Battle of the Lush Cleansers!

Hello Guys!

So as I mentioned in my La Roche-Posay post, my skin has gone crazy for the past couple of months- a long time for skin to be having a tantrum! And it's really down to me changing up my routine. I was perviously taking my makeup off with cheap (Primark *sigh*) makeup wipes and a high-street/drugstore foaming face wash. My skin was never good since I made such little effort, and it wasn't just break outs, it was the texture and quality as well- it was just a bit crap. So I decided I wanted to start using better things that would change my skin, preferably with natural ingredients since i'd always been a fan of DIY type skincare but was too lazy to try. This lead me to Lush who I already loved and heard a lot of good things about.

Ultrabland
Oil Base- All skin types (advised for dry though!)

Ultrabland was my first attempt. Firstly the lovely Lush lady rated it highly because it's a top seller and transforms skin. Secondly, I didn't need water to take it off so I could just do it all in my room, bonus! It also acts as a makeup remover (use twice though) as well as a moisturiser so overall it was a massive shortcut of a skincare routine. I have to admit, at first it was a tad odd to rub oil on your face to clean it and I did worry about still being 'dirty'. This definitely wasn't the case though, my skin felt incredibly soft and smooth and clean. I've read a lot of people feeling like they had a greasy film over their skin after using this. I think this could be because of the beeswax in this product, taking it off with water will probably not work like removal with toner and may leave traces on your face. Just a thought! I really do think this would have been perfect if it didn't break me out to such an extreme amount. My skin got worse than I think i've ever seen it, I did leave it a couple of weeks to see if it was detoxing but nothing changed and I was about to start uni so I left it.

Angels on Bare Skin
Clay base- All skin types

My second try was a sample of Angels on Bare Skin- a crazy popular cleanser from Lush! Instead of a balm it is a clay based scrub with calming and moisturising ingredients aimed at dry skin, so a good start for me. This cleanser really did change my skin, makeup sat 100x better because the texture was just better. It also brightened up my skin tone more than anything I have ever used. But~ I think I was allergic to something in this because while cleansing my face sort of felt tender and stung a little bit and I got a lot of small red bumps (that haven't completely gone yet) as well as breaking out, it was also slightly awkward to use because of its crumbly nature. So I stopped using it. (Totally still recommend it though)

Herbalism 

Clay base- Oily/ blemish prone skin
A 3rd visit to lush gave me Herbalism and Dark Angels. These are both directed at more oily skin (not particularly me) and Herbalism is specifically aimed at acne prone skin. This is also a crumbly clay cleanser like AOBS. It has an odd smell but that doesn't really bother me, it's not that strong. After using this I immediately noticed that my skin wasn't as soft compared to Ultrabland and AOBS, and that it made my skin quite dry, giving me flakey patches BUT they've gone after about 5 days of use which is good. I did notice that my break outs calmed down pretty quickly but not entirely, my skin was still bad but I feel like if I stuck to this one it would eventually calm my skin down.

Dark Angels 
Exfoliating- Acne prone skin 

There isn't much to say here to be honest, Dark Angels is much more harsh of a scrub and didn't work for my dry skin at all so I stopped using it. Apparently it's awesome for greasy skin though so give it a try if thats you!

Fresh Farmacy 

Soap base- For sensitive blemished/irritated skin 

Another trip to lush and a realisation that i'm collecting a ridiculous amount of samples has given me Fresh Farmacy and Let The Good Times Roll. After having a good chat about all this, the most helpful lush girl ever suggested that I try FF with Vanishing Cream since it's a soap base and so slightly more drying than a clay/oil based cleanser. Using this left my skin feel more clean and sort of rubbery but not in a terrible way, it also seems quite a lot like AOBS but without the exfoliation and  allergic reaction! My skin has actually had a super positive reaction to this and it seems to be calming down quite a lot which I am so so happy about. Vanishing cream is also working well with this so I really think she got it right and (finally!) i'm planning to buy these two things. Yay!

Let The Good Times Roll
Dry skin
This is a christmas release cleanser super similar to AOBS. It's moisturising and 'stimulating' while gently exfoliating. This. literally. smells. amazing. It's the perfect mix of toffee and cinnamon and popcorn and I literally cant stop smelling it. I wish this was a candle or a perfume or something- or food. I wouldn't use this is an everyday cleanser because I think it would be too rich for me and break me out a bit, but for a mask I think its awesome. Another problem with using this as a cleanser is that it's limited addition which I think is a bit weird for skincare? I'm not going to repurchase but this is totally worth a try!

Although my skin went a bit mad after trying these things i'm really glad I did because my skin really has changed in a lot of ways for the better. Something to think about though (something I wish i'd known sooner!) is that skin can take from 2 weeks - 3 months to get used to a new cleanser and throughout this time can react in many ways. Some cleansers will also detox your skin, surfacing all the acne that would have come up later and eventually clearing your skin- an awkward process, but worth it! I would fully recommend Lush as I don't think most people break out from their products, I am a lot more sensitive than most which is just lovely. Congrats if you've managed to make it though this massive post and I hope I helped someone! And let me know of any cleanser recommendations and your experiences with these lovely products!