Banish Acne Scars: Pumpkin Enzyme Masque

Welcome back beautiful people!

It's that time of year again when many stores start selling pumpkin flavoured products such as Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, Tim Horton's Pumpkin Spice Muffin, Yankee Candle's Pumpkin Spiced Candle, and the list goes on and on and on.  One pumpkin flavoured product that is actually sold all year around is the Pumpkin Enzyme Masque from Banish Acne Scars!  The mask is a great anti-acne mask which contains lots of vitamins and enzymes to help smooth out the skin's texture while keeping the skin healthy!  Pumpkin contains natural ingredients that are great for getting rid of acne, and getting rid of scarring so if you're looking to get rid of any of the two, look no further!

This chart was taken directly from the Banish Acne Scars website and shows exactly what the Pumpkin Enzyme Masque contains and the benefits.

Vitamin A Great for healing skin!	Dries out acne Heals blemishes Promotes exfoliation of skin to prevent new acne from forming Essential Vitamin for healthy skin, hair and eyes Treats oily skin
Vitamin C & Beta-Carotene Antioxidant to protect skin so it can heal!	Reverses skin damage Binds with free radicals so they won't harm your fresh new skin cells Defends against cancer and damage from the sun Reduces fine lines and wrinkles Builds more collagen
Alpha Hydroxy Acids The natural exfoliator.	Slough off dead skin cells Lightens blemishes from hyper pigmentation or scarring Exfoliate skin to show off your healthy glowing skin underneath Keeps skin moisturized and heals any skin flaking
Zinc The immune system booster.	Anti-inflammatory Prevents scarring Helps heal damaged skin

Ingredients: Pumpkin Fruit, Organic Bilberry Fruit Extract, Organic Sugar Cane Extract, Organic Orange Peel Extract, Organic Lemon Peel Extract, Glycerin, Tetrasodium ETDA, Vitamin E, Phenoxyethanol, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin C, Glycolic Acid, Neem Seed Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Cinnamon Bark Powder, Ginger Root Powder, Nutmeg Powder.

Application Process:

1. Start with a clean face. 

• As with any face mask, you want to make sure you start off with a clean face.  If you plan on using this first thing in the morning, I'd suggest just wetting your face with water.  However, if you plan on doing this before bed, take off all your makeup or anything you have on your face with a gentle cleanser, wash off, and pat dry.
2. Apply.
• Application is super easy with this product!  You can use your clean fingers to take a toonie-sized amount and apply it all over your face.  You can also use a foundation brush to apply which is my preferred method because it is less messy that way.  I use my Real Techniques pointed foundation brush to apply a thin layer of the mask all over my face making sure to avoid the eye/eyebrow area.
3. The waiting game.
   
   • Now is the fun part.  Put on some Netflix, watch some YouTube videos, listen to music, read a book, etc., etc., etc.  Now's the time to do whatever you want while you wait for your mask to almost completely dry.  I usually leave mine on for 10 minutes.  You'll know when your mask is ready to be taken off when you notice it starting to flake off when you make certain facial expressions.  The colour and texture of the mask also changes which indicates that it's time to wash it off!
4. Wash off the mask to reveal cleansed and soothed skin.
• The best way to wash off this face mask is to apply lukewarm water to the skin and gently massage off.  You'll notice the first few massages won't get everything entirely off, this is normal.  Just keep applying water to your skin and eventually it will all rub off.  Once it's all off, simply pat dry with a clean towel.  Apply your favourite moisturizer if needed and you're good to go.

So I'll just go over a quick Pros & Cons list:

Pros

• All natural & organic.
• A little goes a long way.
• Lightens blemishes from hyper pigmentation or scarring.
• Dries out active acne which helps to heal blemishes.
• Gives a nice cooling sensation (if kept in the fridge) to the skin

Cons

• Heavily fragrant, so if the smell of pumpkin pie bothers you than this may not be the product for you.  I put this in the "cons" list because for some it may be considered a negative, whereas I personally don't mind the smell.
• Price point. Again, for some this may be an issue.  The product is $29.00 USD for 2 oz, although a little does go a long way, it is all based on personal budgets.

