Jack & Hill: A Beauty Blog - make-up, cosmetics, perfume, and the substance of style

DermaQuest Skin Therapy

I am scared to mention this, in case I jinx the very agreeable circumstances in which I now find myself, but: My skin has been giving me a LOT less trouble in the last week or so. This also happens to coincide with when I started using some DermaQuest Acne Management products. I don't know if one week of use is enough time for products to make such a significant difference, but so far, I'm pretty pleased.

(I should also note that, as much as my skin stresses me out, a lot of people compliment me on it and claim not to see what I perceive to be hideous blemishes. Let's just say that I know things could be a lot worse, but it doesn't always feel that way.)

I've been cleansing morning and evening with the DermaQuest Beta Hydroxy Cleanser, followed by Nature's Cure Pore-Perfecting Papaya Toner, the DermaQuest DermaClear serum, then either Chanel Fluide Énergisant Multi-Protection Hale Progressif SPF 15 (in the morning),  Nature's Cure Acne-Repairing Papaya Moisturizer (at night), or Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (if a flare-up seems to be on the horizon). All of the products except the DermaQuest are ones I've been using in various rotations for the last few months, and I've never noticed the sort of marked improvement that I have recently. Long may my good fortune continue.

NOTE: All of the products mentioned in this post, except for the Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (which I bought myself), were freebies sent to me by the PRs for DermaQuest, Chanel, and Nature's Cure.

The skin you're in

Someone asked in the comments here what I use on my skin to avoid crows' feet.

The conclusion I am coming to is that for me, specific products don't make a huge amount of difference. Cleansing well, rinsing very well (at least fifteen times), and making sure my skin is moisturized as needed seems to produce consistent results, regardless of the specific products.

(Do not consider leaving even the smallest amount of eye makeup on your face. I read recently that dermatologists are stunned at the amount of makeup residue that they see under their patients' eyes when they look at them under magnifiers. These traces contribute hugely to an old, tired look. Why spend tons of money on treatments and products if one of the easiest ways to look fresh is so cheap and easy?) 

Also, I don't smoke, I eat fairly healthfully, and I use at least SPF 15 every day, while not spending much time at all in the sun. (I also stopped drinking alcohol almost five months ago, since which time I have received lots more compliments on my skin and overall looks.) I could stand to drink more water, I'm sure.

But for what it's worth, here are some products that I use regularly.

Cures for pizzaface?

  Pizza 
  Originally uploaded by foéÖþoooey.

My skin has been giving me fits the last couple of weeks. Everything seems to be under control now, but there were several days in a row when I seriously considered seeking a prescription for Accutane.

I used Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel to get me through the hard times, but it didn't work as quickly as I'd experienced in the past. What do you use to clear your skin?

Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel: Quickie Review

It works. Overnight. Very highly recommended.

Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance (plus shopping talk)

I'm living and dying in this necklace I bought from H&M last week. It goes great with my heavily soft pink summer wardrobe choices.

I am also rarely out of the black beaded slipper-style pumps I got from Monsoon last week. They're very flat, which means I can wear them with trousers I had previously worried might be a fraction of an inch too short for me, as well as with summer skirts. I wouldn't want to walk miles in them, what with having only a thin sole between the bottom of my foot and the pavement, but they're more comfortable than high heeled sandals.

When I told my boyfriend that I was seriously considering buying another of the same pair, just in case I wore the first ones out, he replied, "You should." If you've ever had a boyfriend or husband who wasn't quite as encouraging in these things, you can appreciate how much I wanted to give him a big kiss at that moment.

But they were out of the slipper in my size (I'm a 42 in European, 9 in English; my feet keep shrinking as I lose weight, which is an excellent, unexpected consequence), so I ended up with the copper-coloured version.

My legs tend to dryness, so I'm quite pleased with the Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance lotion that Lookfantastic.com's Jason Russell gave me some sample packets to try. It absorbs quickly and smoothes away any signs of ashiness, so you can wear your summer skirts without anxiety.