Skin Care: Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask

Today's post is a product review related to skin care.  I  know how crucial skin care can be to most.  Weather you're a guy or gal,  no one really desires to be seen as being unattractive due to having dirt and oil filled pores which causes gross pimples and ugly blackheads to appear on the skin. However, with so many skin care products on the market, it really can become a hassle trying to find one that would do really well to meet one's dermatological needs and standards.  So that's where I step in and give my 2 cents after trying a product.  Today's skin care product is "Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask".

 

I've tried a lot of facial cleansers and creams over the years and I really must say that this is the best facial wash that I have used so far.  I'll be doing product reviews on other skin care cleansers in the future so, maybe I might find another facial cleanser as good or better than this one, but somehow I doubt it. lol  I discovered this one by accident through an ex.  I used to wonder why his skin was always so clear (including his pores!) lol  I always assumed that maybe it was due to his age ( late 20's to early 30's I knew him), possibly his diet, peace of mind, genetics, or maybe some other factor.  However, his diet really wasn't any healthier than mine, and he seemed stressed out at least most of the time, and we all know that stress can really break a person out in the face!  Then one day I caught him walking out of his bathroom with a white face!  It was some sort of cream based facial product he was using, and he almost scared the crap out of me. Seriously, because I wasn't expecting it, as most guys are usually pretty low key about their cosmetic maintenance.  So it's rare to catch a man walking around with a deep cleansing mask on his face! lol   However, he was a pretty boy, and very much into his appearance. 

I asked him what was on his face ( I wanted to be sure this is what I thought it was or was it maybe shaving cream all over his entire face. lol ).   He told me it was a facial mask.  I didn't think much of it until much later one day when I was desperately seeking a facial cleanser to help clear my face.  I had tried my fair share of facial cleansing products at this point already.  I realized that my ex's face seemed to stay clear and clean regardless of how much he stressed, what he ate, and any other related factors.  He used the same cleanser for as long as I knew him ( 3 years ).  So I took a look in his bathroom to find out what he was using.  It was Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask.  I took note of the active ingredient being Benzoyl Peroxide.  So I was unsure how well or not this product would work for me as I had tried pimple creams with benzoil peroxide and even other facial pore cleansers, both name brand and Walmart's store brand of pore cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide. 

I've tried facial cleansers and astringents that include salicylic acid as the active ingredient, and found unsatisfactory results.  By the way, along the way I discovered that Salicylic Acid doesn't work for everyone, and neither does Benzoyl Peroxide.  Everyone has a unique PH balance to their skin.  For some people that find success with using facial products that include salicylic acid, tend to discover that Benzoyl Peroxide does not work for their skin at all.  Vice versa for users of Benzoyl Peroxide facial products.  I discovered that facial products that include salicylic acid at first only clears up my face for a few days and then breaks my face out.  Continued used of products with salicylic acid in it for me is only a waste of time, as after a while my skin won't even respond to the salicylic acid in the facial product.  Benzoyl peroxide facial products however have a much better success rate with clearing up my face.  However, the other ingredients in a facial product still has to be matched well to the Ph balance of my skin type. 

If you know which active ingredient works better for your skin, than you can choose to try Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask if Benzoyl Peroxide works for you, or their alternate facial cleanser mask with salicylic acid as the active ingredient.  If you are not sure which active ingredient will work best for your skin, than you may want to review any past experiences with facial cleansers and creams, and see if you can observe the difference in the reaction your skin has had to salicylic acid and Benzoyl Peroxide.  You can also take a quiz to figure exactly what your skin type is and which active ingredient would work best for you.  Fitness Magazine Online has a really helpful quiz that you can take to find out what your skin type is and get a recommendation on what types of active ingredients and products that may work best for your face:  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/quiz.jsp?quizId=/templatedata/fitness/quiz/data/1128719086715.xml

I have normal to combination type of skin.  Not oil, yet not dry either.  My skin used to be oily when I was a teenager.  As an adult in my mid to late 20's, my skin as become more balanced than in past years.  Still, like anyone else I am prone to break outs due to clogged dirty and oily pores if I don't continue to keep my face cleansed properly with the right product.  You also have to take caution sometimes of facial products with exotic ingredients.  As you may get an allergic reaction to occur on the skin.  This has happened to me as well when I used the very popularly advertised : "ProActive".  I'm not the first person to notice that ProActive will clear up your face for the first week or so, and following weeks may cause a break out of tiny little bumps.  It's due to an allergic reaction of one or two of the exotic ingredients I discovered was in their products.  ProActive may work for some people, but for some it only seemed to work until the allergic reactions surfaced.  So ProActive may clear the pimples, blemishes, and blackheads, but beware the possibility of an allergic reaction to some of the ingredients in their product line.

I started using Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask about 3 years ago and it has worked very well for me.  I've tried switching to other products as I like to try different products out of curiosity for what else good may be in the market.  However, I always found myself returning to my Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask to clear up the messes that other facial products have failed to treat.  About a few months ago, Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask disappeared off the shelves of every local store in my area and it was time to buy another bottle of the cleanser.  I almost had a heart attack because I thought they stopped producing the cleanser.  I went months without using Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask and it truly showed.  Someone I know even commented on how bad my face was beginning to break out.  I was seriously losing my mind, shopping in various stores trying to figure out what other product that I could use! 

The other important factor that plays into picking a good product is the price point.  I'm not cheap, but I am frugal.  lol  I don't like paying more for a product just because it is supposedly fancy and advertised as exclusive, when I could pay less for a product that will just as well.  Everyone (especially women) realize just how costly it can be to spend money on various products trying to find the right one.  If you can find a great product that works well for you and it matches your desired price point (or maybe the price point doesn't matter for some as long as it works), than you've got luck.  Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask sits at a comfortable price point of $6-7 plus tax at most stores that carry it ( Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Krogers,etc) .  This facial cleanser has double use as being a daily facial cleanser that can be used quickly in 2-3 minutes, and as a deep cleansing facial mask that can be worn on the face for 15-20 minutes before being rinsed.  Either way you choose to use this facial cleanser as a daily cleanser or a as a deep pore mask, it will clear your pimple, blemishes, and black heads and continue to keep your face clear with continued use. 

SENSITIVE SKIN:  If you have sensitive skin like I do, than you can use Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask for only 2-3 minutes as a quick cleanser about 2-3 times a week to maintain a clear face.  Other days when I'm not using the Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask, I opt to just rinse my face with water and rub witch hazel on my face with a cotton ball to gently cleanse away dirt and oil as a healthy natural balance to using a heavy duty cleanser like Neutrogena.  Facial products with Benzoyl Peroxide tend to sometimes dry out the skin for most.  Neutrogena Pore Cleanser seems gentle enough to not dry out the skin like most other products with  Benzoyl Peroxide in it.  However, to maintain healthy moisturized skin, I like to use Aloe Vera gel and a sensitive skin lotion like Aveeno.    

So if you're looking for a good facial cleanser that could work as a quick facial cleanser or be used as a deep mask, for a good price and consistent results...than perhaps give Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser & Mask.  If you have an suggestions or questions, please feel free to comment.  Good luck!

-Autumn Bleu