I am trying to find a good, but inexpensive skin care series. My skin needs lots of moisture. And it is important to me to find something with "good" ingredients.

What do you guys use?  Any suggestions?

I use a bit of jojoba oil on my skin in the winter when things get so dry.  If I put it on right after my shower, when my skin is still wet/damp,  it really helps retain the moisture.  I use it on my face as well as arms and legs (and, of course my hair!).

I really like Avalon Organic Botanical skin care.  I get it at the health food store, but I bet you could look for it online.  They might be under Alba products 'cause they're from the same company.

Good Luck!

I use whipped shea cream!


Quote:

2 golf balls of shea refined (or 1,1 of shea, mango)   1/2 golf ball of shea unrefined yellow (smelly)   3 tablespoons of jojoba oil   Melt the butters, add the oil, and stir until the mix thickens. Hint - use ice packs when the container cools off to room temp. Keep stirring until the mix is thick as frosting, thicker, thicker, until it finally looks like play dough. It will get even harder by the next morning. If you put it into containers and leave it overnight, it will have the final consistency of a creamy butter (truly melt-on-contact).

One night a week, I sit down and devote 30 minutes to covering my body in this stuff. The soft skin lasts at least 3 days on skin exposed to air (i.e. hands and forearms, ankles, suchlike) and about a week for skin that isn't as exposed (e.g. torso, back).

And for face, like Bikerbraid I use jojoba oil, or sometimes broccoli seed oil.  

Anais  

Question for those that use jojoba oil on their face for moisture: My skin will easily suffer from breakout unless I wash it, a lot, and that dries it out. My skin is always either ugly or dried out. Would jojoba by any chance be rough on my skin or cause more breakouts?
If it's gentle I may try it.

Thanks BB  :) Unfortunately I cannot use Jojobaoil in my face. I tried it before and I looked like one big red pimple.

Anais: This sounds good  :) And I will definately give it a try, just not in my face  :-[  Thanks!

Sakina: I went online and checked out drugstore.com - and voila' - Avalon Organical Botanic Skin and Hair Care! I ordered toner, cleanser, and moisturizing cream for sensitive skin. No perfumes added. This should be fairly safe for me.  :) And, since I like shopping, and I still had a $ 6,-- discount offer  ;D .....I went ahead and ordered some Avalon Hair Care  stuff as well: shampoo and conditioner for damaged, dry hair.  :)

wrote on Oct 28^th, 2005 at 2:54am:

Question for those that use jojoba oil on their face for moisture: My skin will easily suffer from breakout unless I wash it, a lot, and that dries it out. My skin is always either ugly or dried out. Would jojoba by any chance be rough on my skin or cause more breakouts? If it's gentle I may try it.

If your skin needs oil for moisture, jojoba works very well.  I have sensitive skin and cannot handle perfumes, so the jojoba oil is a simple moisturizer for me.  It works best right after showering or washing my face - when it has lots of moisture from water.  The oil then seals that moisture into my skin without leaving me with an oily feeling.

I trick I learned many years ago for testing a product - I put a bit of the lotion, cream, oil, whatever behind my ear and a bit on my chest (where it will not show if I break out).  These two areas tend to react the same way as my face.

wrote on Oct 28^th, 2005 at 9:53am:

Sakina: I went online and checked out drugstore.com - and voila' - Avalon Organical Botanic Skin and Hair Care! I ordered toner, cleanser, and moisturizing cream for sensitive skin. No perfumes added. This should be fairly safe for me.  :) And, since I like shopping, and I still had a $ 6,-- discount offer  ;D .....I went ahead and ordered some Avalon Hair Care  stuff as well: shampoo and conditioner for damaged, dry hair.  :)

That's great, Moochild!  I have sensitive skin too and have not had one moment of trouble with this product line.  Oil doesn't work on my skin, either.  We must need more water for our skin to be happy.  I used the hair care for several years and liked it a lot.

Let me know how you like it!

Oh, absolutely NOT on the face without testing it first ! I agree with BB, the ear and chest area are great places for testing. Allergic reactions will show on my chest from some kinds of perfume, so it's a great indicator spot for irritants ETA: and/or cloggable products.

Anais

My absolute favorite skin care product is actually home-made.  My skin type is usually oily and prone to breakouts, but also dry at the same time - and this cleanser is just perfect.  It's made from white clay powder, green clay powder, dried rose petals, oats (unflavored oatmeal will do, like quaker oats), raw almonds, and you can use poppy seeds for extra exfoliation if you like.  You just throw them all into a processor and make sure everything is chopped up pretty finely (you don't want it too chunky, clogs the drain!) and viola!  To use, you just mix about a TBS w/ water in the palm of your hand or a dixie cup, massage it in, and I sometimes leave it on as a mask - works awesomely and does NOT dry the face a bit, leaves it super-soft.  You can get the clay at places like herbalremedies.com, and it's not that costly.

http://herbalremedies.com/frengreencla.html

;D

wrote on Oct 28^th, 2005 at 10:52am:

If your skin needs oil for moisture, jojoba works very well.  I have sensitive skin and cannot handle perfumes, so the jojoba oil is a simple moisturizer for me.  It works best right after showering or washing my face - when it has lots of moisture from water.  The oil then seals that moisture into my skin without leaving me with an oily feeling. I trick I learned many years ago for testing a product - I put a bit of the lotion, cream, oil, whatever behind my ear and a bit on my chest (where it will not show if I break out).  These two areas tend to react the same way as my face.

