Moisturizer for Acne-prone skin
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free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:22 am

I know we've had threads like this before, but I thought I'd start a new one. As you guys know, my skin has been going through a really rough period over the last couple of months where EVERYTHING seems to clog my pores. My derm took me off of Dr. H products as she said they were too rich and clogging my pores, various balancing oils I used seemed to clog my pores, and even La Roche Posay Toleriane Fluid, which is supposed to be the best for not clogging pores, clogged my pores. So frustrating! So, I've been on a quest to find a moisturizer that sensitive girls like me can use without making acne worse OR causing those dreaded bumps.

The first one I found was Zenbiotic's Phyto Moisture. This one isn't a lotion or a cream, but rather a spray that you mist on a damp face. It works remarkably well to keep my skin moisturized under my mineral make up without causing any problems. In fact, it seems to help heal blemishes and scabs. Ingredients:
Purified water, witch hazel extract, strawberry, cucumber, rice extract, lily extract, plant proteins, Vitamin E, pure vegetable glycerin

That being said, I'm using Tazorac and I recently added Finacea into my routine as well. They're working out great, but the combination made my skin very tight and dry, so I knew I needed an additional moisturizer on top of the Phyto Moisture. The one I found that works well--- it's definitely a little weird, but hey, if it works it works, right? What I've been using is Joey New York's Egg Cream Extreme Lift Cream. This cream is for aging skin that needs a boost in firmness--- that's not me at all, but for some reason my skin really loves this stuff! It hydrates my skin just enough to get rid of the tightness and flakiness I was experiencing, but it has not caused a single new blemish or clogged pore!!! Here are the ingredients: Water (aqua), Centella Asiatica Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract (rosemary), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Honey (mel), Albumin, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth 7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Edta, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil (orange)

Like I said before--- the ingredients aren't very impressive, but hey, this stuff is working! It's also a bit pricey--- runs about $50 a bottle, but for me it's definitely worth it.

If anyone with similar skin has found moisturizers that don't clog their pores, I'd love to hear about em!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:36 am

I have blemish prone skin and also get milia if anything is too rich...I have found a couple moistuizer that work for me...

1. Neutrogena Anti Wrinkle Anti Blemish (great product but I want something more natural).
2. Weleda Iris Moisture Cream (great amount of hydration w/o being too heavy)
3. My OCM mixture of Castor Oil and Olive Oil at night...just a little is working really well. My skin looks glowy and healthy in the morning and it seems to heal my blemishes really fast.

I had to stop the Dr H b/c of major cystic acne breakouts.

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:41 am

I checked out Zenbiotic's website and I'm really curious! Any other products you would recommend? I love the spray moistuizer theory...I dont like rubbing my face to apply products.

Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:45 am

sorry I'm new to this site, what is OCM?

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:53 am

Olivia wrote:

I checked out Zenbiotic's website and I'm really curious! Any other products you would recommend? I love the spray moistuizer theory...I dont like rubbing my face to apply products.

The Phyto Moisture is by far my favorite product of theirs. Like you, I prefer not to rub my face any more than is necessary. Also, I love the natural ingredients! That being said, I'm also addicted to their toner (very gentle and non-drying, great for acne), and their Oxygen Replenish spray which I've found to be almost as good as PSF's O2 at just a fraction of the price. I'm also curious about their $$$ serums, but I haven't tried any of them yet so I can't comment on those. HTH!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:59 am

Lizzy630 wrote:

sorry I'm new to this site, what is OCM?

Lizzy, scroll all the way down in the FAQ thread and you can read about OCM. HTH!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:59 am

Liz here is a few for you to consider. Don't worry they are all from my pre-clogged pores days!

