Hello John,
Can you recommend a good daily SPF moisturiser for oily/ spot prone skin?
I am in my 30s & have suffered with oily skin & bad spots for many years now.
I am on medication from the doctors, which doesn’t seem to be helping but I’m told it is not a quick solution. I would like to wear an SPF that has anti aging benefits, but in the past they seem to have clogged my pores. There are so many products out there I would like to know which you think would be best? Both sun tan creams and also daily moisturisers containing high SPFs.
Thanks,
Sue
Sue,
Gosh, there are so many I hardly know where to even begin! One of my favourite suggestions for every day would be a brand new product that would solve two of your problems – and possibly three – at once. Chantecaille has just launched a powdered SPF in two neutral shades. The advantages are that you would have an incredibly pure product as far as causing breakouts, something to stop and touch-up shine, and a high SPF46. There are a lot of trustworthy SPF moisturisers that are not greasy and have been tested to not cause blockages. Of course this can depend a lot on how much you can and are able to spend. Bliss Spa Best of Skintentions is an excellent choice in a basic, matte SPF15. La Prairie Marine Cream SPF20 is more costly, but the strangest texture and really appealing to oilier skin. And Dr. Lewinn’s Face Moisturiser SPF30 is an oil-free that feels a bit heavy as you start to apply it, but it dries nearly as fast as you register the weight. You could also do a more neutral moisturiser for oil control and breakout like Dr. Sebagh Breakout Cream, Liz Earle Skin Repair Light, or Bliss Spa Steep Clean Moisturiser. All have very good qualities and you will need to just go have a quick look and feel of them. Once you decide on a cream that you can then use twice a day, you can apply a completely greaseless sunscreen over the top. Ones I would look at are Shu Uemura’s new Armor SPF30 or SPF50, Clarins Ultra UV SPF40, Or Becca Oil-Free Mineral Primer SPF30. Phew!
You are going to be a busy girl…
John
John,
I was cleaning out some drawers recently and found a whole box of nail polishes that I thought I had lost. There are some amazing colours, but a lot of them have gone a bit thick and gooey. Someone told me you can add a few drops on polish remover to them and it will restore the texture, but I don’t want to ruin them. Can you tell me if this is right, or are there any products that will allow me to use this buried treasure?
Thanks for all your fab advice,
Becs
Becs,
A new question! Well, your mate is right to an extent, but the problem with just adding a little remover to your polish collection is the ingredient that may help to thin them down is the acetone and some removers are acetone free. Plus, the other stuff in the remover alongside the acetone could weaken the formulation and make the polishes chip and dull – making them pretty useless anyway. If you have a collection you Really want to resurrect, spend a little bit and get Mavala, Essie, or Sally Hansen Nail Thinner. All three are purpose built to thin the formulations without weakening them. I would warn you though: do each one separately and gradually. Due to pigments and different company manufacturers, you will need different amounts for each individual product. If you don’t know where you can find these products, they all have websites – but I just did a quick search for “nail polish thinners” and had nearly 250,000 responses instantly! Thanks again for the great question: I think there are going to be loads of readers that learn from this one!
Ta,
John
John,
I am a regular reader and it seems to me that you once mentioned there was a way of telling how long a product can be used actually on the product. I have tried to find it again but can’t. Can you tell me if I am imagining things?
Thanks in advance,
Salina
Salina,
Well you may imagine other things, but you did get this one right. Somewhere on the label of all products, they now must put a small symbol that looks sort of like a compact or jar with the lid tilted up. On that is the maximum number of months that particular product should be used once you open it. Occasionally, they will only put it on the box, but usually you will find it in both places. It is an excellent guide and long past due. I really appreciate your question since I think it HAS been a while since the subject has come up!
Tara,
John