That sounds good, I'll give it a try then

Oh and Maggie, your idea sounds really interesting. I'll see about giving that a shot too.

Maggie this sounds very interesting!

I love this forum more and more. This is a neverending source of ideas, wisdom and fantastic people!
:)

I use Burts Bees Milk and Honey lotion (and no its not sticky). However I don't  put it on my face. But it says that it is gentle enough to put on the face. Another plus is its much more natural than the lotions in the pharmacy (unless they actually sell Burts Bees..).

Hi Moonchild,
I use a mixture of half vinegar, half olive oil.  Start with just a small container-full because I'm not too sure how long it lasts, since it's all natural.  Be sure to shake well before each use.  Like Bikerbraid was saying, I apply it on my face right after showering.  Works great all over too.  

I actually read the scientific reasoning behind the particular mixture of olive oil and vinegar. The olive oil moisturizes, while the vinegar tones, heals, dissolves piled up grease inside your skin, exfoliates etc.  I can post the weblink later, if I can find it!

Hey, I am going to have to eat my words.  I have been using the oil/vinegar mix about maybe for a month, and hadn't had any adverse effects till last night!!!  I put it on my face and it [glb]burned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/glb]

I rinsed my face with warm water and applied straight honey to my sore face.  Woke up with a FABULOUS complexion!  I use a half aloe gel/half witch hazel mixture for my face for daytime use.

I use Crisco shortening (in the can) on my hands and feet at night.  This is actually recommended by dermotologists, so I've read.

Hi Christiana,

this is totally new to me. So, you really put straight honey on your face? And leave it on, overnight? Don't you get this in your hair while sleeping and all over your pillow?
I have to be careful with my face:
Some kind of oil I used for my body after showering came in contact with my face...OMG....the first couple of hours it was itchy, then it got warm....overnight I developed swelling allover my face and neck, during the next day red pimples were added to this.....that lasted for 3 days. On the fourth day my skin was peeling. I felt like a snake. Day 5 rolled around and I had skin like a newborn baby.....soft and no wrinkles at all.  8)

Hi Moonchild!

Yes, I put straight honey on my dampened face.  It is very beneficial to the skin.  I actually researched this online!  It is the only "moisterizer" that has NEVER EVER caused ONE SINGLE PROBLEM for my supersensitive acne-prone/oily/dry face.

I apply it after I shower and wear it all night.
Yes, it is a little sticky;  but not bothersome.
No, it doesn't get in my hair.  I wear it twin braided/curled for bed, and it never "runs" or gets near my hair, nightgown, etc.

It doesn't touch my pillow either.  I sleep ONLY on my back.

A few splashes of warm water in the morning, and oh, it is wonderful!!!

I have worn a little of it during the day sometimes, but it ends up feeling too tacky.  I figure a nightime application of it should do.  And it's great.

I like the soothing feel of oily, rich moisterizers on my face, but the skin just won't accept it!!  I have abandoned honey before and tried oilier stuff with bad results.  Honey is sooooooooooo sweet!!!!!  ;) :)

You are one lucky person! I am tossing and turning all night long. I would have honey all over the bed, my husband and probably the dogs too, since they decide to hopp in the bed (if they think they can get away with it  ;D )

But it sounds good. I might just have to try it and leave it on while I am taking a bath or maybe all evening while I am watching TV........hmmmmm.....I have to think about that  :)

wrote on Oct 31^st, 2005 at 5:00am:

You are one lucky person! I am tossing and turning all night long. I would have honey all over the bed, my husband and probably the dogs too, since they decide to hopp in the bed (if they think they can get away with it  ;D )

Yup, that's me, too!  I would wake up with the pillow, my dog and my husband all stuck to my face, it wouldn't be a good situation!  I also use in addition to my home-made cleanser an all natural honey soap.  It's actually made by my chiropractor who raises his own bees for honey, and he makes several different products from it. I think the honey mask would be a good follow up to that, I will try this - during the day of course, so as to spare the dog and husband!

OH!  An ingredient I left out of my recipe by mistake is dried lavender, I just realized it  :D

wrote on Oct 31^st, 2005 at 2:42pm:

I will try this - during the day of course, so as to spare the dog and husband!

ROFLMAO  ;D