I just updated my "about me" section from "soon-to-be college grad" to "college grad"! Graduation was Sunday, how very surreal. I'm now an "adult" or something? So, to celebrate my newfound college degree, I'm going to talk about moisturizers. I'm sure my professors would be so proud.
During the dry Pennsylvania winters my oily skin develops dry spots, proof that there is no skin so bad it can't get worse. For most of my time at college, I used an intensive moisturizer from a local store in Eugene, recommended to me by a dermatologist. It smells divine, but is best for nighttime moisturization (according to the spellcheck on blogger, that is not a word...moisturizing? moisturifying?) because it tends to leave a film on the skin which doesn't get along well with makeup. Sometimes, when I was willing to put in the extra effort, I used a cotton ball to apply extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at night, which is really moisturizing and great for dry skin, but unless you want to walk around smelling like Italian food all day, I recommend only using it at night. I found it most effective to spread it over my face, let it sit while I brushed my teeth and stuff, and then wipe off the excess with another cotton ball. Contrary to what you might think, putting oil on oily skin can often be beneficial, hence the popularity of the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), which I may try sometime this summer.
The order I made at Sephora late this winter put my points balance above 100, the time at which bigger freebies can be gotten (and also a good idea to register for a Sephora account before making any orders, because the points don't expire, so even if you order rarely, you'll still eventually get free stuff), and I timed my order (the samples change ~weekly) such that I was able to get a very high-value freebie: a 1 oz sample of DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew (worth $22.75!). I apologize for all of the parentheses in that last sentence, but there was a lot of extra info I wanted to give, and I'm too lazy to construct separate sentences for the clauses. Anyways: the DDF stuff is great. It's lightweight, spreads easily, provides enough moisture for my oily skin without making me slippery or over-moisturized, and absorbs really quickly. I don't know how well it would work for me in the dead of winter, but for late winter and early spring it was great. It also says it's anti-aging, but that's not really an issue for me yet, at least when it comes to my skin (the grey hairs are a problem, though).
The advent of sunny weather, though, had me searching for a new moisturizer with SPF, since the version of Dew I had was lacking that (I see that they now have one with SPF 15, but it's $40, which is straight-up out of my price range). Sephora had their Sun Safety Kit, since discontinued because it sold out, alas, which came with several deluxe samples of moisturizers and sunscreens. I've tried them all, though not extensively or rigorously, and will review them over the next few weeks as I can. I've been so sweaty the past couple weeks that any conclusions about their effectiveness is pretty much moot, but I'll hopefully be able to get a better feel for them in a non-humid environment.
During the dry Pennsylvania winters my oily skin develops dry spots, proof that there is no skin so bad it can't get worse. For most of my time at college, I used an intensive moisturizer from a local store in Eugene, recommended to me by a dermatologist. It smells divine, but is best for nighttime moisturization (according to the spellcheck on blogger, that is not a word...moisturizing? moisturifying?) because it tends to leave a film on the skin which doesn't get along well with makeup. Sometimes, when I was willing to put in the extra effort, I used a cotton ball to apply extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at night, which is really moisturizing and great for dry skin, but unless you want to walk around smelling like Italian food all day, I recommend only using it at night. I found it most effective to spread it over my face, let it sit while I brushed my teeth and stuff, and then wipe off the excess with another cotton ball. Contrary to what you might think, putting oil on oily skin can often be beneficial, hence the popularity of the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), which I may try sometime this summer.
The order I made at Sephora late this winter put my points balance above 100, the time at which bigger freebies can be gotten (and also a good idea to register for a Sephora account before making any orders, because the points don't expire, so even if you order rarely, you'll still eventually get free stuff), and I timed my order (the samples change ~weekly) such that I was able to get a very high-value freebie: a 1 oz sample of DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew (worth $22.75!). I apologize for all of the parentheses in that last sentence, but there was a lot of extra info I wanted to give, and I'm too lazy to construct separate sentences for the clauses. Anyways: the DDF stuff is great. It's lightweight, spreads easily, provides enough moisture for my oily skin without making me slippery or over-moisturized, and absorbs really quickly. I don't know how well it would work for me in the dead of winter, but for late winter and early spring it was great. It also says it's anti-aging, but that's not really an issue for me yet, at least when it comes to my skin (the grey hairs are a problem, though).
The advent of sunny weather, though, had me searching for a new moisturizer with SPF, since the version of Dew I had was lacking that (I see that they now have one with SPF 15, but it's $40, which is straight-up out of my price range). Sephora had their Sun Safety Kit, since discontinued because it sold out, alas, which came with several deluxe samples of moisturizers and sunscreens. I've tried them all, though not extensively or rigorously, and will review them over the next few weeks as I can. I've been so sweaty the past couple weeks that any conclusions about their effectiveness is pretty much moot, but I'll hopefully be able to get a better feel for them in a non-humid environment.
