Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Towelettes

 In my last posting, I covered the items sent to me by Influenster to review as part of the Sugar n Spice VoxBox. One of the two items I just skimmed over is the one I will be reviewing today.

  In stark contrast to the last cleansing wipes I reviewed, I have to rave about these. Here goes :)

So the full name of this product is Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel oil controlling towelettes. The package says that they are oil free, non-drying, and for all skin types. The  product claims to gently remove dirt, oil and impurities while eliminating shine and touched with aloe. The ingredients include: All Natural Witch Hazel, Aloe leaf juice and Sodium Benzoate.

  Bit O'Info: Anything that says it's all natural Witch Hazel is not the entire truth, but not an out and out lie. Witch Hazel in it's natural form is actually a plant, a shrub to be exact. Witch Hazel extract, is what the products actually contain. The essential oils of the Witch Hazel shrub are extracted by steaming the leaves, twigs and bark of the shrub, However, the extraction process does not yield enough essential oils to be sold in pure form. Therefore, the extract goes through a distillation process and becomes a mixture of witch hazel extract and 14% grain alcohol. ( http://www.wisebread.com/15-wonderful-uses-for-witch-hazel ) Witch Hazel has been used for centuries as an topical astringent and also for its healing properties, such as soothing diaper rash, blemish control, and faster healing of bruises to name a few. The chemical Sodium Benzoate is a preservative found in cosmetics and some foods. It is considered a low hazard to the bodily, mainly as a food preservative and when ingested (in food). There is a limited concern to sense organ toxicity (nerves) but that would most likely be an allergy to either the alcohol or witch hazel extract itself. Sodium Benzoate is not considered to be an environmental toxin. (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=705989 )

  Okay, my science nerd self has gone back into seclusion.

Now, a box of 20 individually wrapped 5"X7" wipes will run you approximately $6.00 at any drugstore. Do check their site for coupons though.

So in my last cleansing towelette review (see LaFresh review), I really had nothing good to say about the product. This time around, it's a different story. I have used witch hazel as an astringent for years, being first introduced to it in cosmetology school. I can attest to topical benefits of witch hazel, i.e; oil control, blemish control and the like. Although the product does contain grain alcohol, 14%, it is very unlike rubbing alcohol, which contains upwards of 70% isopropyl (absolute) alcohol. Some pharmacies or even beauty supply stores carry 90% isopropyl alcohol (for sanitation purposes) and these are usually the bottles of green alcohol you see in the stores. So there is a big difference between the grain (natural) alcohol and isopropyl (absolute) alcohol. Whoa...the science nerd reared her head again..back you!

Basically the alcohol you will find in witch hazel is far less harmful, drying and irritating to the skin. I believe, but do not quote me, that Sea Breeze contains more alcohol than witch hazel. Anywho...

Some of the reasons I love this product:

1. Comes individually wrapped so you can throw a few in your bag.
2. Though I have dry to normal sensitive skin, these are oil controlling, which is excellent for days where you have worn makeup for a long period of time.
3. Cleans and tones the skin at the same time. I have always followed up my facial cleansing by toning with witch hazel. This product allows you to do both in one step..let's give it up for multi-tasking!
4. The added aloe helps to protect and soothe the skin. Great for the days you forgot to put on your SPF and your face is a little burnt. As always, if you have a massive sunburn accompanied by blistering, see your doctor.
5. The spun mesh and fibers penetrate the pores and lock in dirt and oil so you don't keep rubbing it all over your face.
6. The towelettes are a good size, but very moist. Not dripping, mind you; but definitely packed with product.
7. Great for sensitive skin. If you extremely sensitive skin, I would still try these, but if you have ANY signs of an allergic reaction (stinging, swelling, redness or itching) remove immediately with soap and water.

Since receiving this product, I have used it daily and I can say that it has worked better than my straight witch hazel astringent. I believe this is due to the fact that aloe has been added. Obviously not a lot, but enough to make a difference. I have seen less dry patches, more evenness of skin texture and less break outs. I do not normally have a problem with acne, except once a month ( ya know?!) and maybe the odd blemish here and there. Also, I have noticed the healing time for the blemishes is much faster (even if you are a picker or popper). Just that small amount of alcohol dries out the blemish and speeds the healing. I have found, in general, witch hazel is safe to use around the eyes and this product is no exception, in fact, it feels better on the very thin sensitive under eye skin. We all know that this is the most sensitive and easily damaged area on the face, so this is great. Witch hazel is even safe to use in the eyelids. WHAT?? That's right. When I was in cosmetology school, when prepping a client for any kind of facial procedure, i.e; waxing, facial, tweezing, etc., we used cotton rounds moistened with witch hazel and placed them over the client's closed eyes. It was also used to remove makeup from the face before said procedures.

Bottom line: Great product, and Dickinson's carries a line of cleansers, toners and moisturizers, which can be found at your local pharmacy or super store. Letter grade A+


As always, this has been my experience with this product(s). Your experience may vary. If you have used this product and have an opinion to share, I invite you to leave a comment about it.

Links:

dickinsonsusa.com


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Influenster Sugar'n'Spice VoxBox

So I said in one of my earlier posts that if I was sent something to review, I would let y'all know..well here it is.

