The Never-Ending Quest for Good Skin

Today I have an update on my quest to find quality skincare products in Israel.

Since I last wrote about this, I’ve gone off the oil cleansing method. For me, it just didn’t work. Fortunately, I found some products I’d forgotten about in a drawer, and so began to use those. I ended up switching to a bar of dead sea mud facial soap, Pevonia’s “C” Evolutive Eye Gel at night, and Lancome’s Genefique Youth Activating Serum and Genefique Youth Activating Cream. This seemingly-random combination almost instantly improved my skin; I stopped getting as much acne, and also didn’t need to worry about letting it absorb for five to ten minutes before putting on makeup in the morning. The vitamin C serum is great, and probably did more for my skin than the rest of the products combined.

The problems started a few weeks after being on this regimen. I began to notice that, while my acne level was down, overall, I still had quite a few bumps on my forehead. In fact, they started to get worse with time, and I then remembered that I always have this problem with products containing petroleum-based ingredients. Sure enough, it’s a prominent ingredient in both of Lancome’s products.

This being the case, I have switched back to my trusty Moraz Herbal Night Cream for dry skin, using it morning and night. I ran out of the Pevonia vitamin C serum, but would like to get more soon. Then, a few days ago, I happened across something I’ve been wanting to try for quite some time–a bar of Dr. Bronner’s Magical Castille Soap, specifically in the Rose and Hemp aroma. I was surprised to find it in Israel, as it’s usually only found in specialty shops in the USA, but there it was, sitting on a shelf in Shufersal. Upon closer inspection, I saw that Shufersal actually carries many unique, natural products, including things I thought I couldn’t get anywhere in Israel, or else only at Eden Teva Market. That’s good news for all of us!

Due to this development, I’ve started using the Dr. Bronner’s soap instead of the Dead Sea mud soap. I do want to mention that bar soaps are not something that should normally be used on the delicate skin of the face–it’s purely incidental that I happened across two bar soaps for the skin within such a short period of time. Right now, I’m receiving slightly better results from this regimen (Dr. Bronner’s soap and Moraz cream) than either oil cleansing or the Lancome products, but it’s still not a magical cure, despite the Dr. Bronner’s soap’s name. Hopefully my skin will improve in time.

I do want to mention that soon, I will be reviewing a cleanser from a British skincare brand called Raw Gaia, and I’m particularly excited about that, not only because I need a proper cleanser, but also because Raw Gaia’s products are made with all raw, organic, and ethically-sourced ingredients, something that is not only good for the skin, but also good for the Earth. I have to wait for my Raw Gaia, but in the meantime, if you’re interested, you can check them out here; they even told me that right now, they have a 25% discount on their special MSM line.

The cleanser I will be reviewing is their new MSM cleanser. According to the company, “The MSM Beauty Cleanser is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, and contains Grapeseed Oil and Grapefruit Seed Extract. It is suitable for the face and body and is gentle enough for sensitive skin. It is formulated to be suitable for all skin types, but particularly effective in bringing dry, damaged or problem skin into balance.”

This sounds like the facial cleanser of my dreams. Either way, time will tell!

What about you? Have you found skincare in Israel that you love, and would recommend to others, or do you order products from overseas? Tell me in the comments!