Wednesday, February 2, 2011

February Challenge: No Moisturizer

As an utter skincare addict, I'm simply unable to leave my skin on the same regimen for too long; there's always something left to be done, right? Well, this month I've decided to roadtest one of the most controversial claims in the skincare world; namely, that not everybody needs a moisturizer.


Shock horror, no moisturizer?! That cannot be! Basically, the proponents of this approach differentiate between moisturizing and hydrating, and if you want to know more about the subject, I refer you to the very informative video by Kathy, which you can watch here.

I think I qualify as a perfect example of someone who might not need moisturizing, as my skin is very oily but mostly hydrated ever since I stopped using harsh cleansers. For the month of February, I vow not to use any moisturizer on my face except for eye cream. I will cleanse with my Alaffia's Shea Butter & Rooibos Facial Cleanser, rinse with water, tone and apply acne treatments as needed. For daytime, I'm going to add a fine layer of sunscreen, some exfoliation/mask twice a week, and voila!

Of course, the challenge is not about strictly eliminating all moisturizing ingredients from my skincare routine, which would be rather impossible since most cleansers, toners, sunscreens or even acne treatments have some sort of moisturizing properties. It's more about establishing whether oily skin needs that extra boost by using a moisturizer per se, or whether its lipid barrier is strong enough to deal on its own. What I'm hoping to see is an improvement in the oiliness of the skin throughout the day without any dry patches and hopefully an increase in the clarity (less clogged pores).

I'm quite excited by this challenge and can't wait to see the results! I'll update you in the beginning of March on my experience. What do you think? Would you like to take the challenge with me?

15 comments:

  1. That's an exciting project!
    Actually I stopped using moisturizer in the morning a year ago and my skin has improved, it doesn't really get oily through the day anymore and I don't look like a greaseball by mid day!
    But I still use serums and a light moisturizer at night, like for AHA and BHA treatments. At this time of the year my skin is also very dry because of the cold weather and central heating (temperatures have been below 0°C again these past days) so I'm more on the dry side and do need some product.
    Can't wait to read your thoughts in a few weeks!

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  2. @Marie Ella: I'm hoping to be less oily by the end of the month too! I have to say that the weather here is much better for such experiments, it's quite warm for this time of year and rather humid, so we don't even need to heat the apartment. Let's see what happens in 30 days! x

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  3. I wish I could take this challenge as well, but the weather is horrible so I'm a bit hesitant. Maybe when the weather gets a bit better since my skin has started to get oily by mid-day as well! Looking forward to hearing about your results

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  4. thats an awesome challenge! i think that it would be fine if you were to wear a sunscreen as that would be some sort of barrier. the toner will definitely help as well. let us know you're progress over the next 30 days!
    Maricela
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  5. @Saimese: I know what you mean, lovely. As I mentioned in the previous comment, the weather is nice enough here for me to try it. I'll keep you posted on the results!

    @Maricela: I think sunscreen should provide enough of a barrier as well. I'll be back with the progress in a month, promise! x

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  6. I do agree with the concept, because healthy skin isn't that much about creams and potions, but proper diet and active and healthy life style, but I can't really imagine living without moisturiser at all. I do, however, only use mine once a day, in the morning. Skin regenerates at night and it's better not to overload it with creams etc., so it uses its own reserves.
    Will be interesting to see what happens in 4 weeks.
    x

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  7. I'll be very interested to know how this works out! I have quite dry skin, but I'm rubbish at taking care of my skin anyway and only apply moisturiser when i remember :P

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  8. funny I've been thinking about doing exactly the same thing, but with the weather here it will have to wait at least 2 months :)

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  9. @Little Rus: I'm trying to eat a healthy diet as well and I'm quite active, so we'll see how it goes :) I definitely wouldn't attempt it if I felt my face was even a bit dry. Thanks for the support! x

    @Lillian Funny Face: I'm rubbish at applying sunscreen, so this should motivate me... :)

    @anu: I know, I know! I'll be applying my sunscreen VERY diligently when we hit the slopes, and we'll see if the challenge stands to that! x

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  10. oooh how interesting! I have dry skin so I can't join you in this challenge, but I am very interested in hearing how about the results! Definitely keep us posted throughout!

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  11. i did without moisturiser for a few years in my teens and it didn't seem to do me any harm. My skin is much drier now and I can't do without it espcially in winter, but I often skip it in summer or at nightime. I've heard tales that its good to give your skin a break at night after cleansing, let it rejuvenate itself. and water and diet really contribues to skin moisture anyway. Really interesting post, can't wait to hear how you get on!
    x

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  12. @Kajal Couture: I have dry skin on the rest of my body and I definitely wouldn't attempt it anywhere else other than my face! I will update, pinky promise :) x

    @A Certain Vintage: I used to use a lot of acne targeted skincare in my teens, which contributed to dehydrated, flaky skin. But now that my skin is quite well hydrated and I don't have that many breakouts any more, I'm really curious to see how it works! I'll also eat a lot of fruit and veg and drink water to help my skin out a bit more :) x

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  13. I don't think I can ever live without using moisturizer on my face...

    ***** Marie *****
    allthingsmarie.com

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  14. ohh I cannot imagine going a day without moisturizing my combination skin..

    So? How did it go?

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  15. Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life.





    Moisturizing Facial Cleanser

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