  I am a member of Influenster, it's a site for people to rate products, write reviews and participate in programs. One of the programs I qualified for was the Sugar'n'Spice VoxBox. In all honesty, I didn't think I would ever qualify for one. I seem to be one of those people that falls in between "target" audiences, so  I was really happy to learn that I qualified for the program.

  Influesnter pretty much keeps the contents of the VoxBoxes quiet until the majority of participants have received their box, so I had no clue what to expect, as the products could have ranged anywhere from food items to makeup. So when the box came this is what I got...

Okay, kind of a big box, let's see what's inside...

Cool! Lotsa stuff! And the best part? Everything was full size. Now, as I mentioned before, I subscribe to the IpsyGlamBag service..and the products in bags are normally sample size, but hey, what do you expect for ten bucks? But this was FREE and full size...NICCCCEE!

  So the things included in this box were:

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits

The flavor of these are cinnamon brown sugar YAY my favorite! I am a big fan of breakfast and meal bars, as I usually forget to eat or don't have time. Each one of these packets contains four biscuits...not bad. I can tell you yet how these taste, as I haven't tried them yet :-/ sorry...

Next is Nectresse sweetener

We use a lot of sweetener in our house, especially Splenda, which happens to be the people that make this product. This is a 5.9oz container, which retails for $6.99 or $3.99 for a box of 40 packets. This is 100% natural and made from Monk Fruit, and molasses. It basically tastes like brown sugar with none of the after taste of sweetener, including Splenda. I would recommend this to anyone looking to cut out sugar but does not like the taste of artificial sweeteners. Believe it or not, this container will last you awhile...1/4tsp = 1 tsp sugar, according to the label. I used 1/2 tsp in my coffee this morning, I like mine sweet, and it was. I give this an A.

The next three items I was surprised to see, but as I am on the lookout for new versions of these things, I was like Yee Haw!

In my opinion, this is a daily teeth whitening/cleaning system. The mouthwash retails for $2.99 for an 8oz. bottle. Now, I am not a fan of mouthwashes. Most of them burn and have alcohol in them, and if you have any kind of sore or something in your mouth (bite your cheek? Anyone?) it stings to high heaven. Also, mouthwashes that claim to be whitening leave a horrible after taste (as do the toothpastes)..so bottom line, I tend to stay away from them. But I tried it anyway, cause that's how I roll..

  This mouthwash was great! VERY minty, but no stinging or burning and no alcohol. Oh, and no yucky after taste. I might be persuaded to buy this product..and for a mouthwash, that's saying a lot for me.

  The toothpaste, also whitening was pretty cool too. It retails for $2.99 for a 4oz. tube. I am very choosy about my toothpastes. I have really sensitive teeth so I usually buy toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Also, whitening toothpastes always seem to contain baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and after brushing, your mouth tastes like, well, baking soda and peroxide. Gross. But I found this toothpaste to not leave that taste behind and left my teeth squeeky clean. Oh and no tooth sensitivity!! Yipee!!

  Last thing in this trio of oral care products was the Colgate Optic White toothbrush. Okay, this is like the Swiss Army knife of toothbrushes. It has whitening cups, which holds more toothpaste to help remove stains, polishing bristles to polish away surface stains and get to the hard to reach places, AND it has a cheek and tongue scrubber. It also retails for $2.99 ( I am guessing that is the MSRP, and may be different in the stores). I am in love with this toothbrush!! First off, the bristles are just right..even though the packaging says it's soft, it's more in between soft and medium. As I was brushing, it felt like when you get a cleaning at the dentist, without that scary sound, now THAT surprised me. After brushing my teeth felt so clean! I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I can scrub the back of my bottom teeth and they still don't feel clean, even if they do look clean. But this time they felt clean. Also, I have never gone for the whole cheek and tongue scrubber thing on a toothbrush...I mean, I can just use the toothbrush to do it. Now, after using the one on this, I see that there is a difference. This brush has little plastic "bristle" like nubs on the back of the brush head that cleans the cheek as you brush and then you can flip it and use it on the tongue. It also makes those areas of the mouth feel cleaner than a regular toothbrush. Who knew? So I will be buying this toothbrush from now on, or at least until a new version arrives.

The last two items I am just going to skim over,, because I will doing a more in-depth review on them in a day or two. But in summation, they are great and I will be purchasing them.

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes MSRP $5.99 for a 20 count box. These are carried at Wal-mart and most drug stores.

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture MSRP $7.99 for a 6.5 oz. can. I am supposing you can find this just about anywhere that sells lotions. I LOVE the smell!!

This is the informational card that came in the box..

So as I was writing this, I scarfed down the breakfast biscuits...yum-o! They taste like sweet granola bar cookies

Okay, so that's the box.Yes, I was sent the products for free to review, but I am not being compensated for my reviews. So everything I have said is my opinion, if you have or do try any of these products, you may feel different. If you are interested in becoming an influenster, go to their site www.influenster.com and request an invite or email me. I have 5 invites I can send.

Listed below are my links and the links to the products in this post.

*All posts, text and photos are the written and intellectual property of the author. Do not copy or re-post any text or photos; in whole or part as your own. Links to the full posting is allowed.* ~Give credit where credit is due~

www.belVitabreakfast.com

www.nectresse.com

www.colgateopticwhite.com

www.dickinsonusa.com

Vaseline/Unilever 1-800-457-7084

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