<p>Aveeno Moisturizer with SPF 15. Love the way that my face feels all day when I apply it in the morning.</p>
<p>Soozie, having seen you, I think your current routine is working fine!</p>
<p>Re post #41 (Consumer Reports list)—I happened to be in France shortly after the CR article appeared. An American woman told me about the cream that topped the list, one that is not available in the US. It is Diadermine Expert Rides and comes in day and night versions. I brought some back and really like the moisturizing effect with a non greasy feel. Now I bribe people going to Europe to bring a jar or two home for me. It cost about $12 US then but is a bit more now.</p>
<p>emeraldkity4: Have you or your MD considered that you might have Sjogren’s syndrome. It’s an autoimmune disease that targets the moisture-producing glands in the body & causes dry eye, dry mouth among other things. You can also have dry skin.<br>
It’s more annoying than serious, but because of dry mouth you have to be more vigilant to check for tooth decay.
Not looking to diagnose you, but alot of symptoms made sense to me after I was diagnosed with it.</p>
<p>My absolute favorite: Dr. Hauschka’s Quince Cream. It’s an organic cream created by a well known German company. Soaks in instantly, leaves no greasy residue, and moisturizes all day even in the dry Colorado climate I live in where nose bleeds are more common than the common cold. You can buy it at Whole Foods for about $30/tube (which goes a long way considering its size.) But I scour Ebay to save a few bucks.</p>
<p>Confession time: I don’t wash my face at night (unless I have make-up on, which isn’t very often) – it would be way too drying. I’ve been doing this (or not doing it, as the case may be) since I was a teenager. </p>
<p>I hardly ever had pimples as a teen – something I attribute to my mother’s severely dry skin. I can’t use any of the Strivectin type stuff – very irritating/burning. I have used an eye cream since my early 20’s – who knows if it’s done any good? I’m currently using an eye cream by MAC – leaves the under eye skin feeling smooth, but doesn’t do much for the dark circles. Does anything, except concealer?</p>
<p>I’m not one to spend really big bucks on any kind of beauty routine, but might splurge if I knew for sure that something would actually make a difference. But, I’m cynical enough to believe that nothing does, and that the old saying really is true – cosmetic companies are selling hope in a bottle.</p>
<p>ROC Retinol at night.</p>
<p>if you don’t have too much gray then do it at home. use a semi-permanent hair color. You won’t get roots and it really makes my hair soft. I do it every other month or so.</p>
<p>Have asked around and apparently, flaky skin around the nose, eyebrows, mouth and chin combined with oily skin could be seborrheic dermatitis. The treatment is a fungal cream like Lotrimin or hydrocortisone cream or even dandruff shampoo, not moisturizer. I think I will give these a try. Emeraldkity, maybe they would work for you as well? At least it won’t make much of a dent on your budget.</p>
<p>For someone who is contemplating a Clairsonic brush, I suggest buying it from a place that allow you to return it. I had read really good reviews about it but I have one and I personally don’t think it does much. It actually belongs to my daughter and I honestly do not see any improvement in her skin’s condition - the black heads and congested pores and pimples are still around. </p>
<p>I think an aspirin mask is more effective to shrink pores and much cheaper.</p>
<p>I went to an Arbonne party, just for the facial treatment. It made my skin feel wonderful, so I hosted a party myself, and bought the very expensive products at a great discount. For the 6 months those products lasted, I thought they were the best ever, if not as ‘natural’ as promoted. After that time, I returned to my Oil of Olay standard, with Clinique sunscreen. I need more moisturing than the Olay provides. </p>
<p>Anyone else have opinions about Arbonne? It really seems a rip off, if making my skin feel, and perhaps look better.</p>
<p>I use a prescription-strength Retin A at night. I started out using it every other day. During the day, I use an SPF 35 Obagi sun screen and generally don’t use moisturizer. Even though I’m over 50, I still have oily skin (especially the t-zone) and adding moisturizer to the sun screen is just too much grease for me. I’m considering using the whole line of Obagi products, but it seems complicated and I really don’t feel like spending that much time before I go to bed at night. I also use the Obagi eye cream–Elastaderm?? (I think that’s what it’s called.) Also, the dermatologist is my new best friend. I had a series of laser treatments to get rid of spider veins and brown spots. I also did a chemical peel. It was the best money I spent in quite some time; my skin looks great.</p>
<p>I’m with the Aveeno fans - use it twice a day. I buy the regular oatmeal daily moisturizing lotion 18 oz. (not the sunscreen stuff; I’m not sure that sunscreen actually prevents cancer) - which lasts about 4 months and costs about $8. A bottle of Head and Shoulders, a bar of soap and some Suave creme rinse, and you have the sum total of my makeup and beauty regime… Anything else would be like putting lipstick on a pig! Really, if folks didn’t have my frown lines and wrinkles to look at, they might have to look at my gray hairs or chicken pox/acne scars or mole or enlarged pores. It’s a slippery slope when it comes to improving one’s appearance, so I just don’t bother to engage in the whole process. 
