Well it was sort of a wasted weekend here at the Okay Corral- I kind of had to work and it was threatening rain so I ended up staying in and doing things that didn’t involve testing out the perfume samples I have. Work stuff would involve other people that I had not met and it is not necessarily the best first impression to be drenched in the latest floral muskrat creation that I am testing and enamored of (because you know if it’s floral muskrat I am going to bathe in it..) So this weekend was the square-jawed dependable FM French Lover (despite the name, something that you would comfortably wear before a judge), Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel, and today (Monday) Guerlain Spiriteuse Double Vanille, perfect for an overcast and drizzly Monday.
But I do have something I can go on about: creams. As I am about to hit another birthday (39 again!) I have found that my skin actually needs moisturizer. Not just when I have been out in the sun or wind, but just in general. Not just the old puss, either, the hands and arms as well. I am not quite at the Crepe Erase years yet (does that stuff work, or is it just Jergens with the Dr Quinn seal of approval?) but I do use some things, three os which are sitting in my office right now.
The first (and one I have been using for a while) is La Roche-Posay Tolerine face moisturizer. I got a kick-ass deal on that one: I think it was free when I replenished a supply of their Anthelios SPF 10000, to which I am devoted, even if it does tend to get in my eyes. The Tolerine is a nice light moisturizer that absorbs fairly quickly and doesn’t feel like Spackle. It’s $22 for 2.5 ounces, but you can usually score a deal on it.
Another is Trader Joe’s Argan Oil hand and body cream. This is one that I picked up a while ago when I was at TJ’s. I mostly bought it as a response to all that use of antibacterial hand sanitizer which is just jellied alcohol and was drying the heck out of my skin. It’s a nice one, and I think it was $5.99 so if you see it, grab it. Trader Joe’s has an annoying habit of dropping things as soon as I find I love them. I don’t see this one on their website but do see it listed on eBay for twice the price. No thanks.
The last is one that I’ve heard of for years but believe it or not never tried. Plain old Nivea, in the tin. Supposedly this is the original one, which is supposed to be 85% of Creme de la Mer for 95% less money. I do have some CdlM and it is all that- I use it when I have had too much sun, and it works, and a small amount goes a loooong way. Several Beauty “Influencers” including no less than RhoNY Betthany Frankel swaers by this stuff, so I had to try. And yes, it is about 85% of the la Mer. I am sure that there are people out there who will tell you it’s just lanolin or Yak Fat and clogging your pores, giving you milia and killing the ozone layer but I find it very moisturizing and if I still faced winters with a chill wind whipping I would likely be putting it on with a trowel. Two giant tins of this (just short of 17 ounces total) are $16 at Amazon, so feel free to trowel away.
So this one has been relatively brief (more people coming to bother me soon). What are your recommendations for face goop? Share in the comments.
All items were purchased by me at the vendors mentioned. Photos are Pexels and mine.
… did Musette not make it on here? She sends me various things from Yadain (sp? I’m not home) and they are FABULOUS. Body butters etc. I’m going to have to try that Nivea Creme. As you know it’s super dry where I live and I’m always looking for maximum moisture. I also use the TJ cream cuz it’s cheap and has a pump. Cerave’s also nice and falls in the category of doesn’t smell terrible, some of the creams are way too perfumed.
Musette was stomping around Chicago yesterday! But! Here. I. Iz. now.
You know I LIVE in creams. I don’t think there is a cream I haven’t tried. I love that Nivea in the tin.
And yes. Yadain. Now that Tom has opened that box I’ll write a post about Further Adventures in Skin Cream.
…And I hope about stomping around Chicago!
oh, Tom. Honey. I. can’t. It’s just toooo depressing, streets half-full, like ‘Body Snatchers’ – level. 1/4 of the Boul Mich stores are shuttered and the spendier boutiques are only taking irl customers By Appointment, due to a spate of robberies (I guess)…
Too grim.
Oh that’s sad..
I think you will like the Nivea. It’s very inexpensive but doesn’t feel it. Heck if a RHoNY likes it..
Looking up Yadian now..
Tom it sounds like you and I have similar dry, picky skin. Anything with a scent makes me rashy on both my face and the hand that applied it. After decades of testing thousands of sunscreens, moisturizers, AHAs, BHAs, night creams, and eye creams and co sponsoring that jet Maya mentioned, I’m down to my perfect mix: Cerave night cream day and night, grocery store avocado or grapeseed oil to cleanse (rub in, towel off), and a caffeine-based eye gel I buy off Etsy for bags. I use Vanicream facial sun screen 30spf without fail every day. Anything with a scent makes me rashy.
Okay, I’m going in on the Carave. I actually do use an inexpensive caffeine eye gel (and they really work, people, no lie!) and use food grade castor oil as precleanser before the black mud soap. It’s wayyy less expensive than the EL stuff and works very well. Go to look into Vanicreme- still looking for a sunscreen that doesn’t immediately go straight for the peepers..
Yep! on the grocery store avocado oil – I also use sunflower oil, when I make my own serums.
I am going to have to try the avocado oil. I’ll bet its good for your scalp as well.
