Cetaphil Moisturising Cream Review

If you've read any of my recent posts, you may be aware that my skin has been turning very dry as the cold weather moves in (I really have been harping on about it). It is common for my usually combination/oily skin to become less oily in Winter, but this year it has completely dried out. With the sudden change, my summer skincare routine didn't include a rich enough moisturiser. After some research, I decided to give the Cetaphil Moisturising Cream a try.

The packaging claims to be recommended by dermatologists for those with dry and/or sensitive skin, and states that "a formulation of emollients and humectants bind water to the skin, softening whilst preventing moisture loss".

The cream has an incredibly thick formulation, but it blends smoothly into the skin and absorbs easily. It also never leaves any greasiness. After a few weeks of using it twice a day on my face and body, I can honestly say that I love it. My skin is no longer dry, I have no flaking, and the overall texture of my skin has improved ten-fold. The price is reasonable too, with the 550g tub costing me around $18.

The only downside to this moisturiser is the packaging. The 250g and 550g sizes both come in a tub, which is not the most hygienic of packaging.

One last thing, I wouldn't recommend this product for anyone with oilier skin, as it is incredibly rich. Cetaphil does do a Moisturising Lotion, that I believe is more geared towards normal to oily skin types. The Australian Cetaphil website has a nifty chart to help you figure out which of their products are best suited to your skin type, which you can check out here.

Overall Score: 8/10

At Home Beauty: Peppermint Tea Toner

I love the idea of home-made beauty products and using natural products of things you can find in the home as beauty products. Most of the time they don't work, but that doesn't seem to stop me from slathering the weirdest things on my skin. Recently I heard that peppermint tea could be used as a toner, so I decided to give it a go.

        

I've been using it nightly for four weeks now, and it actually seems to work. Within the first week my skin was clearer, and the breakouts I was having were much smaller and faster to go away. Unlike some cosmetic toners I have used, it wasn't drying and was very gentle. I'm very impressed by it.

If you would like to try it out, here's how:

1. Steep a peppermint teabag or loose tea leaves in a mug or other heat-proof container

2. Allow to cool to at least room temperature

3. Pour the tea into a spray bottle

4. Store in the fridge between. Throw away after a week.

I use it as part of my night routine, spraying it all over my face and neck after cleansing. After this, I let it dry, then apply my moisturiser. 

St. Tropez Gradual Tan Review

Forget kangaroos and koalas, Australia is the land of bronzed bodies and sunburns as red as tomatoes. I'm incredibly pale, so any moderate amount of time in the sun leaves me with the latter. For this reason, and because melanoma is a serious and common occurrence that I would prefer to avoid, I have spent quite a bit of time and money over the years on fake tans.

Ultimately, I want a fake tan to give me a slight sun-kissed glow that looks natural and streak free. With most formulations I have tried I end up with an orange tinge, splotchiness and intense darkening on any slightly dry patch of skin. Then I tried St. Tropez Gradual Tan in Light Medium.

On the bottle, the blurb states: "This enriched, nourishing body moisturiser cleverly combines serious skin care benefits with a healthy touch of bronze. Infused with soothing aloe vera, this lotion will help give you smoother skin, while building a gradual tan, every day."

This is one of the best fake tans I've come across. As a gradual tan, it's buildable and gives a lovely tanned appearance without the orange, no matter how often I use it. It's a white lotion, that goes on smoothly and rubs in clear. I've also found it basically fool proof. If I miss a patch during one application, it is barely noticeable, and it has never streaked on me. Throw in the fact that it is moisturising and doesn't have that fake tan odour and it's damn near perfect.

The only down side I've really found with this product is that it can take up to 24 hours to develop, making it impractical for last minute tans and checking for missed patches.

If you're looking for a good fake tan, especially if you are a fake tan novice, I highly recommend this one.

Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water Facial Spray Review

I received the Avene Thermal Spring Water spray in my March Glossybox. When I pulled it out, to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed. It was water. So what? I was pretty sure it was going to be one of those expensive gimmicks some beauty companies employ. I mean, water is water, right?

It is described as low in minerals, high in precious elements, neutral in pH and hypoallergenic. It claims to soften the skin and sooth a range of ailments. The Avene website claims that it has been proven in more than 300 clinical studies to work. Sounds impressive, but results and conclusions can be easily butchered.


In the interest of giving everything a go, I decided to try to use the spray every night for at least one week. After cleansing, I would spray it over my face and neck, leave for about 3 minutes, and dab off any that hadn't dried, before applying moisturiser.  On the first night, the only thing I really noticed was that it was refreshing. Over the next few days I was very surprised to notice my skin was absorbing my moisturiser MUCH better. It also felt like my skin was becoming a bit softer too. 


After reading a couple of reviews for the spray online, I also decided to try it as a setting spray over the top of my makeup. To be honest, I didn't notice anything significant here, but when I used it in the middle of my day, it worked pretty well for refreshing my makeup and bringing it back to life.


Overall, I was very impressed with what this little bottle of water did for my skin. I wasn't a game changer, but it did so much more than I would have thought it could. 


Overall score: 7/10


So, has anyone else tried this? And if so what did you think?

All Time Favourites: Skincare

What better way to start this blog than by writing about a few of my all-time favourite beauty products? I tend to have beauty ADD, so while I have lots of products I really love, there aren’t many that I would use regularly for any length of time. Hell, there are few beauty products that I repurchase once they’re gone.

I will start with my skin care loves, as a good base is as important as what goes on it.

So, let’s see which products have stolen my heart…

Body Shop Tea Trea Oil Face Wash – this bad boy has done wonders for my skin. Prior to using it I was very much prone to breakouts, due to my oily and somewhat sensitive skin. I had new pimples at least every couple of days. Since using it twice a day (morning and night) I have seen a huge reduction in the number of pimples and blackheads I get, and those I do still get tend to hang around for much less time. I have also noticed less oiliness and redness.

Note: I wouldn’t recommend this product for anyone with dry skin. While the drying properties of the formula has worked wonders for my skin, it may well be too much for dryer skin types.

Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing Cream - I love this cream for many reasons. I decided to start using it probably around 12 months ago, after realising I was rapidly approaching the age when I should be thinking about prevention for age related skin issues. I originally chose the gentle formulation over the normal one, because I didn’t want or need a heavy anti-aging cream and I was concerned about it causing me to break out. I recently bought the normal formulation and I like it almost as much as the gentle.

It’s texture is silky, smooth and light as a feather. I use it once a day, after cleansing and before makeup, and I have noticed a smoother, more even complexion, much healthier looking skin and even a better finish from my foundation after using it.

So, there are my two most beloved skincare products. Stay tuned for more of my favourites, coming soon.