The Best Face Cleansers

I've been on a major skincare/beauty binge lately, which you may have noticed with a few of my recent posts.  A few months back I brought you The Best Lip Balms, which featured favorite lip balm picks from my friends and me.  I thought it would be fun to expand on that post and bring you beauty recommendations not only from me, but from my most stylish and beauty savvy friends.  Today I have for you tried and true cleanser recommendations.  I think that cleansing the skin is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine after moisturizing.  So here I have several products to choose from that my friends or I use consistently and love enough to recommend to you!

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel

This is my absolute favorite cleanser that I have ever used, and that says a lot because I have tried about a million  different cleansers.  I can honestly say that my skin has changed for the better since I started using this.  It is a gentle gel cleanser that contains natural Alpha Hydroxy Acids to chemically exfoliate skin and help to breakdown anything that might be clogging your pores.  From my experience it really helps to keeps blemishes and blackheads at bay without drying out my skin.  

Lush Angels on Bare Skin

This is my go-to cleanser when my skin is feeling a little dry and is need of some gentle exfoliation.  It uses natural ingredients like kaolin clay and lavender oil to deep clean and soothe skin.  You can read a review post I have about this amazing product here.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser

This is a cleanser has a cult following of skin care gurus, celebrities, beauty magazines, and more; I can't even count the number of people I know who use and love it!  It's great for when your skin is experiencing a dry spell or for an everyday mild cleanser.  I like to use this to wash my face in the morning to gently clean it without stripping it of any natural oils and then I use the Mario Badescu cleanser at night to remove all of the impurities my skin has built up throughout the day.

Honey

I know it may seem an odd thing to list as a cleanser, but honey is my favorite way to naturally cleanse my skin.  Honey is moisturizing and filled with antibacterial properties, which allows it to help clear up skin without drying it out.  If you've been on here for a while you know I love finding natural alternatives to beauty products and this is definitely one of my favorite.  I've been using regular honey, but you're supposed to use raw honey as it has more antibacterial properties so I will be buying raw the next time around.  Learn more about washing with honey by reading Skin Care 101: Cleansers under the natural category. 

The picks here are from my friends that I would turn to for beauty recommendations.  When I asked around everyone had a cleanser that they loved andhighly recommended.  So here are the cleansers that are my friends' favorites!

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

Recommended by: Lia, 23, Research Assistant (Instagram: @liadanielle1)

Lia loves a good facial cleanser and highly recommend this one by Origins.  She says she loves that it has a creamy feel, but still lathers nicely.  It's also a top seller on the Origins website!

Proactiv+ Skin Smoothing Exfoliator

Recommended by: Angela, 22, Student (Instagram: @angelafurbush)

Angela's skin is always blemish free thanks to her favorite Proactiv cleanser.  She says that it "makes my skin smooth and helps my makeup go on evenly!"

Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask

Recommended by: Bridget, 20, Student (Instagram: @bridget_thomp)

My sister and I both love this cleanser.  It powerfully cleans your skin to remove anything that may cause blemishes and does it with a nice cooling feeling.  It also works wonders as a mask to get an even deeper clean.

Clinique Redness Solution Soothing Cleanser

Recommended by: Shannon, 23, Physical Therapy Student (Instagram: @shannonsamluk)

Shannon suffers from Rosacea and loves how this cleanser helps to sooth it.  This line is made for people with Rosacea and she says "it's really gentle and has probiotics in it!"  She loves the line so much that she uses the moisturizer too.

Murad Daily Cleansing Foam

Recommended by: Amira, 23, Investor Services Specialist (Instagram: @amirajibrine)

Amira seriously has the most gorgeous skin, it is literally flawless!  She uses this cleanser and recommends it to keep your skin looking great.

Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

Recommended by: Jordyn, 22, Intern (The Fairy Princess Diaries)

Fellow blogger Jordan loves this cleanser and highly recommends it.  She says "it's exfoliating so my skin feels super smooth and it really clears my pores."

All of the cleansers here have been tested and are worth looking in to.  Like I mention in this post, I always like having a few different cleansers in my beauty rotation to address any skin issues that I am having.  So if you're looking for a new cleanser or having an issue with your skin you should definitely check out what I have listed here.  Have you used any of the cleansers here?  What is your favorite cleanser?

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Today I'm linking up with #HowISpring, Manic Monday, MIMM, Let it Shine, Mingle Monday, and Weekending.

Inspire the Woman, Impact the World

This week in my Public Relations Writing class we had to submit a feature story on someone who has an interesting or inspiring story to tell.  When this was assigned I immediately thought of my sorority sister and close friend Lia.  She has an inspiring story about how she developed a love of medicine through an interest in science, and then fostered that love through volunteer work.  We had to model our story on feature stories done in a major publication and I chose to model mine after Glamour magazine, which uses stories like this to inspire other women.  When I finished writing this I got to thinking that I would love to share this inspirational story on here because I think it is important to recognize women for their amazing accomplishments and to give other women someone to look up to.  So without any further ado here is my story on a girl I am lucky to call my friend.

