Moisturiser reviews
I. CRITERIA
A moisturiser, for my purposes, should:
- help my skin to stay on my face, in one piece, and be happy and healthy
- moisturise that skin
- without drying and stripping it
- or irritating it
- or zittifying
- or leaving a greasy film or thick layer of goo
- be fast and easy to use (too much rubbing can damage skin) and maybe even feel pleasant
- sink in nicely, and be compatible with applying sunscreen on top
- leave skin feeling comfortable and calm all day, and ideally stay that way—maintaining hydration and moisture—for 24 hours
- have no scent
- not contain ingredients that are known irritants on my skin, including most essential oils and unspecified “fragrance”
General (ethical etc.) requirements of products: see this list in the second-last post
II. BEFORE
- recently (last two years, since The Cumulative Disasters Of Spring 2015): all over when skin in crisis state, then stabilising but still irritable: Avène Cicalfate, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast baume; the latter has been my regular moisturiser for most of the last two years, and I will always keep some around for medical emergencies
- various oils and other simple bland moisturisers and barrier-repair creams that worked at other times previously; see also morosophical beautification > extra stuff
- otherwise, as everyday regular stuff on less-irritable skin of hands and body: La Roche-Posay Lipikar baume
III. RECENTLY
(Moisturisers and other stuff being used, and how, and any changes to that how and what, lives over at morosophical beautification > journal/notepad.)
PURE ANADA DAILY MOISTURIZER – SCENTLESS
INGREDIENTS: Aqua (Water), *Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, *Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, (Olivem®1000), Leuconostoc/Aloe barbadensis Leaf/ Sorbus Aucuparia Fruit Ferment Filtrate *Certified Organic Ingredients
CAD 16.00-20.00 for 60 ml / 2 oz
COMPANY INFORMATION:
COMMENTS:
Works well on both drier and moister skin. Lightweight texture, though still more of a cream than a lotion. Fairly moisturising, though not enough on my (dryish) skin; decent for up to 12 hours, but I start to feel skin tightness and the start of flakiness around then; noticing it as it’s usually 12 hours between when I wash my face in the morning and the earliest that I would be finishing and leaving work. I’ve found that it helps to mix in some shea butter or to dab it on top (using refined shea butter, for reasons of irritation by cinnamate in the unrefined raw kind).
The next item works, on me, better; it contains more moisture-retaining and hydrating ingredients; and it’s also cheaper.
IV. NOW
SHIKAI BORAGE THERAPY ORIGINAL UNSCENTED DRY SKIN LOTION
INGREDIENTS: Purified Water (Aqua), Decolorized Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe Barbadensis), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Emulsifier), Safflower Seed Oil (Carthamus Tinctorius), Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis), Borage Seed Oil (Borago Officinalis), Cetyl Alcohol (Vegetable Wax), Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopherol), Dimethicone, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Phenoxyethanol, L-Ergothioneine (Amino Acid), Ethylhexyl Glycerin.
USD 13.00-15.00 / CAD 15.00-20.00 for 238 ml / 8 oz
COMMENTS:
This feels like a very light fluid lotion, but is more hydrating and moisturising than the Pure Anada. A little really does go rather a long way. One tip: it applies better to drier skin. Slightly moist is fine, but more than that, or too wet, and this stuff just mixes with the water and comes off without actually moisturising at all.
The Children’s Formula version (blue bottle) is nearly identical and sometimes cheaper. Difference: no Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C) & L-Ergothioneine (Amino Acid). On me, I can’t feel any difference between the two lotions.
Both have some odour which some may find offputting. There is also a fragranced (“white tea”) version and a facial moisturiser (small blue and white pump bottle) with a masking fragrance.
The latter is midway in texture between this lotion and the hand cream in the same Borage Therapy range, maybe a little easier to use on moist skin, and (on me) more moisturising than the unscented lotion. There are some differences in ingredients: avocado oil instead of safflower seed, more borage seed oil and shea butter, no aloe vera or vitamin C or amino acid. It’s also good and recommended; one of the few non-unscented products I’ve been able to use, including around the eyes, and barely smells of anything at all. Would buy and use again.
If, on the other hand, that borage odour is OK with you: then there are two other options:
- An “advanced” lotion: not tried; minus the aloe vera, plus rooibos and oatmeal; I’ll test it out if I see it in a shop, and would buy a bottle for longer testing (i.e. at least 6 weeks) once I’ve finished the current Original Unscented one. Which will be in a few months.
- A hand cream. I’ve used it in the past—all over, including face—and would happily return to it in drier colder weather. It’s unscented, and feels like a creamier version of the Unscented Lotion. Difference in ingredients: no water.
All of the above are comfortably under $20, with the facial moisturiser as the most expensive (RRP USD 17.99 for 3 oz). Ingredient listings for all these alternatives, with main differences in bold:
SHIKAI BORAGE THERAPY LIGHTLY FRAGRANCED DRY SKIN LOTION: Purified Water (Aqua), Decolorized Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe Barbadensis), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Emulsifier), Safflower Seed Oil (Carthamus Tinctorius), Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis), Borage Seed Oil (Borago Officinalis), Cetyl Alcohol (Vegetable Wax), Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopherol), Dimethicone, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Phenoxyethanol, L-Ergothioneine (Amino Acid), Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Natural Fragrance.
SHIKAI BORAGE THERAPY FACIAL MOISTURISER: Purified Water (Aqua), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Emulsifier), Borage Seed Oil (Borago Officinalis), Glycerin, Avocado Oil (Persia Gratissima), Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Cetyl Alcohol (Vegetable Wax), Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopherol), Batyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Natural Fragrance.
Other differences: no aloe vera, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or L-Ergothioneine; more borage seed oil and shea butter.
SHIKAI BORAGE THERAPY ADVANCED DRY SKIN LOTION (UNSCENTED): Purified Water (Aqua), Rooibos Extract (Aspalathus Linearis), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Emulsifier), Safflower Seed Oil (Carthamus Tinctorius), Glycerin, Borage Seed Oil (Borago Officinalis), Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis), Cetyl Alcohol (Vegetable Wax), Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopherol), Dimethicone, Oatmeal Powder (Avena Sativa), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin.
Other differences: no aloe vera, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or L-Ergothioneine; more borage seed oil (but not as much more as the previous item).
SHIKAI BORAGE THERAPY UNSCENTED DRY SKIN HAND CREAM: Decolorized Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe Barbadensis), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Emulsifier), Safflower Seed Oil (Carthamus Tinctorius), Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis), Borage Seed Oil (Borago Officinalis), Cetyl Alcohol (Vegetable Wax), Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopherol), Dimethicone, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), L-Ergothioneine (Amino Acid), Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin.
Difference compared to the Original Unscented Lotion: no water.
COMPANY INFORMATION:
The Praise of Folly 