What price beauty? Some folks spend thousands and thousands of dollars on cosmetics and cosmetic surgery to look just so (Heidi Montag, I’m looking at you… and shuddering in HORROR). Others, like yours truly, try to get by with inexpensive basics, offset by the occasional beauty splurge.
As I often stated in the annals of this here blog, I really only bust out the big bucks for two things, professional highlights/hair cut and pedicures. Aside from these treats, I usually cap out at $20 per beauty buy. And that $20 or so is deployed only for the hard core stuff – skin care.
My skin, in a word, sucks. As soon as I (or Barack Obama, whoever is first) get decent healthcare coverage, I totally need to see a dermatologist for my melasma/dark splotches/age spots/whatever-the-heck-is-making-my-skin-look-like-poo.
There isn’t enough makeup in the world to make my skin tone look even. However, I keep trying to improve the situation – and smooth out my wrinkly eye sockets, too – with a variety of over the counter skin products. The latest in a long line of failed attempts is this:
Tone Correcting Daily Moisturizer with Helioplex and Retinol SA by Neutrogena, available at Target in skin care aisle for $17.99, plus tax. Less than $20! Woot! Ummm… sorry. I got carried away there for a moment by the inexpensiveness of it all.
Now, I shouldn’t call it a failure – I haven’t even slapped it on my face yet. But my long and checkered history with Neutrogena has been, well, checkered. The first Retinol cream I tried actually smoothed my skin nicely and seemed to reduce the appearance of my brown spots. I also didn’t see any additional spottiness on my face while I used it – Helioplex for the win!
However, the second ‘new and improved’ bottle I tried – Neutrogena seems to reformulate their stuff once every six months or so – did nothing. No smoothing, no spot reduction, no nothing. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t help. And at $17.99 a tube, I expect help, however small it might be.
The third time was not the charm – it was the FAIL. The last time I used a Retinol product from Neutrogena, my skin broke out into a dry, patchy rash. I already have zits, brown spots and wrinkles up in there. Dry splotches just add insult to injury.
But the fourth time? The FOURTH time, the skin cream stood up! I mean, it worked – smooth skin, less splotches, even less zits. That is, until I got to the end of the bottle and it went from awesomely effective to ‘ick, this is making my skin dry and patchy once more.’ Sigh.
Why would I spend $18 to try, try again? Because I am a sucker for over the counter Retinol products. And since Neutrogena is constantly working on their stuff to make it better, faster and stronger, maybe this latest batch will do the trick… and not trick me out of my $17.99 plus tax.
Now it’s time to spread the wealth – what skin care goodies are you spreading on your face today? And what did you pay for them?
9 Comments
I am so dull. I use Clinique Moisturizer on my skin and that is about it. When I do get a pimple (once every 4 months or so) that is usually DEAD CENTER on my face, I use Neutrogena zit coverup that also has that peroxide stuff in it to make th zit go away. Concealment and treatment, all in one tube.
Occasionally my rosacea rears its’ ugly head and then I use this green face cream (seriously, it is pale green) from Just for Redheads to even it out. But only if I am going somewhere fancy. Otherwise everyone thinks I am constantly hot flashing.
Like you know, I am SO not the beauty queen. Not even on the Beauty Court. Never even got a tiara. However, my skin is starting to look ever so wrinkly around the forehead area, and I am going to take your experience and use it to my advantage when I eventually get around to putting something on it. Someday.
I would pay more for a product from a dermatologist or higher end skincare company in this case. You’ve probably spent a total of $100 on this product alone, which has only worked less than half the time. Since it’s your face (front and center! and you’re on TV!) and you only get one, it would probably be a better use of your time and money to consult a pro (doc or cosmetologist) and stockpile a year’s supply before May 1.
I’ve learned that dermatologist products are worth the investment — and they last twice as long because you don’t have to use as much. One OTC moisturizer I’ve had luck with is called Amlactin. I think it runs around $25 a bottle at Walgreens.
