Wintertime = indoor heat = dry skin
There you have it: one of the most basic problems for women in the wintertime is all that skincare! Let’s explore some solutions to keep that dry skin at bay.
I have asked some of my blogging friends to contribute to this post as I thought we can all use lots of advice! I have always had very dry skin: (thanks Mother… ) But, of course, when you are young it’s not really bothersome; it’s not until you are older and, dare I say, “of a certain age” that you must D E A L with it. We all have different solutions and, of course, all skin is different, but the following are some hints and tips perhaps we can all use.
We’ll start with my personal favorites:
Lac-Hydrin Lotion
One of the best bits of advice I received was from a dermatologist about twenty years ago. Yes, for twenty years I have been using a prescription lotion for my face and body. As he said then, and it still holds true, “you can pay a lot of money and still get the same results as a drugstore product!” I use LacHydrin Lotion. While it is prescription, it costs about $5-$15 per bottle depending on your insurance. You can buy it over the counter, but not in the same strength. It works wonders–you can’t get much better than that!
Oilatum Soap
Another product recommended by that same dermatologist is Oilatum soap. One bar lasts for about a year minimum. You will not find it on the shelves at any drugstore: you must go to the pharmacy and order. I don’t do any cleansing or exfoliating, or masks. I remove eye makeup, wash with Oilatum, and apply LacHydrin lotion.
Retin-A
About three times a week I also use Tretinoin aka Retin-A. Again, this is by prescription. The jury is still out as to how effective it really is, but I’ve used it for over ten years on face and hands. I do think it has been very good for those dreaded “age spots” on my hands! The New York Times had an interesting, favorable article a few years ago that persuaded me to continue using this product.
Sunscreen
Last, but certainly not least, is sunscreen. I use it each and every day, rain or shine. My newest discovery is the Skin Ceuticals brand. This is not cheap. But this particular product looks like liquid makeup! Shake the bottle well, apply anywhere. It has absolutely NO sticky feel but is simply creamy and dries on contact. In fact, you would never know you had just applied it. I love it; what can I say…
Time to hear from some other women:
Favorites of Kathysue of The Good Life of Design
Kathysue has a blog post today on this same subject: “Tried and True Beauty Products”; so go on over and take a look!
“I am a product junkie”! Kathy has tried many, many products over time and has developed her favorites. Kathy says that the Eucerin (pictured above) is as good, if not better, than La Mer, a product line that kept coming up in my research yet was often said to be too pricey. You can order the Eucerin here. It is interesting, although I don’t think too surpising, that Kathy found several really good products during her visit to Paris last September (pictured above). Let’s hear it for those French cosmetics!
Favorites of Delores of Vignette Design
Delores says she uses,”Tried and true” Noxzema or Cetaphil, depending on her mood. She likes the gentleness of Cetaphil which is recommended by her dermatologist, and loves the nostalgic fragrance of Noxzema, as well as the creaminess of it. Delores mentioned that she uses Bobbi Brown toner, moisturizer and foundation. And yes, the packaging has its own definite appeal! (pictured left above) “Makeup is a way for a woman to look and feel like herself, only prettier and more confident”, says Bobbi Brown.
Favorites of Genie of Paris And Beyond
Genie has a unique situation. She lives in Mobile, Alabama where there is year round humidity, so dry skin is not really a problem for her. However, she does travel a lot for business, and as we all know there is nothing worse on your skin than that airplane air! So Genie uses L’Oreal moisturizer and sunscreen, both very hydrating. Ditto for L’Occitane Cooling Hand Cream Gel. Some of Genie’s products are pictured above.
Favorites of Alison of The Polohouse
Alison of The Polohouse also favors the drugstore brands i.e. Cover Girl, Maybelline and Eucerin. She too, like Kathy, has tried the La Mer products and despite their priciness, didn’t really see a big difference in results.
Favorites of Kit Golson of Chic Provence
Kit said she has used Dr. Hauschka, and La Mer, but “over time it gets too pricey”. She hydrates her hands with pure Vaseline, another tried and true product.
Specialty v. drugstore?
So, the question remains—do you order prescription and specialty products or go with what your local drugstore has to offer? Look again at the answers from my very limited poll: many bloggers weighed in saying that yes, they use practical, drug store variety skin care products. I was surprised at the number of women who DO use these easy to find products. It seems that the expensive branding by so many companies may well work for, perhaps, a younger age group but that as we age we realize it IS the tried and true products that work best. Cover Girl, Maybelline, Eucerin and maybe Clinique are the brands of choice for many women of all income brackets. Manufacturers, are you listening to this?
Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Let us all know what you think, what you use, and how you feel about this most basic daily ritual!
