With the bulbs rising and the days getting longer you know that Winter is leaving us and making way for a fresher looking Spring. Well, as you all rush out to buy your yellow dusters to give the house a good clean, you may wish to give thought to treating yourself to a facial Spring clean as well. We’ve been looking into the hot products this Spring to help scrub, wash and moisturise those Winter faces away.
Facial Scrubs
Ok, I love a good face scrub. I love the feeling of taking away all the grime and a layer of skin at the same time. Scrubbing out the evils of the night before, or in some cases the deep rooted weekend before, to leave this fresh newborn face. I always feel youthful and more alert after a good scrub and all it takes is three easy steps.
Step 1: Wet face.
Step 2: Apply chosen scrub to finger tips and massage into face.
Step 3: Rinse and pat down with a clean towel.
It’s that simple and here are some products we’ve put to the test on your behalf so you can scrub away the Winter.
Rockface Face Scrub: RRP £4.49 (150ml) – ★★★★
This delightful scrub contains gentle exfoliation particles for a deep pour clean and leaves the skin feeling soft and awake. Aqua green in colour and bursting with the earthy Rockface fragrance, this is an affordable and enjoyable face scrub to use with the tiny particles acting like sand cleaning diamonds. It’s a great scrub if you’re looking to polish up.
Available from selected supermarkets or online at:www.rockface4men.co.uk
Plus enter code: THEGAYUK and get 3 products for the price of 2, until 18th April 2013.
CLINIQUE Face Scrub: RRP £17.00 (100ml) – ★★★★★
The most expensive of the bunch but worth the extra. A highly bracing scrubs, CLINIQUE uses rounded granules so as not to scratch at the face, yet still work out the dirt and removes layers of dead skin. It’s soft fragrence leaves you clean and set up for a good day.
Available from www.clinique.co.uk
Moosehead Anti Blackhead Face Scrub: RRP £4.99 (150ml) – ★★★★
This is a face scrub like no other with its large exfoliating scrub particles and dark grey colour. It contains charcoal to help absorb the grease out of the skin and has a subtle camomile fragrance to sooth, though the smell did remind me of the face paints we had as kids. I think if you were going to start a facial Spring Clean then this would make a good first impression. Its rough and deep scrubbing yet once washed off leaves the face soft and smooth.
Available from Sainsburys, Waitrose and Tesco.
Bull Dog Original Face Scrub: RRP £5.79 (100ml) – ★★★★★
Another great little scrub which uses real ground coconut shell to whisk away the grime and 8 essential oils to smooth and soothe the face afterwards. There’s quite a floral scent with its Rosehip, Geranium and Tree moss oils but also a hint of zest with the Lemon and Lime oils. Made of entirely natural ingredients this is certainly one for front of the shelf.
Available from www.meetthebulldog.com
Facial Washes
Ok, so you’ve scrubbed away the grime of Winter and removed the dead skin to leave a smooth glowing face. What’s next? The indulgence of the face wash. Why indulgence? Well after a good scrub I always find the face to be quite sensitive and easily pleased so frothing up a lather of scented washes is like immersing your face into a bowl of bubbly feathers.
Step 1: Apply face wash to hands and rub together to create a bubbly froth.
Step 2: Rub all over face massaging upwards from chin to hair line as if giving yourself a facelift.
Step 3: Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Here are some of the products we’ve been indulging ourselves in.
LAB Series Power Wash: RRP £21.00 (250ml) – ★★★★
For a premium priced face wash you’d want to make sure you left the bathroom feeling amazing. With papaya and aloe vera extracts you do feel a sense of rejuvenation and deep cleaned pores. It did leave the skin a little dry afterwards but nothing a good face cream wouldn’t fix.
Available from www.labseries.co.uk
Moosehead Dirty Eliminating Face Wash: RRP £4.99 (150ml) – ★★★
Similar to the Moosehead face scrub it’s quite fitting that the face wash also comes in an oil can shaped bottle. The dark grey goop lurking within looks like it’s going to create more of a mess than it cleans. However there is a powerful charcoal cleaning action that once lathered will leave the face soft and oil free. The aloe vera and Manuka honey help to keep the face fresh and cleansed all day.
Available from Sainsburys, Waitrose and Tesco.
Bull Dog Original Face Wash: RRP £5.19 (175ml) – ★★★★★
Again packed with natural ingredients this pale yellow face wash has a sweet scent of ginger and green tea. It lathers up nicely and with 8 natural oils cleansing the skin, you leave the bathroom feeling soft and bright in the face.
Available from Available from www.meetthebulldog.com
L’Occitane Verdon Pure Face Wash: RRP £13.00 (150ml) – ★★★★★
This pearl coloured face wash in the L’Occitane Verdon range offers a cooling and fresh sensation thanks to the peppermint oils and a moisturising sea-buckthorn water, which also helps to restore tired faces. A personal favourite of the bunch.
Available from www.uk.loccitane.com
