Summer Shine Control

Well, although the past few days have been gloomy in LA, the sun is definitely on its way. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be out in public with a greasy, acne-ridden face. A little shimmer is fine, but not greasy. If you like greasy faces, there may be a special website for you, but it’s not this one.

So, what can a cruelty-free beauty product lover do to reduce the shine? Well, I’ll tell ya.

First, start with a good facial cleanser that won’t strip your skin. I love Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Cleanser. I bought a 16 oz. container of this stuff months ago, and I think it’ll last me the rest of my life! It’s very inexpensive, and it works. It’s a nice, creamy formula that lathers up and rinses completely clean. Your face feels clean, and not at all tight or greasy. It’s color and fragrance free and of course, not tested on animals.

When you want more of a scrub, try dermaE’s Very Clear Cleansing Scrub. DermaE products are cruelty-free, paraben-free, eco-friendly and vegetarian (almost all formulas are vegan too)! This is a scrub with some oomph, which I love! It’s made with walnut shell powder, which some people stay away from. They say the walnut shell particles are not spherical and can damage your skin. I have used plenty of walnut-shell scrubs over the years, and my skin looks fine. Personally, I think as long as you don’t scrub your face like a maniac, you’ll be fine. DermaE’s scrub has tea tree oil, willow bark and lavender to treat acne-prone skin. It also has jojoba oil, chamomile and aloe to keep your skin’s natural moisture balance. After the scrub, your skin will feel soft, but not greasy. Use this 1-3 times a week.

After cleansing, use a lightweight, skin-balancing moisturizer like LATHER’s Shine Control Face Lotion. This is a new product from cruelty-free company, LATHER. It’s made with tea tree oil, witch hazel, olive leaf extract, pine tree extract, zinc, horsetail (an herb, not a horse’s tail!), rosemary and hops to control oil and leave your face oil-free. It’s made with hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and lactic acid to speed up cell turnover. It’s also got a nice peppermint oil cooling sensation which I love in the summer. If you have oily skin, this is all you need. I have combination skin, so I like to use it under a slightly heavier moisturizer.

One of my recent faves has been Very Clear Problem Skin Moisturizer by dermaE. This is a heavier moisturizer, but by no means greasy (can you tell that I hate grease?). It’s got tea tree oil, willow bark, rosewood, lavender and chamomile to unclog pores, reduce bacteria on the skin, calm skin and hydrate. It goes on a little thicker, but absorbs completely and leaves no shine. It’s pH balanced to balance your skin’s chemistry. It also smells like tea tree oil and has that minty sensation that I love. It’s also 100% vegetarian and cruelty-free!

Once you’re all clean and moisturized, you can use a anti-shine makeup primer. I love the cult-favorite Smashbox primer – it really works. It absorbs oil all day and gives you a matte finish. I also like the Silk & Pearl Primer by Purely Cosmetics. It’s a translucent powder made from silk, pearls and kaolin clay that you brush on before your mineral or liquid foundation. Bare Escentuals also has a primer, but I haven’t tried it yet. If you have, let me know what you think!

For matte foundations, I love bareMinerals Matte powder foundation which has oil absorbers and gives you SPF 15 coverage. It goes on light and looks like you’re not wearing foundation at all. For a little more coverage, I use Clinique Superfit Makeup. It doesn’t look or feel heavy, and it wisks away sweat and oil. When I want A LOT of coverage (for those PMS days when my skin’s all broken out), I use BOTH – just dust the bareMinerals Matte foundation right over the Clinique. These foundations are great for combination or oily skin. They are also life-savers for those who live in humid areas (I was born in Louisiana, so I know!).