Thanks for being patient while I was on vacation last week. This week I am pleased to bring you my review of Youngblood skin care. Enjoy!

After trying Youngblood's mineral makeup, I was curious about their skin care. They have a fairly small range of products, which is a nice change from so many lines that have 5 different creams that all supposed to reduce wrinkles. I found some definite favorites here that may be worth trying if you are looking for something new.

Sudsing Cucumber Gel
If you have normal to oily or oily skin, this is a nice choice in foaming cleansers. It's not too drying, removes makeup fairly well, and leaves the skin feeling fresh. Personally, I can't use it too often on my sensitive/combination skin (I get dry and flaky), but it is a nice pick-me-up once in a while at the end of the day or in the shower.

Papaya Enzyme Scrub
I LOVE this scrub! Even though my skin is sensitive to certain ingredients, I always love a good scrub and my skin seems to look better when I exfoliate regularly. This scrub has small, waxy beads and fruit enzymes in a creamy base that I have found works well on just about any skin type. Keep this in the shower instead of regular cleanser and your skin will be glowing every morning!

Stimulating Toner
Youngblood has two toners - one with witch hazel (this one) and one without (the one below). I like this toner as a refreshing change from so many toners with alcohol - a big no-no in my book. The long list of plant extracts including cucumber, lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, rosemary, mandarin, sage clary, geranium, lavadin, galbanum, and citronella are surprisingly subtle and (I found) non-irritating. I would definitely recommend this toner.

Refreshing Toner
For my more sensitive-skin days, I prefer this toner to the one above because it's simple and no-frills. The chamomile and ginseng are subtle and soothing, and I definitely appreciate that it's alcohol-free.

Oil Control Hydrating Fluid
I wish I could say I liked this lotion, but it has way too many comedogenic (potentially acne causing) ingredients like algae extract, isopropyl palmitate, octyl palmitate, sesame oil, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate SE, and triethanolamine. This lotion is like an acne time bomb! I also have no idea how this lotion could have "oil control" properties with sesame oil so high on the ingredient list... If you have problem skin and use products with ingredients like these, you may be perpetuating the problem without even knowing it.
- Thanks to Sage Skin Care for their comprehensive chart to acne causing ingredients, located at http://www.sageskincare.com/Articles/acne_detective/article6.htm#inglist

Nurturing Primrose Complex
For dry skin, this cream is a really nice blend of essential oils and extracts like primrose, ecchanacia, hemp, st. john's wort, kola, kelp, tea tree, green tea, rose and grapefruit. I had no acne problems with it, and found it absorbed easily even when I slathered it on.

For more information on Youngblood products, visit their website at http://www.ybskin.com. You can read my review of their Mineral Makeup at http://www.cosmeticconnection.com/022399.html.

You can't be a makeup enthusiast without the right tools, so this month we offer an alternative to the trendy but oh-so expensive makeup brushes at the department stores. See why our Panelist Elaine can afford to buy all the makeup she craves, even on a budget...

May Feature: Makeup Brush Review

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