Yes, it's been asked before... I tried Dejanews and got a million hits and didn't feel like sifting through them. Anyways, here's the deal:  my skin is really strange, on the one hand it's *extremely* greasy and i have  clogged pores (blackheads) and get pimples regularly (usually small ones, but sometimes, big honkin' ones, like the one currently parked on my forehead).  On the other hand, it gets very dry after cleansing especially in winter (i am currently using spectro jel as a cleanser cuz everything else made my skin tight and itchy).  I try to exfolliate on a regular basis (currently using ground adzuki beans) and i don't wear blush or foundation to minimize the amount of gunk  that can find its way into my pores.   What i need is a deep-pore cleanser or a face mask that will get rid of the balckheads (well, as much as they *can* be gotten rid of) and not cause my skin to break out  or dry out.  I was using Body Shop's Blue Corn mask, and it worked great, but now it's discontinued.  The Tea Tree Oil mask does nothing for me and neither does the Aspirin mask.  Bear in mind that i can't spend more than 20$CAN on any product.   Any suggestions? Thnx in advance Sandra

cleansing especially in winter snipping involved. Sandra, I have the same problems with my skin that you do.  I have oily skin in the summer and dry in the winter (or so I thought.)  What I really have is oily skin that gets DEHYDRATED in the winter, which is not the same thing as dry skin.  I use the Pola Salus II system (from Joann).  In the summer I use the cleanser and don't need the moisturizer.  In the winter I use the whole series.  I would definitely avoid manual, scrubbing exfoliating products in the winter.

I've heard that the Queen Helene mint julep mask (about 3US$) works well for some people.  YOu can find it in a drugstore like Walgreen's.  Personally, I couldn't stand the mint smell, but it worked okay for me.

I was “diagnosed” as having oily but dehydrated skin at a Shiseido skin care event I went to a couple of months ago.  Their “pre_script_ion” (all Shiseido, obviously) was their Pureness Foaming Cleanser, Balancing Solution toner, Pureness mask, and Pureness Moisturizing Emulsion. They also suggested I drink plenty of water and lay off  the coffee (easier said than done).  After using them for a couple of months, I can honestly say that this combination works quite well. I think I was stripping my skin in my zeal to get rid of the oil, with the result that the dehydrated surface was causing even more oil to be produced!!  The above cleans thoroughly without stripping,  the mask is very different from the clay-_base_d ones I usually use, the toner is not as harsh as the ones I typically have used, and the moisturizer really leaves my skin feeling moist and hydrated. Incidentally, I don’t work for Shiseido.  Their stuff is somewhat pricey, but does seem to work. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

:What i need is a deep-pore cleanser or a face mask that will get rid of the :balckheads (well, as much as they *can* be gotten rid of) and not cause my skin :to break out  or dry out.  I was using Body Shop's Blue Corn mask, and it worked :great, but now it's discontinued.  The Tea Tree Oil mask does nothing for me and :neither does the Aspirin mask.  Bear in mind that i can't spend more than 20$CAN :on any product.   : :Any suggestions? : :Thnx in advance andra Woo, wait! Is the Blue Corn mask discontinued in the US as well? They always do this to me dammit, *grumble* Anyway. I use the Blue Corn mask and like the results. I recently tried Freemans Vitamin C peel off mask and liked the results too. Worked really well on my nose with all that nasty stuff in it and didn't make my skin feel dry or tight. You might want to look into that. Its a bitch to peel off though. Now I have to go see about the Blue Corn mask. *sigh* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kris in Philly A conscience doesn't prevent sin, it just prevents you from enjoying it.

Why don't you try Paula's Choice oil Absorbing Facial Mask. I have tried just about everything and this is very good. It does not over dry the skin. Jan