 

Click here to purchase the Pumpkin Enzyme Masque from Banish Acne Scars!

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,

 Glynn  

"I always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up."

Beverly Sills

ORIGINS: Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask

"Activated charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers. White China clay absorbs environmental toxins, and lecithin dissolves impurities. Without all that stuff down there, skin breathes a sigh of relief."

Welcome back everyone!  

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I love facial masks for a number of different reasons.

First off, many face masks are meant to be somewhat of a "quick fix" meaning that if you haven't been taking good care of your skin, (out all night partying then coming home and sleeping in your make-up.... we've all been there trust me), applying a face mask is a great way to kick start back into your old skin care regimen.  Secondly, there are so many face masks on the market today that they are bound to carry at least one that is catered to your skin's needs.  And last but certainly not least, face masks are a great way to sit back, relax, and pamper yourself in the comfort of your own home without the hefty price tags that come with fancy salon visits!

I always like to start off these posts by explaining the 5 W's (and how) of the product: 

WHO: The Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask

WHAT: A mask with activated charcoal to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers. 

Ingredients include:  water,myrtus communis (myrtle) leaf water, kaolin, bentonite, butylene glycol, montmorillonite, polysorbate 20, peg-100 stearate, charcoal powder, xanthan gum, lecithin, peg-150 distearate, propylene glycol stearate, sorbitan laurate, glycerin, propylene glycol laurate, simethicone, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, hexylene glycol, trisodium edta, dehydroacetic acid, phenoxyethanol.

WHERE: Can be bought anywhere Origins products are sold (i.e.: Sephora, Macy's, Amazon, eBay, etc.)

WHEN: Use once a week or as often as needed.  

WHY: When environmental toxins, dirt, and debris get under your skin, its waste-filtering system gets jammed, pores get clogged, and skin looks cloudy. By using this mask, nature's complexion clean-up crew gets to the bottom of skin's overcast condition and clears the way for it to act its best.

HOW: Start by opening pores with a warm, moist towel or you can boil some water into a bowl and tilt your face over the bowl to steam your face (sauna's are great for this too!).  Next you want to apply a thin layer of the product to your face; application tool is up to you.  You can use your clean fingers or use an old foundation brush.  I use my Real Techniques pointed foundation brush to apply a thin layer of the mask all over my face making sure to avoid the eye/eyebrow area.  Allow the mask to dry and harden (about 10-15 minutes), then rinse well.  

Pros and Cons of the Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask
Pros (+)	Cons (-)
Decent amount of product (3.4 fl OZ/100 mL) in a sleek, squeezy tube Spreads very easily (a little goes a long way) Thin consistency which allows the product to be washed off easily Helps reduce/shrink pore size especially on the nose! Also helped tremendously with the little tiny acne bumps that I used to have (the ones that you can't pop/pick at because they are just under the skin) Softens and smooths skin	Price ($25 US and $30 CAN) Leaves the skin dry/tight feeling so I would not recommend this for those with dry skin Somewhat of a strong fragrance (I actually don’t mind the fragrance but some may be sensitive to products with fragrance in them)

The pictures listed below show when the mask is first applied to my skin and 10-15 minutes after.  Right away you can see how thin the mask applies as there are no visible clumps in the product.  The mask starts out as a wet, grey colour and eventually dries up to a darker grey.  Once you move your face and see cracks starting to form from the mask you'll know it's time to wash that baby off!  You also want to make sure you follow up with a good moisturizer.  I have combination-oily skin and I find the mask tightens and dries up my skin ever so slightly so for those of you with dry skin types you may or may not have a positive experience with this product.  If you do go ahead and purchase the product I'd love to hear about your experiences with it in the comments below!  

 Freshly applied ↑ 

↓ 10-15 minutes later

 

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,
Glynn   

"Every exit is an entry somewhere else."

Tom Stoppard

LUSH Cosmetics: Cupcake fresh face mask

 Welcome back babes! 

