Thursday, August 14, 2008

Informal Product Review: Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

(1:48:37 AM) me (goog): As a metrosexual wannabe, I want to moisturize, in the hope that this will help control the rampant acne which apparently thinks I'm about 24 years younger all of a sudden. But moisturizer makes me feel like my face is oily and needs to get washed. Is this simply something I should get used to, or are moisturizers supposed to make you feel clean while tricking your oil glands into thinking they can go on holiday?
(1:50:38 AM) Sarah: No, it's a sign you're using the wrong moisturizer. I would recommend Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.
(1:51:08 AM) Sarah: It's designed for oily or combination skin and once it soaks in you really don't feel like you have anything on your face.
(1:51:52 AM) Sarah: If you'd like, I can send you my almost empty bottle so you can test drive it. I've got to order a new bottle anyway.
(1:52:41 AM) me (goog): It seems like a bit of a waste to send an almost empty bottle. But if it's cheap, then I have no objection to you giving me free stuff. :)
(1:52:59 AM) Sarah: I do think it will make a HUGE difference for your skin. I find it especially helps to keep the areas that you're treating for acne with Oxy or whatever from going all red and dry and flaky.
(1:53:18 AM) Sarah: It's probably got enough for two weeks, twice a day application, I'm just lazy.
(1:53:29 AM) Sarah: I mean my 3/4 empty bottle.
(1:54:01 AM) Sarah: They don't sell sample sizes of it, and it is pretty expensive for you to buy if you find you don't like it.
(1:54:14 AM) Sarah: Though I suppose you could always give your leftovers to me.
(1:54:14 AM) me (goog): As a follow up, moisturizers for men all have some sun protection and occasionally say they're ok after shaves too. Is this multitasking counterproductive, or brilliant? And why don't they combine acne fighting with all that other stuff?
(1:54:40 AM) Sarah: Those questions actually go hand in hand.
(1:54:53 AM) Sarah: The reason they are not acne fighting is because all sunscreens clog pores.
(1:55:27 AM) Sarah: Also, all moisturizer with sunscreen does not let your face breath as well as moisturizer without - so you get that "I need to wash my face" feeling all day.
(1:55:48 AM) me (goog): Ahhh...I begin to see how this all ties together.
(1:56:05 AM) me (goog): Clogging pores, it is bad, no?
(1:56:28 AM) Sarah: I do have one moisturizer that I have used for over three years that is 25 SPF and doesn't make me break out, but it's discontinued and I plan to secretly buy up all the remaining bottles on the shelves, so I can't tell you what it is.
(1:56:37 AM) Sarah: Clogging pores is very bad.
(1:56:47 AM) Sarah: But skin cancer is bad too.
(1:57:32 AM) Sarah: I use the Clinique before bed or when I know I'm not going to go outside and the super secret SPF 25 moisturizer when I know I'll be outside.
(1:57:58 AM) me (goog): I'm not against sunblock qua sunblock, but clearly moisturizers that feel like they have to be sunblocks too are defeating my purposes for moisturizer.
(1:58:16 AM) Sarah: I am not entirely clear what an aftershave is supposed to do, so I'm not sure whether a moisturizer could also be an aftershave.
(1:58:28 AM) Sarah: Yes. I think you'd be better off going with the Clinique and a hat.
(1:59:11 AM) Sarah: And only going in for sunscreen when you're planning to be outside, then when you come home, immediately wash your face, apply toner, then apply Clinique.
(1:59:32 AM) me (goog): I could do like you do, if'n I was being outdoorsy. But I've often felt "why am I SPFing myself right before I go to bed?"
(1:59:41 AM) Sarah: Right on.
(1:59:53 AM) Sarah: You should NOT SPF yourself before bed.
(2:00:31 AM) Sarah: And you probably don't need any moisturizer heavier than that specific Clinique I recommended before bed or any other time.
(2:00:37 AM) me (goog): I feel much more knowledgeable about the value and lack thereof of macho moisturizing, and look forward to trying your castoff gel.
(2:00:47 AM) Sarah: Excellent!
(2:01:12 AM) Sarah: I think products for men inadequately address adult acne, but I'm glad to hear they're finally addressing sunscreen.
(2:01:31 AM) Sarah: Though for folks with adult acne, that just puts you another step backward.
(2:05:08 AM) me (goog): Also, this whole conversation will be blogged in 3...2...1...

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"(1:59:53 AM) Sarah: You should NOT SPF yourself before bed."

Words of wisdom there.

BUT! Allow me to intervene, and sound like a nut! There is both a shaving gel that the (few) men in my life now swear by that I have pushed on them, as well as a cleanser and moisturizer that keep me breakout-free! (Ah, combination skin.) Now, the nutbar-sounding part, they are all from the same place. (I receive no kickbacks!)

www.cosmeticscop.com

for shaving gel, go to "skin care", then "men's skin care", and find "close comfort shave gel". I use the "skin balancing cleanser", the "skin balancing moisture gel", and when quite parched, the "skin recovery super antioxidant concentrate serum".

You can order little samples if you'd like (under "trial/travel sizes").

No pressure, I just love her stuff.

Some of her makeup, I am a bit mixed on, but her skin care is awesome. Although I have yet to check toxicity. *sigh*

Sarah said...

I ran Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel through Skin Deep's database and they gave it a 4 rating, meaning it's a moderate hazard.

Skin Deep doesn't have Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel already rated and I don't have the ingredients at hand to run them through myself. I'll look into it pronto. The other Clinique products they have rated range between 2 and 7, so they're not consistent. Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy a brand confident that the toxicity of its products would be consistent? Preferably consistently low?