Happy 2013 everybody! It is fitting that I start off the blog with a review of one of my favorite beauty brands: May Lindstrom Skin. I admit and am okay with the fact that a lot of the time with skincare brands, the message is very important to me and I can say of all the brands sold at Spirit Beauty Lounge, her entry was the one that got me most excited.
May Lindstrom is a model who has developed a line of 4 products: The Clean Dirt, The Problem Solver, The Youth Dew, and The Good Stuff. The Clean Dirt is her answer to a cleanser and after reading rave reviews from green beauties including Spirit Demerson herself who calls this her favorite facial cleanser, I knew I had to get my hands on this product!
The Clean Dirt comes in a miron glass bottle with a chic label strip at the bottom. The bottle is 6.76 oz/ 200 ml (question: do powders fall under the 3oz limit with the TSA?), and is topped with a cap. The cleanser comes as a powder which is a first for me as I’m not that used to products I have to mix. It reminds me a little of the wasabi powder that you add water to turn into a paste, which I just can’t ever seem to mix right and always ends up being over watered.
The powder is made of clays, salts, and spices which claim to encourage blood flow and increase cell turnover for soft, refined skin.
I used a dropper to add water since I didn’t want to overdo it and have product go to waste, and I highly recommend this application method so you can control the consistency. Upon adding water, you notice immediately that it foams and becomes moussey in texture with some grittiness. This is a very cool effect that also helps the paste apply easily.
Upon application, I immediately felt a warm tingling sensation. It smelled really delicious and reminded me of cinnamon cookie dough, due to the spices. Upon washing off, I noticed my skin did indeed feel cleaner and fresher. I do not think congestion will be an issue for people who use this cleanser as its drying power really does suction out a lot of the stuff inside pores.
With that said, I have to say, I cannot use this daily. The description for this product online says it’s a daily exfoliating/microdermabrasion for your skin but I feel it is a little too rough. The grittiness of the paste mixed with the spices left my skin fragile and resulted in redness along my forehead and dry patches along my cheeks. I think it is too active for sensitive skin due to the spices (spices are a key irritant in a lot of skincare preparations, which is why I’m a little surprised that there are so many spices in this ‘daily’ cleanser), and the scrub texture. I think I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of physicial exfoliators and my reason is that it tends to be too much, our skin just doesn’t need that much ‘abrasion’ and it can actually tear delicate skin. Using this, I really feel like I had to stock up on repairing balms and increase the dosage of facial oils to make my skin not feel so raw.
The Clean Dirts ingredient list is as follows:
white halloysite clay,
red moroccan rhassoul clay,
red alaea sea salt,
ascorbic acid (vitamin c),
sodium bicarbonate,
althaea officinalis (marshmallow) root*,
rosa centifolia (pink rose)*,
calendula officinalis (calendula) flower*,
cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon)*,
myristica fragans (nutmeg)*,
syzygium aromaticum (clove)*,
curcuma longa (turmeric)*,
zingiber officinale (ginger)*,
vanilla planifolia bean*,
theobroma cacao (raw cacao)**.
There are just so many spices in here! I wish May would have cut back a bit and added a few more soothing ingredients along with the Pink Rose, Calendula, and Mashmallow Root because the scrubby texture is enough ‘action’ for most skin types.
Overall, I’m a little confused by the May Lindstrom girl. Whereas Tata Harper is better suited for those with normal-dry skin, I feel like no consumer can use just May Lindstrom products because the 4 products are for different people. The Clean Dirt Cleanser is for those who do not have sensitive skin and perhaps those who have oilier complexions. The Problem Solver Mask is definitely not for those with sensitive skin and is for those who are blemish prone. The Youth Dew on the other hand is really a heavier facial oil that is better suited for dry skin, while The Good Stuff Body Oil is suitable for any skin type. The thing is, when I use key products by Tata, Kahina, Intelligent Nutrients, & YULI, I can imagine what kind of skin type the founders have by the products they use and then figure out which products in their line would work for me by comparison, I can’t figure out if May Lindstrom has extremely combination skin or if her products are truly a little extreme.
All said, The Clean Dirt feels like the most fun you can have with skincare. The foaming action, the tingling sensation all feel like a creative science experiment only you’re applying it to your face. I actually look forward to using this product because I like watching the powder fizz and the scent is amazing. For a clean product, this is very imaginative and has given me interest in raw powder products that previously I would not have tried. I just wish they would dial it back a bit and maybe create something more calming and healing for people with sensitive skin.
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