Review: Dr. Eckstein Moor Kräuter Packung

Between Dr. Hauschka and Dr. Eckstein, I think I will be sticking with German doctors to take care of my face!

The short of it:

• dries to a soft, rubbery finish
• soft soft soft skin for days
• reduces the size of pimples

The long of it:
I received a sample of the Kräuter Supreme night facial cream years ago and have been faithful to it since.  From that point, I bought the Azulen Paste and more recently,the Moor Kräuter Packung (a moor mud facial mask).  This face mask is my favorite.  It contains moor extract, Peru balsam, zinc gluconate, panthenol, tormentil and witch hazel extract.  The scent  is not too strong, you can move your face comfortably as it dries, and it doesn't irritate my skin at all!  When a product irritates my face, I get a bunch of little bumps everywhere, but my skin feels smooth for days when I use this mask.  It comes in a plastic jar - I know some people prefer tubes because it is more sanitary, but I think this is just fine, after all I am the only one using it.  If you are prone to acne and have sensitive skin, I would recommend this and the general Kräuter(herbs)  line from Dr. Eckstein.  You only need a little bit, so I expect everything I get from Dr. Eckstein to last at least 6 months with regular use. 

Review: Dr. Hauschka's Cleansing Clay Mask

 The short of it:

• comes in powder form, so you have to mix it
• works wonderfully
• as it dries, it makes your face feel tight
• decreases pimples and bumps

The long of it:

The only negative I with the Cleansing Clay Mask is that is dries very tightly, which is not comfortable.  But that is how clay masks that come in powder form roll.    So whatever you do, do not apply it on your delicate eye area.  A good technique when applying masks is to put on a gentle cream or oil around your eyes to protect the area.   Anyway, I tried it first in the Daily Face Care Kit,which is great if you are new to the line and is very useful for traveling.   The mask has extracts of witch hazel and nasturtium and is supposed to be best for oily and problematic skin.  Dr. Hauschka recommends steaming your face with the Facial Steam Bath first, and then mixing the Steam Bath with the clay mask and applying it to your warm skin.  After running out of the Steam Bath, I didn't rebuy and I think it works well with just water.  But I do steam my pores open with a few drops of tea tree oil in hot water beforehand.  I do think this improves the texture of my skin with every use.  I use this once,  or maybe twice a week since my skin demands it be treated gently, so I don't want to overdo the tightness before I piss off my skin.  It is not my favorite facial mask, but it is great.  When I run out of it, which may be a year from now, seriously, I will see if I want to buy the refill (cool, huh?)

picture courtesy of drhauschka.com

Review: Aveda Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque

The short of it:

• dries quickly, but doesn't hurt when it dries
• doesn't dehydrates my skin
• great value
• doesn't irritate my sensitive skin
• doesn't decrease the size of any pimples/bumps
• I will not be buying it
  

The long of it:

In order to rule my skin's health and appearance with an iron fist, I have to stay on top of needed maintenance.  I am not a huge fan of facials, I have only gotten a few in my lifetime and have mostly been underwhelmed, so I tend to my skin.   I have sensitive acne-prone skin that I majorly keep in line through supplements and diet, but once a week or so I do a little treatment.  First, I dip a clean washcloth in a bowl of hot water that has a few drops of tea tree oil in it and then apply it to my face to warm up my skin and open the pores. Then I apply a mask to my skin after gently exfoliating, leave it on for about 10  minutes, and remove it with a clean washcloth.  Lastly, I follow up with my regular night cleansing routine. 

I have been to several Aveda salons (Georgetown Aveda is my go-to for bikini waxing) and I have used many Aveda products and they are usually hit or miss.  I love the tea, I am undecided about the paddle brush, the Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant is great, I hated the Dry RemedyMoisturizing Treatment Masque.  I got a sample of the clay mask the last time I was in the store about two months ago.  The sample size is 15 mL (.5 fl oz) and I have used it almost 10 times, yet I still have 2/3 of the jar left.  A little bit is all that you need! The sales associate told me to a very thin layer for any parts of my skin that were break-out prone and use a thicker layer elsewhere.  

I like it, but I have two masks that work much better for my skin's needs.  For now, I will just use it to travel with or if I sweat a lot or have been exposed to a lot of pollution during the day.