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed LUSH Cosmetics' "Cosmetic Warrior" fresh face mask and received great feedback from you folks!  This time around I will be reviewing another one of their fresh face masks.  This post is going to seem repetitive only because it is my review on another fresh face mask marketed towards problematic skin (which I of course have!)  The mask that I am talking about today is their "Cupcake" fresh face mask!  I have been testing out this product for a little over 2 months now and I must say it works wonders on my oily, problematic skin.  Basically, Cupcake is one of LUSH's fresh face masks which can only be bought in stores because they are handmade with fresh ingredients that do have a shelf-life (as opposed to products that have parabens, sulfates, dyes, etc. which preserve and pro-long shelf-life). 
Fun Fact: At the time, the inventor’s daughter was a young girl having slumber parties with her girlfriends every weekend, so he whipped up a chocolate mint mask for young, oily skin (officially solidifying him as the coolest dad ever)!  With spearmint oil to cool, vanilla absolute to calm redness and Rhassoul mud to deeply cleanse- Cupcake is a sweet savior for young faces :)

LUSH's fresh face masks only last a couple of weeks and must be kept refrigerated because they are made with fresh ingredients, thus why they can only be bought in stores and not online.  Speaking of ingredients...

Cupcake's ingredients:

Rhassoul Mud, Glycerine, Linseed Infusion (Linum usitatissimum), Talc, Cocoa Powder (Theobroma cacao), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao). Fresh Mint (Mentha Piperita), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill and Fusanus spicatus), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Spearmint Oil (Mentha spicata), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), *Limonene, Fragrance (safe synthetics).

* = occurs naturally in essential oils 

So I'll just go over a quick Pros & Cons list:
Pros

• Cleanses and soothes troubled skin
• Inexpensive ($6.95 CAN)
• Can easily be applied with clean fingers as well as a foundation brush 
• Works well at reducing the oil production throughout the day
• Gives the skin a nice cooling sensation 
• Who doesn't love the smell of chocolate!?
• LUSH Cosmetics is a wonderful company who does test on animals!

Cons

• Somewhat difficult to remove as in it takes a few splashes of water and a generous amount of rubbing to get the entire mask off, however, it is nothing excessive. 
• Small amount of product (60 g) which is equal to about 5-8 applications depending on how much you use
• Since it is one of LUSH's fresh face masks, you have to buy it is stores rather than buying in the comfort of your own home online

Application Process:

1. Start with a clean face. 
• As with any face mask, you want to make sure you start off with a clean face.  If you plan on using this first thing in the morning, I'd suggest just wetting your face with water.  However, if you plan on doing this before bed, take off all your makeup or anything you have on your face with a gentle cleanser, wash off, and pat dry.
2. Apply.
• Application is super easy with this product!  You can use your clean fingers to take a toonie-sized amount and apply it all over your face.  You can also use a foundation brush to apply which is my preferred method because it is less messy that way.  I use my Real Techniques pointed foundation brush to apply a thin layer of the mask all over my face making sure to avoid the eye/eyebrow area.
3. The waiting game.
   
   
   • Now is the fun part.  Put on some Netflix, watch some YouTube videos, listen to music, read a book, etc., etc., etc.  Now's the time to do whatever you want while you wait for your mask to almost completely dry.  I usually leave mine on for 10-15 minutes but I have left it on for longer and nothing bad has happened.  You'll know when your mask is ready to be taken off when you notice it starting to flake off when you make certain facial expressions.  The colour and texture of the mask also changes which indicates that it's time to wash it off!
4. Wash off the mask to reveal cleansed and soothed skin.
• The best way to wash off this face mask is to apply lukewarm water to the skin and gently massage off.  You'll notice the first few massages won't get everything entirely off, this is normal.  Just keep applying water to your skin and eventually it will all rub off.  Once it's all off, simply pat dry with a clean towel.  Apply your favourite moisturizer if needed and you're good to go.

 The pictures above show the Cupcake fresh face mask freshly applied to my clean skin.  As you can see the texture is quick thin and the colour is an opaque light-medium brown colour.  The pictures below show the mask 15 minutes later.  As you can see it has hardened and began to crack where certain facial expressions were made. 

