Let the search begin

I’m looking at purchasing new skin care products but I’m not sure what to get. As you know, good products are not cheap. I have used so many different products over the years. I of course started with the less expensive ranges way back then, like Johnson & Johnson, Ponds, Nivea, L’Oreal, Garnier etc. etc. then through the years, moved on to Environ, Estée Lauder, Clinique, Clarins, Dermalogica, Neutrogena, Shiseido, Uriage…You name it, and I’ve probably tried it.

The older one gets it definitely becomes more expensive, I guess because you no longer just buy skin products to keep your skin clean but you start investing in your skin by purchasing more expensive night repair creams, day moisturizer, serums, eye creams, sun screen etc. I guess one can argue that you don’t really need all this stuff, so let me rephrase…I have to have it. Vanity is a terrible thing, I know but I just love it. Call it my Fetich. And even though I’m all for growing old gracefully I also believe prevention is better than cure.

So the quest for my over 30’s miracle creams have begun, yet again. After many years of trying all these different products I can’t say that I’ve found something that has made a dramatic difference. Beauty houses always advise consumers to not to mix products. So what I find often happens is that you buy the range of products and then find that the toner burns your skin, but you are happy with the moisturizer. It is a chance you take, the luck of the draw, as you don’t really know how your skin will react to specific products.

All the well known products are available in Jakarta; Lancome, Shiseido, Kanebo, H2O, Biotherm, L’Occitane to name a few. These products are all high-end and come at a price. I don’t like the idea of spending money on yet another expensive product and then complain that the moisturizer makes my skin oily (especially in this climate). I went to all the cosmetic counters at one of the big malls in Jakrata hoping to get some info on which product will best suite my skin type and pocket. But unfortunately most of the Beauty consultants couldn’t speak English so besides just managing to get the prices they couldn’t really consult with me to try and establish which range of the specific house is best for me. Some of the houses did provided me with samples but most of them don’t hand out samples. And even with a cleanser sample, I would still use a different toner and moisturizer which mean I won’t really feel/see the full effect.

I’ve been researching the different products on the internet, hoping to find some reviews that will help me make up my mind on which products I should buy. But, alas no luck. I am on the last of my Uriage, Hyséac products that were prescribed by a dermatologist in Bangalore (hasn’t really worked for me) and have finished all the samples so I should decide quickly.

Any recommendations, reviews on any of the above products will be helpful!