Winter Skin Routine: Ole Henriksen On the Go Cleanser

In the summer, I purchased Ole Henriksen's Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser, which was a very nice cleanser yet a little bit drying for me. (As it turns out, now that it is cold, it is VERY drying for me and somewhat drying on my boyfriend's skin as well! If only I had done my research, I would have realized this Aloe Vera Cleanser was for oily skin! Alas, it seemed nice when we played with it at Sephora, and I bought it impulsively!) I was very keen on trying another cleanser from the line, so sometime at the end of summer, I picked up this cheerful, orange cleanser, and I am so glad I did. This is much more appropriate for my skin type, especially as the weather turns cold and EVERYTHING in the cold Chicago air just makes me feel dry and horrible. 

As you might be able to see from the above photo, the gel texture of this cleanser is quite creamy, almost sticky looking even. This creaminess is quite nice in the winter weather, but was a bit strange feeling at first when I started using it at the end of August. One thing to be careful of as well is if you lather too much on, it can be more work to wash it off, and at that point it CAN feel slightly sticky, especially if you forget to wash it all off... But then again, what doesn't if you pile it on? ;)  Just thought I'd put that out there as a word of warning, as I definitely have done this a number of times because I am generally inept at rinsing things off... (Shampoo is a major culprit, if you've heard the stories of me leaving shampoo bits in my hair. Silly me. LOL)

On the Go Cleanser has a light citrus scent that isn't quite orange, and isn't exactly like the On the Go Wipes, which actually smell like creamsicles to me. In any event, the scent is sort of a mix between a light citrus and the comforting "clinical" clean smell that I associate with doctor's skincare brands such as DDF or Peter Thomas Roth. The scent doesn't last more than a few minutes after you wash your face, which is great as well. I don't know really how else to describe the scent, but it sure does make me feel clean!

This cleanser does not make my skin feel tight or dry in general, and it has not broken me out at all. Due to the weather, I do need a good moisturizer still, but in better environmental conditions I could do just fine with a layer of Nars Tinted Moisturizer, or a lightweight moisturizer or serum. With the Aloe Vera Cleanser, I found that at times my skin overproduced oils and caused minor breakouts, but that did not happen to my boyfriend as his skin type is more normal than mine. On the Go cleanser is a much better option for me, and offers the bit of moisture I need to properly start off my winter skin care routine.

I'll definitely be using this throughout the winter this year, and I know I could enjoy it year round! What are your favorite winter time cleansers? Have you tried this or any other cleansers from Ole Henriksen? :)

Obsessed: Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub

ole henriksen walnut scrub

I'm seriously loving Ole Henriksen's Walnut Complexion Scrub. At $24, it is significantly cheaper than my previous favorite, Ole Henriksen Sugar Glow Scrub. I wish I had discovered this scrub years ago! As you can see, Ole Henriksen states that this is suitable for all skin types, and I would have to say that I agree! It is a creamy exfoliant and relatively gentle in comparison to their Sugar Glow Scrub. Have a look - interesting huh? Reminds me of the look of St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but that was a bit harsh for me! According to Ole Henriksen's website, this scrub contains the following skin-treating ingredients: Aloe vera Moisturizes, calms and heals Chamomile Calms, softens and soothes Korean ginseng Increases cellular energy, stimulates microcirculation Walnut powder Mildly abrasive, aids in cell renewal

I love the scent as well - I don't know how to describe it, it is a bit nutty I suppose. My boyfriend thinks it smells like Christmas! (Actual Christmas, versus artificial Christmas, lol) I also have to mention that some of the little grains do end up at the bottom of the sink/shower, so that might be strange at first?

More importantly, this scrub gives my skin SUCH even color and nice smooth texture. According to my boyfriend, "it makes a noticeable difference on our skin." You know when a boy says something like that about skincare or makeup, it really means something! (Oh,  and he loves using it too!)

