my skin a few days to rest, I decided to pull out the Mint & Lemon Facial Clay Mask ($4 for 6oz) for a spin.
Directions: Apply mask to face and neck, avoiding contact with eyes. Let dry and rinse with warm water. Use two times a week or as often as needed.
Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Kaolin, Bentonite, Titanium Dioxide, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Montmorillonite, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyacrylate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum), D-Limonene, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090).
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| Behold another quick bathroom swatch |
Can I start out with a pet peeve? Why do companies always pair "oily skin" with "acne-prone"? People with dry skin get acne, too! (Okay, rant over).
The texture of this is like the typical green clay mask you've seen on TV and in real life. It's a very thick and goopy paste. Let's go over some of the key ingredients.
2nd ingredient - kaolin - An ingredient that has been used in even some of the oldest beauty products. It originally began appearing in cosmetics in China. Kaolin is an insoluble mineral with great absorbent qualities, often used to draw out impurities and toxins. It is typically used to clean the skin of excess oil, dirt, and and general nastiness. You can often find it in clay and mud masks.
3rd ingredient - bentonite - Bentonite is the actual clay in this mask. It is supposed to be powerful at clearing the skin, and is used in many skincare products for its ability to absorb toxins. Fun fact: bentonite is actually composed of aged volcanic ash.
So, I don't have oily skin, and I don't have much of a problem with acne, but I tried this so I could give you an honest review! Clay masks can typically be very drying, since they do absorb any excess oil on the skin ("excess" being very subjective, and usually over-absorbent for us dry-skinned folk). Since my skin is combination-dry (aka my skin just does whatever it wants, but it's never oily and is dry a lot of the time), I only used this on my T-Zone. I have large pores on my nose, and some of my forehead and chin, so I figured I would concentrate it there. If I used this on my cheeks, I felt it would dry it out to the point of being uncomfortable.
I applied a thick layer, just to ensure I would get the optimum result. I had been hoping that the directions would give a ballpark range of how many minutes it would take to dry before I could rinse it off, but no such luck, so I just had to wait. However, my layers weren't exactly even, so I would advise taking care to make your whole applied area as even as possible. My thinnest layer areas dried within 5-6 minutes. Most of my mask was dry within 10 minutes, but I kind of piled it on my nose and that wound up taking around 15 minutes to dry. I wish the directions specified whether the layer should be thick or thin, but it's not a big deal.
This will get in your hair. Just accept it and move on. My suggestion is to use this before you plan on washing your hair (for me, I would do it the night before, since I'm an AM shower-taker), just to be safe.
I didn't feel too much of a difference, except for the fact that my face felt drier--and I put this mask on my "oily" (not really oily, but less dry) areas. If you have oily skin, I would say you should check it out, but if your skin is anywhere from dry to normal to maybe even combination, I would suggest steering clear.
Overall, I'm happy that I had the chance to try these masks. I've heard good things about this brand, and they've been featured in subscription boxes such as Ipsy. If I had to pick one to buy (and I may very well do so), I would get the pink grapefruit scrub. It's gentle, yet effective, and smells oh-so-good. The two masks I tried (the cucumber and lemon/mint), I think are best-suited for oily skin, so they didn't resonate with me. If any of you have tried these, comment below! I'd love to hear some feedback!
Have you tried anything from Freeman Beauty? What did you think?
Disclaimer: I received these face masks from Sumpto to test out and review. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviews. All opinions stated here are honest and my own.
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