Back in the day (as in since the beginning of time), I used to have really oily skin. No matter what kind of moisturizer, primer, or foundation I used, I'd always have to blot my face (all over, not just the t-zone) at least once an hour. It wasn't the most glamorous life, as I'm sure you could guess ;) I always wanted normal to drier skin since I figured I could always just moisturize the heck out of it and make it normal if it was on the drier side, right? Well, friends, my lesson to you is be careful what you wish for.
Ever since moving to Oregon last year, my skin has never been the same. In the summer in Oregon, my skin tends to be the most "normal," but from fall until spring, it's a mess in terms of moisture retention and oil-control capabilities. I think due to the weather, my skin is significantly drier here than it ever was in all my 24 years of living in California. I started suffering from dry, flaky skin since moving here, but the annoying thing is, my t-zone still gets oily. Not blot-my-face-every-hour oily, but still oily enough to warrant the use of my trusty Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer. My cheeks and forehead, however, are as dry as can be...the kind of dry that just feels tight and itchy that only an intensely moisturizing product can relieve.
Thank goodness I found these two.
Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion and Night Cream with Clary Sage
The previous face cream I was using both day and night when my skin was especially dry was the Olay Active Hydrating Cream in Original. While I really enjoyed it at the time since it was immensely more hydrating than my regular, oil-free moisturizer geared towards oily skin, I'm afraid it pales in comparison to this new Burt's Bees line.
As evident in the names, I've been using the Day Lotion in the morning under my makeup (if I'm wearing any that day) and the Night Cream before bed. You literally need the smallest amount of the day lotion to cover your entire face - I'm talking, a pea-sized amount. Any more and you'll have a difficult time getting it to sink into the skin. It melts into the skin incredibly quickly, but the trick is to let it sit for a few minutes before applying foundation in order to avoid the lotion from pilling off from the surface. The hydration is provides is exactly what my skin needs, as my skin feels soft and supple from the moment I put it on until I wash my face at night. However, I notice that it also has a tendency to make my skin a bit oily when I wear it alone without makeup (When I wear foundation, I tend to use my oil-free primer as well, and my I find my skin doesn't get as oily from the day lotion). Keep in mind, this may not be a problem for those with a true dry skin type though, since your since may need the extra moisturization even more than mine does :)
It comes with a pump, and it takes much less than a full pump to release a pea-sized amount.
Next is the Night Cream, and I admit, I may love this one even more than the day lotion, although I'd never want to have to choose between the two! It comes in a nice glass jar (a bit too heavy to be travel friendly - I'd recommend decanting it), and it's a thick cream (surprise!) that really manages to lock in skin's moisture for hours upon hours, making it perfect for overnight use, and surprisingly, I don't notice the same oiliness I sometimes get with the day lotion. Due to the thicker consistency, you do need to use quite a bit more than a pea-sized amount of this to adequately cover your entire face and neck, but it's nothing unexpected or unusual compared to other night creams.
So what is clary sage? To be honest, I'm neither the skincare guru or someone who pays much attention to ingredients in my makeup and skincare products....tsk tsk! But, from what I gather, it seems to be a natural anti-inflammatory that also promotes skin cell regeneration, hence its benefit in fighting fine lines and wrinkles, as the day lotion claims. Both the day lotion and night cream are 99% natural and have a really light, fresh scent.
I purchased mine at Target for $17.99 each, but I believe they were about a dollar or two cheaper at Walgreens! Granted, they're not the most affordable compared to other drugstore options, but I also believe that the quality of each product surpasses that of any drugstore moisturizer or night cream I've ever come across.
Now if I could just get those pesky breakouts under control...
Have you tried anything from the Intense Hydration line? What were your thoughts?
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