Cheap Chick, have you tried a skincare line called DHC? It’s catalog or online only, as I have yet to find a store within this whole state that carries the stuff. Anyways, their skin primer (called Velvet Skin Coat) is WONDERFUL. While it doesnt treat uneven skin tone per se, it does give your skin a beautiful even texture that makes makeup coverage look flawless. I also have very uneven skin tone, and haven’t found anything that works short of just piling on the makeup. But with the DHC stuff, I can use way less makeup, get better coverage, and it stays on longer, too. Best of all, it fills in those lil’ wrinkles like nobody’s business.
They also have a good olive oil based cleanser that makes your skin look amazing. I use the cleanser and find that I often don’t need a seperate moisturizer (which saves loads of money in the long run!)
Hmm, I use the same Neutrogena product. At least, I think so — the packaging only seems a tiny bit different in this photo. I’ve had pretty good luck with mine. But if I stop for a bit, then re-start, my skin reacts like it’s brand new all over again. I find that when I use a certain cream afterwards, my eyes temporarily water a wee bit after using the Neutrogena serum. So I’ve learned to adapt when I do choose said product. While it hasn’t significantly lightened my icky spots and portions that I hate, it has turned out to work better than the Boots Protect & Perfect serum. But maybe the Neutrogena version that I have is no more.
On a more regular basis, I use Kirk’s Castille Soap or Cetaphil to cleanse my face, then a moisture cream. The soap (I get mine at Cub) is around $3 for 3 bars and lasts a long time. It’s gentle on my skin, no problems. The Cetaphil is about $9 for the large pump (16 ozs., I think). But if you keep an eye out in magazines, you’ll find $2 off coupons. Cool deal, even if it’s not on sale. Every now and then, I give the Queen Helene green goop a whirl — tubes, maybe $3 or $4 at Walgreen’s, and the big fat jar at Sally’s for a little more (but still a fab deal).
I use a Eucerin face cleanser pump that I’ve used for quite awhile on my dry skin. I can’t find it in stores anymore, so buy several at a time at http://www.drugstore.com. For lotion I use a Neutrogena eye cream and Neutrogena “Intensified Day Moisture spf15″ for day and “Light Night Cream” for night. I’ve used these for quite a few years and it keeps my skin nice and moisturized, not dry. Haven’t tried any anti-aging stuff yet, but may want to go that way soon, just leery of changing up something that seems to be working.
I have had horrible dark spots with the smallest blemish since I was a teen. I blame my olive skin tone and combination skin (combo being dry/oily/wrinkled). I’ve been to the dermatologist several times, but typically, my skin would get so dry where I was applying the lightener or retinol that I got a blemish from the dried skin.
I just started using Clinique’s dark spot corrector. I luuuuuuurve it because it’s working without drying. It is $50 but it saved me a $25 co-pay to see the dermatologist and likely another $50 in a prescription copay (I don’t have great healthcare coverage).
I’ve been using Neutrogena for years and since I have pretty sensitive skin, I’m sticking with it. I typically use the non-foaming cleanser and non-alcohol toner for cleaning. For daytime, I’ve used their moisturizer with SPF 15, but am now trying Target’s version of it, which seems to be doing pretty well and is a few bucks cheaper. At night, I use Garnier Fructis Skin Renew. Once in awhile, I’ll do a mud mask from the Boots line.
Fortunately for me, if I show my skin a little love and attention, it seems to do well. Granted, I also have great genes – shout out and thanks to my Mom and Dad!!
I think every woman should own a copy of Dr. Leslie Baumann’s “The Skin Type Solution”. I have oily, sensitive, very fair skin, which is a serious pain in the butt. I always struggled with finding things that would be gentle on my skin without giving me the greasies. Add that to the fact that I was really beginning to show my age. You take a quiz and determine your skin type based on oily vs. dry; sensitive vs. resistant; pigmented vs. non-pigmented; and wrinkled vs. tight. She then gives you lists of products in all price ranges and tells you how to use them, as well as ingredients to look for and avoid. It has saved me countless dollars on products that don’t work. My skin has never looked better, and I actually look younger than I did five years ago when I bought the book. There is bound to be the right combination of products to help you. Worth every penny!