Facial moisturizers

[F4iryder14]

I had a question about facial moisturizers that I wanted to post to the great minds on this board.  I have read and heard for a while that a facial moisturizer is a great thing for your face.  I have seen some new ones that have come out by Nivea and the Gillette Skin Care line that have Co-enzyme Q-10 (which I think is the body's natural moisture or it kills free radicals or something, I'm not sure) and they also have an SPF in them, usually a 10 or a 15.  

Now my questions is this - how does a moisturizer, even if it's dermatologist tested or whatnot, not make your face break out?  I don't have a whole lot of problem with break outs, but my father has what is known as adult acne so I might have to watch it as I get older.  It just seems to me that smearing a cream on your face can't help but NOT clog up your pores in some way.  Obviously I don't know much about this stuff, but I would like to start using one to keep my face in good shape and looking young (I'm 25).  And I am looking to buy one of the ones that I mentioned or a similar kind that I can get at Wal-Mart or a comparable store for $10-$15.  I can't afford to drop 40 bucks on a tube of cream.  I also wanted to know when is the best time to use them.  I shower and shave at night, and use Nivea's after shave balm when I feel I need it.  So I figured the best time for a moisturizer would be the morning, and one with an SPF would be good as I am outside a lot for my job.  Also, if anybody knows anything about eye creams and their effectiveness I would love to hear it, unless a moisturizer will do roughly the same thing.  Thanks in advance.

Kevin

 

[jharrison]

Kevin, To answer your first question... Pimples and zits form when excess oil meets dirt. A good moisturizer will be oil-free, and therefore won't clog pores and cause breakouts. Using a moisturizer won't lead to more breakouts. In fact, if you don't use a moisturizer, your skin can become too dry, which will trigger the production of more oil, which leads to more pimples... If you're looking for something inexpensive that you can find at any supermaket or drugstore, I would recommend Cetaphil's Daily Facial Mosturizer. It has an SPF of 15 and contains Parsol 1789 (protects against sun damage). It is a light moisturizer that dermatologists recommend. Whatever you choose, look for something unscented and oil-free (non-comedogenic is what they'll use on the label). Also look for Parsol 1789 and an SPF of 15 or greater. About the eye creams, I haven't used any drugstore brands. I can only recommend Enfuselle's Eye Treatment (click here). At your age, you probably don't need a special product for your eyes. A daily moisturizer should be enough.

 

[matadorpoeta]

i haven't tried the gillette but i can tell you stay clear of the nivea for men. it has an unpleasant scent and doesn't moisturize very effectively.

right now my favorite moisturizer is kiehl's "multi-purpose facial formula for men." it's a moisturizer/after shave balm and gives a nice cooling sensation. it also hydrates very well. there is a light frangrance to it but it fades quickly. i prefer to buy products that are unscented but this one doesn't bother me at all. it comes in a 4.2 oz package for about $20 but it's lasted me about 6 months now.

if you have to have a drugstore brand the only one i can recommend without reservation is curel fragrance free. it hydrates better than any other moisturizer i've used and it has never given me a rash, unlike the other drugstore brands.

 

[Renault78law]

Although you can't find it at the grocery store, I'd highly recommend kiels ultra facial mosturizer with spf. Kiels makes an excellent product...very light, no frangrance, and cruelty free. It's made with squalene, which is very good for your skin. Be sure your daily moisturizer has SPF in it, the sun is bad for you. Look at the kiels website and see what products match your skintype.
I've used a ton of products, including La Mer, and I think Kiels is the best value. It's just a really great basic moisturizer. You can spend more, but at your age (a great time to start taking care of your skin, btw) anything else would be overkill.

 

[LabelKing]

High end moisturizers are concocted in such a way as to be very absorbent whilst still protecting it from UV, etc. However individual results may vary as due to one's personal chemical composition, and such.

La Mer is too rich for summer use but is fine for winter, and drier skin. I have found Erno Laszlo's Antioxidant SPF 15 to have worked well. La Prairie seems also to make an excellent product but I have yet to sample it. The price is a bit prohibitive; $125 for a small bottle.

I wouldn't try the cheaper stuff.

 

[F4iryder14]

Good advice guys, thanks.  I took jharrison's recommendation and just picked up a bottle of the Cetaphil stuff.  As I mentioned in my first post I shower and shave at night, so should I put this stuff on when I wake up before I go to work?  Or should I put it on at night?  Night wouldn't seem as good because I won't need the SPF while I'm sleeping, but my face would be clean. Not sure if it makes a difference, just curious.

