If you're a beauty skeptic, you probably know how collagen and elastin in skin care products do not really work simply because their molecules are too big to pass through our skin barrier. So why did I buy this moisturizer? Did I somehow had a lapse in judgment because I needed a new moisturizer ASAP?
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| Image from stives.com |
Packaging: Uh, tub. So not very hygienic. I'm thinking of asking my brother to fashion a plastic pump on a similarly sized cover.
Texture and Scent: At first I thought this moisturizer would be the traditional heavy cream which can be hard to spread. Surprisingly, it was light and easy to apply and sort of melts on your face. It has a simple, floral smell which is not overpowering and fresh.
Ingredients: The ingredients may be found in St. Ives' page. The main ingredients are as follows:
Water - self explanatory. Water is needed to increase the moisture content of the skin.
Mineral oil - a perfectly safe occlusive. Occlusives slow down the evaporation of water from the skin.
Propylene Glycol - a humectant which attracts water from the deeper layers of the skin towards the skin's surface.
Glyceryl Stearate - an emollient which conditions the skin, making it soft and smooth.
PEG 100 Stearate, Stearic Acid - an emulsifier which prevents water and oil in a mixture from separating. Without this, the ingredients separate into an icky mess!
Phenoxyethanol - a preservative. With that much product in a tub this is a very necessary ingredient.
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil - an occlusive rich in Linoleic Acid. According to Paula Begoun, Linoleic Acid is a "best" ingredient with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ingredient wise, this is a functioning moisturizer complete with an occlusive, emollient and humectant although the product does not have anything fancy that can cater to specific skin problems (again, collagen and elastin do not work ).
Finish / Effect: Surprisingly, the sticky finish right after application will improve to dry and smooth in no more than 15 minutes, even when using liberal amounts. It moisturizes well, and I wake up to a pliable, hydrated skin. For an average and cheap moisturizer, St. Ives' Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer is pretty good!
Rating: This moisturizer is excellent for a very cheap buy. While it may not have any special anti-aging/whitening/pore reducing effects (though it somehow claims to because collagen and elastin, and 'Timeless Skin'), it is a good moisturizer and I highly recommend this to anyone who is on the lookout for a budget moisturizer.
Finish / Effect: Surprisingly, the sticky finish right after application will improve to dry and smooth in no more than 15 minutes, even when using liberal amounts. It moisturizes well, and I wake up to a pliable, hydrated skin. For an average and cheap moisturizer, St. Ives' Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer is pretty good!
Rating: This moisturizer is excellent for a very cheap buy. While it may not have any special anti-aging/whitening/pore reducing effects (though it somehow claims to because collagen and elastin, and 'Timeless Skin'), it is a good moisturizer and I highly recommend this to anyone who is on the lookout for a budget moisturizer.
Value for money: 5/5
Ingredients: 3/5
Performance: 5/5
Overall: 4.3/5
I'm skipping this one because the tub is too big. Recently I just bought one of the cheaper and less advertised olay moisturizers -- Olay Age Protect (Php 120+) a tube, the one without SPF. My skin reacts well to salicylic acid and this moisturizer is perfect. Upon checking the ingredients, almost exactly the same sya with the discontinued Olay Total Effects moisturizer for blemish prone skin (with 2% sal acid).
ReplyDeleteAlso thinking of GNC's Vitamin C moisturizer, it's also cheap and it comes in a small tub as well.
Actually, the only beef I have with this moisturizer is the tub. I am also queasy about the lack of parabens as I feel moisturizers which come in large tubs should be very well preserved.
DeleteI actually like their products mostly because its paraben free and noncomedogenic. My face is sensitive so I tend to look at the ingredients particularly before I purchase a product because I'm pretty sure the hydrogenated castor oil was killing off the moisture in my face. I used Olay (with spf 15) and the original one (which comes in a white bottle with pink liquid) before and the Total Effects and this one. I'm on my third purchase now. So far, after using this for 2-3 along with the green tea cleanser & timeless skin (renew and firm) scrub, I can say that my face became a bit radiant unlike before where it was dull and I had flaky on some areas and oily on other areas too. Hands down, this is a good buy. I guess with the tub problem, i think you can purchase pumps in daiso or any japanese store that's big enough.
ReplyDeleteBuying the best anti aging products Philippines does have its drawbacks. You can't be too sure it'll work well , and if it does; applying cream alone won't suffice I'd say.
ReplyDeleteNot saying that it's bad, but too much of it would fry your face. What I'm saying here is that you'll need to supplement it with proper diet, sleep and exercise to achieve the full effect of anti aging. Sounds tedious I know but it works
Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal means? I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information. moisturizer with SPF
ReplyDelete