Another cheap drugstore find, which has become one of my favourite facial cleansers, is Simple’s Refreshing Facial Wash Gel.

Description:

Gentle cleansing prepares the way for perfect moisturising and is essential for healthy, radiant skin. Tired skin will look revived as you gently rinse away makeup, dirt and pollution wih our Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. 

Active Benefits
Pro-Vitamin B5 – restores, softens and smoothes
100% Soap free – non-drying, leaves skin soft and supple
pH-Balanced – works in harmony with your skin

When my Loreal Happyderm Cleansing Mousse ran out, I thought it was time to try out a new cleanser. I looked for one with the least ingredients, and believe it or not, Simple’s got ’em.

I first heard of Simple when I was studying in the UK. Being the cheapskate student that I was (well, at least for the first couple of years. After that it was hoarding items to bring home :p), I went looking for the cheapest facial washes I could find at Superdrug, and I discovered Simple. I love their tag line then – “Not Perfumed, Not Coloured, Just Kind”. For some reason, it’s now just “No Perfume, No Colour”. Boring :p

The facial cleanser was very gentle on my skin. It didn’t give me that awful squeaky-clean feeling, yet removed all traces of dirt well. It’s a little difficult removing waterproof mascara and stubborn eyeliner with it though. Still, I always recommend using an eye makeup remover first before cleansing the face, so that wasn’t a problem for me.

After cleansing, my face felt refreshed. There wasn’t any tightness in the skin, nor any tingliness. It does what it was supposed to do, no more, no less, with minimal ingredients used. And that’s the reason I like this facial wash gel. It’s suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin.

Simple Refreshing Facial Wash is available at most supermarkets and drugstores, for about AUD10 per tube of 150ml. If I’m not mistaken, this should also be available in Malaysia.

What I like about it: Gentle cleanser without drying my skin

What I do not like about it: Does not remove waterproof mascara and stubborn makeup well

Today I’m going to talk about one of the best cheap finds I discovered, and how it turned out to be my holy grail of shampoo and conditioner. This is an example of why expensive does not always mean the best.

I have really dry and coarse hair. It became a lot worse when I tortured it with hair dye, extreme heat from hair straighteners, hair curlers and back to hair straighteners. And because of that, I tend to spend a lot of money on going for hair treatments at the hair salon.

When I moved to Melbourne, those priviledges dropped to the barest minimum as these services were very expensive. In order to maintain order on my hair, I hunted and tested many brands of shampoos and conditioners. I’ve tried Pantene (too drying for my hair), Tresemme (ditto), Charles Worthington (not moisturising enough), Clairol Herbal Essences (lovely smell, but left my hair feeling tacky the next day), etc.

In the end, the best shampoo and conditioner turned out to be one of the cheapest around – Sunsilk Moisture Therapy.

Description:

Sunsilk Moisture Therapy shampoo and conditioner are designed for dry or damaged hair, to add extra protection to the most damaged areas.
Formulated with Vitamin E, Keratin and Panthenol, this range helps leaves hair healthy, shiny and perfectly moisturised. 

I use Sunsilk back in Malaysia, and I loved it. The reason it wasn’t my first choice of hair products when I first got here was that there were just so many different brands which I’ve never even seen before, and I was simply overwhelmed. The excitement of finally being able to try out new products got the better of me.

Oh Sunsilk, forgive me for being so fickle.

Shampoo Ingredients

The Moisture Therapy was great for my hair. The shampoo cleaned my hair well, without that squeaky-clean feeling. I used to think that the squeaky-clean feeling was good, and that it meant that my hair was properly cleaned. It was only later that I found out that shampoos which do that simply means they’re too drying, and that they’re over-cleaning and stripping the natural oils from the hair.

Conditioner Ingredients

The conditioner left my hair very soft, tangle-free, and manageable to the next day. Whatmore, it does not make my hair feel heavy the next day, which a lot of conditioners tend to do. 

Both smell great, and my husband really liked it too. On my hair, that is, not his 😉 

I’ve also tried the Super Shine range, and it’s fantastic too. I just couldn’t go wrong with Sunsilk, and there is finally no reason for me to move to another brand. Not when this one works wonders on my hair, and is so cheap too.

If you’ve never tried any products by Sunsilk, don’t knock it ‘cos it’s cheap until you try it. I did at first, and now I knock myself on the head for not trying it out much sooner. It could have saved me a lot of money.

Sunsilk shampoos and conditioners are available at most supermarkets and drugstores, and cost less than AUD5. The Malaysian ones are pretty cheap too. 

What I like about it: Great smell, soft and manageable hair. Oh, and did I mention how cheap it was? 😛

What I do not like about it: Nothing

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~