And they really work!  I was lucky enough to try the Lavender E Salve, First Aid Salve, Calendula Salve and Arnica Salve. I am a believer in natural remedies and the use of herbs and essential oils for a variety of ailments.  From the moment I opened each salve, the fragrance and feel were obviously of the utmost quality.

The Lavender E Salve is simply divine.  At night I put a little under my nose and on my pulse points to help me relax and sleep well.  It is calming and soothing and helps to relieve stress and headaches.  The addition of Vitamin E enables this salve to reduce scarring as well.

I used the First Aid Salve on various cuts and scrapes I had, as well as on my very dry hands, cuticles and chapped lips.  First Aid Salve contains ingredients such as unrefined Propolis and Olive Oil, both extremely healing, as well as Tea Tree Oil for its antiseptic properties.  My dog had a hot spot and had itched himself bald, so I applied some of the First Aid Salve mixed with the Calendula and his scrapes went away in no time.  Better still was that all of MJ’s salves, with the exception of the Arnica, are safe if ingested.

The Calendula Salve is absolutely the best product I have ever used after shaving for ingrown hairs.  I apply it post-shave and my skin remains calm and rash free.  It is a natural anti-inflammatory and safe enough to use on the most sensitive skin.

The Arnica Salve is a great on-the-spot treatment for an overstressed body and bruising.  It is great to use during a massage to relieve pain and sore muscles.  I have often used ingestible Arnica to promote healing post surgery, and MJ’s topical Arnica Salve is a welcome addition to any medicine cabinet!

I am very impressed with MJ’s knowledge and expertise.  She has worked as an herbalist since the 1980’s and uses only the purest form of natural ingredients.  I hope you explore these wonderful, natural remedies!  Enjoy!

I love foaming cleansers because they wash off easily and Murad Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser does not disappoint. You only need 1 to 2 pumps to cleanse your face and remove makeup so the 5.1 ounce bottle lasts a long time without any wasted product. Murad Pomegranate Cleanser goes on light and washes off clean, removing makeup, including mascara, easily.

This cleanser is particularly great for any skin type as it is extremely gentle, containing Artemia, a skin “brightener” and natural fuel for the skin that stimulates healthy skin cells, and witch hazel to remove impurities and tighten pores without over-drying. Murad Pomegranate Cleanser’s pleasant scent actually feels energizing and your skin is left clean, toned and ready for the day. You will look forward to washing your face!

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What first caught my attention is that YBF Defend is specifically for oily skin. I have not yet found a product that is both helpful and good for your skin that also absorbs oil. I tried this product initially for this reason. YBF Defend is a light white gel that goes on clear. Only a little (1 pump) is needed for your face. Immediately after applying, my face was matte but still felt hydrated. I applied my makeup and went about my day – and my skin stayed feeling and looking the same.

I researched the ingredients YBF Defend contains and was impressed by both their purpose and the level of necessary antioxidants. Most anti-aging products are designed for night use but YBF Defend actually helps make your skin look smoother while protecting your face throughout the day. The claimed benefits of Defend are vast; it is described as being oil absorbing, containing age-fighting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients, hydrating and light diffusing. It promises to even skin tone, heal and improve elasticity, fight bacteria to prevent breakouts, reduce wrinkles, smooth and soothe skin while preventing future wrinkles, and correct and protect the skin from UV damage. While that is a lot of promises, the ingredients speak for themselves.

YBF has chosen to use a potent level of active ingredients to fulfill the benefits they claim. Defend contains vitamin E to soothe, titanium dioxide (an ingredient in sunscreens) to defend, hyaluronate to retain moisture, nylon 12 to absorb oil, peptides (skin plumpers that reduce wrinkles with less irritation) and spin trap, which is described as an “intelligent antioxidant” that research suggests can produce significant skin rejuvenating results. There are no unnecessary added ingredients which I find refreshing and much desired in other skin care lines.

Since my skin is on the drier side, I gave YBF Defend to my husband to try. He has oily skin and loved Defend’s light feel and that his face remained less oily throughout the day. I felt better knowing his skin was protected from daytime agers (Please note, although YBF does contain ingredients that protect your skin, it does not contain sunscreen. I would advise anyone spending time in the sun to apply a sunscreen after applying Defend).

My bottom line? YBF seems to be a company whose priorities are useful ingredients. I would recommend this YBF Defend to anyone with oily skin. Dry or combination skin will find the oil absorbers too potent (Check my other posting for YBF Defend dry and combination skin).  For some, the price tag may be too high. But I do think that YBF has the right idea and that Defend fulfilled its promises.

YBF Control promises to rejuvenate your skin, sealing in moisture while allowing the skin to breathe and protecting it from environmental stress and pollution. YBF Control is also a wrinkle management product with a blend of “high-performance antioxidants”. The benefits claimed from YBF Control are that is brightens skin, deeply hydrates, diffuses light and evens skin tone. It is also said to firm, heal and improve elasticity in your skin while reducing pigmentation and wrinkle depth. It tightens pores and increases cell turnover, smoothes skin and protects and corrects UV and sun damage.

