Day 1: I About Had a Heart Attack! Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Face Care: Day 1 November 1, 2012

I About Had a Heart Attack! Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Face Care: Day 1 November 1, 2012

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, where the winters may be mild, but have low humidity and the summer is brutally hot and dry, lasting about half of the year. Since I used to be so oily, moisturizing wasn't something I was very concerned with, instead even as an adult, it was too much oil, or washing, or scrubbing, or drying, or the moon coming out at night, would cause me to break out. It wasn't bad acne, just pimples here and there, especially at certain times of the month. Then I had a oophorectomy (a hysterectomy with removal of both ovaries.) and overnight my body which previously felt like the Great Lakes of North America now feels like the Sahara Desert. An insane amount of hot flashes and unbelievably dry dry dry skin. All my life, I was trying to tame the oil. After the surgery, I remember thinking that I had no skills for this!

I admit, I was skeptical when I received Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Face Care* yesterday. But I'm going to try it and journal my skin journey. So a took a 'Before Picture;.

 My before pic.

I about had a heart attack when I saw my before picture! Granted, this is first thing in the morning, with nothing on my face except what was there last night after cleansing and moisturizing. Where in the world did all those lines around my eyes come from?? With such dry skin, they must have crept up without my noticing! Burt's Bees products sure have some work to do, I sure hope they live up to what they are saying about their Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser and Night Cream:

“Our cream cleanser proves nature can create the most remarkable of things. Inspired by the Clary Sage plant’s ability to trap and retain moisture in its harsh environment, our natural cleanser hydrates your skin while leaving it super soft and oh-so supple. Clinically proven to provide intense hydration* your skin will not only drink in all the good—but keep it in. How’s that for a beautiful clean?

• Intensely hydrates dry skin* 
• Removes dirt, oil and make-up
• Enhanced with probiotic technology 
• Dermatologist Tested and Noncomedogenic
*when used as part of the 5-step Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration regimen. “

“Beauty sleep takes on a deeper meaning with our rich, natural night cream. Infused with Clary Sage, it’s clinically proven to provide intense hydration* and helps increase your skin’s ability to retain moisture.  It also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. So you can wake up to skin that feels soft, supple and smooth.

• Intensely hydrates dry skin 
• Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Enhanced with probiotic technology 
• Dermatologist Tested and Noncomedogenic
• Absorbs quickly with non-greasy formula

*when used as part of the 5-step Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration regimen”

Here's the ingredient list:

Cream Cleanser:

 Clary Sage — Clary Sage thrives in its harsh Mediterranean environment due to its ability to trap and retain moisture. This remarkable botanical inspired Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration, our natural ode to soft, supple skin.

Ingredients: aqua (water, eau), stearic acid, glycerin, sodium lauroyl glutamate, zea mays (corn) starch, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, parfum (fragrance)*, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil, salvia sclarea (clary) extract, lactobacillus, theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, jojoba esters,hydrolyzed jojoba esters, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) peel, polymnia sonchifolia root juice, zinc oxide, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, propanediol, maltodextrin, tocopherol, xanthan gum, glycine soja (soybean) oil, arginine, sodium lauroyl lactylate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol, amyl cinnamal, citral, eugenol, hydroxycitronellal, limonene, linalool. *natural fragrance

Night Cream:

 Clary Sage — Clary Sage thrives in its harsh Mediterranean environment due to its ability to trap and retain moisture. This remarkable botanical inspired Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration, our natural ode to soft, supple skin.

Ingredients: aqua (water, eau), olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, glycerin, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, tapioca starch, parfum (fragrance)*, propanediol, salvia sclarea (clary) extract, lactobacillus, astrocaryum tucuma seed butter, garcinia indica seed butter, trichilia emetica seed butter, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, candelilla/jojoba/rice bran polyglyceryl-3 esters, jojoba esters, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, chondrus crispus (carrageenan), polymnia sonchifolia root juice, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, maltodextrin, zea mays (corn) starch, sucrose, tocopherol, xanthan gum, glycine soja (soybean) oil, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium PCA, zinc PCA, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol, amyl cinnamal, eugenol, hydroxycitronellal, linalool. *natural fragrance

*I'm a BzzAgent, which means that I get free products to try and give an honest opinion of them to people.