The Best Moisturizer I've Ever Used

While I love that one product can do so much for your skin, what bothers me about moisturizer is how difficult it can be to find the best one for your skin. This is one product where I have never really had a tried and true standby. I have tried a plethora of varieties—drugstore, high end, organic, with SPF, without SPF, etc. Some of them have been good, but there has always been a part of me, deep down in the soul of my skin, that believes there is a Prince Charming of moisturizers out there who will treat me right and make my life simply magical. And, I just might have found my soul mate.

My Skin Type

First, to give you some background on my skin (because the type of moisturizer you should use depends on your skin’s needs), it is normal to oily (especially in the T-zone), and my primary concerns are aging prevention and evening out my skin’s tone and texture. I usually get a couple of zits a month, so thank goodness acne isn’t my biggest concern. However, due to a medication I started taking about a year and a half ago, I started getting these strange bumps and patchy redness on my left cheek, and it drives me bonkers. Yes, just my left cheek.  I went to a dermatologist and her recommendations honestly made the condition worse. Argh.

Time for a Change

A few weeks ago I finished using Peter Thomas Roth’s Camu Camu PowerC X 30™ Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer in conjunction with the Camu Camu Serum. I’m a big fan of Peter Thomas Roth products, and I had high hopes for this fairly pricey duo.  While the two potions did not cause my skin any adverse reactions, I also felt like they didn’t render any noticeable benefits. For a combined price of $157, I expect benefits! After that foray, my next move was to return to Shiseido.

Why Ibuki is Best

 

Honestly, I’m not sure why I ever stopped using Shiseido skincare. Probably because as a skincare and cosmetic junky, I love trying new products. However, I’m a bit more selective with switching up my skincare routine unless there is an imminent concern. The redness/bumps issue on my left cheek definitely qualifies. A little over two weeks ago in Sephora I spotted Shiseido’s new Ibuki line, and I ended up leaving the store with a jar of the Enriched Refining Moisturizer. Normally product claims don’t mean a great deal to me, but I do trust Shiseido skincare. Here’s the lowdown on the cream from the Shiseido Web site:  
 “This multi-action formula intensively corrects the appearance of unevenness such as visible pores, breakouts/ blemish marks and skin roughness. It renews the skin’s surface, revealing an incredibly smooth, uniform texture, while keeping skin hydrated all day long.”

2 Weeks Later

Well, my dear readers, from my brief two-week experience, these claims are true. I’m not wearing foundation today for the first time in quite a while. The main reason for that is because I have a raging cold and am blowing my nose every 5 minutes, but it is also because my left cheek (Ok and btw every time I write that I giggle because I feel like I’m talking about my butt cheek, which I’m definitely NOT!) is clearer and smoother than ever for the first time in over a year—impressive. I was slightly hesitant to buy the enriched version of the moisturizer, since my T-zone usually gets quite oily by midday, but I compared the textures and absorption of both it and the regular refining moisturizer at Sephora. The latter almost has a serum-like texture, and the former, while appearing thick and creamy, felt light and absorbed quickly as I smoothed it on.  Here are the other benefits I’ve observed:

• It keeps my skin moisturized all day long, without any excess oil. So, those of you who feel like you’re connected to the trans-Alaska pipeline, I promise that even the enriched version will not be too heavy for your skin.
• A little goes a long way. I’m using much less to cover my entire face and neck (you better be moisturizing your neck,  because I don’t want your face smooth and pretty in 20 years and your neck looking lizardy) than I have with previous moisturizers. I have a feeling this 50 ml jar will last me much longer than the same size jar of the Camu Camu.
• It works great under makeup. It provides a great surface to apply my Benefit The POREfessional primer and then my L’Oreal Youth Code BB Cream Illuminator mixed with Kat VonD’s Lock-It Tattoo Foundation. There is nothing worse than a moisturizer that starts to flake or peel off like dead skin when you go to apply your foundation, and believe me, this does nothing of the sort.
• The price point: $45! For a high-end skincare product, this is insanely affordable. Other than Shiseido’s Pureness Matifying Oil-Free Moisturizer, this is their most affordable one.