Best Drugstore Beauty: Vichy's Exfoliating Cream

Vichy makes a fabulous Exfoliating Cream ($16) for dry and sensitive skin. It's labeled for all skin types, but if you have dry and/or sensitive skin, it's a good one to try.

What's in a name? I bought this product about six months ago, and it was called Purifying Exfoliating Cream. Now it appears to have another name in the United States: Detoxifying Exfoliating Cream. I have compared the ingredient lists of the two, and they are the same. Buy whichever you find. Update 10/24: Detoxifying is the old name. The new name is Purifying! Kathy Shoreman at CVS cleared that up for me!

This is an extremely gentle physical exfoliator. It's loaded with good stuff for your skin, including Vitamin E, shea butter, soybean oil, and Vichy's Thermal Spa Water, which is rich with mineral salts and oligo elements. The little exfoliating beads are jojoba pearls, said to be perfectly round so that they won't produce what I call micro-tears in the skin. It's hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, soap-free, and colorant-free.

The minute you apply this cream, you'll notice its rich, creamy feel. I can't use many physical exfoliators because my skin is so sensitive, but this one has never irritated my skin - not a trace of redness after using it. I wet my face, lightly massage it in using circular movements for about a minute, and then thoroughly rinse it off. It leaves me with smooth, clear, and radiant skin.

The container is small (2.5 ounces), but a little of this luxurious cream exfoliator goes a long way. I think this product is a little treat, and I love the fact that I can get it at CVS.

You can find Vichy's Exfoliating Cream at CVS, Vichy's Web site, and other stores that carry Vichy products.

Photo courtesy of CVS