One of the main wrinkle fighting ingredients in YBF Control is called Argireline. After some research, I learned that Argireline is a patented peptide complex derived from natural proteins that studies have shown to relax facial muscles. This ingredient has been dubbed “Botox without the hassle”. A low to moderate level of Argireline is said to be most effective. YBF Control contains 26% Argireline thus making it a “cosmeceutical” facial product. Other ingredients contained in Control are alpha lipoic acid (a powerful antioxidant produced in the human body), spin trap (a blend of antioxidants found to produce significant results), skin plumping peptides, a type of hyaluronic acid for hydration and vitamins C and E.

YBF Control is a gel-cream formula that goes on clear and dries to a semi-matte finish. A unique component of YBF Control is its pleasant smell – almost like almond. The scent is not overpowering and actually made me look forward to putting in on.

I’ve been using YBF Control day and night for several weeks. I have noticed smoother skin and a more even skin tone and have been very pleased by the feel and look of my skin. YBF Control is easy to apply and one pump is more than enough to cover your face. My skin never felt dry, day or night, while using YBF Control and my makeup went on smoothly after applying it (Please note, although YBF does contain ingredients that protect your skin, it does not contain sunscreen. I would advise anyone spending time in the sun to apply a sunscreen after applying Defend).

I like this product and I would recommend it to those with dry or combination skin that need moisture and is not prone to breakouts. I breakout at times and noticed a few small blemishes after using YBF Control day and night for an extended period of time. After taking a few days off and then wearing it only at night the breakouts were eliminated. I would not recommend this product to those with oily skin because they might find it feels too heavy (Read my post about YBF Defend for those with oily skin). The price tag may be a bit high for some but it is my opinion that you should spend more on a beneficial anti-aging product with antioxidants to help your skin and scrimp on items like blush, eye shadow and mascara.

I am impressed by the YBF product line and more importantly their choice of beneficial ingredients. There are no unnecessary added ingredients in YBF Control which is important to me and tells me that YBF is a company focused on the objective of creating beneficial anti-aging products.

Murad Redness Therapy Soothing Gel Cleanser contains a patented formula that reduces irritation in your skin while still thoroughly cleansing makeup and impurities. Just a dime sized amount foams up well and is enough for your entire face, though I always recommend cleansing twice to remove makeup. Inside the cleanser are very small, undetectable moisturizing beads meant to soften rough skin and remove flakiness. The Soothing Gel Cleanser also contains Goji Berries which are supposed to provide even more protection and relief for irritated skin.

While there is no extreme cooling or tingling feeling involved when using Murad Soothing Gel Cleanser, your face feel squeaky clean but not tight or dry. In fact, immediately after beginning to use it, my face felt calmer and the flakiness had disappeared. I was concerned that perhaps eliminating a break out fighting ingredient from my daily cleanser would cause some acne, but after one month my face is clear, more even toned and definitely happier. For extreme irritation, a creamy cleanser may be more beneficial, but I would highly recommend Murad Soothing Gel Cleanser to even those without much redness as a great face wash for mild to moderate sensitive, irritated skin. The foaming gel feels especially nice when it’s warm outside and is very effective in removing makeup- even mascara. It’s a great summer cleanser for sensitive skin!

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Murad Correcting Moisturizer is a lightly tinted green shade in the bottle but goes on sheer and untinted on your skin. The green tint is meant to counteract the redness on your face. But being green isn’t the only thing this moisturizer has going for it. Murad Correcting Moisturizer has several soothing ingredients to calm sensitive skin, such as Peppermint, a known soothing agent, and Licorice which reduces redness. Murad Correcting Moisturizer also contains sunscreen elements link Zinc to provide protection from the sun, and therefore less irritation, with an SPF of 15.

This moisturizer feels good on, and for combination skin, the texture is light but moisturizing. Although Murad Correcting Moisturizer is not thick or greasy, I would not necessarily recommend it for extremely oily and acne prone skin as it might feel just a bit too heavy. I have been using it under my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and believe it has made my skin less red and definitely less irritated. By using Murad Correcting Moisturizer in combination with a cleanser for sensitive skin, I recently noticed that the redness on my face had definitely decreased and the flakiness was gone. However, if you are suffering from extreme Rosacea Murad Correcting Moisturizer will probably not provide a dramatic enough result for you. I would recommend it to those with slightly oily to slightly dry skin with mild redness and irritation, especially during the summer when a lighter moisturizer is preferred.

All in all? If it does not alleviate all of your redness, it still feels great on your skin and protects you from the sun!

