Facial Wash / Cleanser

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Anthony Logistics Acne Cleanser

Feb 17, 2012 | Post by: Thom Watson No Comments

What a treat, the Anthony Logistics for Men Acne Cleanser is something that definitely doesn’t come along very often.

Truly designed for acne and blemish care, this product has been very meticulously designed indeed, being dermatologist tested, allergy tested and being free from the foaming agent Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) which can easily irritate sensitive, acne prone skin types.

You should never manually exfoliate acne or blemishes with beaded or grain scrubs, because this will cause a lot more damage, bursting spots and spreading infection, leading to higher risks of scarring. You do need to exfoliate but how do you do it then? Well this wash contains salicylic acid, which is a chemical exfoliator which is the best exfoliator for spots and breakout, and its combined in your wash resulting in a lot less fuss.

The bottle points out Vitamin B5 for repair, allantoin, chamomile, and camellia to soothe. These are the main active ingredients. I’m convinced I can smell tea tree oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia), however I can’t see it in the ingredients list, but if you smell it, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

The product felt great on my skin, foamed nicely, not too much, but not too little. Once massaged in and rinsed off, my skin felt surprisingly hydrated for after a facial wash, especially an anti-acne facial wash so big kudos there. My skin once towel dried off still felt very hydrated, in fact it was really noticeable meaning I didn’t feel the need to rush quite as quickly to apply a moisturiser.

If you or anyone you know suffers with Acne then firstly, make sure a doctors appointment is booked straight away, and then, give Anthony Logistics for Men a try.

Anthony Logistics Acne Cleanser £16.95/237ml at The Modern Man with Free Delivery and 10% off your first order by entering MANFACE12 at the Checkout.

The Modern Man is a great online destination for all you guys (and girls) and even though you do see them there on my sidebar, my views remain completely unbiased.

Lab Series Multi-Action Face Wash

Feb 15, 2012 | Post by: Thom Watson No Comments

Lab series have created this to go beyond a standard facial wash and have done so using many of the basic principles of good skincare.

The wash gives a good thick lather that takes away excess oil, dirt and bacteria, whilst gentle grains buff away dead skin andy help to unblock pores.

As the grains are so gentle, the product is perfectly suitable for twice-daily use, because exfoliation should be gentle and often.

The wash is a little mentholated which helps to open pores making them prime for the cleaning.

The product is suitable for all skin types although I’d use some caution if you’re particularly dry and sensitive but for normal to oily skin types its great.

My skin was left feeling tingly and soft and allowed my moisturiser to be more easily absorbed. I also discovered how great this was as a pre-shave, allowing for a more smoother razor glide.

Lab Series Multi-Action Face Wash £17/100ml at Lab Series Online

MenAreUseless.com The Discovery Quarterly

Feb 08, 2012 | Post by: Thom Watson No Comments

What a delight to receive this handy, letterbox sized package through my door this morning from the amazing guys at MenAreUseless.com, which upon opening presented me with 5 stunning grooming products surrounded by sweets (that once again I’m sat here eating as I review).

The box is designd to let you a preview 5 rather stunning high-end grooming products in deluxe travel sizes. The is £10 and a different one is sent out every 3 months, you can either buy it as a one off or subscribe. I have to say, £10 is nothing for the great products you get, it’s like opening a Christmas present.

In this particular box I got:

Organic Homme Shave Now Wash and Shave – A brilliant SLS, paraben, alcohol, perfume and colorant FREE facial wash, that because of having such a thick lather is an amazing shave lubricant. The smell is amazing with a combination of grapefruit, geranium, ylang ylang, chamomile and mandarin. Stunning.

Billy Jealousy Illicit Body WashA rich lathering wash oozing fragrance of Bergamot, Tea, Ivy and Sandalwood, as well as moisturising hemp seed oil, all adding up to a stunning SLS and paraben free body cleanser.

Shave Works Cool Fix - An awesome post shave treatment to calm and sooth irritated skin that can flare up from shaving. The gel is pretty firm meaning you can really work it into the skin before it all absorbs, instantly cooling as it sinks in. It disappears quickly allowing you to then layer your moisturiser over the top.

John Allan’s Slick Water - A couple of drops of this before applying shave cream/gel immediately softens the skin and the hair. I found that if you exfoliate with your face scrub, dry the skin off, apply a few drops of this and then add in my gel, it made for one of the best shaves of my life, leaving my with next to no irritation.

Vitaman Foot Recovery Gel – An old favourite of mine from this naturally based Australian Grooming Company. After applying this to cleansed, tired feet, it instantly cools whilst anti-bacterial ingredients such as tea-tree leave skin disinfected. Brilliant to rejouvianete after a hard run, as well as a brilliant way to fight off that good-old man’s favourite, Athlete’s Foot.

This box is definitely worth trying for yourself as well as being a great idea for any men you know that are difficult to buy for. They also offer different packages for different things, such as the rather cool SockPlan, BladeShunner or even 5 Monthly Dental Plan. I did a review of The Works a bit ago, click to read.

Because of MenAreUseless.com’s continuing ingenuity in the world of male grooming, I am awarding them with the Manface Approved Award and by god they deserve it!

MenAreUseless.com The Discovery Quarterly £10/5 Products at MenAreUseless.com

Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions

Feb 04, 2012 | Post by: Thom Watson No Comments

I did a brief introduction to this product range a while back in my Guide to Acne, but never an in depth product review. If you believe you do suffer with acne/serious spots then check the guide out by clicking here.

