Loose Powder

A while back I did a review on the Neutrogena Wave Sonic. After I ran out of the regular “Deep Clean” (original) pads, I decided to try out the exfoliating pads.

Original / Exfoliating

Top

The exfoliating pads are round cotton pads like the original deep clean pads. The only visible difference is that the surface is not as soft or fuzzy as the deep clean pads, and there are orange colored dots on the top for exfoliating.

The top and bottom of the exfoliating pads are easier to identify than the deep clean pads because the surface with the orange dots is the top, while the surface without the orange top is the bottom that attaches to the Wave Sonic head.

Bottom

Unlike the original pads, the exfoliating pads do not have much of a lather. However, as advertised, it does exfoliate your skin more than the original pads. I didn’t find the exfoliating pad to be rough, but I wish it had more of a lather to it like the original pads.

As I mentioned before, using the Wave Sonic can get expensive because of the refill pads, so I tried to experiment and used regular cotton pads and face wash, but to my dismay it didn’t work. The cotton just did not grip well to the attachment head, and the cotton pads left cotton filaments on head and it was difficult to clean off and kind if ruined the grip of the head.

This resulted in me not using the Wave Sonic much, but since I still have pads left, I still use these for exfoliating once in a long while.

I bought the Neutrogena Wave Sonic a while back when it was on sale at Target. I don’t remember the price I paid, but it is listing for about $14.99 right now.

The Wave Sonic is advertised to be 50x better than ordinary cleansing, which might be true since most of us have the usual routine of rubbing on foaming cleanser on our faces and patting it dry with a microfiber towel.

I’ve never used the Neutrogena Wave, but instead of vibrating, the Wave Sonic has a spinning head that has two speeds. To change speeds on the cleanser, you only have to press the second button with the swirly symbol below the power button.

In order to use the Wave Sonic you have to have the Deep Clean foaming pads which are securely gripped onto the head of the cleanser with a rough surface. There are two kinds of foaming pads: the “original” and the “gentle exfoliating pads”. I’ve only used the “original”, and I feel that the “original” pad gives a gentle enough exfoliation when used against my face. If I manage to try the exfoliating pads, I may write a comparison between the two types.

The Wave Sonic is very easy to use: put on the foam pad, rinse under water, turn on, and rub it over your face. After you’re done, you just toss the used foam pad, and rinse under water to clean off the excess foam. Note: The top attachment head can easily be popped off for cleaning, and the cleanser is battery operated and water resistant, so it can be used in the shower.

The spinning head lathers up easily and can work up a good foam, but it may take a moment for the foam to develop. Warning: make sure all strands of hair are away from your face, because some stray strands may get caught in the spinning head. Also the soap that generates from the pad stings when it sneaks into your eyes, and it doesn’t taste pretty either.

After using the Sonic Wave for a couple weeks once daily, my skin does feel smoother and cleaner. It did not get rid of all my acne or blemishes, but that wasn’t the intention of the Wave Sonic cleanser.

My main gripe with this cleanser is that if you use this daily, the foam pad cleanser can run out quite quickly since they are only one time use. You can get refill packs of 30 pads for about $5, but the cost can add up over time. You don’t really need this cleanser if you have a good face cleansing routine already, but it is fun to use once and awhile.

It took me years to figure this out, but I have combination skin and this might be due to the acne medication I use. My T-zones would be ridiculously oily, but my cheeks would be dry. I had tried all kinds of moisturizers before discovering Neutrogena. I had previously used Nivea, Olay, Ponds, and some others, but all had the same problem of having oils that caused me to breakout after a few uses, or they would dry out my skin then cause me to breakout.

When I saw Neutrogena had an “oil-free” moisturizer, I was sold. I purchased the SPF 15 and Combination skin moisturizer.

On back of the bottle, it notes that the moisturizer won’t clog pores and it is hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, and fragrance free. Though I notice that the SPF 15 has a light scent that is usually accompanied with sunscreen, and I’m not talking about the tropical coco butter scent. The combination moisturizer has a very light scent that I like and you don’t even smell it after applying it on your face.

The directions tell you to use only one pump, and one pump is more than enough. Once I even tried using two pumps and it was moisturizer overkill. I ended up with excess moisturizer all over my hands. The 4 fl. oz. bottle can last quite awhile. I usually use the SPF 15 moisturizer in the morning under my makeup and it keeps my face moisturized throughout the day. Before bed I would use the combination moisturizer since the benzoyl peroxide in my facial cleanser dries my skin. This routine has kept my face from drying out during the winter months, and the SPF 15 moisturizer offers my skin protection during the summer months.

If you’re looking for an oil-free moisturizer, I recommend giving Neutrogena: Oil-Free Moisture a try. In addition to the SPF 15 and Combination Skin moisturizer, Neutrogena also has a moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.