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1. Don’t pick! This is the first rule of thumb. Picking your skin, especially with bare, unwashed hands, will defeat the effects of any healing products or healthy lifestyle changes you may be doing. Picking your skin with bare hands may lead to small cuts and tears from your nails, and dirt is easily passed from your hands to your skin, thus creating breakouts. Remember, if you pick one zit, you will have 5 more!
2. Keep it simple. Using too many harsh products on your face can dry out your skin, creating peeling, redness and breakouts. You may think that using that 10% Benzoyl Peroxide every night is helping, but if your face is irritated you will only break out more.
3. Always wash your face at night. ALWAYS! No excuses on this one. Your face collects so many dirt and toxins throughout the day. Mixed with makeup, this is a combination sure to lead to breakouts. If you do one thing to keep your skin clear, just take a few minutes to wash everything off at the end of the day. If you are too tired, then do it as soon as you get home before you start relaxing. If you are not in the habit already of washing your face at night, I promise you results from doing this one simple thing.
4. Use a cleanser with Salicylic Acid. Salicylic acid fights acne by killing bacteria and lessening sebum production. For less oily skin, I like DDF Blemish Foaming Cleanser. This cleanser does a great job of cleaning off makeup, contains acne fighting ingredients, and is mild enough to use morning and night. For oilier skin, try DDF Salicylic Wash. This cleanser contains a higher percentage of Salicylic Acid for more intense acne fighting, but it may dry out your skin. If you experience any dryness or irritation, switch to using this cleanser only at night and a milder cleanser in the morning. Remember to wash your face twice at night to remove all makeup! A great cleanser to use in the mornings if you have more sensitive skin is IS Clinical Cleansing Complex. Containing both salicylic acid and glycolic acid, this cleanser fights acne, gently exfoliates your skin, and is gentle enough not to dry out your face. This cleanser does not remove makeup that well, so that’s why I recommend using it in the mornings and a stronger cleanser at night.
5. A hydrated face is a clear face. You have all heard that drinking water helps clear your skin and this is not a myth. Not only does drinking lots of water cleanse your body of unwanted toxins, but it also helps to detoxify your skin and add needed moisture.
6. Along with drinking water, using a moisturizer is very important. Even if you have oily skin, a moisturizer helps to keep your skin from becoming irritated and actually helps even out the production of oil, thus leading to less breakouts. There are a lot of moisturizers for oily skin, but I like Peter Thomas Roth Ultra Lite Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30 because it’s super sheer, blends in really well, and also contains an SPF 30, which is so important! Don’t be afraid that using a moisturizer will make you break out. So long as you stick to an oil free moisturizer your skin will have less irritation and dryness which means less break outs.
7. Use mineral makeup. My favorite is Colorescience for it’s superior ingredients compared with other mineral makeups. Colorescience foundation covers imperfections really well without being shiny and heavy. Best of all, because Colorescience contains no talc or additives, it’s actually good for your skin. Colorescience makeup does not penetrate your skin so it won’t clog pores and cause breakouts, and soothing minerals along with vitamin A soothe and eliminate skin irritation.
8. Use a topical acne fighter at night. Hands down, the best acne remedy is IS Clinical Active Serum. If you’ve read my blog before, you know how much I like this product! Active serum is a liquid that you put on with your fingertips at night, avoiding the eye area. Active serum contains Salicylic acid and Glycolic acid to fight acne, kill bacteria and exfoliate dead skin, and Kojic and Lactic acid for superior anti-aging benefits. Also assisting in pigment reduction, this product does it all! Don’t use any other product on your skin after using Active Serum on clear skin. Active serum is best used alone to avoid irritation. If your face becomes dry, then you can wear a moisturizer such as IS Clinical Hydra Cool on top, once the Active Serum has dried on your skin. Hydra Cool is a cooling, serum moisturizer that contains Menthol, which is anti-bacterial. Hydra Cool is designed to work in conjunction with Active Serum and other IS Clinical products to help them work better.
9. Use a sulfur mask. My personal favorite is DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask. Sulfur is well known to absorb oil, purify skin and pores and is a great anti-inflammatory. Sulfur is so healing it actually helps to instantaneously dry out blemishes and prevent more from coming. Apply a thick layer all over your face and neck, avoiding your eye area, 1-3 times per week. For severely acneic and oily skin, you may use this mask every day, but if your skin gets too dry, decrease frequency. Don’t let this mask dry out on your face, wash it off with warm water after no more than 10 minutes. DDF Sulfur Therapeutic mask will also help to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving skin super clean, calmer and radiant.
10. Get facials. If you can afford it, get a good, deep cleaning facial once a month. Otherwise, getting a facial once every couple, or every 6 months will definitely help. A facialist can deep clean your skin and clean out pores using professional grade products and equipment, plus they have the skills to really get in there without damaging your skin. Don’t get anything too frou frou, make sure that your facialist does extractions and a glycolic peel is excellent for less sensitive skin. It’s not worth spending the money unless you walk out of the spa with unclogged pores and balanced skin.

Remember, keep your skin clean, keep your hands away from your face, and use high quality, oil free, products. A simple regimen consisting of skin beneficial products and keeping your skin free from irritation leads to clear beautiful skin!