Mayday Mayday...SOS

I ran out of my usual cleanser at the end of December. I Was not willing to part with the €12.95 for  No7's Hot Cloth Cleanser , I prefer to use a €7.50 off voucher instead, but those have been thin on the ground over Christmas.

its empty :(

It was properly finished.

not even a smidge left

See? Not even a teeny bit left in the dispenser :(

I am hoping to invest in some really good quality skin care products in 2012 (I am saving my monies) I decided to get something out of the mid-range section.

I have used Olay's Self Heating Thermal Cleanser before (when I was pregnant and I loved it then) but I couldn't find that one. So I settled for this one:  Radiance Enhancing Cream Wash, €7.59.

My skin had not been in the greatest condition to start with, central heating and walks in the cold, combined with over-indulging during the festive season "festivities" left me with congested, dull skin, and a few dry flaky patches. Bleurgh.

I didn't have particularly high hopes for this, I know it was just something to get me through to the end of January, but I didn't expect the results I got.

Olay recommends using this mornings and evenings, by gently massaging the product onto skin moistened with water. That means Twice a day.

I generally double cleanse every night in the shower, and do a quick cleanse in the morning using cleanser and a flannel/muslin cloth, whatever comes to hand first.

First the smell. It smells sweet, but very chemically. I think its supposed to be a floral scent, but it doesn't smell anything like flowers to me. Its a non foaming cream with "exfoliating micro-beads".  A fairly innocuous looking cream with red flecks shot through it.

all innocent looking

Until you put it on your face. More like "extremely sharp glass-shards". Holy Heck. And they want me to use this twice a day?!?!?! Um... okay...

The "micro-beads" are incredibly sharp. They bloody hurt. At first I though maybe it was just because I was just having a "sensitive day" (read "that-time-of-the-month") and I just needed to stick it out. But after 3 days I couldn't do it anymore.

see the white bits? they may as well be glass shards...

My skin isn't generally overly sensitive, but after just 3 days of using this the skin over my cheeks and nose was dry and red and tight and sore and sensitive and no amount of moisturiser or cooling toner spritz could soothe it. Needless to say I stopped using this.

This is something they want you to use everyday?!?!?!  If you have skin of leather. No Thank You. I will only use this once a week... to exfoliate my legs before I shave so that I can at least finish this stuff.

Its just over a week since I stopped and I am struggling to get my skin back to normal. I am using my make-up remover (RoC Multi-Action Make-Up Remover Milk) to remove make-up and cleanse my face (along with a warm flannel/muslin) as its the only thing that my face can handle at the moment.

I not make this mistake again ... " Hind sight is 20/20" etc. etc.

I am keen to try the Origins Oil cleanser next. Its that or a REN offering.


Do you use this? Have you used this? Did you react differently? Let me know...