Skincare products I love, live with, and wish I had.

Skincare and make-up are expensive habits. The make-up in particular is killing me, as I've only gotten really into it over the past year or so. This fascination has been hard on my frugal sensibilities, but I have to admit it has been a fun process. I have battled acne since my early teenage years, and it has only been in the past couple that I felt like I was winning. It wasn't until then that I was at a point where I was even interested in dabbling with the fun that is make-up. So here's a skincare post for you, and I'll save the make-up for another one.

Holy Grail Skincare Products:

• Duac Gel (Prescription) & Retin-A Micro (Prescription) - Seriously, if you've got acne, go to a dermatologist. I use the former in the morning and the latter in the evening, and they make all the difference in the world. Downside is that it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, so I recommend upping your usual sunscreen SPF. Also, the Duac Gel is basically 10% benzoyl peroxide, so be careful not to bleach your pillow or clothes or anything like that.
• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - There is a reason so many dermatologists recommend this product. It's just that awesome. But to tell you a little more about it and help you meet your daily laugh quota for the day, please read this blog post from Dooce.
• Complex 15 Therapeutic Moisturizing Face Cream- The prescription products tend to dry out my oily skin, making it combination skin. The skin around my mouth gets especially dry, and worse, flaky. This moisturizer, while not glamorous, does an awesome job. Thankful I took a chance on it.
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment - The best ointment ever. We have several tubes of this stuff floating around our house, as my fiance - aka The Boy - has even taken to using it. We use it on all sorts of things, like scrapes, dry skin, lips, heels, eyebrow setting gel. During the winter, my Complex 15 isn't always quite up to the task of my dry skin, so I'll put it on my face at night. Guaranteed glowing skin the next morning.
• Clarisonic Skincare Brush - Yes, I bought one of these. Yes, I paid a ridiculous sum for it. Yes, I use it religiously. Yes, I think that it really is better than a washcloth. It's not for everyone, but it's great for my sensitive, fussy, flaky skin.

Products I use but don't love:

• Purpose Dual Treatment Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 - Yeesh, I've been using this since I was a teen. Part moisturizer, part sunscreen, readily available from the drugstore, and not a scream-inducing price. The downside? Leaves my skin looking greasy. But I've never been able to find another everyday workhorse face moisturizer with sunscreen that I like, so I keep using this one. (I have been meaning to try Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15, Sensitive Skin for ages, I really should get around to it.)
• Clinique Moisture On-Line - Too pricey for what it does. It's a heavy-duty moisturizing cream, stronger than my Complex 15 but not the heavy-ointment quality of Aquaphor. Still, it just doesn't impress me.
• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++ - This is great face sunscreen for those that are acne-prone, and part of me feels like I should probably put this in the HG column for that alone. But it's expensive and has a flowery scent I just can't stand. Luckily, I only use it on days when I know I'm going to get more than incidental sun exposure and the scent fades after a few minutes.
• L'Oreal Skin Genesis Eye Serum - I haven't seen any noticeable results while using this, but I have to admit it feels soothing to put on.

Products I don't have but would like to find:

• Eye cream with sunscreen - seriously! I am not interested in paying big bucks for an eye cream, so I haven't poked around department store or Sephora much. Why can't there be a reasonably priced drugstore option for this product?
• Undereye cream - Lately the bags under my eyes have been begging for some TLC. Hylexin is supposed to be a HG product, but it's also outrageously expensive - about $90. However, there's a knockoff product called Under EyeBryten Severe Dark Circles and Under-Eye Puffiness Formula that runs about $20 that I would be interested in trying.

I am off to paint my nails. Today I picked up Parlez Vous OPI? and You Don't Know Jacques! from the new OPI La Collection De France for Fall 2008. Fun times!