Have you tried this exfoliator from Ole Henriksen, or have any others that you would recommend?

Don't forget to check out the blog sale and give some of my unloved items a new home! :)

His Thoughts: Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser

In July, I purchased the Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser and was really excited to try out another product from the line. I love the minty scent and it was quite cleansing, but I found it to be just a bit more drying than I would like for my cleanser. As it is marketed for skin types that are normal to oily and/or acne prone, that is to be expected, but I wanted to try it anyway!

My boyfriend also has normal to combination skin depending on the weather conditions. For him, this cleanser did not add any noticeable dryness and he quite enjoyed the scent! I think we both also liked the idea of aloe vera and the thought of soothing that goes along with it. Anyway, here are his thoughts on the cleanser: 

I’ve been using this cleanser for almost 2 months now. Ole Henriksen says this cleanser is best used on oily or blemish prone skin. Although I wouldn’t consider my skin very oily it definitely leans towards that direction on the spectrum of skin types, and I do develop blemishes every now and then.

So far, the cleanser has been great to me. A lot of cleansers that claim they are good for oily skin usually are too harsh for me, leaving my skin feeling stripped and sensitive, but this cleanser leaves a nice clean and healthy feel behind after use. I lather with an exfoliating pad as per recommended on the cleanser’s bottle. A recommendation, this is my first time with exfoliating pads and I got a non-disposable kind which requires a lot of upkeep to keep clean and in good condition, which doesn’t work well for me, so I think a pack of disposable cleansing pads are in my future.

Overall, we both enjoyed this cleanser! While it is not perfect for our skin types, it was still a nice product and didn't cause any breakouts for either of us. We are about 2/3 finished with the bottle at about 2 months of daily (sometimes twice daily) use, and we have purchased Ole Henriksen's On the Go Cleanser to try next. We plan to try all of the Ole Henriksen cleansers and pick a favorite!

What do you think of this cleanser? Do you have any favorite Ole Henriksen products or cleansers that you would recommend? :)

Review: Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Cream

In my last post, I showed you my current skincare products, one of which is this awesome cream from Ole Henriksen.

I've been a fan of Ole Henriksen since I discovered the Sugar Glow scrub, which smells delicious and is an effective and gentle exfoliator. Every time I drag my boyfriend into Sephora, we like to sample Ole Henriksen products, and my need for this Nurture Me cream came out of one of those excursions!

I've never been a fan of pots as packaging for creams (it always seems to get under your nails when you stick your finger in!) but at least this pot design is quite sturdy and feels nice. I love the smell, which was initially what excited me about this product. I'm not brilliant at describing scent, but to me it is a bit like orange creamsicle! I also enjoy the light, whipped texture of the cream - it looks like a whipped yogurt in the jar, and it feels quite smooth and comforting going onto my skin.

On the label, it mentions sensitive skin and rosacea, and I thought this might be good for a more even complexion. Here's what Sephora says about it:

What it is formulated to do: This intensively hydrating formula melts into the skin, erasing the discomfort of a taut, dry complexion. Nature's most precious oils, such as wheat germ and primrose, recondition skin back to a more youthful suppleness, while rose mosquette oil repairs. Dimethicone, a silicone fluid, adds smoothness while vitamins A, C, and K infuse strength and vitality.

Let me just say, I love this cream. Initially, it really helped my dehydrated skin retain moisture, and it minimized the redness on my cheeks while not feeling heavy. (While I love Clinique Redness Solutions for making my skin even, it is quite heavy to me and I don't feel like using it except in the coldest winter weather...) The first few days I used Nurture Me, my skin was noticeably more even when I woke up in the morning. And the tightness I experienced in some areas went away!

So, at least for the moment, I love this cream. I don't know how I would feel about it in humid, hot temperatures, but I do think it is great for my skin and potentially wonderful year round! There are a number of other Ole Henriksen products I'd like to try as well. Have you tried Ole Henriksen? What are your favorites?