I am on the lookout for natural products with as little ingredients as possible, to replace my current regimen.
So, on the hunt for a day-time moisturizer that will not:
- smell like sunscreen (BF feels ill when he smells it, because it makes him nauseous)
- sit on my skin like a mask
- not feel oily
..and a moisturizer that will:
- absorb into my skin properly, when I put a teaspoonful on my face (as you should)
- smell great, but not too strong
- work well under a primer like Smashbox’s Primer, or possibly Tarte’s Clean Slate
- make my skin feel soft and moisturized
Enter: Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizer SPF 6
I picked up a sample at Sephora, and have been experimenting with it.
First, by just applying it without washing my face — Bad idea.
Second, by applying it after washing my face — Much better.
And trying different types of primers over it to see how the product pairs up:
- Korres Vitamin E Cream Primer
- Tarte Clean Slate that feels like a Smashbox Primer, is more natural & is cheaper
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Synthetic Dyes
– Petro-Chemicals
– Phthalates
– GMO
– Triclosan
And their supposedly “active” ingredients:
(Which I don’t care too much about (or believe), I just wanted something more natural and moisturizing but I couldn’t care less if it had that stuff below in it)
-Regenerative Oak Extract: Firms and plumps aging skin, radically boosting collagen and elastin production.
-Quercetin Active: Delivers the most active, well-established polyphenol for maximum antioxidant protection; catalyzes proteasome activity in skin cells, dramatically improving cellular function, and creating more youthful, healthy, elastic skin.
-Mourera Fluviatilis: Constantly regulates the optimum hydration of the cells, maintaining their health and improving their quality.
-Myrtle Active Extract: Enhances intercellular communication, visibly increasing skin density, protecting collagen fibers, and significantly boosting elasticity.
All the Good Things
- It smells heavenly, like a light scent of roses
- It doesn’t make BF gag
- It has SPF 6 in it
- It seems to absorb a teaspoon quite nicely
All the Bad Things
- It isn’t SPF 15, but for its lack of oiliness (which is usually the SPF), I’m compromising
- It costs $35 for 1.4 oz (ouch!)
- You MUST wash your face in the morning before using it, or else face the risk of looking like you dipped your whole face into a bowl of mineral oil
Other than that, highly recommended.
I mean, the SPF is half what it should be, but for everything else I am getting, like the non-gag factor from BF, I am thrilled.
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Have you tried anything by Living Nature or Trilogy? They're paraben free etc, and make some lovely stuff. I'm not sure how expensive they would be overseas (made in NZ), and they're not exactly cheap here, but they're the kind of thing where a little goes a long way, and I've found them brilliant. Living Nature makes an SPF 15 sunblock which I'm going to try soon (yay, no ozone layer, sunblock every day). :p
I think it is the actual smell of the sunscreen products that makes BF nauseous
So SPF 6 seems to be the right balance between ALMOST stinky and not stinky at all. It’s right on the edge.
That being said, I stay indoors from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days. I don’t even leave the building, so my face doesn’t even see a single drop of sun .. hahaah 🙂 It’s only on weekends that I should really be using this stuff.
FB, TELL ME you've heard of using Monistat Chafing Gel as a primer. I know you recently did a primer post and were interested in a primer with fewer weird ingredients, but I JUST heard about this from my cousin, and I found a review on makeupalley of it (http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp… The makeup artist who is doing her makeup for her wedding told her the ingredients are almost exactly the same as in the Smashbox primer, and it's only, like, $6. She tried it out and is obsessed.
NEVER! 🙂 NEVER heard of it!
But it isn’t as natural as Tarte.
Granted, it is MORE natural than Smashbox:
Active Ingredient: Dimethicone 1.2%
Inactive Ingredients : cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, silica, tocopheryl acetate, trisiloxane
But Tarte only has silicones, and no dimethicone or whatever else.
http://fabbroke.wpengine.com/2010/02/review-tarte-clean-slate-primer/
Plus I love the way it feels on my face (the Tarte)
This stuff is the perfect winter face cream! I first discovered it at Sephora when I asked a sales associate to make me up a few samples of super-moisturizers to try on a long flight – this was my favorite one and I haven't looked back. and psst I order mine directly from the korres website – free shipping, no sales tax (for my US shipping address) and there are tons of 30% off coupon codes floating around on teh internetz.
I don’t find it strong enough for winter. I need to use that Skyn Iceland stuff at night… 🙂
The smell is incredible. I feel great smelling it.