It seems to little ole PeaceBang here that the price of cosmetics has just skyrocketed lately — especially skin care. I went to the Rite-Aid to purchase a little bottle of moisturizer that I could tuck into my overnight bag and was blown away by the difficulty of finding something simple and affordable, not to mention small in size. If you have suffered either physically or psychologically because a beauty treatment has gone wrong, visit beautytreatmentclaims.co.uk to get help.
Good Golly, Miss Molly! I have very sensitive skin and I don’t want to use something with a lot of fragrance or irritants (Oil of Olay, L’Oreal, Garnier Nutrisse, you’re all out). But after I’ve eliminated the smelly itchy products, shouldn’t there be some more options out there that don’t have a barrage of SPECIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS in them that raise the price of the goo way up past ten bucks? I mean, this is just my overnight bag we’re talking about, not my nightly regimen. Whatever happened to a simple little night cream, for the love of Joan Crawford?
PeaceBang loves to comb the aisles of drugstores as much as any other product junkie, but this was just Not. Fun. Aveeno, huge bottles of product and just too expensive. I love Neutrogena, but $21 for a little tube of sumthin-sumthin? I don’t think so. I know it’s stupid but I don’t like to use SPF on my face over night, so all of those options were out (I already have a little SPF day cream product for my overnight bag).
What gives? There was a time not so long ago when a person could purchase a skin cream that just helped stave off dehydration for the night and didn’t promise to balance your checkbook, sort your sock drawer, solve the energy crisis and write your dissertation for you at the same time. You could just, you know, moisturize your face for like six bucks, and it worked, and you didn’t smell like a slightly fruit-scented chemical cocktail, either.
Please, pigeons, recommendations!!
I don’t know for sure, but I’m betting it’s the same thing that’s causing all the prices to go up. A lot of the products have petroleum-based ingredients, they’re in petroleum-based packaging, and they have to be transported. I’m sticking with Aveeno, but you’re right, the containers are too big for travel.
Eucerin? I don’t put stuff on my face but it’s great for dry skin in general, and there’s nothing in it to be un-gentle.
I second the Eucerin recommendation. They have lots of good things. I particularly like their redness relief soothing night cream, which is very nice on sensitive skin and comes in a small enough container to travel with.
Hallelujah! I am so with you about not using SPF for nighttime, it’s a waste of sunscreen. I’ve been using Fresh’s umbrian clay lotion, but it’s a pretty big container and it was a way expensive impulse buy.
I swear by Dr. Hauschka for day -care. I might cost a pretty penny over there but it´s really worth it. And it´s NOT Petroleum based. It has unfortunately no SPF itself but I mix it with some Sun-screen for day care.
A very good and cheap option for moisturizing is Nivea (you know the stuff in the blue tins- yeah, its still tins in good ole Germany).
Its cheap and good.
I use it as night-cream and hand-cream.
Even my auntie swore by it and she did not only try almost everything but could also aford the really expensive stuff.
I’m a Clinique girl. You know, the plain yellow stuff. It’s a splurge, but I always stock up when they are offering a free gift. The gift usually comes with a tiny bottle of moisturizer, and then my travel is covered.
Last time I went to the store to buy such things (after your recommendations for better skin care–thanks again), I got a small jar of Neutrogena Light Night Cream. It’s unscented and not too expensive, and at 2.25oz, the small jar can travel.
m
First time commentor, just need to say I love your blog!
I’d recommend Paula Begoun’s http://www.beautypedia.com website in general for makeup and skin care recommendations, she rates products on their ingredients and what they can and cannot do (since so many cosmetics make claims that aren’t true.)
Anyway, I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion, Night, which is about $12. It does contain alpha hydroxy to exfoliate the skin. I checked that website and for senstive skin (since you like Neutrogena) Paula recommends the Healthy Skin Lotion for Senstive Skin and Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin. Both are also about $12.
There should be a section of the drug store that sells small, empty bottles for travel. I then fill the little up from my big huge pump bottle of Aveeno and toss ’em in the go-bag.
Have to, have to recommend Cetaphil! It’s inexpensive and so gentle. When I can’t find travel sizes, I just put some in a small plastic bottle.
Arline
Can’t you decant some of your regular stuff into smaller bottles? [I do, but I find that a lot of the product gets wasted in the process — the bottles don’t seem to “give up” the lotion easily and a lot winds up stuck at the bottom. I do use small tubs that I get free from Sephora for some things. – PB]
Or, I just discovered Udderly Smooth which comes in small (60g/2 oz) tubes as well as larger containers. I found it at a knitting store as it’s popular with people who work with delicate fibres that can snag on rough skin. It’s got almost no scent and is non-greasy. I like it a lot.
Peacebang,
Try shopping the baby aisle. There are smaller sizes and many unscented products. The Aveeno in the baby aisle is the same thing in the regular aisle but several dollars less.
If you want to pay more, but get better product, try Skin Rescue Cream from Max Green Alchemy. There is a travel size, but even the regular size is only 4 oz. It really has rescued my skin.
This is my night cream. You appear to be able to get it in the US too. I use the whole range and my skin has improved since I started using it (although at thirty my teenage spots have never completely gone away). I am a Peacebang convert to eye cream.
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bodyshop/browse/product_detail.jsp?categoryId=cat30016&productId=prod6410017
[Hi Marie, Thanks for reminding me of the Body Shop. I like their products and this one looks good! – PB]
Udderly Smooth is also at the CVS. Very cheap. I’ve never used it on my face, though.
In the past year I have rediscoverd Avon. I love the Dramatic firming cream. I am 43, and don’t need dramatic (yet!), but find this is perfect for me at night. Light and doesn’t break me out.
http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?src_page=promotions_list.asp&level1_id=300&level2_id=0&pdept_id=0&dept_id=0&pf_id=31588&department=promotions
Ummm…what’s a night cream? [A facial moisturizer that you put on before bed. It is usually more emollient and has different active ingredients than your daily moisturizer. My daily moisturizer is very light and has SPF in it. My night cream is heavier and has retinol and other anti-aging, anti-oxidant ingredients in it. – PB]
Laura
I’m a first time contributor, but just want to recommend Goat’s Milk Soap. I have used it for years (I am 61 now) and find that its ability to keep skin moist and supple is unexcelled. It is relatively cheap to buy, lasts a long time, and here in Vermont can be found at farmers markets, making the transaction a locally-supporting one as well.
Ah, now I have had my little rant, I want to tell you that I have enjoyed your column for a long time. I am a teacher at a Community College, and find your beauty advice right on for my profession as well. Thank you!!
For those of you in the Bay Area, I would recommend this chamomile lavender face moisturizer from Body Time (http://www.bodytimeproducts.com/arcamlavfacm.html). A clerical colleague once gave me some as a gift, and I swear by it, esp as a slightly cheaper alternative to Kiehls.
I freak my skin out frequently by testing fancy products that I get to review, or from my sister who works as a rep for a French skincare company. My skin is so sensitive, and cannot handle it.
I just bought a HUGE tub of really plain, really thick Eucerin, and decanted a little into a small jar for the medicine cabinet. Despite it’s thickness, I read that a lot of people use it for faces. I have been doing so for about a week and my skin has calmed down, and is all hydrated and soft.
It also comes in small tubes.
Cetaphil recently come out with a facial lotion, big tube for $10. I haven’t tried it yet, but I love their gentle facial cleansers and hand lotions. Their lotion in a pump is gentle enough for my face, the hand cream is a little too thick.
My splurge is DHC products from Japan. They have an acerola gel face lotion that makes my skin look just yummy!!!
http://www.dhccare.com/dhc/