I've decided to cancel the Skincare Olympics. My reasons for doing so reach far and wide, but I'll try to sum them up as best I can in my next post. In doing so, I'll give you a few mini-reviews. I'll start with the basics, the items I used through the fall and into January. Here's what we've got:Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser. This was an item I selected from the list for my skin type in Leslie Baumann's Skin Type Solution. I'm on my second tube. As far as the redness relief goes, this stuff is tops. It's very soothing, an it also gets my skin clean. The downside is that it's not very moisturizing, and I'm still seeing a little breakout action now and again along the jawline.
Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion. I've had a love-hate relationship with Cetaphil going on 15 years now. It's moisturizing, never drying, and easy on sensitive skin. Problem: depending on how much makeup you wear (or what type), it doesn't always get skin clean. I don't wear a lot of makeup, but sometimes I find I have to wash twice...doesn't that defeat the purpose of not stripping the skin? Still, it's the best bang for the buck if you have dry, sensitive skin.
Eucerin Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Cream with CoQ10. This was my nighttime moisture. I wanted a little anti-wrinkle action, and needed a cream to combat dryness. This didn't upset my sensitive skin, but it didn't really have the oomph I appreciate in combating dryness, either. Plus, I can't say that the CoQ10 was doing much for me, either.
Eucerin Extra Protective Moisture Lotion SPF 30. Kids, according to the dermatologist (mine, anyway), you should wear no less than SPF 30 on your face. Any higher and you're just paying for numbers--any lower and you might pay the price. This doesn't bother my sensitive skin, but it doesn't do much to moisturize, either. I don't know about any of you out there, but I'm getting tired of having to pick one or the other. Yes, I could wear both a cream and then a sunscreen, but I can't stand the goopy feeling. Plus, moisturizers formulated with sunscreen go on better than regular sunscreen...they aren't as heavy and take less time to absorb. I'm slow enough in the morning without having to wait 20 minutes for my moisturizer to dry.
Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads. I love this product. Even though I wear minimal amounts of mascara and still have to use three pads sometimes, this never irritates my eyes. When I use liquid removers, I always end up with cotton fluff in my eyes.
Neutrogena Visibly Firm Eye Cream. This is another one from Dr. Baumann, although I don't think she designated it for my skin type. I love this eye cream. I notice a difference when I don't use it (my eyes are drier and look more crepe-y), and it never irritates my eyes. I put it all around and on the lid. I've also used this as a face cream when traveling to save space (Dr. Baumann's suggestion in her book), and it works nicely.
Clinique Advanced Stop Signs Eye Cream SPF 15. My favorite eye product of all time is All About Eyes, but it has no SPF. I don't think Clinique actually makes this product anymore (I bought it last year, and eye creams last forever), but it moisturizes well and protects my eyes from the sun. I'd love to go back to All About Eyes, but then I'm stuck having to find another product with SPF. Too much work, people. Clarins makes an eye cream with SPF 30, but it's not as moisturizing as Clinique's.
There you have it. That was my basic skincare. All in all, it performed pretty well. B minus. I thought I could do better, so off I went in search...
