I've been in a bit of a skincare overhaul for the last year or so. While I've always been one to wash my face at night and slap on a moisturizer, I've really been focusing on the treatment and prevention side of skincare. With the help of Paula's Choice (acne kit + toner) and a tretinoin cream, I feel the treatment side of my skincare is pretty well figured out - my acne is pretty under control at this point. Now I'm focusing on the prevention side - making sure to use sunscreen, staying out of the sun, and finding products that help protect my skin from wrinkles. I was missing a moisturizer I could use to help treat my skin on the nights I don't use my tretinoin cream, so when I saw this Origin's moisturizer (a brand I've had some pretty good luck with recently), I wanted to give it a try.
what it promises:
Research at several major universities has proven that white tea is among the most potent antioxidants, anti-agers, anti-stress, anti-smoke, and anti-pollution antidotes. Now its protective powers are energized and optimized in a moisturizer that surrounds skin in a virtually impenetrable protective bubble. This barrier intercepts damage before it causes lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and loss of firmness.
how I use it:
Every other night (the night I don't use my tretinoin cream + vanicream moisturizer), I will lightly exfoliate with the First Aid radiance pads, allow that to dry for about 20 seconds, and then rub a thin layer of the Origins moisturizer into my skin.
what I like:
Like all Origins products I've used, this one smells great. It's a faint citrus smell that isn't overwhelming, and just makes it enjoyable to use. I find a little bit goes a long way - I've been using this for about a month now, and it doesn't even look like I've used any out of the jar (which is good, since it's a bit pricy at $43 for 1.7 oz).
I really like that I'm treating my skin while also getting a great moisturizer. I wanted a product that helped treat my dry skin but also did something for it, and so having an anti-aging, anti-oxidant moisturizer is exactly what I was looking for.
Some of the reviews find this is a bit too greasy for oily skin, but as someone who uses this on drier skin and only at night, I have not found this to be true.
what I don't like:
It seems that the reason Origins products smell so great is because of the added ingredients that make it smell so freaking good. I personally don't care so much about that - I'm not that sensitive to smells (in fact, I really enjoy the smell of this product) but I know that those ingredients (bergamot, lemon, orange, spearmint, and vetiver oils, according to Beautypedia) can be irritating. These aren't synthetic fragrances, but worth noting.
would I buy this again?
The thing with preventative skin care is that you can't really see a result right away - with acne treatments, you know if it's working or not, but you can't really tell if an anti-oxidant, anti-aging product is working. Therefore, I can't say that this is a "holy grail, will buy a hundred more times" kind of product, just like I haven't been able to say that about any anti-aging product. That being said, I do really enjoy using it, so I will probably buy it again. I may try out some other products in between, but I've been very satisfied with the Origins A Perfect World moisturizer.
ps. I've been receiving a few more beauty questions in my Ask Me Anything, so I'm thinking about doing a full beauty/skin care Q&A for an upcoming Beauty Tuesday. Have any specific questions? Feel free to add them in the comments, or in this google doc!
