A couple years ago, I was curious about trying some of the organic face care brands recently populating the market. Plagued by skin problems for many years, I wanted to see if using ‘organic’ would make a difference—but there were so many different kinds, that I didn’t know where to begin in my quest. Luckily, someone dropped the hint to Santa, and on Christmas morning, I was pleased to find an Alba Hawaiian skin care kit in my stocking. This was my first real test and as a result, I found a new friend in their face wash!
Here’s a breakdown of my likes and dislikes in what I’ve tried so far.
Alba Pineapple Enzyme Facial Cleanser:
Call me crazy, but I’m big on my face wash making a foaming sudsy mess. I guess that makes me think my face is clean. While Alba’s Pineapple cleanser doesn’t get that elaborate, it does lather well and leaves my skin feeling fresh. It also doesn’t make me break out, which is a huge bonus…and always on my list when shopping for face care. And the enzymes in it naturally exfoliate without the grit.
Oh, and the scent? With the word pineapple in the title, you usually can’t go wrong. This brand totally takes you to the tropics…in your own bathroom, too. This is my number one pick!
Alba Coconut Milk Facial Wash:
This almost sounds edible, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not my type of face wash. Since you already know that foaming is important to me, this wash has zero foam-age. None. In fact, it almost leaves an un-washed feel to my skin when I’m done. For those with super-sensitive skin, this wash would be great since it’s soap-free…but I didn’t care for it. Sorry!
Kiss My Face Start Up, Exfoliating Face Wash:
I received a sample of this once and I liked it so much that I decided to buy the full size. It has a refreshing scent and left my face feeling very clean. Much like Alba, it also uses enzymes to exfoliate, which seems to work very well on my skin. However, it doesn’t suds up and has a very watery feeling to it when applied—watch out, it can come out fast!
Zia Gentle Seaweed Cleanser:
Don’t let the ingredients fool you! It doesn’t smell like low tide, surprisingly. Again, it also does not foam up (which seems to be a common trait) and to get a complete face washing experience, I find that I have to massage it into my skin awhile. But once I wash it off, my face feels firm and fresh. It doesn’t have any exfolliant ingredients in it, but it’s great for sensitive skin and the website claims it works great for shaving. The website also claims that this facewash can be seen in Seventeen magazine. Who knew?
Luckily, all of these products are fairly affordable, usually around $11-17. But you’ll want to make sure you like it before investing in the whole bottle, so try some trial sizes. Both Alba and Zia have gift sets so you can sample several products at once.
The Chinook Book has coupons for several stores that carry these products, such as Bartell Drugs, PCC, Town and Country Markets or Whole Foods.
I know there is still a vast world of face care that I have not yet gotten to! So, if you have a favorite, feel free to comment on it. I love trying new products!