Freeman Pineapple Enzyme Mask & Creamy Apricot Scrub, makes you feel beautiful.

Ok, not everything in my vanity chest is expensive or must be expensive. In fact, if my skin is not so easily clogged and sensitive to many oily/clogging-prone ingredients, I would have happily bought drugstore brands that cost so much lesser. Unfortunately, many that I've tried have all made me break out in zits on my forehead and a quick spread of closed-comedones on my jaw area. Hence, I have no choice but to be extra careful on the ingredients I use on my face if I don't want painful extractions every month... and the built-up of dead cells would need me to scrub my face regularly, without over-stripping my skin of the natural oils. After all, over-scrubbing can result in more breakouts, dehydrated skin, and over-production of sebum, just to make up for the lack of surface oil.

Ya, and my husband thinks that natural beauty is cheap and easy. Heh.

Then again, not everything that cost a big hole in your pocket is all too good. I've tried so many scrubs from all those counter-brands but truthfully, I have yet to find a good facial scrub that can exfoliate gently, leave my face clean and smooth, yet not drying nor leave a thin sticky film that won't go away after I've rinsed many times. With the exception of Dermalogica's Gentle Cream Exfoliant and Skin Prep Scrub, all the others that I've tried are either too gentle for my skin or too harsh. And, since I seriously hate going over to Leonard Drake or Aster Spring's outlets as they always try to sell me much more than I can buy, I decided to try these two products from Freeman that I bought at Watson's 1 Utama.

the enzyme mask can help exfoliate my skin better while apricot has been known to be a suitable ingredient in a scrub...

Of course, I would check out their ingredients first to ensure there are no traces of Mineral Oil or Paraffinum Liquidium as I noticed that any products with this ingredient will surely increase my chances of getting whiteheads that can turn to milia... and it can be seen as quick as 3-4 days after use.

The apricot scrub is fine thus making scrubbing pretty comfortable unlike many apricot scrubs in the market that has large beads. The scrub is also not oily although the tube says 'creamy'. It rinses off quite easily and does not leave my skin dry. It also has a nice faint scent which I am okay with and doesn't bother me much.

I have to admit that I have been using this since early this year, three times a week, even though I own another counter-brand scrub that received rave reviews and publicities since it first came to our shores. Frankly, I'm through with searching for other scrubs because I've spent so much on many brands yet none of them fulfils my requirement and they all just go to waste. I'm not saying that this one totally fulfils my needs either but it does its work for such a cheap price and does not make my skin bad. So, I do believe this tube will get empty before it is thrown out.

The enzyme mask also works like a charm. For a problem skin like mine, I must ensure that I pamper my skin with a mask three times a week. I will alternate this one with the clay mask and brightening mask that I have. It gives me the additional exfoliation that I need as the dead cells seem to pile up pretty fast since I have super oily skin despite moi turning my mid-thirties this year... it's great to be wrinkle free at this age but well, you can't win them all, right?

Apart from gentle exfoliation, the mask is also pretty soothing when I leave it on for 10 minutes... I guess the chamomile extract and aloe leaf juice hydrate the skin while the glycolic content does its job. I believe that's a good combination because a glycolic peel will usually leave the skin dehydrated. The mask comes out of the tube in a clear golden coloured gel form and I'm not sure if it's just me, but my skin feels cool, smooth and plump after I wash it off. Of course, with any enzyme mask, expect to feel some tingling sensation as the acid eats off your dead cells when you first apply it to the skin.

I think these two products have been working well for me... I mean, during my monthly facial visits, the beauty therapist who usually does my face would always rant about how radiant my skin has become since I started seeing her in February this year ;P Sure, I bought a starter set then but I have never replenished any of their products because they are ridiculously expensive. And now that I've switched on to a new range of products, these two star products have been included to supplement my normal regime.

I forgot their exact price but I do think they cost less than RM20 a tube and can be found in almost any major supermarkets or pharmacies. If you have tried any of them, do share your experience.