I usually use Cereve for my hands and body. For face wash I use the SkynIceland Glacial face wash and the Clinique moisturizer in the pink jar. I loathe heavy face creams during the day and the Clinique one is really nice.
I never liked heavy ones before but find that in spots I kind of need them so I use at night. I don’t like anything heavy during the day.
My daughter is a makeup artist who subscribes to all the beauty boxes and passes along stuff to me, mainly cleansers and serums. She also bought us an Allure beauty box subscription for our anniversary so I have lots to try. But for cream, I always have a big tub of CeraVe on hand for face and body, year round.
Seems like CeraVe is a fave. I’ll have to check that out to replace the TJ’s one (if they stopped selling it)
I love that TJs one which I think is/was a replacement for (and may be the same as) their Midsummer Night’s Cream which they had for years, it’s SO emollient! My only complaint about it is it no longer pumps when I get toward the bottom, but for $6ish I just toss it and start anew (I’ve tried thinning it with mediocre results)
So they’re still selling it? The one thing I hate about TJ’s is that they will discontinue or call something “seasonal” just when I get to liking it.
Yep, they still have it, I get one every 4 months or so … they had the very similar Midsummer one for years and years. I hope they always stock one heavy-duty cream in a pump
Good to know. It’s not on the website and I don’t go to TJ’s bi weekly now since they don’t sell the iced tea I like any more. Well, they do, but in the mini bottles, so I go to the supermarket for the big ones.
In the last couple of years I’ve been liking ELF Holy Hydration cream for my face. (They obviously left off Batman! on the end of that name) It contains hyaluronic acid and peptides, niacinamide, squalane, B5, is vegan, and cruelty free. Best part: it’s a drugstore brand and costs about $10. For body lotion, I’m using a bottle of AmLactin from Costco. I’ve got some lovely scented hand creams from Beauty Counter that were a gift from a friend.
Oh, I like ELF. I use their tinted SPF 30 face stuff when I have a complexion issue (in other words, daily.) It’s like foundation but doesn’t say so on the bottle, so there.
The things that I use steadily include Aveeno body lotion (with oatmeal) — sometimes for face as well as it so far has never irritated my skin. I like serums a bit more than creams currently and am using something from Byoma which is really nice. SPF is between Ultrasun 50 and Thank You Farmer 50. I love me some heavy creams (particularly Votary stuff) but it’s simply too hot here at the moment for anything heavy — will return to these in the winter.
You told me about Thank You Farmer 50- I got some and like it a lot.
Hey tom,
I have a little Aftelier Rose Face Oil. It has lasted forever because I rarely need it. GORGEOUS smell, face still hasn’t slid off. Happy.
Portia xx
TJ’s had a rose face oil that I really loved. Cheap as old chips and delightfully rosy. Of course, they discontinued it.
I’m a prescription tretinoin user but need a high percentage to see results. My skin is just recovering from a spell of retinisation (the dry, tight, peeling stage) & I’ve been using the hyaluronic acid & ceramides from the pharmacy that makes the tret. Yesterday I moved onto Cerave cream that comes in a 454g/16oz tub for £17 at Boots or £12.79 + postage at Amazon. Bloody amazing stuff!
Nivea do a perfume of both their sun cream smell & their distinctive Nivea smell. I haven’t tried them but they aren’t particularly expensive & who wouldn’t want to smell of Nivea?
I am really going to have to try Cerave.
I’d love to get into tretinoin but I don’t think the budget could stand it.
Roche-Posay Tolerine is a very nice moisturizer, I’ve used it often. I use a whipped moisturizer from Agency, the company that I get my prescription retinoid cream from. I’ve enjoyed many of the Estes Lauder moisturizers and for very dry skin my go to is La Mer facial oil. I little dab goes a long way. The bottle is pricey but last forever. Now I need to try Nivea!
RP makes great stuff. I really need to try some retinols.
La Mer really is that good. But Nivea you can slather on like cream cheese on a bagel..
I tried so much so often that didn’t do anything special for my skin. I do think I helped a few people buy their private jets though. Now I use The Ordinary serums, Pycnogenol 5% and/or Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%. They’re oil based so I often use nothing else or use whatever nice organic lotion I happen to have around. I also use oils on my face and body. I get supplements from iHerb (no affiliation) and they also carry oils. They’re all good but my favorite is Now’s sweet Almond oil.
Oh I love iHerb! And the Ordinary is great- I’m slowly giving their stuff a spin. Slowly b/c of budget. They’re inexpensive, but not free..
I am also a fan of La Roche Posay. I use Lipikar for daily moisturizer, and Cicaplast for repair on those days when I have had too much sun/wind or my rosacea is acting up. Anthelios is great too but I have to keep it away from my eyes. If there is any chance of precipitation or heavy perspiration, I don’t put it on my forehead as that is a recipe for burning, stinging eyes as it melts downward. Josie Maran sunscreen is my other favorite which doesn’t burn my eyes. Both tend to leave a slight white cast, so I spread a thin layer of jojoba oil on my face first to moisturize and help it sink in, plus a nice dusting of Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder and blush.
I have exactly the same issue with Anthelios. So I wear a big hat.