My first experience with Aveeno was due to a case of pityriasis rosea that struck my skin back in 2011. It was the most random thing as I have never been one to have sensitive or finicky skin, but my immune system freaked out and gave me rashes on my torso and legs that took about 2 months to disappear. It was Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal moisturizer that was the only thing I could use to pacify my angry skin. The Aveeno Fresh Essentials line focuses on ingredients known as “Active Naturals”, specially selected to provide skin with potent plant benefits. Artemisia abrotanum or Southernwood Extract is the featured active natural ingredient in the Fresh Essentials line and has historically been used in herbal medicine. However, in the case of the Fresh Essentials line, it acts as an anti-oxidant that helps to reveal fresher, smoother looking skin - a concept I’m sure is not foreign to most of us!
The Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Exfoliating Scrub* ($9.97 – $12.99 CDN) exfoliates with coconut pulp and natural luffa. The importance of exfoliation is something I discovered in my early teens and along with cleansing, is a step in your skincare regime that can really make or break your the condition of your skin. This scrub is oil-free, hypoallergenic and has quite a strong floral scent that did surprise me for a product that is supposed to be non-irritating. The other thing about this scrub that surprised me which actually made me stop using it was the presence of “polyethylene” aka plastic. The thing with polyethylene is that without proper treatment, it is not readily biodegradable and ends up in our waters and fish! I have stopped using products with polyethylene beads and you really should too. I have contacted Aveeno about this product and will update when I hear back.
The Aveeno Fresh Essentials Nourishing Moisturizer with SPF 30* (74mL/$16.97-$19.99 CDN) I really liked especially now I’ve been enjoying less makeup and wearing just moisturizer. The old Aveeno moisturizer I was using only had an SPF 15, so seeing an SPF 30 is awesome. It has a fairly light texture, but still has that sticky “afterfeel” reminiscent of sunscreen ingredients. The fragrance is also quite fragrant, I suspect in an attempt to cover up the sunscreen scent, but it’s tolerable especially for something I am treating more as a sunscreen. This moisturizer is also oil-free so if you tend to have oily or combination skin, this might be a nice product to look into. I have normal/dry skin and it still kept me hydrated so I give this guy a thumbs up!
The Aveeno Fresh Essentials Hydrating Night Cream* (49mL/$16.97-$19.99 CDN) is also oil-free and while it did leave my skin feeling hydrated, that same fragrance that I was ok with in the day cream was not ok in the night cream. When it comes to night cream, I am especially selective about fragrance since I feel the need to be comforted by what goes on my face. I have a 8 step regime and each of those steps is how I prep for bed and relax. While the scent is bad, I find it a bit strong and while it did do what it claimed, it just wasn’t my cuppa tea in terms of a night cream.
Final Verdict: I know my liking 1/3 of the products from the Fresh Essentials line isn’t a great verdict, but with the exception of the scrub which I hope will eventually be made without polyethylene, the night cream was perfectly fine! The hydration and soft skin I was left with certainly made me happy, but as we all know, scent in skincare is sometimes just as important as what it actually does for the skin!
Available nationwide at all food, drug and mass merchandisers.
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