When's the last time you took a break? Seriously, think about it. It's easy to cruise along on autopilot without ever taking a beat, but there are times when a break can be a very good thing. There are lunch breaks, coffee breaks, dry Januaries, digital detoxes — and they're all meant to help you reset in some way. They can be as brief as five minutes or as lengthy as a year. And they can require as little as or as much effort as you want. The point is: Breaks can be a great thing.
So in the spirit of hitting pause (temporarily), we partnered with Cetaphil and asked three women to try the Fresh Faced Challenge. They had to take a break from makeup for a week and just focus on skin care. With the help of Cetaphil's Hydration Line, each discovered her perfect regimen, whether it was a nourishing morning routine or a restorative evening one. And an important reason for that is all the moisturizers in the collection contain hyaluronic acid, which is known as a gold-star ingredient when it comes to hydration — it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight it water. Moreover, the products are lightweight, quick to absorb, and super gentle on sensitive skin, making them ideal for combining together to create a truly moisturizing routine.
By doubling down on their skin care, these women were able to get the reset that comes from every good break. Check out their results below, and see which products they used to get truly fresh faced.
Emily
If you scroll through LA-resident Emily Vartanian's feed, you'll notice a free-spirited ease to her lifestyle pictures. And that's exactly the vibe she experienced during the Fresh Faced Challenge. "Let’s be honest, nothing is as liberating as going makeup free," Vartanian wrote.
For the challenge, she focused on a one-two punch of hydration. She washed her face with Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser, which helps skin retain its moisture. The next step was their Daily Hydrating Lotion, which glides on and quenches skin with a water-light texture. After a week, all that care paid off. In Vartanian's own words: "The results? My skin feels smoother, softer, and so hydrated!"
Candice
For blogger Candice Nikeia, the Fresh Faced Challenge was a chance to find an evening skin-care routine that really worked for her. "As I’ve gotten older, my skin routine has changed, but Cetaphil has continued to grow with me," she wrote.
Like Vartanian, Nikeia opted for Cetaphil's super mild, soap-free Gentle Skin Cleanser. "Then, I moisturize[d] with their Rich Hydrating Night Cream and finish[ed] with the Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream," she wrote. Unlike many night creams, which deliver on hydration but leave behind a greasy film, this one absorbs right in and boosts skin's moisture reserves overnight. As Nikeia wrote: "I always wake up with smooth, moisturized, ready-to-go skin."
Chelsea
Style and travel writer Chelsea Lankford wasn't always comfortable baring it all: "It's been years since I've felt confident going make-up free," she wrote, "but I'm finally at a place where I can pull it off thanks to Cetaphil, and it's unbelievably liberating."
To get there, Lankford coddled her skin with all gentle products for her Fresh Faced Challenge. She used Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser (which doesn't strip or irritate skin). And to care for the delicate eye area, she used their Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream, which brightens and smooths. "Seriously, take the Fresh Faced Challenge yourself — a break from make-up using simple products for sensitive skin," Lankford wrote.
This post is sponsored by Cetaphil.