(Sure makes getting ready to go to work quick and easy!)</p>
<p>^^^Anxiousmom, sunscreen prevents more than cancer: It prevents sun damage, which results in age spots, wrinkles, and just plain looking older. </p>
<p>Munchkin: Tell us more about an “aspirin mask.”</p>
<p>mousegray, I had seborrheic dermatitis (red, flaky patches in the places you describe, combined with very oily skin), and tried all sorts of creams, both prescription and non. What worked beautifully for me was Olay Regenerist lotion - within a few weeks the patches were gone and have never returned, so I am now a devoted Olay user. I realize that everyone’s skin is different, so this might not work for all cases, but I had amazing results.</p>
<p>VeryHappy: I posted about it earlier. Just take a couple of ASA tablets, crush it as fine as you can, and make it into a paste, I like to use aloe vera gel, add a drop of oil if you find it too drying - doesn’t much matter what - even cooking oil and voila - aspirin mask. The active ingredient is salicylic acid and the main effect of the mask (hopefully) is gentle exfoliation resulting in smaller pores, a firmer skin and less oily skin. </p>
<p>I agree with Bromfield regarding lasers and peels and their effectiveness. I think it is better use for my money than very expensive creams such as La Mer. After I hit fifty I got very interested in skin care (by necessity) and researched on a lot of products. I also experimented with a lot of ingredients. I made my own version of La Mer with a higher concentration of the active ingredients (sea kelp bioferment). I tried my own Obagi peels with a higher percentage of TCA & hydroquinone. Except for the peels which I don’t recommend for the faint of heart to do it yourself, none of the creams/lotions I tried will be as effective as laser and plastic surgery. </p>
<p>I would like to have some as soon I finish paying for college. :)</p>
<p>Ditto an earlier post re: emeraldkitty perhaps being evaluated for Sjogren’s syndrome (if you don’t mind the advice). My sis-in-law had it – all the symptoms you described. A rheumatologist can evaluate. It’s not a terrible thing, but worth exploring, I’d think, if you have symptoms…</p>
<p>Bromfield: I am interested in the laser treatments for spider veins on my face, but since I’m unemployed right now, I can’t justify spending the money (which of course isn’t covered by insurance, nor should it be). How many times did you go before you saw a difference? Did it hurt? How long did each treatment take? Did you look worse for a while before you looked better? etc. etc. etc.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>
Not if you have rosacea. </p>
<p>I’m not quite over 50 yet but I sure would like to find something that works better than what I’ve tried (various Olay, Clinique, Lauder stuff). Anybody else around here with rosacea?</p>
<p>I tried Regenerist a couple of weeks ago. For two days, I thought I’d found the Fountain of Youth - my face looked fabulous, and five (if not more) years younger. Then my skin turned flaming red and itchy . . . and then it peeled . . . and I’m back to some basic Olay thing.</p>
<p>Have you tried Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion? It is inexpensive and it has very little smell, and the oatmeal in it is calming…
Yes - I think we are all interested!!! Please do tell… I don’t wear make-up, but I wouldn’t mind having my spider veins disappear and I’ve always wondered if it is an affordable option!</p>