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.

Spa Week 2012: Soothe, Scultp & Shield Your Skin

Take a long, deep breath--Spa Week has finally arrived. It gives cost-conscious consumers the opportunity to relax, refresh and rejoice during October 15-21. Treatments, such as facials, massages and body wraps, become more affordable by being marked down to $50 at participating facilities. 

People have different reasons for visiting a spa. Some need to escape the stress of work, family or school, while others just want to relieve sore muscles or repair skin with the help of a qualified esthetician or massage therapist. Relaxation lounges, saunas and steam rooms also factor into the experience.

Whatever the reason, many spa-goers ultimately seek a radiant, healthy glow. However, if you don't have the time or budget to make an appointment during Spa Week, you can still achieve a flawless appearance at home with the right products. The following cleansers, moisturizers, eye creams, body lotions, SPFs and serums soothe, sculpt and shield skin for spa-like results. 

How do you plan to celebrate Spa Week?

SOOTHE

SHINE: Clarisonic PRO Sonic Skin Cleansing System For Face and Body with Refining Skin Polish and Refreshing Gel Cleanser. BEAUTY: Gently remove impurities and oily residue with sonic micro-massage action, which helps keep your skin looking softer, smoother and more supple. BEACON: Polish and cleanser contain no parabens. Box material and plastic packaging enclosure can be recycled. 

SHINE: Éminence Organic Skin Care Sweet Red Rose Whip Moisturizer. BEAUTY: Pamper your senses with the fresh, floral fragrance of red rose extract and oil, and restore dehydrated skin with vitamins A, C and E, coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid. BEACON: No animal testing. With each purchase of the product this month, $5 will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

SHINE: Malie Organics Plumeria Body Cream and Wash. BEAUTY: Nourish and refresh skin with the uplifting aroma of the plumeria flower, along with aloe vera leaf juice and vitamin E. BEACON: No animal testing. Donates 20% of the sales of the Plumeria collection this month to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

SCULPT

SHINE: Pevonia Lumafirm Eye Contour Lift & Glow and Lumafirm Repair Cream Lift & Glow. BEAUTY: The eye contour minimizes puffiness, and fine lines and wrinkles, while the repair cream increases your skin's elasticity. BEACON: No animal testing. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Refineé Anti-Aging Eye Treatment. BEAUTY: Green tea extract, peptides and aloe vera leaf juice help smooth signs of aging and revitalize the eye area. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Sanítas PeptiDerm Anti-Aging Serum. BEAUTY: Firm and tighten the skin, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles with peptides and sweet almond seed extract. BEACON: Supports the Cinderella Foundation. 

SHIELD

SHINE: Ava Anderson Daily Moisturizer with SPF. BEAUTY: Zinc oxide, aloe vera leaf juice and shea butter help combat sun damage and keep skin hydrated. BEACON: Vegan and no animal testing. Free of parabens, PEGs, SLS, synthetic fragrances and dyes, and phthalates. 

SHINE: CellCeuticals Photo Defense Color Radiance SPF 55+ (medium). BEAUTY: Minimize signs of aging, and protect against UVA and UVB sun exposure with sweet almond and avocado oils, aloe vera leaf juice and titanium dioxide. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Contains no artificial colorants and fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates or parabens.

SHINE: Murad Lustre Day Moisture SPF 15 and Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15. BEAUTY: Avocado oil and vitamin E restore suppleness, smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and shield skin from the sun. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Naturopathica Lavender Protective Moisturizer SPF 17. BEAUTY: Nourish skin and prevent sunburn with lavender, olive fruit and jojoba seed oils, and zinc oxide. BEACON: ECOCERT seal. Free of sulfates, PEGs, DEA, parabens and glycols. Supports the Natural Resources Defense Council.

SHINE: VENeffect Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 15. BEAUTY: Peptides, aloe vera leaf juice and broad spectrum SPF 15 maximize collagen production, skin tone and protection from sun damage. BEACON: Contains no parabens.