Over the years, my facial skin has gotten progressively drier and scalier. I exfoliate regularly and use sunscreen, but I can’t seem to find a good, velvety feeling moisturizer that doesn’t feel like a glob of petroleum jelly. Most dry and extra dry creams are rather runny and seem to evaporate after about 30 minutes. What are your favorites that do the job? Although I hadn’t wanted to spend a huge amount of money, I’ll do what it takes to keep my skin soft. I’ve heard a lot of comments, good and bad, about La Mer skin cream that costs about $250.00 for an ounce! :eek:
For those of you who use La Mer and swear by it, why do you think the price is worth it? For those of you who use La Mer and swear at it, why do you think it’s over-rated? If you use another dry skin cream that you love, please list it here. Thanks for your responses.
I used to have dry scaley patches on my face that wouldn’t go away; they got worse in the winter. Progressively more expensive and exotic products failed to take care of the problem, so I decided to simplify. Now I wash with a nice herbal soap (it’s got ground up rose petals in it and a $5 bar lasts me darn near a month) and to moisturize all I need is a glop of pure aloe vera gel. Last winter I added a drop of jojoba oil, too, just 'cause my face is drier in the winter.
Have you checked with a dermatologist just to make sure it’s not some kind of rash or infection?
I have pretty dry skin, and living in Colorado doesn’t help (neither does being 41).
I have found that I see the most improvement when I use a moisturizing facial cleanser along with a good moisturizer.
Right now, I am using The Body Shop’s jojoba cleanser and their carrot cream moisturizer. Unfortunately, both are discontinued. However, they do tend to show up at their twice-yearly clearance sales as re-packaged items (items brought back just for the sale, but not on the shelves year-round). When I see the stuff, I stock up big time.
Haven’t found a moisturizer as good as the carrot cream yet, but I will wash will Burt’s Bees lemon poppy seed cleanser. It seems to do a good job of not over-stripping my skin. I have also heard good things about the C.O. Bigelow products, but I haven’t tried them yet.
I’ve tried a tons of different things, but I think what it comes down to is finding the right combination of products that your skin reacts well to. Find products work well together.
When my mother was in the US she discovered something called “Bag Balm” (aka “Cow titty cream”). In industrial qualities it’s used by farmers on cow udders to stop chapping from the milking machines, but some stores sell it in personal amounts, usually a few ounces to a jar. Mum has been using it for a couple of years now and it’s pretty good stuff (she gets me to rub it on her back sometimes). It’s kind of mid-weightish, so it’s not like rubbing vaseline on your skin but it doesn’t run off and disappear in a few seconds either, you’ve got to work it for a few minutes to get it all in.
It’s done wonders for her. It’s cleared up a lot of dryness and itchy/scaliness she has on her shoulders, and when I rub it on her back for her I do find my hands are really soft and nice for the rest of the day. Apparently it’s dirt cheap, too (though not available in Aus so she’s got to get friends to ship it over from the US for her).
I must have self-edited that part out of my post - Mum does use it on her face in lieu of normal moisturiser and I’ve noticed that her skin seems a lot softer than it did before she started using it.
I couldn’t stand Bag Balm on my face. I only use it on my feet in the heart of winter.
As a long-time sufferer from dry skin, I discovered just recently a very inexpensive cream (recommended by my dermatologist), and I can’t believe I spent thousands of dollars on all kinds of expensive moisturizers over the years.
It’s Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. I use it on my body and on my face. I love the simplicity of that, and it’s done miracles for my skin.
I have pretty dry skin, too, and I can’t imagine what it’ll be like as I get older–I think the only reason I’ve never really had a problem with acne is that my skin doesn’t produce enough oil for anything to get clogged. What helped me is using Dove Deep Moisture creamy facial cleanser. I wash once a day before I go to bed, and if I feel like I need some moisturizer on my face, I use Cetaphil. That has the added benefit of also being what I use for my horrible, pesky, annoying eczema, which thankfully is not on my face.
I use Cetaphil soap and Nature’s Gate fragrance free moisturizer for sensitive skin. Works great and isn’t too expensive at all. I find that the perfume and mineral oils in most regular moisturizers are too heavy for me-- the bag balm stuff is just too greasy. But YMMV.
I can’t use soap on my face, it makes all the skin dry up and peel off almost immediately, so I wash with water and moisturise with Almond Oil. It isn’t greasy, it soaks in well and costs much less than any fancy moisturiser. You may need to check about using it if you have any kind of nut allergy though. My skin and patches of excema have been much better since I began using it.
Another dry-skinner down here. I used a Bag Balm knockoff called Udderly Smooth. It absolutely did the trick, but feels sort of weird and smells too clinical.
I LOVE the Body Shop’s Body Butters, which come in a nice, fancy smelling (or fragrance free) assortment, feel like no other moisturizer I’ve ever tried, and aren’t <i>massively</i> expensive. Anyway, most Body Shops have lots of testers for every product in the store, so go try one out.
I use Loreal products. If your skin is very dry (which mine is) I suggest one of those fruit acid “peels” 2-3 times per week followed by Age Perfect moisturizer. The peel thingy has micro dermabrasion action and leaves your skin as soft as a baby’s butt, and the daily moisturizer is very light and very effective. I’m 50 and I’m quite happy with the results.
I second** Marlitharn’**s suggestion. I always thought dry, flaky skin in the winter was a function of the dehydrating effect of forced-air heat and exposure to cold wind. Turns out the dermatologist says I have very mild seborrheic dermatitis. When I’m diligent about using the topical stuff he prescribed, it makes a big difference.
And I second Kalhoun’s idea about fruit acids, specifically, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA). Use a moisturizer with it (Neutrogena sells lots) before you go to bed, and then some kind of mild exfoliation in the morning when you are washing your face (like, wash your face with Olay Daily Facials, and scrub a little). The acid will help to peel off the dead skin cells and make your skin softer and clearer.
I do a “deep moisterize” with vaseline once a week in the winter. This is going to sound gross, but, slather the vaseline over your face. Get a washcloth really hot. Set hot wash cloth over face. The washcloth will cool off, so warm it up and do it again - maybe three or four times. Get a kleenex and wipe off the now melty vaseline.
I’ve had expensive moisterizers and haven’t had one that’s any better that the stuff I buy at Walgreens.
I’d recommend using a cleanser that exfoliates and moisturizes, I think a few have been recommended here. As for moisturizer, I’ve never loved the Cetaphil, but I seem to be utterly alone in that, everyone else I know adores it. I did like Eucerin, but it is pretty heavy.
A great favorite of mine for winter is Prescriptives Comfort Cream. It’s the perfect weight, not at all greasy, and not too terribly pricey.
Right now I’m using (and liking) Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion on my face in the mornings. I used Vaseline Intensive Care for years (and that’s still what I have at my desk to use on my hands every morning), but the store must have been out of it the last time or something and I decided to try something new. I picked this one because it’s a very simple, fragrance-free lotion, and I wanted something as light (but lasting) as possible for my face. It’s a little thicker than the Vaseline lotion, which I like.
So the Aveeno is a hit, but when I run out of it I’m going to switch to Gold Bond lotion. A friend got some free samples and gave me a few: I started using it on my hands in the mornings, and I love it! Absorbed right away, wasn’t greasy at all, and I never had to reapply. It had a very light scent that I found pleasant, too.