Good healthy skin starts inside and trying to solve skin problems by applying toxic creams and lotions isn't the answer. Almost all prepared skin care creams that do not claim to be natural (and some that do) contain harmful chemicals that are known to lead to disease. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and absorbs whatever you put on it directly into your blood stream. The link that flyingflower posted tells about some of those chemicals. Read the labels on your products to see which poisons are in them. I use organic coconut oil of a high grade (that can also be used in cooking) after a bath or shower as a protective layer for my skin and it's also good to remove makeup. I also use essential oils for skin care. Pay attention to what you eat, especially the oils. Your skin is a reflection of the general state of your health. EVOO, coconut oil, and butter are the healthiest oils to eat. Also lots of fresh vegetables are necessary for good health. I use only organic as I don't want all the noxious chemicals. I take Omega 3 supplements and occasionally flax oil altho I hate the taste. I also take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement to provide what my diet might miss.

boop, I've been the same way--I *did* give up, though, for way too many years, because I just didn't want to take a chance breaking out again. EVERYTHING made me break out, it seemed. I've just started back, and through research and taking a chance I've found a few things that not only work, but work *amazingly* well and my skin is better than it ever has been. (The wrinkles are still there but much less prominent, and the rest of it is so smooth!). My main go-tos now: 1) Burt's Bees Willowbark & peach (something) scrub--moisturizes while mildly exfoliating, and doesn't make me break out; 2) Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner--delicious stuff, and even though they say it's for oily/troubled skin it's not too much for my 49 y.o. skin, and it doesn't make me break out :); 3) Cosmetic Skin Solutions C E Ferulic Acid Serum--it's evidently a match for a much more expensive serum, but available through Amazon, and it doesn't make me break out :); 4) CSS Phyto + Gel, again a match for something else that clears up any little issues that might arise (not many anymore with the above elements) and is also helping with reducing brown spots, and 5) Korres Sugar Crystal multivitamin antioxidant treatment. Korres is a line from Greece, so it's not exactly local, but this stuff is so great I will deal with the energy use issues. It's an intense moisturizing treatment that is a bit sticky so I put it on at night about every other night. I also use Korres Evening Primrose eye cream at night too. I found out about these things at truthinaging.com (the CSS serums -- I am eternally grateful to truthinaging for alerting me to them), and combined the results with reading reviews at Sephora. Never thought I'd be such a skincare hound because I've always had adult acne (not horrible but some) and it was then starting to combine with wrinkles which really made me depressed...but I'm finally in a place with products that make a *visible*, *touchable* difference and are really easy on the skin so I thought I'd share specifics. Hope they help! (I also tried other products in the course of this search but they did make me break out, so I stopped them. I can tell within about 3 days whether something's going to be problematic. I feel like the dermatological canary in the coalmine, I'm so sensitive!) Here is a link that might be useful: website mentioned above

Holly Kay, there are places that allow you to return product you are not happy with. You might order one from one of them (Blue Mercury is one) and then look for the best price if you want auto-delivery after that. You won't be out anything other than the return postage i you don't like it and the price difference one time as insurance if you do like it. A lot of places will make you a sample if they don't have samples to give you --- but that means a store you can go into. I reccently saw a Blue Mercury when I was travelling and picked up two samples while I was there. Sephora and some places that sell Philosophy will do that, but it doesn't hurt to ask for a sample anywhere and see if they have one or can make you one.

Hi ilikefriday, I'm a sunscreen phobic person due to sensitivities, but I've recently had good luck with this one: https://www.clinique.com/product/1660/40650/sun/sun-self-tanners/spf-50-mineral-sunscreen-fluid-for-face. It goes on easy and is not an oily mess either which is a deal breaker for me. Needs to be shaken up each time. It claims to not leave a white or gray cast to the complexion, but I find I do get a slight white cast and I'm pretty fair (maybe I am applying too much?). However, I use it with this foundation even-bettertm-makeup-broad-spectrum-spf-15 when I know I will be seen by others and the cast is invisible with the foundation. Both go on easy-peasy and I'm out the door in two minutes. Three, if I am putting on mascara. I wait a minute for the sunscreen to set before I put on the foundation. I use a beauty blender to apply the foundation. Clinque is showing some nice looking deep shades for the foundation. They have a 100% money back no hassle guarantee if you don't like it or it doesn't agree with you. I have more "fails" in both sunscreen and foundation for one reason or another and I've never been more happy with sunscreen. I order from the website and it ships direct to my house in about a week. If I am not wearing make up (which is often), I'm kinda OK with this sunscreen: https://www.target.com/p/olay-regenerist-regenerating-lotion-with-spf50-1-7-oz/-/A-11205950 It does have a fragrance if that is a deal breaker for you. I would prefer it did not for myself, but so far, it is not causing me distress, thus it gets to stay in the "not a fail" drawer. For facial cleansing, I tend to use Cetaphil cleanser or Johnson's baby wash or shampoo. It works well for me. If I am taking off make-up the Clinque Mild bar soap gets it all off. The small bar lasts me over a year so don't let the price tag of a small bar of soap scare you away if you wanted to try it.