 *Click here to find a store near you in order to try this one and other LUSH Cosmetics' fresh face masks that you see below!* 

 

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,
Glynn   

"We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not conduct or commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans." 

LUSH Cosmetics

LUSH Cosmetics: Cosmetic Warrior fresh face mask

Welcome back loves! 

Comin' at you with a bit of a different post today and that is my review on the LUSH Cosmetics "Cosmetic Warrior" fresh face mask! Wow, that was a tongue-twister.  I held off on uploading this post because I wanted to make sure I tested out the product and allowed enough time for me to see whether or not it works.  Basically, Cosmetic Warrior is one of LUSH's fresh face masks which can only be bought in stores because they are handmade with fresh ingredients that do have a shelf-life (as opposed to products that have parabens, sulfates, dyes, etc. which preserve and pro-long shelf-life). Also, LUSH's fresh face masks only last a couple of weeks and must be kept refrigerated because they are made with fresh ingredients, thus why they can only be bought in stores and not online.  Speaking of ingredients...

Cosmetic Warrior's ingredients:

Kaolin, Fresh Green Grapes (Vitis vinifera), Fresh Free Range Eggs, Honey, Cornstarch (Zea mays), Glycerine, Fresh Garlic (Allium sativum), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), Limonene*, Fragrance (safe synthetics).

* = occurs naturally in essential oils  

So I'll just go over a quick Pros & Cons list:
Pros

• Cleanses and soothes troubled skin
• Inexpensive ($6.95 CAN)
• Can easily be applied with clean fingers as well as a foundation brush 
• Works well at reducing the size of active acne on the face
• Gives the skin a nice cooling sensation
• LUSH Cosmetics is a wonderful company who does test on animals!

Cons

• Because of the garlic some may be sensitive to the strong garlicy smell of the mask
• Somewhat difficult to remove as in it takes a few splashes of water and a generous amount of rubbing to get the entire mask off, however, it is nothing excessive. 
• Small amount of product (60 g) 
• Since it is one of LUSH's fresh face masks, you have to buy it is stores rather than buying in the comfort of your own home online  

Application Process:

1. Start with a clean face. 
• As with any face mask, you want to make sure you start off with a clean face.  If you plan on using this first thing in the morning, I'd suggest just wetting your face with water.  However, if you plan on doing this before bed, take off all your makeup or anything you have on your face with a gentle cleanser, wash off, and pat dry. 
2. Apply.
• Application is super easy with this product!  You can use your clean fingers to take a toonie-sized amount and apply it all over your face.  You can also use a foundation brush to apply which is my preferred method because it is less messy that way.  I use my Real Techniques pointed foundation brush to apply a thin layer of the mask all over my face making sure to avoid the eye/eyebrow area.
3. The waiting game.
   
   
   • Now is the fun part.  Put on some Netflix, watch some YouTube videos, listen to music, read a book, etc., etc., etc.  Now's the time to do whatever you want while you wait for your mask to almost completely dry.  I usually leave mine on for 10-15 minutes but I have left it on for longer and nothing bad has happened.  You'll know when your mask is ready to be taken off when you notice it starting to flake off when you make certain facial expressions.  The colour and texture of the mask also changes which indicates that it's time to wash it off!
4. Wash off the mask to reveal cleansed and soothed skin.
• The best way to wash off this face mask is to apply lukewarm water to the skin and gently massage off.  You'll notice the first few massages won't get everything entirely off, this is normal.  Just keep applying water to your skin and eventually it will all rub off.  Once it's all off, simply pat dry with a clean towel.  Apply your favourite moisturizer if needed and you're good to go.  

 The pictures above show the Cosmetic Warrior fresh face mask freshly applied to my clean skin.  As you can see the texture is quick thick and the colour is an opaque white colour.  The pictures below show the mask 15 minutes later.  As you can see it has hardened and changed colour. 

 

  *Click here to find a store near you in order to try this one and other LUSH Cosmetics' fresh face masks that you see below!* 

 

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,
Glynn   

"We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not conduct or commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans." 

LUSH Cosmetics