And I am on an eternal hunt for the perfect day cream! This is partly the fault of my skin, which is so changeable, and partly down to budget. Either way I always find honest product reviews helpful because women spend an inordinate amount of money each year buying products which turn out not to be right for them, or worse, a gimmick designed to exploit our purses and intelligence. A few words of advertising on the box give me no indication as to whether a cream is going to work for my skin. So seeing as I have tried three day creams in recent months, I decided to provide my thoughts here.
Day Cream No. 1: Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Moisturising Day Cream Normal/Combination 50ml
... Actually, no. They aren't. In fact, these chemicals are now banned in Swiss skincare products, and as research into their effects becomes more extensive, there are increasingly worrying links coming to light about their links with cancer. Petrol is not for sploshing onto your delicate epidermis, it seems. Have a Google and you'll see what I mean. Sufficiently educated, I sought out a day cream without such ingredients, and this is what I came up with within my budget. No parabens, silicones, mineral oils, colourants or perfumes.
The Pros: It feels fresh and light to use, and it didn't make me feel as though I needed to re-wash my face an hour later. Not being of an age where I need a dedicated night cream just yet (I know some experts would argue one is never too young - bleurgh), I slapped some on every night before bed too, and it didn't give me spots. A massive bonus in my book. My skin felt soft and hydrated.
The Cons: No SPF. This is a shame because I have the skin colour of a dead person, and even in winter I need sun protection. I assume that leaving out what has now become a standard feature of many day creams is because including it would contradict its pure, chemical-free nature. I may have to email them and ask.
Although I felt fresh, my skin didn't look as shine-free as I would like. It felt quite greasy on my t-zone, but my cheeks absorbed it. It says it caters for combination skin, so this was a little disappointing.
The Look: Nice simple glass pot - perfect for recycling and looks good in the bathroom! Well, a girl needs a touch of glamour.
Price: A very reasonable £5.10 at Boots.
Rating and Would I Buy Again? I give it a 7/10 because I like being able to get mineral oil-free moisturiser at such a great price, but am disappointed about the lack of SPF - a real problem for me. It seems there is no perfect solution on that score. Therefore I probably won't buy it again. If SPF isn't a problem for you, then I recommend it.
Day Cream No. 2: Olay Complete Care Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Cream for normal/dry skin, 50ml
About the product: Slight confession to make here; my grandad worked his entire career at the Procter & Gamble factory and therefore still gets discounts at the staff shop, so this was one such bargain. Such a kind and thoughtful grandad. Sometimes he even lovingly brings me luxury loo rolls, so you can imagine my excitement on such occasions. But I have tried several Olay creams before, and he bought this having been told I like them. And Cushelle.
The Pros: Basically, this is not my everyday day cream. This is the one I use when I want to look fresh-faced, healthy, and like I've just been cavorting in a summer meadow with a dashing chap (I doubt it works that well, tbh)... in other words, radiant. It does what it says on the box. This cream certainly delivers on the glow front.
It does contain SP5 15, so a round of applause for that. It absorbs easily and I've never spotted or felt any sign of greasiness.
The Cons: I think it works better in the summer than the winter. Its moisturising ability is such that I've noticed several hours after application recently that my skin feels dry and as though I want to wash and re-apply. However, this isn't a huge gripe and they do say you should adapt your cream to the season. I know my skin is very dry in the winter, so if you have 'normal' skin (stupid phrase) it may not be an issue at all.
It does contain parabens.
The Look: A plastic tube, so where I live it cannot be recycled, and it doesn't look as nice as a glass pot. Plastic tubes do tend to mean you don't pay too much for the packaging, however.
Price: Around £7.99.
Rating and Would I Buy Again? I give this product an 8/10. I would buy it because although it contains parabens I don't wear it every day, and this also means it lasts longer and therefore the price is fine by me.
Day Cream No. 3: Johnson's Face Care Daily Essentials Hydrating 24 Hour Day Cream for normal skin, 50ml.
About the product: I have a soft spot for this brand because it reminds me of the baby products I had when I was small. But in my enthusiasm to try new, exciting, grown up products as I grew older I abandoned the brand, and am now just returning to it to discover what they have for me as an adult. At first glance this comes across as a 'utility' cream - no-nonsense buy it 'cos you need it, not 'cos you want it.
Pros: It smells of all those gorgeous baby products I remember so well, so it's a lovely fresh product to use to start the day. It absorbs really quickly, so I don't have to wander off and make the bed and feed the guinea pig before returning to put on my make up. Non-greasy, and I can't stop touching my skin because it feels so soft! (if I complain about spots next week it'll be my own fault for poking my face).
It has SPF 15, and I'm pleased to say that my skin felt fresh all day.
Cons: I have been told that the nasty dangerous chemicals mentioned above can hide behind different names. Not being able to spot any obvious presence in the ingredients list I did a quick bit of Googling. I still can't spot them, so cannot report on whether they are lurking or not. Not a pro, but not a con either.
The Look: A nice weighty glass jar, looks very fresh and pleasing, though if you have a problem with your cream looking like a baby product you may wish to avoid. Personally, I call that being pernickity and if you feel that way you should knit yourself a fancy face cream cosy to hide the shame.
The Price: A bargainous £4.00. Even better, I bought mine from Wilkinson's and got a Johnson's Daily Essentials exfoliating face wash for free.
Rating and Would I Buy Again? I give this 9/10 - it's pretty boring but I have plenty of other products I slap on every day that are there to make me feel feminine and glam. You could say I shouldn't rest on my laurels until I've got to the bottom of whether it contains naughty chemicals, but until I choose to cut them out of every substance I put on my skin - quite an effort - I'm just going to avoid the obvious ones and not worry too much about this cream. For the price, non-greasiness and most importantly, the moisturising power - yes, I will definitely be buying it again.
So there we have it. While it seems that there is not yet a happy medium between ridding British skin products of mineral oils and other nasties and getting the right balance of moisturising and sun protection, for me the Johnson's cream does the job perfectly well for the price. I hope this review has proved useful for when you're next in the market for a day cream.
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The lucky winner will be chosen via random generator on Monday 12th March.
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