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In high school when Lia Penn, now 23, told her parents she was considering becoming a doctor she says they were apprehensive, “Having no medical training themselves, they were pretty nervous about the difficulties I would face choosing that path.”  However, they knew she was determined and asked her to spend her summer volunteering at a local hospital, in addition to her summer job as a lifeguard, to see if it was something she really wanted to pursue.  The time Penn spent volunteering that summer only confirmed her fascination with the medical world, “I loved it and I haven’t stopped since.”

Penn’s interest in medicine developed from a love of science, she says, “I wanted to understand the way my body interacts with the environment. As I grew up, people fascinated me. I want to understand how they got their disease, what that disease meant for them on a clinical and environmental level, and determine where they can go from there.”  Since she began her volunteer work she has amassed countless hours working at notable hospitals in the Baltimore area, she has held volunteer positions at both the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and Shock Trauma’s Trauma Resuscitation Unit at University of Maryland Medical Center.  However, some of her most valuable volunteer experience came during the summer after her of her sophomore year of college.

Penn with a fellow pre-medical student and volunteer on a hike in South Africa during their trip.

Penn attended Villanova University where she majored in Biology with a minor in Psychology, an ideal course of study for someone interested in medical school.  To enhance her classroom experiences she spent June to August of 2012 on a pre-medical trip to Africa.  Going to Africa was a dream of hers since she was a little girl, “One of my criteria for traveling is that I get to know the people and live as they do, bypassing some of the tourist attractions in favor of a more authentic experience. Working in hospitals is one of the best ways to learn about local culture, while helping me pursue my future in science. I went to Africa to learn about the culture through medicine.”

In Africa, Penn went to many different townships within Cape Town and Johannesburg, and worked along the Garden Route as well.  Her daily routine consisted of volunteering in a hospital or township center from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and then from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. she would either attend classes focused on medical issues or work teaching health education.  When Penn and fellow students had free time they experienced all Africa had to offer, which included a shark cage dive, skydiving, and a safari.

In her free time Penn was able to go on a safari and see the animals of Africa.

Her time spent in Africa was eye opening, “I witnessed systemic issues and their impact on medical care.  From that, I realized that I want to not only help people get and stay healthy, but, I want to empower people to become their own health advocates and work within the system to better their own health. My trip taught me the power of personal agency in creating change,” she recalls. 

One of her most memorable encounters was working with a nursing sister who spent her days working as an HIV and AIDS counselor.  Of her Penn says, “She was one of the most positive and progressive people I worked with. She wanted to overcome the stigma associated with HIV in South Africa and prove to her patients that with medication, HIV was nothing more than a pill per day. She ran this ward by herself and it was practically her baby. Given how draining some days were, with the constant lack of resources and time, it was refreshing to see a woman making an actual difference.”

Penn’s work with the people she met while in Africa did not end when got back to America.  She still keeps in touch with one of the clinicians she shadowed through Facebook, “he works at Victoria Hospital and was incredibly helpful to both his students and us.”  She explains he gave all the students on her trip an open invitation to come back and work with him whenever possible.

In addition to this, she facilitated clothing and bedding drives for the people of Egoli, one of the townships she worked in while in Cape Town. Penn remembers how when they asked the people of Egoli what they wanted “they said they needed basic goods: clothing, food, and shelter.”  After she left she was able to keep in touch with the people of the town via email as she organized the drives.  For help Penn reached out to the people around her, including students at Villanova, asking them to help contribute to a cause so near to her heart, “I wanted to bring my South Africa experience back home and keep these people a part of my life.”

Penn and fellow volunteers with children they worked with while on a school visit.

Since her time spent in Africa Penn graduated from Villanova and is currently taking a gap year before attending medical school.  During this year she has been working as a Clinical Research Assistant and Equity Research Analyst at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, furthering her knowledge and experience in the medical field.  When asked what type of medicine she sees herself studying, Penn explains, “At the moment, I picture myself becoming an infectious disease doctor with Doctors without Borders or establishing myself as a practicing clinician in the United States while conducting public health research overseas in developing countries.” This choice has been heavily influenced by her volunteer experience, “Going to South Africa changed my career path. It made me want to pursue a degree in public health with an emphasis on global health alongside a medical career in infectious diseases. The adventures I went on gave me a confidence I never thought I had and the people I met gave me a connection to a place and a life I never before understood.”

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Interested in a Unique Abroad Experience Like Lia’s?

Penn’s study abroad program was done through IES Abroad.  At IES Abroad the goal is to educate students through “worldwide experiential learning opportunities that meet the highest standards of academic quality.”  With their study abroad programs students have the opportunity to participate in service learning and to volunteer with “local, national, and international charitable organizations.”  By doing this students are able to experience different cultures in a unique way just like Penn did on her trip.  Working with a charitable organization in a different country allows students to learn about where they are from locals, while working in a field they are interested in.  This experience will hopefully help students to find something they are passionate about and wish to work with one day.  More information on IES Abroad can be found at http://www.iesabroad.org/.

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I want to give a huge thank you to Lia for letting me write this story on her and share it on here in addition to using it for school.  I also want to say thank you for answering my crazy long questionnaire with amazing responses, answering all my last minute questions, sending me pictures, and going above and beyond to help me with this.  I also want to give one last thank you for being one of the best friends I've made at Villanova and always being there for me whether it's driving 3 hours for my birthday or helping me with this! 

  

                

Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!