I do wanna point out from the beggining that, although it is highly recommended to use the entire line designed for a specific purpose, I am not a fan of the idea of using associations of products that share the same label due to previous unpleasant experiences (to be developped later on). But then again, this is just me.
To get it going, I'll start with the first product I've used and this is Vichy's Cleansing Gel.
Before all else, here's an official story:
Indications
Apply morning and/or evening. Avoid the skin around the eyes. Massage the foam onto a damp face and rinse off with clean water.
Skin Type : Imperfection prone skin. Action : Daily cleansing gel. Result : Helps reduce sebum and impurities without over-drying. Texture: Creamy gel.
I say: yes is creamy but not that ultra-fresh; it means that when massaging the face it tends to get viscous, therefore making the process very difficult. If you happen to insist on your most troubled areas, you might feel a somewhat "face mask" effect which is likely going to make it not that easy to rinse.
After day one of using it, I felt my skin a bit dry and applied some complementary treatment which made it worse and it started to feel irritating. I haven't had that problem again but to make sure I put on hydrating face cream. My T-zone&chin acnee became less visible but I still was not satisfied, though my face felt so clean and my skin - baby-like.
So I moved on in less than a month to Garnier Pure 3 in 1 Cleanser. It took me that long because I believe that you have to constantly use a product for some time to notice any change.
Something should have warned me about what was to come. When I come to think about it now, it's questionable for a cosmetic product to be efficient if it works on three levels at the same time: wash + scrub + mask.
Official story:
Garnier Pure 3 in 1 WASH + SCRUB + MASK with natural clay and zinc absorbs excess oil and regulates skin tone. This combination of active ingredients is the complete solution to all oily skin concerns.Me again: In the beginning I used it everyday in order to wash my face. I felt that it had cleaned my impurities; the skin felt clean but not soft. In the weekend I applied it as a mask. One terrible mistake. My skin was burning before the time limit so I rinsed it off and got scared by the redness on my chin, forehead and especially my cheeks. Therefore I decided not to use it again in that fashion and kept washing daily like before. Unfortunately, the redness and the irritation feeling was back and I've disposed of it. I have no idea if my skin is just too sensitive or if the product is to blame.
I'm back to Vichy until I find the courage to try something else. I'm not a fan of pharmaceutical stuff either because I have tried several products for my scalp that intensified my problem. As I've said before, this is just me. It (Garnier's) might do wonders on you or not, but I wasn't going to review it positively since that would have been a lie. I also have no clue if some of the ingredients are irritating my skin but maybe someone is able to provide some clarification.