This, in my opinion, is the best option for clearing up spots and is honestly the reason I work for Clinique, a range of products that do what they promise, quickly, effectively and that follow the rules and science of great skin care. Peronsally, I have trouble with spots all the time; you’d never know to look at me, but that’s because I spend a huge amount of time ensuring they don’t appear, because my god, they really try to.

The range is composed of three core products [above]: Foaming Facial Wash, Clarifying Lotion and Moisturiser. The foaming facial wash is SLS free, which is important as some acne sufferers suffer from the most amazingly delicate and sensitive skin imaginable, and SLS can trigger this quite often. For those who aren’t as sensitive, like myself, I prefer the Face/Body Bar, which has a stunning lather on it and personally, I feel cleaner using it, and its amazing for those little spots you can get on the back of your arms.

The Clarifying Lotion is the exfoliator, now, no matter what you read, you should NEVER manually exfoliate spots simply because this can open the spot, cause the bacteria to spread and also increase the risk of scaring because you’re basically creating a wound. With this product, apply a small amount onto a cotton pad and wipe over the face gently, never going over the same area twice, so no scrubbing fiercely with it; this process will remove all the dead skin cells.

Finally the oil-free, anti-bacterial moisturiser is wonderful, hydrating the skin whilst penetrating through the top layers of skin to destroy the evil p.Acne bacteria. Sometimes it isn’t enough hydration as this product range is suitable for the oiliest of skins, so for those that are dry – combination add in some more hydration, but make sure it’s oil free, something like Clinique Moisture Surge often does the trick for me, coupled with some City Block SPF40 to stay well sun protected, but you can experiment.

Results vary from person to person but since using it, I barely get a single spot and the ones that do get through are tiny little nothings.

If you suffer from spots, then this is for you, if you hear people EVER say that Clinique skin care drys your skin, then that’s a pile of stink to be honest, because if you read this, you’ll understand how to use the products. Any resulting dryness is often caused by over use of the Clarifying Lotion and/or not adding in a little extra hydration when needed, so you tell them that, but obviously I must say that everyone has the right to his/her own opinion (but they’re wrong!).

Because I love this so much and for it’s contribution to the quest to help acne sufferers, which can be a confidence shattering concern, I award the Manface Approved Award.

Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions £46.50/Complete Set at Clinique Online

Clinique Redness Solutions and Redness Facts

Jan 25, 2012 | Post by: Thom Watson No Comments

Redness is one of those concerns that can’t be treated with a simple moisturiser and general skin care routine. Depending upon the severity, whether it’s simply high-colour, right through to rosacea, different steps and measures need to be followed to ensure a chance of improvement.

Redness is caused by blood vessels that are closer to the surface of the skin than normal. Often this is coupled with flushing, often caused by exercise, spicy food and wine, or even just being a little embarrassed. Because of the fragility of these blood vessels, over time, these flushes cause the vessels to break and fork of, therefore spreading and becoming more visible.

Firstly, even though this skin concern can result in dryness, you should avoid using products that are oil based, in favour of oil-free creams that can still hydrate just as effectively; oil can cause irritation and make the skin appear redder. Secondly, avoid manual scrubs, these cause increased blood flow to the skins surface, which in this case is not desired. Finally, sun protection is key; sun exposure one of the biggest irritants of redness and must be protected against daily with at least an SPF15.

One of the best skin care ranges designed for this concern is no other than Clinique Redness Solutions; providing a 2 step regime with 2 special care add-ons. The first product is the Soothing Cleanser, providing a rich oil-free, soap-free clean and containing a chemical exfoliator, removing the need for scrubs whilst still removing the build up of dead skin which exacerbates dryness and tightness. The moisturiser comes in the form of the Daily Relief Cream, an incredibly rich and hydrating yet oil-free moisturiser that leaves the skin unbelievably comforted but not greasy or heavy in the slightest. It’s packed full of anti-inflammatory agents such as caffeine and kelp, and ingredients grouped as glycoseaminoglycans, that actively reduce redness.

Over time these products will reduce redness as well as create healthy skin. The two extra products, one of which is a must, are the Daily Protective Base SPF 15 and the Urgent Relief Cream. The Daily Protective Base provides all over sun protection that as I mentioned, will help prevent redness becoming more intense due to sun damage, as well as a green colour, that visibly reduces redness, and leaves skin looking a little less flushed.

Finally the Urgent Relief Cream is not always applicable. It’s for if redness ever becomes painful, inflamed or prickly, and is more of a medicine cabinet product to be used as and when; its also brilliant for insect bites!

Hopefully this has shone a little bit of light on the causes and possible treatments of redness, but each case needs to be judged individually. If your redness is a real concern then do get in contact with your doctor or dermatologist, as there are many prescription treatments that can make a real difference. If you are using a prescription treatment for your redness, then you can use Redness Solutions, as this is what it’s been designed for, just make sure that your prescription cream or roll on goes on after the Daily Relief Cream but before any sun protection.

If you have any concerns and would like to get in contact, leave me a comment below or just email me and I’ll endeavour to get right back to you.

Clinique Redness Solutions from £14.50 at Clinique Online

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Welcome to Manface

Welcome to Manface, a Men's Grooming Blog. Here you can find all sorts of reviews and articles on Men's Grooming products, Cosmetics and Skin Care by Thom Watson, a specialist in skin care and derma-concerns. If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me.

All views are my own and do not represent those of Clinique or Estée Lauder Companies.