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Mist OP
This is very light and I actually use it as a first step moisturizer and put something else over it.
Ingredients:Aqua (Water); Herbal Extract Mixture from: Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow), Spilanthes acmella, Echinacea purpurea, Rosa gallica (Rose), Equisetum arvense (Horsetail), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender), Calendula officinalis, Bellis perennis (Daisy); Glycerin; Glyceryl Cocoate; Aloe barbadensis Leaf Extract; Hydroxymethylglycinate; Citrus grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract; Chamomilla recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil; Lactic Acid; Ascorbic Acid; Rosa centifolia (Rose) Flower Oil; Panthenol

Jurlique Calendula Cream-this is very rich. I used this for months 3 times a week or so and never had any pore problems or breakouts.Ingredients:Aqua (Water); Herbal Extract Mixture from: Calendula officinalis, Prunella vulgaris (Self Heal), Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Echinacea purpurea, Spilanthes acmella, Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow); Cetearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth-20; Honey; Cocoglycerides; Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride; Glycerin; Macadamia ternifolia Seed Oil; Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil; Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil; Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter) Oil; Daucus carota sativa (Carrot) Root Extract; Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil; Aloe barbadensis Leaf Extract; Hydroxymethylglycinate; Lactic Acid; Citrus grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract; Panthenol; Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Sanoflore Night Cream-This is mostly oils and is greasy but never caused clogged pores for me. Despite all the botanicals I have put this on raw, irritated skin and it never caused any irritation.
Ingredients:Rosa Damascena Disilate (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Simmondsia Chinensis Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Rosa Moschata Seed Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Myristyl Alcohol Myristyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mel (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Cetearyl Alcohol & Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearyl Alcohol, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Styrax Benzoin Gum, Aniba Rosaeodora Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Cymbopogon Martini Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Salvia Officinalis Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Thymus Zygis Oil (Ingredients produced by organic farming), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil & Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid

Kose Sekkisei Cream-Heavy moisturizer but not greasy. A lot of glycerin which may not appeal to you. Also has squalane on the list but when I was using this my acne seemed to improve a little and I didn't get clogged pores from it. I actually just bought some recently.
Ingredients:WATER (AQUA), GLYCERIN, CYCLOMETHICONE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE, ALCOHOL, ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE, SODIUM LACTATE, SQUALANE, CETYL DIMETHICONE COPOLYOL, DIMETHICONE COPOLYOL, SILICA, ANGELICA ACUTILOBA ROOT EXTRACT, COIX LACRYMA-JOBI (JOB'S TEARS) SEED EXTRACT, CORDYCEPS SINENSIS EXTRACT, MELOTHRIA HETEROPHYLLA EXTRACT, PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT, CHOLESTEROL, CHOLESTERYL HYDROXYSTEARAGE, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)

Bath and Body Works, Pure Simplicity Everlasting Flower Serum. Also very light but a little more substantial than the Jurlique Mist. I sort of stopped using this because it has a lot of chemicals and unfortunatly do not have ingredients for you.HTH

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:10 pm

I have never been able to use moisturizers for the life of me as I have the same problem with you. I've been using Yonka's Creme 15 and that gives me enough moisture plus I think it helps my breakouts and it hasn't clogged my pores. It's definitely a cream texture, at first I thought it was a little thick but it sinks it quickly and you only need a pea-size amount for your whole face. Cream PG also does not clog my pores but it's thicker and more moisturizing than 15 but sinks in quickly as well. It depends on how much moisture you need but if you're using phyto-moisture then 15 should be enough. Perhaps you should consider serums rather than moisturizers as serums are more concentrated and are usually much lighter in consistency so you get the moisture w/o needing to put too much on. I can't think of many right now to recommend but LP's De-sensitizing serum is my fav at the moment - light gel consistency, cooling effect and gives me hydration. I think it would work very well under or over your phyto-moisture.

HTH

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:33 pm

manslayerliz...thanks for the recommendations...I ordered the foundation pack. I'll report my results. I did a search and did not read 1 bad review...YIPPIE! I cant wait to give these products a whirl!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:59 pm

Have you tried pure Hyaluronic Acid? I never heard anybody complaining about pore clogging or other bad reactions. You can also add a dpor or two of Jojoba oil on top (if you need to control your sebum production), or you can add rosemary oil or evening primrose oil if your main problem is dryness.
HTH

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:31 pm

i have the same problem and have been on my quest for the right moisturizer this week. seriously every moisturizer i put on my face breaks me out. my dr put me on differin a couple days ago and i started looking into Avene skincare. i got the water mister and Clean-Ac moisturiezr, it says its adjunctive care to anti-acne treatments and the SA recommended me to use along with my prescription topicals. so far using these 3 has calmned my skin down a lot, really quickly for 2-3 days of use. and the Clean-AC is moisturizing enough for now.. but i dont know if its good enough for the cold Vancouver winter so i guess it depends on your city climate. i also got recommended the Skin Recovery Cream thats suppost to be for super sensative skin and is more hydrating than the Clean-AC. i really want to try Jurlique Calendula Cream.. sounds really great and the ingredients look better too

