Category Archives: Moisturizers

New From Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare and Peter Thomas Roth

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A few new launches have caught my eye recently in a vast landscape of ‘more of the same.’ I haven’t tried either one, but I’m looking forward to checking out new innovations by two companies I’ve grown to really love.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare has a new Vitamin D Serum Oil $65 for those of us who are so good with sunscreen that the sun’s own vitamins can’t penetrate to nourish the skin. I was way low on D years ago because I’m a crazed SPF weirdo and now take a vitamin D daily, but haven’t explored using it topically until seeing this serum. It’s formulated to be available to the skin without sunlight and they mixed it with Vitamins A, E, B, CoQ10, as well as Glycolic and Ferulic Acids to get some hydrating and brightening benefits in there as well.

Peter Thomas Roth added a new addition to their way popular Un-Wrinkle line to hydrate and brighten up dull skin. Illuminator Instant Brightening Moisturizer $68 combines 3 color correcting shades of light pigment that blend with the skin to brighten dullness and neutralize redness. For me, the home-run is the combo of a wrinkle fighter with a skin perfecter – I love multi-tasking skincare that helps your skin to look great so you don’t need to use as much makeup in the end.

PCA Skin Clearskin

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I love PCA Skin and their effective professional grade line of affordable skin treatments, so when Dermstore.com reached out offering a voucher good on any product on their site in exchange for an honest review of what I chose, I had to get something I hadn’t tried from PCA. My skin is temperamental with breakouts that come and go, so I explored their moisturizers to see if they had something for my crazy skin. I ended up choosing Clearskin mostly because of its almost 200 glowing reviews from really happy customers who claim it changed their skin and now they’re totally loyal.

It’s not designed to be an acne treatment, though its antibacterial properties make it perfect for that sort of thing – it clarifies and heals using vitamins and natural acids in a base of aloe to improve the look of all types of skin. It has a texture that could be pump-dispensed so don’t let the jar fool you, it isn’t heavy. More of a gel-cream really. Dry skin might need to add moisture on top, other skins will find it hydrating enough.  I loved how soft my skin felt and how it alive and clear it looked after a few week’s use. It’s also great for redness, fading old acne scars, and balancing oil over time – which I’m excited to see happen over the next few months.

I would buy Clearskin – especially with the $32 price tag, well within reason for a good moisturizer and skin treatment rolled into one.

Check out PCA Clearskin at dermstore.com

Atopalm Daytime Undermakeup Moisture Cream

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If Atopalm is good enough for the seasoned Makeup Artists who I saw using the stuff on model’s parched, overworked faces backstage at fashion week, it’s way good enough for you. Don’t take their word for it though, you can also browse the gazillian reviews on sites like Dermstore to see that people go wild for their moisturizers that perfectly prime the skin for makeup. As you can imagine, I was psyched to get a sample of their new Daytime Undermakeup Moisture Cream to see if it could stand up to the hype I’ve been giving it in my own head. Thankfully, it does.

There’s nothing too sexy about it – no big price tag, glittery presentation or sweet smell – just a fantastic light cream without parabens to calm and soothe even the most sensitive skin. Don’t let the undermakeup thing throw you off either, it balances the skin and holds in moisture so foundation blends beautifully but it’s completely fine for use at night as well. I found it to be one of the most neutral moisturizers I’ve ever felt on my skin, meaning my skin just felt like skin – not slippery or shiny or tacky, just the way it should without all the crazy stuff we tend slather on top that disguises our natural skin’s texture.

I like it and I like the price ($18). I think this and their best-selling original will be my new go-to moisturizers for my kit since they’re calming and suitable for all skin types.

Atopalm Daytime Undermakeup Moisture Cream found at Dermstore, Skinstore, and Atopalm.com

Natural Solutions for Dry Skin

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If you want to improve dry skin using naturally formulated products, look for ones that contain essential oils, shea butters, and food-based ingredients to help restore the skin’s lipid barrier by providing a big (chemical free) drink of moisture. Here are a few I’ve tried that can really help to bring dry skin into a more quenched state.

Cleanser:

H2O Sea Pure Creamy Facial Cleanser

Those with dry skin should avoid gel and soap cleansers that can strip away needed moisture. Sea Pure’s Creamy Cleanser uses citrus oils to melt away dirt and makeup in a soft, cushiony formula that leaves skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. It’s one of their best sellers with good reason, it’s hard to find a cleanser that foams up without stripping the skin. It’s just a bonus that it’s without sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, pthalates, and synthetic chemicals.

Exfoliant:

Arcona Golden Grain Gommage

I first met the Arcona team backstage at Fashion Week a few years ago and I fell instantly in love with the small-batched line that’s been pioneering chic, holistic skincare since the 80′s. Arcona’s Golden Grain Gommage is perfect for dry skin, it’s full of essential fatty acids, lemon extract, and oatmeal to soothe and gently buff away dullness associated with dryness in an ultra gentle way.

Moisturizer:

Bioelements All things Pure Moisturizer

I love the All Things Pure Moisturizer, an organically formulated 12 ingredient cream that uses the best of nature to moisturize even the driest of skins. I gave mine to a friend with skin so dry, she stacked on 2 heavy moisturizers day and night just to get some relief. She’s now totally committed to the whole ATP line since the moisturizer successfully renewed her moisture levels and gave her skin a whole new look. (She also swears by their Eye Oil which she also uses on her driest spots pre-moisturizer.)

Balm:

Decleor Aroma Night Angélique Nourishing Night Balm

You haven’t felt pure moisture until you’ve tried one of Decleor’s balms. They’re known for their soft solid essential oil based balms that melt and glide into the skin. Angélique is a mix of 7 of the most hydrating oils blended together to nourish the skin overnight so you wake up with softer, hydrated, and ready for makeup skin.

Murad Complete Reform

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Because I have just one face, I often times pair up friends and clients with products I receive so they can give them a try and report back. It’s what I did a few months ago with Murad’s Complete Reform when I met a mother of a bride-to-be who was asking what she could use on her skin to get it ready for her daughter’s big day. She said she noticed a lack of firmness and an overall dullness that was the result of too much sun over the years and hormonal changes.  Fast forward to when I saw her last week at her daughter’s wedding, her skin was glowing as was her review of Complete Reform.

She said she could feel from the very first use that her skin felt tighter (it’s supposed to give an instant ‘lift’ on contact) and with each week she could see the contours of her face a little better and the overall texture of her skin had changed- it was also soft as glass. She was using a lightweight tinted moisturizer instead of heavy makeup and was now on her 2nd bottle.

I love it when products perform as promised! Check out Murad online, or at Sephora.