Dunce Cap Moment: I was a lucky teenager. I never had much of an acne problem, just a few flare ups every once in a while. I very rarely washed my face and usually slept with my makeup on. By my junior year of high school, I realized that all of my friends washed their faces and that I probably should, too. Without any money to buy some fancy face wash, I decided to use a product that I knew was a cleanser (of wounds) – hydrogen peroxide! This seemed to work pretty well at first, although I’ve recently learned that it can cause massive drying. Sadly, by my senior year, my eyebrows and the hair around my face was bleached blonde and I had to darken my brows with eyeliner every day. By graduation, I bit the bullet and bought some real face wash.
Lesson Learned: Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning cuts, but if you use it to wash your face, you might just clean your eyebrows right off!
Now that I’m in my twenties, my acne is worse than ever. Hormones! I’m always on the lookout for a better face wash and several months ago I picked up some Biore Steam Activated Cleanser for about $7 at a grocery store. There was a sticker on the bottle declaring that it was one of Marie Claire’s best beauty products of 2010 (and I’m a sucker for positive endorsements, even slightly outdated ones), so I thought I’d give it a try.
The Good:
- A tingly, icy mint feeling on my skin
- My face feels very clean and smooth after use
- No greasy residue
- Leaves my skin looking radiant
The Bad:
- A new design by Biore means that the easy to use pump has been replaced with the regular squeeze tube (Blech! How many hands to they think I have? and in the slippery shower, too!)
- Doesn’t do much for hormonal acne or deep down pore clogs
- May cause over-drying and/or irritation for those with especially sensitive skin
The Ugly:
- Retails for around $7.50 for 5 FL oz. (You can get it for less if you’re a smart shopper, though. I managed to get my second bottle for $4.50)
- Although Biore does not test on animals, it’s parent company, Kao Brands, owns other enterprises that do (Grrr!)
The Grade: B+
I’ve used this stuff consistently for almost a year now, and I think for an everyday cleaner it’s pretty worthwhile.
BeautyDunce 