St. Ives Green Tea Gel Cleanser

Life, for the past few weeks, has been super crazy. It's winding down again but I know it's gonna happen a lot in the future. How crazy? I've considered it a luxury when I am capable of washing my face and brushing my teeth twice in one day.

My skin has been faring poorly from a month previously because of this, but it's not as bad as I've been expecting. One of the reason's why is St. I'ves Green Tea Gel Cleanser.

St. Ives Green Tea Gel Cleanser

I originally bought this since I already foresaw that my current cleanser, while great for my everyday life, wouldn't be able to keep up with turbo mode. I needed something that would keep those big zits from coming out even with a super hectic lifestyle. Thus, my choice was an oil-free salicylic acid cleanser.

What I like about St. Ives, unlike most drugstore brands here in the Philippines, is that they show how much salicylic acid there is in the product. At 2%, I knew I was going to buy it. Even if it didn't work out for my face, my body could still use it.

Fortunately, it didn't disappoint!

St. Ives Green Tea Gel Cleanser Ingredients

I've used up around 1/4 of my bottle in around 3 weeks but since it costs around P220 (~$4), I'm still pretty generous with the amount I use. The second ingredient is a sulfate so it gives me a squeaky clean feeling that might be too much for most people, but is just what I need. Ordinarily, I'd recommend that this be used just once daily followed by a hydrating product immediately since it might be too stripping for most.

This also has menthyl lactate, which I like because it gives me a cooling feeling to start (and sometimes, end) the day. Unfortunately, some people might react to this, so I wouldn't recommend this for those with sensitive skin.

How effective is it as an anti-acne product. Aside from one cystic pimple, it's kept most pustules away. Unfortunately, it hasn't stopped the spread of those pesky blackheads since I end up being an oily mess for most days. The menthol could, theoretically, also be the culprit, but I haven't tested this product for normal life usage.

It comes as a pump top bottle so it isn't very good for travelling. 

Would I buy this again? Maybe. I really like it for stressful situations so I'll definitely keep using it for my face, but I'd like to try it out for normal, everyday use before I stock it.