Fresh Farmacy -- How would you recommend I use it?

By Leca
@lecanis (16647)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
March 17, 2007 5:07pm CST
Okay, I got some Fresh Farmacy as part of my first order from Lush. I've been using it for the last couple of days, and I can't feel any oil on my face. My acne hasn't cleared up yet obviously, but I think the lack of oily feeling on my face is a good sign. Should I use this product everyday, or is it too harsh for that? And should I be using a moisturizer? If so, is there a good Lush one? Is there another cleanser I should rotate with Fresh Farmacy in my routine if it does get too harsh for my face?
2 people like this
7 responses
@Galena (9110)
18 Mar 07
I found it a bit too drying when I used it years ago. okay, so I work at Lush. YAY! ahem. what I'll say is for now keep using it as you are. so far it sounds like it's working well. use a lightweight moisturiser, just so that your skin isn't encouraged to make more sebum to make up for it being removed. it's designed as a facial soap, so it's fine to use. if you do start to find it a little too drying after time then try using it every other day, and alternating with something like Angels on Bare skin (my favourite, this is what completely cured my acne, in only a matter of a few weeks) or with babyface or ultrabland if your skin doesn't like regular exfoliation. babyface and ultrabland can seem a bit oilt when you try it, but make sure you remove it with really hot water on a wrung out flannel or cotton wool, and you'll find the heat melts the butters and oils and it comes away easily, leaving the skin feeling moisturised. the oils and butters actually grip the muck in the pores and make it easier to clean. babyface is cleansing, toning and moisturising all in one. without knowing more about your skin type it's hard to say which moisturiser would suit you most, but something like Celestial or Ultralight is a nice mid-range moisturiser, not too heavy, not too light. and these are at the less pricey end too. also, a toner is worth having. I think everyone should try Breath of Fresh Air. it's great on all skin types, and it's really soothing with lots of Aloe and Seaweed in it.
@Galena (9110)
18 Mar 07
my skin before I used Angels on Bare Skin - this photo shows how bad my acne was before I used Angels on Bare Skin cleanser.

my skin started feeling calmer as soon as I started using it, and within a few weeks the old spots went and no new ones happened.
this shows my skin before Angels on Bare Skin. my profile and avatar pic is what it's like now.
2 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
18 Mar 07
Wow, Galena, I didn't know you worked for Lush! I actually just heard about this company because so many of my friends on mylot talked about it, but I'm so excited about the products already! Thanks for a very detailed response! As for my skin, it's pretty much very oily all over, and I have a lot of problems with breakouts. I bought Fresh Farmacy because several of the people I talked to recommended it, but maybe if it does get too drying I'll try Angels on Bare Skin too! I don't really know a lot about this kind of thing to be honest, so I'm not sure how my skin feels about exfoliation, but I'll keep your other recommendations in mind. =p Thanks for recommended moisturizers and toners as well. Three steps sounds like a bit much for me, but I really do want to have better skin, so I'll just have to put more time and effort into it. Usually skin care isn't something that's high on my list of priorities, but my acne is really starting to affect my self-esteem, so I want to do something about it. Besides, I'm old enough I suppose I have to start thinking about aging and such. =p
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
18 Mar 07
it's a brilliant company. I've worked there since October, when a new shop opened close enough for me to work at, but I've used their stuff for the best part of 10 years.
3 people like this
@kate1356 (697)
• United States
18 Mar 07
I like Fresh Farmacy for my combination skin. At night, I rotate washing my face with Fresh Farmacy and Lemslip. After I wash, I use Breath of Fresh Air Toner. This helps wash away any remnants of Fresh Farmacy. I follow up using Imperialis to moisturize and I use an eye cream too (Eyecon by Benefit.. I find the Lush eye cream too light). Using this system I haven't had any problems with dryness. In the morning, I only use Lemslip to wash my face... followed by the Breath of Fresh Air toner and Imperialis. In the summer months, I switch to a lighter moisturizer (Clean and Clear oxygenating moisturizer with spf 15 is a good one). I hope this helps!
