From The Beauty Brains Forum Member: Karen
What’s pink and white and vibrates all over? If you’re Sarah Bellum, you probably have an X-rated answer. But if you said the Neutrogena Wave Power-Cleanser, then you may have discovered a fun and effective brand new gadget you can use to clean your face.
According to Neutrogena, it’s called the Wave because it’s “the next wave in cleansing.” Like the Clarisonic, this product is the next generation of washcloth. Information from its marketing company says it will “take your skincare routine to a new level” by sweeping away layers of dead skin cells. But do you really need to go to the next level? What’s wrong with simply washing your face to maintain healthy skin as you age?
Exfoliation Nation
To answer these questions, we have to talk about something today’s beauty-conscious woman thinks about as part of her personal skin care regimen that her mother probably didn’t. That something is exfoliation. Exfoliation, simply put, is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin. That might sound harsh but exfoliation is actually a natural process of the body.
When you’re under thirty, your skin sheds its dead epidermis about every 25 days on its own. Once you hit 30, however, this process slows down. That’s not a good thing if your goal is beautiful skin. If that top layer of dead skin cells stays put for too long, your complexion may appear dull and uneven. It can also feel rough or dry to the touch.
Exfoliation is an important step in your cleansing routine to expose younger skin underneath. If you do it regularly, you can improve your skin’s texture and help stimulate the production of new cells and collagen. The shedding process also unclogs pores to prevent blemishes from forming and allows your skin care products to reach deeper into the epidermis for better results. Additionally, it provides a smoother surface for your foundation to glide evenly over your face. Simply put, if you want healthy and radiant skin, you need to exfoliate.
Scrub-a-dub-dub
But who should do your exfoliation? You have choices. You can go to an esthetician and pay for her professional services. You can also do it yourself at home using a microdermabrasion kit or a facial scrub. Putting your skin in the hands of an esthetician might be a safe choice but it’s also an expensive one.
On the other hand, do-it-yourself microdermabrasion kits can be intimidating if you don’t have the confidence or experience using them. I use facial scrubs, the simplest of the choices, but I’ll admit that I haven’t always had good results. That’s because my skin is prone to redness and excessive vascularity. My experience has been that if I apply too much pressure, my skin becomes red, blotchy, and hypersensitive. This is sometimes referred to as “Angry Face Syndrome,” and believe me, it’s nothing to smile about.
Love the Wave!
Recently, Neutrogena’s Wave Power-Cleanser with Deep Clean Foaming Pads came into my life. I’ve used it every night for one week and now I’m hooked. Here’s what I like about it:
- It delivers the perfect degree of gentle exfoliation that never damages my skin
- It’s fast and easy to use: I just attach a pre-dosed, single-use, textured pad to the top of it, run it under water, press the button, and glide it gently over my skin
- The gentle vibrating motion and tingly-cool foam gives my skin a nice, healthy glow rather than excessive redness
- My skin immediately feels softer and the dead skin cells that were problematic near my nose and chin are now gone
- It’s ultra light and comfortable to hold
- It can be used at a sink or in the shower
- It only takes up as much space as a bar of soap
- It’s been gentle enough for me to use every day
On the back of the box, Neutrogena says this device is clinically proven superior to manual cleansing in three ways:
- 100% of women showed significantly deeper pore cleansing from its penetrating cool foam
- Its massaging, vibrating action opens pores to remove dirt, oil, and makeup and stimulates the skin’s surface
- You’ll see immediate softer, smoother skin after just one use
While I can’t substantiate their claims, I did find the Wave to be one cool little gadget for consistent and gentle exfoliation with a click of the button. It requires a single AA battery included with the starter kit, as well as a two week supply of single-use, disposable cleansing pads. It comes in pink, turquoise, or apple-green color schemes. And the price? The starter kit sells for $12.99 and a 10-pack of refills pads is $7.49.
So now you know why I’m excited about my new pink and white vibrating gadget. Sarah Bellum, on the other hand, might have an entirely different story to tell you.
Have YOU caught the Wave? Or do you like the Clarisonic system better? Leave a comment and let us know. Or, you can start a thread and talk to Karen directly in the Beauty Brains Forum.