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:52 pm

I was about to come back and post when I remembered you could try HA - so I agree with shantel about HA and oils. Perhaps you should give Emu Oil a try as that is supposed to help acne as well as give good moisture.

smqueen: I felt the same about the Calendula cream and if you want to try you should get it off EDS, I don't know how they can sell it for 29CAD because it's similar to the AUS price. At SaffronRouge they sell the same size tube for something like 46CAD Shock

But I have been wary about trying it because calendula is a very strong drawing agent so it will purge out any gunk you have. I have been using juvenil which at times STILL draws pimples out so I am not going to repurchase for this reason - I don't know why all that gunk forms for me I think I have a pretty good skincare routine overall. Anyways, Juvenil uses calendula so I'm pretty sure that's the culprit for me, but a lot of other people had good luck with acne using calendula but for me it's just too strong.

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:52 pm

Wow, so many great suggestions! I'll definitely look into them--- thanks, everyone, and keep them coming!

Olivia, I hope you like the zenbiotic goodies as much as I do. They are just so wholesome and pure! (Not to mention very reasonably priced, IMO) Please let me know what you think after you try them!

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:57 am

cool thanks for the heads up sormuimui! i didnt know calendula is a drawing agent.. i will proceed with caution now. i want to drop by the jurlique store on granville now to pick up a sample before i buy..hehe. i noticed the price too! thats killer, what an awesome price! the last couple weeks ive been kinda anxious about eds, i hope didnt make a pricing mistake.. i really hope they wont raise it!

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:07 am

Hi there

I am a fairly new member - what a fantastic site. I have so enjoyed reading the reviews in particular those posted by Carekate & Wendy Laughing

This is my first posting so I do hope that my following info is in compliance with EDS terms & conditions (please anyone feel free to contact me if it isn't. I love this site and would not want to jeopardise my membership in anyway)
I have combination skin and have found Paula's Choice completely non greasy moisturizer to be excellent and very reasonably priced option. I have also used Paula's choice non greasy sunscreen fantastic SPF for daytime use. The sunscreen is ideal under make-up as it does not leave a white film. I live in the UK where this range is unavailable - however I was able to order directly from Paula's choice. As I am a new member I am unable to give details of the website. If you search for Paula's Choice on the web you should be able to find the relevant site. Hope this helps Smile

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:22 am

A few comments on the Jurlique Calendula Cream.

First, I was not aware that calendula is a drawing agent. But even if it is, I have never experienced any purging with the Calendula cream and I am definetly acne prone. Perhaps everyone is different and some would experience purging but I never did. The Herbal Recovery Mist OP also contains calendula and I have never experienced purging with this either.

sormuimui could you provide a link or give me a source that discusses the drawing effects of calendula. I had never heard this before and would be interested in reading more about it.

Second, I have very sensitive skin and while the Calendula Cream normally does not irritate it, I have found that if I apply it to my skin when it is already irritated it stings and makes it worse. So if you do try it be cautious using it when your skin is actually irritated.

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:37 pm

It was repeated reading in forums of people mentioning this. I think in MUA reviews of this cream as well as EDS. I managed to find the post where carekate mentioned that calendula is a drawing agent as well:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=9092&highlight=calendula

But like I said before, it has worked for a lot of people in MUA to soothe and some even help healing acne scars but for me it just seems to moisturize + purge at the same time Sad

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:49 pm

Thanks sormuimui. I will try to research this some more.
I only use this occasionally now and have clogged pores. I wonder what would happen if I started using it a few times a week? The Herbal Recovery Mist that I use everynight has calendula and is obviously not drawing anything from my pores. Sad

Maybe it doesn't have a high enought percentage of calendula.

free skin care · Fri Sep 22, 2006 9:57 pm

I love Olay All Day Moisture Cream for oily/combo skin. Its so light and perfect for my acne-prone skin.

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