I read so many great reviews of the Urban Defense skin care line from my fellow panelists that I decided to give it a try. I have somewhat oily skin; it used to be horrible, but as I have aged it is less oily, but very sensitive. So, I ordered the Oil Free Basic Skin Care Kit ($24). It contains 3 products: Zen Cleanse 2-in-1 Cleanser and Toner, Detox Cocktail Antioxidant Complex, and Guardian Angel Moisturizer. I also tried the Magic Mud Mask and Scrub ($16).

I received the products in a great travel bag, and the products in the Trial Kit are refillable, which is great.

Zen Cleanse is a light gel that has a wonderful rosemary aroma. It does not foam a lot, but works well in cleansing the face. It is supposedly okay for all skin types, but not for mine! It contains ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin (detergent based, rosemary and peppermint). If you are really sensitive, this one is not for you.

Detox Cocktail is alcohol-free, designed to calm, balance and remove environmental impurities. You apply it before your moisturizer and it leaves a nice soft finish on the face. The calming effect is produced from vitamins A, C, E, green tea, seaweed extract, chamomile, allantoin and aloe. It also contains natural skin purifiers, echinacea and sage. I do not think it produced a real calming effect on my skin, but it was already irritated from other ingredients.

Guardian Angel Protective Moisturizer (SPF 15) is made from soy proteins, algae extracts, vitamins A and C, and tomato extract (helps skin heal and repair). It is light and absorbs easily. The oil-free version gives a matte finish. I really liked the way this felt on my skin, but I cannot tell if any of the ingredients might have irritated my skin. I have never used a product with tomato extract in it...

Magic Mud Mask and Scrub is just that, both a mask and a scrub, depending on how you use it. You can put it on your face and wash it off quickly, as with a scrub. Or, you can put it on your face and leave it on, as with a mask. It contains an unusual list of ingredients: bentonite clay, 10,000 year-old Russian silt, algae extracts, lactic acid, vitamin C, and pine bark, to name a few. It also contains microbeads to exfoliate the skin. These are supposed to be gentle enough NOT to irritate or scratch the pores. Here is where I feel was my biggest problem. I have found, since then, that I cannot use a scrub or mask that has beads of any kind. It simply irritates my skin. I have incredibly sensitive skin! If you have super-sensitive skin, you might stay away from some of these products and stick with what you know will work for you.

Urban Defense products are available at Sephora.com and department stores like Nordstrom.