2 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
20 Mar 07
Thanks for your response! It's good to hear from others who use this product. =)
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Jun 07
I actually started with Fresh Farmacy thinking that it would be the best for my skin. I gave it about a month, and it actually seemed to make my face a lot worse. I switched to Herbalism and I'm doing much better.
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Jun 07
My ex loved coal face. I couldn't get into it because of the smell. But yeah, Herbalism works great for me. I too use the Tea Tree Toner. I have a couple huge samples of Imperialis I'm trying to use up so I can go back to my Celestial moisturizer. I also have used the mask of magnaminty. Now that it's summer try that on your back. It feels great.
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
29 Jun 07
You know, I wound up giving up on Fresh Farmacy too! It seemed to be helping for a little while, and then just all of a sudden made things worse. So then I tried Angels on Bare Skin for a bit, and that was helping... and then stopped helping as well. So right now I'm trying Coalface, and it's doing awesome! I wonder if my skin just needs me to switch things up every once in a while or something! If the Coalface stops working for me, Herbalism will be next on my list to try! I also got some of that Mask of Magnaminty stuff that I do once in a while, and it feels awesome on my face. My skin's a little red for a few minutes afterwards, but then it looks really nice for a couple of days! =) I'm using the tea tree toner and the Imperialis moistourizer, though I'm really thinking about getting one of those kits and trying the Enzymion in it.
1 person likes this
@draconess (650)
• Canada
18 Mar 07
Fresh Farmacy was too drying to me, but I tend to have more combination to dry skin to begin with. I use it as a spot treatment, it's great for that. If you have oily skin you can wash with it every day, or you could try alternating with another cleanser like Aqua Marina or Angels on Bare Skin. A full skincare regime is cleanser, toner, moisturizer, so I'd try following it with some tea tree or eau roma water and a moisturizer suited for your skin type. If you're into Lush, Imperialis is a great moisturizer to try first, it works for most skin types. Good luck finding the right routine for you!
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
18 Mar 07
Thanks for your response! Very helpful!
1 person likes this
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
18 Mar 07
I'm a big fan of Fresh Farmacy. I have acne prone skin (adult acne) and this product has made a great difference for me. That said, I can absolutely acknolwdege that is can be really drying...for me it's especially drying in the winter. I tend to alternate with Aquamarina. This is a more gentil product....but I'll warn you it's kinda weird stuff :-) It's a pink squishy roll, made of of some really great things like calomine, irish moss and aloe vera. It's wrapped with seaweed, jelly-roll style. Some people aren't that into the smell (though I don't mind it as all). And it takes a little bit to get the hang of using it. I pinch off a little piece, wet it, and then smooth it over my face. I actually like to let it dry like a mask, and then rinse. I follow up with a non-lush moisturizer. In the summer, when I am super shiny, Fresh farmacy is a must have.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
20 Mar 07
Thanks for your response! Very helpful! =)
1 person likes this
• India
30 Jun 07
I've used Fresh Farmacy and liked it. I didn't face any drying but I have really oily skin so I guess if you find that you skin feels too tight or dry then you should switch to something else or use a moisturiser (I like the body spray from body shop (the one with brazilian oil) it's very light, personally I've haven't been able to find a really light moisturier by Lush, let me know if you find one!)
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
30 Jun 07
I think perhaps I'm going to wind up rotating mine by season or something actually, when it comes to the Fresh Farmacy and the other cleansers. They all seem to work for me for a bit and then stop, so it might be something I just have to find the right timing and usages for. Thanks for sharing your experiences! So far the only LUSH moisturizer I've used was Imperialis, which was recommended to me a while back. I like it, but I've heard really good things about Enzymion, and since it's in the "oily" kit I think I'm going to try it next.
@JWMILLER (3275)
• Westmoreland, Tennessee
2 Mar 19
Have never heard of it, have no idea.