Trends & Techniques: Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

First a little background on my skin...

Image credit www.clinique.com

When I hit puberty, I remember my mom taking me to the Clinque counter at Burdines and buying me a 3 Step kit. I was skin typed a mild bar-, clarifying 2-, and dramatically different-kind-of girl. I was so excited that I was ridiculously diligent about cleansing my skin twice a day. Maybe as a result of regular care or maybe good genes, I have been blessed with great skin.

If we get generic, I have combination skin leaning toward the dry side. As a teenager, I thankfully never suffered from acne. On the contrary, my skin was something I didn't think much about to the point I barely ever wore make up. I still don't wear much make up, but luck with my skin changed as I grew older and learned what real stress was. While, knock on wood, I still don't have issues with acne, I occasionally get 'regional' breakouts on my chin and around my nose. And when I get pimples, they are specifically the cystic, painful kind. Ouch!

All these things combined, I'm still lucky in the skin department. My biggest complaints are dark circles and the texture of my skin. I am a sucker for product commercials touting bright, radiant, flawless skin. However, most of these products do nothing more for me than irritate my skin. I find that I have to manage my exfoliation schedule with great care... exfoliate too much or too often and I end up with rough, uneven skin that is even more prone to those 'regional' breakouts. For this reason, I am very sensitive to the type of exfoliation methods I try on my skin.

Image credit www.olay.com

But my boyfriend's mom knows that I have been working on the blog and homemade beauty products, so she got me the Olay Pro-X Advance Cleansing System starter kit for Christmas. She used one herself. I'd also had a conversation with a colleague about how she loves her brush. I'm not sure which brand, but she said a friend recommended it. It was part of her daily beauty routine, one of the things that worked really well on her skin. I was cautious about trying products like the Pro-X, but the recommendations made me curious.

My Experience:

The batteries were a pain to put in. My guess is that it is on purpose to make it waterproof, but it took a few of us a few tries to get them in. That being said, it was very nice that the batteries were included. The bristles on the brush head were softer than I expected, which made me a little less cautious to try it out. It also had a good feel to it, fitting my hand nicely. At Sephora they had a spin brush display, and I didn't like the “feel” of some of the pricier brands. They were clunky!

I hoped in the shower and grabbed the brush and the trial cleanser that came with it. I've used Olay products in the past, mainly the Beauty Fluid, with good results, so I decided to try it as the company intended. Moistening my skin with warm water first, I applied the exfoliating cleanser and got to work with the brush. Using soft circular motions, I glided it lightly over the surface of my skin, applying even pressure throughout the process. All in all, it was a nice experience and my skin definitely felt as if it had shed a layer, but I didn't really like the cleanser. It was not a good lubricant between my skin and the brush.

My skin was a little red afterward, but I applied some Aloe Life Skin Gel followed by Floraesthetic's My Favorite Moisturizer and the redness went away. My skin did look a little brighter, but the texture was actually a little rougher. As the day went on, I kept tabs and the texture remained too...well... too textured!

Image credit www.himalayausa.com

I tried the brush a week later with Organique Neem & Turmeric Face Wash, a bit drying for winter but it has a great gel consistency that I thought would be a better lubricant for the Pro-X brush. It was better and my skin was not as red following the treatment. At this point I'm still not a fan of the texture issue, but I did try it on my lips and really, really like how it sloughs away all the dry, chapped skin. My lips were silky!

I got my boyfriend in on the brush testing. He likes a little more exfoliation than I do, so I use the Neem & Turmeric again, and he liked the Pro-X brush exfoliation just fine. He also wanted some lip action ;-)

Overall, the Advance Cleansing System is not my favorite tool. But in this case, I think it's personal preference and a skin sensitivity issue. My mom loves Buff Puff's, but they are too rough on me too. Occasionally, I use Mary Kay's Microderm Scrub, but I have to be very gentle. However, I am glad to have the brush if just for using it on my lips. I keep it away from water in the shower in a little caddy where it can dry. It is easy to use, easy to clean and easy on the wallet at just under $30. My co-worker and my boyfriend like it just fine. And though I won't use it on my face regularly, it will come in handy for keeping my lips soft and for more serious exfoliation during at-home facials.

If you have tried the Olay Pro-X Advance Cleansing System, let me know how you liked it!