If you read some of my last posts (here) you will know that the kids have been giving me major stress lately. One of the side effects of all this stress has been that my skin is terrible! I have had break outs all over my face and neck, and they have lasted for weeks without calming down. I know things like the lack of sleep and the insane amount of chocolate I eat to stay sane contributed to that, but even though I've tried to clean up my act, my old La Roche Posay Effaclar (review here) just wasn't cutting it. My host mum swears by Avène products, so I thought I would try some too. But I wasn't just going to change face wash. I was going to start washing my face like a real Parisienne. I was going to start a full cleansing ritual with Avène's Cleanance range whilst on my holiday in the Alps, to make my pampering complete!
Avène's Cleanance range is for blemish-prone and oily skin types, and is designed to cleanse and purify the skin. They outline a basic ritual on the box and on the website. I have done my best to follow this day and night (which for someone as forgetful as me is not so easy).
1) Cleanse with Cleanance Gel Cleanser
This is a bright blue gel in a clear bottle. Unlike most french skin cleansers which come with a pump or flip cap, this has a twist cap which to my surprise was still possible to open when wet. The gel is paraben free and claims to respect the skins pH. The gel is not as foamy as I expected, and at first I wasn't sure that it was working as I could not feel the oil and gunk washing off. However when I washed it off, I was surprised to find that my skin felt cleaner than I expected, but not dry or tight.
2) Spray a fine mist of Avène Eau Thermale over your face.
I confess I did not do this exactly right. If you want to know why I am not the world's biggest fan of facial water sprays read my review of Evian Facial Spray here. So instead of buying a whole new one, I have been using what was left of my Evian spray. I know - I'm not getting the full effect blah, blah, blah. Look at it this way, at least I'm not being wasteful!
3) Tone with Cleanance MAT toner
This comes in the same minimalist packaging as the cleansing gel, with the same twist cap. It uses monolaurin (I didn't know what it was either - apparently it is in coconut and breast milk, and acts as an anti-microbial. You learn something new everyday.), combined with absorbent powders to mattify the skin. Unlike many toners this didn't sting, or give that tightening sensation that you sometimes get. It also helped remove the last little bits of waterproof make-up and oil off my face face. So far, I'm impressed.
4)Apply Cleanance Expert all over the face
Of all the products in the range, I have to say this one was the most confusing. Is it a moisturiser? Is it a treatment? Is it both? What is it? The website claims that it is "more than just a moisturiser" and it will regulate sebum production, reduce spots and blackheads, limits the spread of acne causing bacteria, and soothe redness and inflammation. Wow - sounds like a wonder product, if all that is true.
I used it as if it was a normal moisturiser, and was expecting my combination skin to over dry in places and my super oily t-zone would over power it. So far it seems to be working. My skin is not as oily as it was and my dry patches are not too dry. For the first time I'm not using a deep cleansing masques twice a week. That being said, I am thinking about switching to a moisturising mask once a week/every two weeks. Whilst my skin doesn't feel painfully dry, it feels like it could use a little extra hydration.
Overall, I have been impressed by this range. My face is no where near as oily as it used to be and, although there are still a few deep blemishes which have not disappeared, I can see that the breakout has been reduced.
I know - I was on holiday in the Alps. I'm sure all that fresh mountain air combined with high altitude sunshine and strong mountain winds battering my face on the ski slopes helped. So is being removed from les petits monstres. That being said, I have continued to use the products after I returned from my holiday, and so far the breakouts have been kept under control - unlike the children I look after.
As for the ritual itself? I have to say it felt pretty luxurious to do it every morning and evening. The repetition of the ritual is almost hypnotic and soothing. That's not surprising when there are many studies showing that rituals, no matter how big or how small, can increase focus, and calm someone in a stressful situation (read more here and here). Whether it was the ritual or the fancy French products, there is something incredibly pleasing about making your morning and evening skincare more than just a quick lather of some face wash, a slap of moisturiser, and off you go into the world or to bed.
There is something more about the element of luxury. It's something about the way the product looks. The packaging of the brands of toiletries in French pharmacies is all different, but it has one thing in common. Sleek, minimalistic packaging that looks almost clinical. It inspires a sense of confidence in the product, as if it were something a doctor would prescribe. Yet it's simplicity is so obviously designed for appearance and not clinical identity, that it looks chic. Go to your local pharmacy and look at some brands - Avène, La Roche Posay, Eucerin, Bioderma and more. They all have the packaging design equivalent of a Scandinavian Architect's favourite chair - clean lines, functional, and pleasingly simple. And just like that chair, these products come with a price.
Perhaps I've spent to long at the top of the mountain and the lack of oxygen is making me ponder on the psychology of the design of a bottle of moisturiser.
Or perhaps what I'm trying to say is this - sometimes a little luxury goes a long way to making us feel a lot better. I know there's a lot of au pairs out there who stress a lot over their work, and who are letting it get the better of them and their health, especially over the two week holiday. To them I say - Treat yourself. Maybe it's not fancy face wash that floats your boat, but give yourself a little luxury. Book a cheap ticket to somewhere new in France. Go out for a meal, buy a cheap scarf covered in Eiffel Towers. Whatever it is, do it. Believe me you've worked for it
The article Why Rituals Work by Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton first appeared on the Scientific American website on 14th of May 2013 and was accessed by the author on 19th March 2016.
