Spring Cleaning: Purify Pores & Revive Lifeless Skin with Facial Toners, Scrubs & Washes

Cardboard chaos.

As a beauty blogger, dozens of product samples arrive at my home almost on a daily basis. After I open the packages, the cardboard containers get stacked and stored in the basement. However, it doesn't take long before I feel like I'm buried in boxes. In fact, I recently decided enough was enough. 

That's when Operation Spring Cleaning commenced. This annual ritual serves as an opportunity to discard the old and freshen up with the new. In this case, I cleared out the cardboard chaos (see pics below) and created lots of needed uncluttered space. 

The removal process brought about two benefits. It helped refresh the basement and brighten my outlook. The same can also be said about cleansing rituals for your skin--especially the face. Sloughing dead skin stimulates cellular turnover, deep cleans pores and restores lost radiance.

Before summer arrives next month, we'd like to present 12 top facial toners, scrubs and washes to help you jump-start a spring cleaning ritual for your skin. They're designed to banish blemishes, and excess dirt and debris, and bring about a vibrant glow to your complexion. 

Shine on beautynistas!

Lotsa boxes await their fate.

Flattened and ready to be recycled.

SHINE: Abrioné by VB Cosmetics Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub. BEAUTY: Gently scrub, resurface and soften your skin with sea kelp extract, grapefruit and lavender oils, and aloe vera gel. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: CellCeuticals NeoCell Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment. BEAUTY: Pineapple and papaya extracts, and volcanic micro-minerals help promote cell renewal and smooth the skin for a more radiant appearance. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of artificial colorants and fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates and parabens.

SHINE: Éminence Organic Skin Care Stone Crop Gel Wash. BEAUTY: Diminish blotchiness and blemishes with stone crop plant and juice, and shea butter. BEACON: No animal testing. The company plants one tree for each product sold through its Forests For the Future program.

SHINE: Gingi Make-Up Removal Clarifying Cleanser. BEAUTY: Aloe vera gel, seaweed algae extract and sweet almond oil help to deep clean your skin and remove cosmetics without the usual drying effects. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment. BEAUTY: For a smoother and softer complexion, this treatment gently polishes your skin with lactic acid, papaya, pineapple and pumpkin extracts, and aloe vera leaf juice. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. BEAUTY: Glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids dissolve dry surface cells to minimize dull skin and maximize radiance. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Nature Pure Labs Brightening Facial Fruit Wash. BEAUTY: Rejuvenate your skin by removing residue and impurities with salicylic acid, and aloe vera leaf, lemon peel and apple fruit extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, and artificial colors and fragrances. 

SHINE: Pevonia Botanica Ligne Speciale Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. BEAUTY: Rose flower and safflower seed oils, and jojoba and horse chestnut seed extracts help tame toxins and gently polish your face without irritating the skin. BEACON: No animal testing. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Refineé Micro-Derma Peel. BEAUTY: Stimulate your skin's renewal process by deep cleaning your pores with aloe vera extract, vitamins A, C and E, and green tea extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Supports the Noreen Fraser Foundation and Look Good...Feel Better.

SHINE: Sanitas Lactic Cleanser. BEAUTY: Lactic and hyaluronic acids, vitamin C and citrus oil help diminish discoloration and hyperpigmentation, and step up skin's suppleness. BEACON: Contains no parabens or preservatives. Supports the Cinderella Foundation. 

SHINE: Somme Institute Transport. BEAUTY: These soft cotton pads unclog blocked pores and exfoliate dead skin cells with green tea and aloe vera leaf extracts, vitamin E, and orange and lime fruit extracts. BEACON: Free of parabens.

SHINE: Vie Collection Smoothing Toning Lotion. BEAUTY: Lactic and hyaluronic acids, castor oil and vitamin E maximize cell renewal and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. BEACON: No animal testing.