My skin, I have learned, is remarkably compliant when compared to other people’s. (I mean, I always think it’s terrible, and then I go to the makeup people and they ooh and ah over it, so whatever.) However, sometimes in the winter like now, there’s just no moisturizing it. I haven’t changed my daily routine, but my skin feels like that cracked desert hardpan people are always dying on in old movies.
I’ve used Burt’s Bees products before, but I’ve kind of grown disenchanted with them. I use an Oil of Olay moisturizer and their old-fashioned grandma’s special Night of Olay for a night cream sometimes (and I really like it), but it isn’t really handling this mid-winter dryness thing. For a day cream I’ve been using this Boots stuff I found at Target because I thought the jar was cute, and that was working fine until now. I used to use Clinique’s moisturizer that’s, you know, yellow in the square bottle, but I got bored with it, I guess. On any given day I might skip the cleanser and the night cream, but I pretty much always slap on some day cream after my shower.
Any suggestions? I prefer stuff that’s either natural and stuff-free or old-fashioned and cheap (seriously, they hide the Night of Olay behind all that fancy stuff in the swirly bottle - if it isn’t a turn-off to your SO that you smell like his Aunt Ruthie I think it’s quite a nice product), but for this seasonal dryness I’ll consider anything you really like.
I am not overly prone to breakouts, my skin is not unusually sensitive, and it’s usually “normal” with maybe a little oiliness on the nose.
My face gets only moderately dry in winter (dry to the touch, but not uncomfortable to me). I really loved Neutrogena Healthy Skin with SPF. Not only is it a good moisturizer, but it peels off the dry dead stuff to reveal healthy new stuff. And SPF, to boot.
Had to stop using it when I developed cystic acne and went on ProActiv (the moisturizer for ProActiv stinks). Otherwise, I’d still be using it.
The only thing I use these days is Aveeno. That stuff is pretty hardcore, but it still doesn’t make me break out. I just slather the regular stuff all over my face. Maybe not kosher, but it works fine.
I like all of the ‘Kiss My Face’ products a lot. My skin is kind of sensitive and most perfumes make me sneeze so most commercial products are out for me. Putting oily products on my face causes me to break out. They have an oil-free moisturizer that works well for me and lots of other oil-based ones too. The best prices that I’ve found are at Vitacost.
I use Neutrogena Moisture with SPF 15 usually, and sometimes Healthy Skin. The products were recommended by my dermatologist years ago to help deal with my breakouts (and I was living in Boulder, CO, at the time- drier than the Sahara, that place). Sure enough, great skin and no breakouts, and I have been using it ever since (over 10 years now). The copper Night Cream is also very good.
When I get a professional facial and the woman tries to tell me that I should buy spa products and stop ruining my skin with drugstore crap full of preservatives, I just smile and agree politely and keep doing what works for me. I am 41 and my skin looks good.
I just read an article online in which the author (purporting to be a dermatologist) said drugstore treatments are as good as or better than luxury brands, recommending in particular, Dove ProAge products and a Neutrogena night cream.
The article was about “signs of aging” rather than dryness.
I’m sorry I don’t have a link. It was a sidebar on a Yahoo page I was reading.
Now, having said that - I have an aunt who has been using that little yellow Clinique bottle for probably 30 years. She’ll turn 65 next summer and not one of you would guess anywhere near that if you met her.
I use the oil cleansing method on my skin now, because I had zits and dry skin (so frustrating), and proponents of OCM suggest just using a bit of the oil mixture as moisturiser, if needed. And I gather it’s not just for zit-prone people like me, it’s for all types, but personally I’ve found it helps a lot.
But because I like smelly stuff, I still use a little bit of soulshine when I get out of the shower. It absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy, but the shea butter and bit of wax keeps it good all day, even with the wind we get here.
I use straight jojoba oil. After I wash my face and pat it dry, I tip the mouth of the oil bottle against my palm a couple of times, rub my hands together, and pat it all over my face. Absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel greasy.
In the summer I’ll mix the oil with a small glop of aloe vera gel.
I also use the oil cleansing method, with a blend similar to Hema Oil(NZ-blended oil apparently beloved of Liv Tyler during her stay), which is avocado oil, rose (in jojoba) and lavender. It sounded bizarre to me, the thought of putting oil on your skin, but it’s the best thing I’ve found for getting rid of little blackheads around the nose, while being gentle to my sensitive freckled skin.
I then follow that up with a few drops of Trilogy Rose Hip Oil. I’ve found that plus a daily sunscreen is all I need.
I’ve used Clinique pretty much since it first came out–at least since the mid 70’s, I’d guess. It works and I like that it’s not overly oily and it has no fragrance so no need to switch. Even though I’m an old bag my skin is hardly wrinkled. I thank Clinique for that and also my inherited genes and fat. Yup, fat fills things in.
I was using Dove’s sensitive skin day lotion for my combination-to-dry sensitive facial skin, and it worked lovely (and Calgary is a terribly dry place in winter). I’ve switched to Olay complete defense daily UV moisturizer with sunscreen since I couldn’t find the Dove stuff, and it’s okay, too. I still prefer the Dove stuff, though. At 42 I still haven’t got any wrinkles, so I guess I’m doing something right.
I never use soap on my face, either. Just warm water and a washcloth. It’s not like it gets dirty, you know.
I prefer fragrance-free products, and in the winter I don’t have a need for sunscreen (it tends to irritate my sensitive skin and burns if it gets into my eyes.)
I love any Eucerin or Cetaphil products - they are all fragrance-free and specially designed for sensitive skin.
For extra dry areas, especially my lips, I use a touch of Aquaphor Healing Ointment. This stuff is a godsend for chapped lips - it’s way better than any lip-specific product. It is also very soothing for really dry areas on your face.
I’ve tried dozens of facial moisturizers and Aveeno is the only one that I’m satisfied with as my skin is extremely dry. Aveeno keeps my skin moisturized all day and doesn’t make irritate my skin or cause it to break out at all. Nothing else I’ve tried even comes close. I should do commercials for this product.
The best thing I have ever found for my own face or hands is one drop of pure USP vegetable glycerine (try the health food store) diluted with a little water. It keeps my skin moist all day with no breakouts, which I find remarkable because just about any commercial skin care product (including the ‘noncomedogenic’ ones) will cause me to break out.
And I use almond oil, which I’ve also scented with some essential oils (lavender, mainly). I can get a 16 oz. bottle for 8 bucks, and since you’re only using a few drops at a time it lasts forever. (The jojoba oil I’ve found is twice as expensive, YMMV.) The downside is that your face is a little greasy for about 5 or 10 minutes. The upside is it’s only 5 or 10 minutes… this stuff absorbs really well. By the time I’ve brushed my teeth, I’m good.
I also make an alternate version hand cream (basically melt beeswax and the almond oil together and stir while it cools). My winter skin problems are my hands, and this hand cream will completely eradicate the dry skin after one application. There’s the same greasy-for-a-while problem as before, but I can handle that for 10 minutes when it works so well.
Am a fan of most of the moisturizers cited by the OP, especially Olay stuff. Perhaps it’s the washing that’s changing things– try avoiding very hot water on the face and exfoliate regularly.
