I need a facial moisturizer that won't give me blackheads.

May 18, 2005 10:01 PM

I need a facial moisturizer that won't give me blackheads.

I've been using Kiss My Face All Day Cream for ages, but only used it once or twice a week. A couple of months ago, I started using it on daily basis, and now I've got blackheads on my cheeks and occassional acne on my throat--which I've never had in my life!

It's a shame, because otherwise I love this product. I like the way it feels and love the way it smells.

Any recommendations?

posted by luneray to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (25 answers total)

Cetaphil. I had the same thing happen to me with KMF stuff. Cetaphil is my friend. :) Not the soap stuff, never tried it, but the lotion. No real scent to it, but it goes on like velvet. Actually it's done amazing things for my cracked & bleeding heels too. I think it may be a keeper...
posted by susanbeeswax at 10:27 PM on May 18, 2005

All other moisturizers should simply give up and go home as they've been rendered superfluous by the invention of the magic elixer known as Cetaphil.
posted by TimeFactor at 10:28 PM on May 18, 2005

Never tried Cetaphil, but those are great recommendations. I like Kiehls Facial Fuel For Men - it smells and feels great, and unlike their famous Ultra Facial Moisturiser, it's super light and non-oily.
posted by forallmankind at 10:47 PM on May 18, 2005

Neutrogena Healthy Skin moisturizer - either the regular one or the slightly more expensive one with AHAs. Love em.
posted by Kololo at 11:09 PM on May 18, 2005

Another vote for Cetaphil. My dermatologist recommended it to me & I've used it for several years now.
posted by BoscosMom at 11:11 PM on May 18, 2005

I second the recommendation for Neutrogena. I use the one targeted for those with combination skin.
posted by invisible ink at 11:12 PM on May 18, 2005

Oil of Olay works for me, even though my face is sensitive to a lot of things. On the expensive side, Shu Uemura and Shiseido are good. Now I want to try Cetaphil though!
posted by halonine at 11:44 PM on May 18, 2005

Seconding (thirding?) Neutrogena's combination skin moisturizer. It's nice and light, and a bottle lasts practically forever. One odd data point: their "sensitive skin" version made me break out like you wouldn't believe.
posted by Vervain at 11:50 PM on May 18, 2005

'Dream Cream' from Lush works for me (in the UK but I think they are in the US too).
posted by altolinguistic at 1:18 AM on May 19, 2005

Thirding(?) Cetaphil and also adding a vote for Olay 30SPF moisturizer. If you want to move up a bracket or two pricewise, you simply cannot beat Clarins Daily Gentle Foaming Cleanser and moisturizer. Used that stuff during the hellish teen skin years and had very good results.
posted by mrs.pants at 5:41 AM on May 19, 2005

I love that gender is marked "Why do you care?" in your profile. :) heh. If you are a girl, Kiss My Face makes has a moisturizer with Alpha Hydroxy in it that has improved my skin texture. ( I say if you are a girl because the smell is pretty girly to me - not overpowering but not masculine by a long shot.) I've never tried the kind you mentioned because it just sounds like it would make my skin go crazy. I've used Cetaphil as well, and I like it very well, although the summer is shifting me away from it (in the heat it seems to make me sweat more or be more oily on my face than the KMF stuff I linked above).
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:48 AM on May 19, 2005

I've been using Pond's moisturizer with SPF since high school. It's cheap, works great, and the stuff lasts forever.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 5:57 AM on May 19, 2005

I also love Cetaphil. I use the regular cleanser in the winter, with the regular lotion. Then in the summer I switch to the "oily skin" cleanser and ease up on the moisturizing. It never makes me break out and doesn't overdry.
posted by bonheur at 7:15 AM on May 19, 2005

a thirding for Neutrogena's combination skin moisturizer. I used to have a problem with my skin getting very oily in the middle of the day with other moisturizers until I switched to this. from my personal experience, cetaphil moisturizer made my skin sting but everyone's face is different.
posted by mcsweetie at 7:18 AM on May 19, 2005

my sister's dermatologist recommended complex 15 also available at drugstore.com for a little more. it's hard to find in shops (i think some walgreen's stock it; no CVS does that i've ever seen). very light, very effective. it's the only thing i use.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:20 AM on May 19, 2005

I used to get lots of blackheads from products.

I wasn't blown away by Cetaphil or any of the more expensive brands but I use this and my pores have never been clearer.
posted by superkim at 7:57 AM on May 19, 2005

I recently started using Dove Daytime and Nighttime moisturizer for sensitive skin. They are two products for those specified times of day. My apartment is quite dry, and I usually got breakouts from other moisturizers, even so-called all-natural ones, but the Dove sensitive skin formula seems to be working very well in not giving me any skin problems, and moisturizing my face just perfectly. Not sure about their regular formulation, but I give Dove's sensitive skin formula a big thumbs up. (No, I don't work for them)
posted by Blue Buddha at 8:44 AM on May 19, 2005

I really love Clinique's basic yellow moisturizer... though I'd throw in a vote for Neutrogena as well. I also had problems with their sensitive-skin moisturizer; it was greasy. Have you tried exfoliating? My skin is freaking out as my hormones change in my mid-twenties, and I've found that exfoliating once or twice a week with Neutrogena pore-minimizing cleanser really helps. If your face is oily, try the Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil face wash. It's fabulous after a workout or in the summer.
posted by hamster at 9:31 AM on May 19, 2005

crush-onastick, thank you to the gazillionth power to the link to Complex 15! I used to use it for years, then could never, ever, ever find it again. (Didn't think to check the internets to see if I could find it that way, for some reason...)
posted by scody at 9:31 AM on May 19, 2005

On the expensive cosmetics counter tip, I am a slave to Clinique skin care products. I use the Superdefense Triple Action Moisturizer SPF 25 for normal to dry skin during the day and Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer at night. Both require me to secure loans to pay for them, but every time I say "That's it! This is just too expensive!" and seek out a cheaper alternative, my face breaks out like a 16 year old fry cook's and I'm miserable until I finally pony up and buy the damn Clinique again.

I used to use Clinique's yellow moisturizer but it lacks sunscreen which is non-negotiable for me. I still like it otherwise, and it's a bit cheaper than their other fancy pants stuff.

When I die, I'm going to be buried in a clinical green box.
posted by jennyb at 9:43 AM on May 19, 2005

My dermatologist recommended Eucerin Facial Moisturizer. Comes in SPF 30 or SPF 15 w/ wrinkle reducer. It doesn't smell like anything, but works like a charm.
posted by gokart4xmas at 10:24 AM on May 19, 2005

The important word to look for on the label is 'noncomedogenic', 'hypoallergenic' or 'determatologist tested.'
posted by gleenyc at 10:48 AM on May 19, 2005

I have heard good things about Cetaphil from others too, but had a bad experience with the lotion that had sunscreen - my face actually stung when I used it. It sounds like it might be worth trying other versions of Cetaphil moisturizers, but I find the unfortunately named Oil of Olay (SPF 15, sensitive skin, may say "oil-free" on the bottle) to be light and non-greasy.
posted by PY at 11:45 AM on May 19, 2005

Go for something with gylcolic acid. It clears up blackheads and other nasties and has the the will almost exfoliate/moisturizer at the same time! Seriously!
posted by lalalana at 7:21 PM on May 19, 2005

Cetaphil is unstoppable. I love how soft the gentle skin cleanser makes your skin, and I use the lotion everywhere. I used to like Kiehl's but it didn't last and the formula with sunscreen felt thin and oily (though I love the lip balm).
posted by scazza at 1:22 PM on May 20, 2005