Kevin

 

[jharrison]

Kevin,

You hit the nail on the head. You should apply the moisturizer in the morning before your skin is exposed to the sun. I suppose you could use the moisturizer morning and night, but as you have blemish-prone skin, I'd just use it in the morning.

 

[LabelKing]

There is also speical moisturizer for the night as well.

 

[T4phage]

I've have several problems with "break-outs" when using various facial moisturizers (which I badly need). I've tried many various products including those by Kiehl, Roc, La Prairie, etc. But the only product that I find that doesn't cause any problems is: Neutrogena Moisture for sensitive skin - yes the one you find in the drugstores. I always stock up everytime I'm in the States. It's water based, hence it won't block pores, no fragrance, and has a mild spf.

 

[F4iryder14]

Is there any way to tell if you really need a facial moisturizer? Â Like I mentioned before I am 25, and I want to start taking care of my face while I am young so that I can stay looking that way (I sound like a chick...

...geez).  Up until now I have just done the Clearasil (or similar brand) face wash and an Oxy pad of some sort; it seems time to upgrade from that.  A couple people have mentioned face moisturizers on this board at various times, and I have heard them tossed around on the couple of times I have watched Queer Eye (I am not gay, but Kyan "the hygiene guy's" face looks great, and he looks to be about early-mid 30's).  And I am also outside a lot due to my job, so an SPF is needed to prevent sun aging which I definitely don't want. So tonight I bought the Cetaphil moisturizer and some face wash that I put a link to at the bottom of this post.  We'll see how it works. Kevin  http://www.naterra.com/timeb-skincare.asp (I think it's for chicks, but whatever... Â

)

 

[bigbadbuff]

I've tried a lot of brands but Kiehls does it for me. They make the best high-er end 'value' product line that I've seen. Kiehls is a great company and so well regarded for many, many reasons.

My routine:

AM: Shower, Shave, Moisturizer w/ SPF15

PM: Facial Cleanser, light moisturizer.

I use a facial scrub twice a week as well.

It's simple, quick, and hella good for your skin.

 

[arenn1]

Let met just put in another vote for the Kiehl's. It is a fantastic product.

 

[hermes]

moisturizing actually creates a barrier between your skin and the elements

during the day, given the exposure your skin gets from the sun, wind and basic pollution, an spf moisturizer is a very good idea

during the night you'll find if you speak with any dermatologist that they'll indicate that moisturizing at night is actually better as it allows any dry skin to heal faster (no sun or pollutants exposure)

you don't need an spf moisturizer at night, there are plenty of non-spf formulas you can use or special night time hydrating ones etc

the skin in the area under your eye is actually very different to the extreme, the skin is extremely thin and delicate and special under eye moisturizers are required - the skin on your face is much thicker and although a regular moisturizer can assist this area, an under eye complex is recommended

the balance of the information above is very helpful

i can recommend the following that i've had good success with:
anthony logistics spf 15 moisturizer
baxter of california enriched night cream aha moisturizer (very light actually despite the name)
kiehl's lycopene moisturizer
korres borrage spf 6 moisturizer
mens science androceutical oil free moisturizer

baxter of california under eye complex
kiehl's spf under eye and kiehls ultra nourishing under eye creams (i forget the exact long names kiehl's attachs to their products)

hope that helps some

 

[ilvangelo]

I normally get compliments on my skin from my dermatologist and I manage to keep it smooth, thin and with a fresh tone. I own a great part of that to Accutane, since I used it for 6 months when I was younger due to a big acne problem I had. It was a pain while I was on it, but boy, am I grateful for it.

My routine nowadays:

Shower in the morning (don't wash your face with anything other than water) and once or twice a week, Kiehl's Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub before shaving. Then shaving with Art of Shaving's unscented shaving cream, brush and mach3. For an after shave, Biotherm homme's aquatic lotion. As a moisturizer, L'Occitane's Honey facial cream for sensitive skin.
At night, cleanse with one egg white and a soft brush or simply water again. Then Helena Rubinstein's Force C cream.
I still don't use anything for the eye area, so can't give any tips there.

Yours,
IlVangelo

 

[marc37]

Why buy an expensive facial moiturizer made of in-organic minerals and who knows what? Why clog your pores with stuff that is sold to make some businessman a millionaire? Why not apply wheatgrass juice to the face. This will give you the best results at a price of .05 cents a serve.