Repetitive Behaviour Reduces Stress first appeared as a news article on The British Psychological Society website on 7th of November 2011 and was accessed by the author on 19th March 2016.
Avène's Cleanance range is for blemish-prone and oily skin types, and is designed to cleanse and purify the skin. They outline a basic ritual on the box and on the website. I have done my best to follow this day and night (which for someone as forgetful as me is not so easy).
1) Cleanse with Cleanance Gel Cleanser
This is a bright blue gel in a clear bottle. Unlike most french skin cleansers which come with a pump or flip cap, this has a twist cap which to my surprise was still possible to open when wet. The gel is paraben free and claims to respect the skins pH. The gel is not as foamy as I expected, and at first I wasn't sure that it was working as I could not feel the oil and gunk washing off. However when I washed it off, I was surprised to find that my skin felt cleaner than I expected, but not dry or tight.
2) Spray a fine mist of Avène Eau Thermale over your face.
I confess I did not do this exactly right. If you want to know why I am not the world's biggest fan of facial water sprays read my review of Evian Facial Spray here. So instead of buying a whole new one, I have been using what was left of my Evian spray. I know - I'm not getting the full effect blah, blah, blah. Look at it this way, at least I'm not being wasteful!
3) Tone with Cleanance MAT toner
This comes in the same minimalist packaging as the cleansing gel, with the same twist cap. It uses monolaurin (I didn't know what it was either - apparently it is in coconut and breast milk, and acts as an anti-microbial. You learn something new everyday.), combined with absorbent powders to mattify the skin. Unlike many toners this didn't sting, or give that tightening sensation that you sometimes get. It also helped remove the last little bits of waterproof make-up and oil off my face face. So far, I'm impressed.
4)Apply Cleanance Expert all over the face
Of all the products in the range, I have to say this one was the most confusing. Is it a moisturiser? Is it a treatment? Is it both? What is it? The website claims that it is "more than just a moisturiser" and it will regulate sebum production, reduce spots and blackheads, limits the spread of acne causing bacteria, and soothe redness and inflammation. Wow - sounds like a wonder product, if all that is true.
I used it as if it was a normal moisturiser, and was expecting my combination skin to over dry in places and my super oily t-zone would over power it. So far it seems to be working. My skin is not as oily as it was and my dry patches are not too dry. For the first time I'm not using a deep cleansing masques twice a week. That being said, I am thinking about switching to a moisturising mask once a week/every two weeks. Whilst my skin doesn't feel painfully dry, it feels like it could use a little extra hydration.
Overall, I have been impressed by this range. My face is no where near as oily as it used to be and, although there are still a few deep blemishes which have not disappeared, I can see that the breakout has been reduced.
I know - I was on holiday in the Alps. I'm sure all that fresh mountain air combined with high altitude sunshine and strong mountain winds battering my face on the ski slopes helped. So is being removed from les petits monstres. That being said, I have continued to use the products after I returned from my holiday, and so far the breakouts have been kept under control - unlike the children I look after.
As for the ritual itself? I have to say it felt pretty luxurious to do it every morning and evening. The repetition of the ritual is almost hypnotic and soothing. That's not surprising when there are many studies showing that rituals, no matter how big or how small, can increase focus, and calm someone in a stressful situation (read more here and here). Whether it was the ritual or the fancy French products, there is something incredibly pleasing about making your morning and evening skincare more than just a quick lather of some face wash, a slap of moisturiser, and off you go into the world or to bed.
There is something more about the element of luxury. It's something about the way the product looks. The packaging of the brands of toiletries in French pharmacies is all different, but it has one thing in common. Sleek, minimalistic packaging that looks almost clinical. It inspires a sense of confidence in the product, as if it were something a doctor would prescribe. Yet it's simplicity is so obviously designed for appearance and not clinical identity, that it looks chic. Go to your local pharmacy and look at some brands - Avène, La Roche Posay, Eucerin, Bioderma and more. They all have the packaging design equivalent of a Scandinavian Architect's favourite chair - clean lines, functional, and pleasingly simple. And just like that chair, these products come with a price.
Perhaps I've spent to long at the top of the mountain and the lack of oxygen is making me ponder on the psychology of the design of a bottle of moisturiser.
Or perhaps what I'm trying to say is this - sometimes a little luxury goes a long way to making us feel a lot better. I know there's a lot of au pairs out there who stress a lot over their work, and who are letting it get the better of them and their health, especially over the two week holiday. To them I say - Treat yourself. Maybe it's not fancy face wash that floats your boat, but give yourself a little luxury. Book a cheap ticket to somewhere new in France. Go out for a meal, buy a cheap scarf covered in Eiffel Towers. Whatever it is, do it. Believe me you've worked for it
The article Why Rituals Work by Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton first appeared on the Scientific American website on 14th of May 2013 and was accessed by the author on 19th March 2016.
Repetitive Behaviour Reduces Stress first appeared as a news article on The British Psychological Society website on 7th of November 2011 and was accessed by the author on 19th March 2016.
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