My facialist (Sophia Starvros) introduced me to the Karin Herzog line of skin care products and I admit I was very skeptical. I have been applying oils, creams and masks to my face since I was a teen. Some of the products I’ve tried over the years worked really well, others - not so much. I actually told my facialist that I was skeptical about the product line she was suggesting. I challenged her to show me immediate results.

In all fairness, any good hair, skin or beauty program takes time to work. I constantly have to remind people that if they are starting a new program to repair damaged hair or skin, it is going to take the body some time to reverse the damage and improve.

I was amazed when Sophia came to my office and gave me a complimentary facial using the Karin Herzog products. I actually got compliments on my skin for several days afterwards. To achieve results so quickly sold me on the line, which I have been using faithfully ever since. I have turned down several offers for complimentary skin care products because I was unwilling to switch.

Over the years since I started with Karin Herzog I have used every single product in their line to test it and understand how it worked. I think it’s important to write reviews of each product so consumers understand a little more about a product before they try it for themselves.

This is the first in a series of reviews about the Karin Herzog products.

Karin Herzog - Finest Chocolate Cleansing Cream

Product Purpose - A cleansing cream designed to remove all make-up, grime or dirt from the skin.

Packaging - Like all of the Karin Herzog products this cleansing cream arrives in an elegant dark chocolate tube with gold writing on one side. I love the look of the tube but the writing is a little hard to read because it is gold against a dark chocolate background. I always want to read all the ingredients I am putting in or on my body to make sure that I am not allergic to anything.

Ingredients - Pharmaceutical Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Wheat Germ Glycerides, Theobroma Cacao (Chocolate), Citrus Grandis=Citrus Paradisi (Essential Oil of Grapefruit), Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Fragrance. It should be noted that even though this is called a “cream” it is actually looks more like a gel.

Aroma - This cream smells divine if you love rich chocolate. It contains real chocolate in the form of Therobroma Cacao. Unscrew the cap, remove the protective seal and viola, the aroma of deep chocolate will fill your nostrils. I think the aroma is one of the best features of this product. Studies have shown that just inhaling chocolate will make you feel better and happier. I personally always feel better when I take a deep whiff of this luscious aroma.

The good news? There are no calories in sniffing. The bad news? You may want to run out and chow down on the real thing which could definitely be harmful to your waistline.

How To Use This Product - I will admit I use this product more as a body cream than a cleanser. The reason? I hardly ever wear make-up of any kind and if I do, it is very light. I do use the Karin Herzog Mild Scrub products faithfully when I shower. It has been named by some beauty magazines as “the best scrub on the market”.

This product is easy to use. The key is to use a teeny tiny amount. And I do mean tiny amount. The product is very rich with Pharmaceutical Mineral Oil which can definitely leave the face feeling a little oily IF you use too much of the product. Of course even though Sophia warned me to use a very small amount, I was so excited about the awesome chocolate aroma that the first time I used it I slathered it all over my face to clean it. Not a good idea. My face felt oily afterwards.

I have learned that if I use just a tiny amount, it works really well to remove grime or goo in the evenings. I now use the Karin Herzog scrub in the mornings in the shower and I use the Chocolate Cleansing Cream in the evenings to remove any toxins or dirt. This cream is so gentle that you can use it around your eyes without any problems. Of course be careful when working around the very delicate skin near the eyes.

If you wear a lot of makeup, if you wear waterproof makeup, this product is a life saver. It will act almost like a little vacuum cleaner to remove all heavy foundation or waterproof items.

How To Apply - Squeeze a teeny tiny amount onto the back of one hand that is clean. This prevents contamination from your fingertips making contact with the opening of the tube (I am an anti-germ freak so I tend to go overboard with these precautions). Use your fingertips from the opposite hand to transfer the product to your face. Concentrate the product on the areas of your face that have the most makeup and/or grime. Use a gentle circular motion to massage the cream into your skin.

After I apply the cream I use a very soft tissue to gently blot the cream off since it is very oily. After I have remove the bulk of the cream from my face with soft tissues I rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean soft towel.

I finish up by applying Karin Herzog Choco2 Chocolate Beauty Cream and Karin Herzog Eye Cream. What a great chocolate festival for my skin.
The Finest Chocolate Cleansing Cream Results -I love the aroma in the tube even more than when I put a tiny bit on the back of my hand to use on my skin. The chocolate aroma which is very strong in the tube and when you first put it on your skin lessens significantly after you apply the cream. The chocolate aroma is still there, but it is definitely dispersed. You don’t have to worry about attracting attention with your chocolate infused fragrance.

This is a great product when used appropriately. If you just want to alter your mood from grouchy to happy and calm, just unscrew the cap and take a deep sniff.

Would I Recommend This Product? Yes, if used correctly, it is a wonderful cleansing cream. It has an amazing chocolate aroma and it has real chocolate ingredients. The Karin Herzog product line is spectacular. For someone who wears lots of make-up this product would be a life saver. I would definitely recommend this product. If you never wear make-up or wear only a little, this product may not be as appropriate. However, if you are on a diet and miss your chocolate fix, sniff away.

Final Note: This Karin Herzog product and all the products in the Karin Herzog skin and body care line are available at HairBoutique.com in our Marketplace. The price may change according to various circumstances but the estimated retail price is $36 - $40.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 7:54 am and is filed under Skin Care Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.